Billie Eilish Defends Controversial Song ‘Wish You Were Gay’
Billie Eilish has defended her song "Wish You Were Gay" yet again.
The "Bury a Friend" singer released her new single in March, but she didn't get the reaction she was hoping for. The track, which many believed was going to be a queer anthem, was criticized for being offensive to the LGBTQ community because of lyrics like, “I can't tell you how much I wish I didn't wanna stay/ I just kinda wish you were gay."
Some even said she should have known better based on how problematic Katy Perry's "Ur So Gay" was.
At the time, the17-year-old addressed the backlash during an interview with PopBuzz, revealing her intentions weren't to offend anyone and that it was all just a big misunderstanding. “First off I want to be so clear that it’s so not supposed to be an insult. I feel like it’s been a little bit misinterpreted," she explained. “I tried so hard to not make it in any way offensive. The whole idea of the song is, it’s kind of a joke."
Now, during a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple's Beats 1, she reiterated that "Wish You Were Gay" is not an insult and the song is meant to be relatable no matter how you define your sexual orientation.
"I'm not saying that something isn't offensive," she said. "Obviously, that's up to whoever is being offended by it, but I just mean it's so clear that it's not an insult…I also feel like you can relate to it, no matter what. I grew up with this girl that was a best friend of mine, and she liked girls, and when we made this song, she loved it because she was in love with a girl who didn't like girls. It's the same kind of thing. I wish you were gay."
Watch Billie Eilish's full interview below: