The headline of Billie Eilish's career is her remarkably quick rise to fame, but it's the talent fueling that rise that makes her a Musicheads Essential Artist.

Born in 2001 and raised in Los Angeles, Eilish and her older brother Finneas were homeschooled by her mother, who taught them the basics of songwriting. Eilish wrote her first song at 11, and her first step into the limelight came when she was just 14 years old. Finneas had written a song called "Ocean Eyes" for his band, but asked his sister to try singing it. The siblings uploaded it to SoundCloud, where it quickly went viral.

Eilish signed to Darkroom Records and the hits kept coming. She dropped her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me, in 2017, and became the youngest person ever to get one billion streams on a release. Her dark and pained, but also witty and melodic, songs resonated with a peer group facing extraordinary generational challenges.

2019 was a watershed year for Eilish, with the release of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go. Becoming one of the best-selling albums of the year, it also made her the first artist born in the 2000s to have a number one album in the U.S. Awards for the album included a literal armload of Grammys, and she was asked to record a James Bond theme song: "No Time to Die."

As much as Eilish's musical success is a testament to her talent, it's also a reflection of her strong family support system. Even as a young artist, Eilish maintains complete creative control over her music and her image, and she's committed to staying true to herself.

Billie Eilish is The Current's youngest Musicheads Essential artist, and we can't wait to hear what's coming next.

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