EDITOR’S LETTER

Every now and then a fresh face comes along who makes the world sit up and take notice. Not only because of their undeniable talent, but because their influence transcends beyond their chosen field. In 2019, Billie Eilish is that rising star. Aged just 17, she has skyrocketed from homeschooled ingénue to one of the world’s most popular musicians with one billion streams on Spotify. A tour off the back of her record-breaking debut album had Eilish recently visit our shores, and we couldn’t resist shooting her for her first Vogue cover ever (and even made her a special stuffed koala to mark the occasion). We found her to be a vocal, empowered and wise-beyond-her-years young woman who refuses to be defined and put in a box.

Interestingly, it turns out these characteristics are fairly typical of Eilish’s generation. In April, we conducted a Next Generation survey of Vogue readers online and found that Gen Z respondents (those born between 1995 and 2009) share similar attributes – they’re not only engaged

and passionate, but also outspoken and deeply motivated to make a difference (you can read more of the results on page 128). One could even argue that Billie Eilish is the reigning queen of Gen Z. As she says in our cover story from page 116: “I really don’t want to waste my platform … I think all of us in the spotlight can be more vocal about climate change and things that need to be talked about … I suddenly have a platform and a spotlight that I can maybe, maybe, maybe make a difference to something.”

Our respect for Eilish extends beyond her music. In these times of global turmoil her powerful social consciousness, one she shares with others her age, brings hope and inspiration for the future.