Billie Eilish hits back after Taylor Swift fans criticize vinyl comments

Los Angeles, California - Billie Eilish has set the record straight about her recent comments on vinyl variants in the music industry after fans accused her of "singling out" big artists like Taylor Swift.

Billie Eilish (l.) set the record straight about her recent vinyl comments after fans accused her of targeting Taylor Swift.
Billie Eilish (l.) set the record straight about her recent vinyl comments after fans accused her of targeting Taylor Swift.  © Collage: DAVID SWANSON / AFP & Matt Winkelmeyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The 22-year-old singer took to Instagram on Sunday to hit back at the criticism of her recent comments to Billboard and asked fans and the media to "stop putting words into [her] mouth."

"i wasn't singling anyone out, these are industry-wide systemic issues," she wrote on her story. " when it comes to variants, so many artists release them - including ME! which i clearly state in the article."

Billie's quotes caused some bad blood (no pun intended) with Swifties, as the 33-year-old has recently unveiled four deluxe vinyl variants of her next album, The Tortured Poets Department.

The album roll-out has sparked some debate among fans, as each vinyl was released for just a few days at a time on her online store. Each variant includes a different bonus track that won't be available on streaming, pushing many fans to buy multiple copies.

Cardi B goes on latest angry rant after criticism of scrapped song: "I'm so over everybody"
Cardi B Cardi B goes on latest angry rant after criticism of scrapped song: "I'm so over everybody"

Though she never named Taylor or any other musician who has employed the practice, Billie slammed the trend as "wasteful" and said that the practice goes against her efforts to be as environmentally conscious as possible.

Billie Eilish previously slammed "wasteful" vinyl variants boosting album sales

Billie Eilish previously criticized the practice of selling multiple vinyl variants to boost album sales, arguing it is too "wasteful."
Billie Eilish previously criticized the practice of selling multiple vinyl variants to boost album sales, arguing it is too "wasteful."  © Arturo Holmes / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The Happier Than Ever artist was candid about having employed similar roll-outs in the past, though she has opted to use recycled materials for the vinyl variants to make them more eco-friendly.

Billie and her mom, Maggie Baird, both recognized that the problem is industry-wide, as the multiple variants – and the tactics utilized to encourage separate purchases of each – boost the album's performance on the charts.

"We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it's very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging… which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money," Billie said.

Khloé Kardashian doubles down on decision not to date: "I'm not lonely"
Khloé Kardashian Khloé Kardashian doubles down on decision not to date: "I'm not lonely"

"I can't even express to you how wasteful it is."

Maggie suggested possible restrictions on how many editions artists can release to reduce the push towards competition, which ultimately results in the "wasteful" variants.

In the latest comments, Billie acknowledged that every musician has the responsibility to "do better" to alleviate the climate crisis.

While Taylor Swift's name floated around social media the most amid the discourse, artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, and more have sold similarly extensive vinyl collections for their recent releases.

Cover photo: Collage: DAVID SWANSON / AFP & Matt Winkelmeyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

More on Billie Eilish: