Billie Eilish Opened Up About How Experiencing Sleep Paralysis Inspired Her Music

It’s not too common that a musician’s debut album lands them a Grammy for both Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year. But Billie Eilish managed this feat with her record When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Her hit track “Bad Guy” soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, knocking “Old Town Road” out of its record-breaking No. 1 streak. Like many artists, much of her music’s inspiration comes from her lived experiences, and not all of them are fun. Eilish opened up in an interview about how experiencing sleep paralysis, as well as other aspects of her mental health, affected her career and songwriting.

Eilish recently sat down with Ok! Magazine to talk about her recent Grammy wins and career in music. The singer spoke about experiencing night terrors and sleep paralysis. “I have these terrifying dreams,” she said. “Sleep paralysis, night terrors. It’s like the whole night is terrifying and then I wake up.” Eilish said that sometimes the experiences are so intense that they throw her day off. “They really mess me up so the whole day is off sometimes.”

Eilish said her track “Bury A Friend” was particularly influenced by these terrifying experiences. “I probably wouldn’t have made that song the way it is if I hadn’t had sleep paralysis and nightmares,” she said.

While Eilish received much recognition for her debut record, the singer is already working on its follow-up. Eilish recently revealed that she’s beginning to work on her next album in 2020, though it probably won’t arrive this year. “We’re deep into the creative process on new material for sure,” she said.

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