Billie Eilish gives jaw-dropping performance at 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony
Billie Eilish lit up the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony with a performance that was as unforgettable as the Games themselves.
Eilish took center stage in Los Angeles Aug. 11, marking a prelude to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in true tradition. She sang her hit "Birds of a Feather" on the coast of California after the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed.
She belted out the lyrics as a crowd on the Los Angeles beach danced and sang along.
After her performance, Snoop Dogg took over the stage to rap to "The Next Episode" with fellow Los Angeles rap royalty Dr. Dre
Eilish's song is from her latest album, "Hit Me Hard and Soft," her third studio release. Co-written with her brother Finneas, the album opened at number two on Billboard's Hot 200 list and all 10 tracks have since landed in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
The closing ceremony performance followed her recent release of a series of live acoustic renditions of four tracks from her latest album.
On Aug. 5, she unveiled stripped-down versions of “Birds of a Feather,” “Skinny,” “Wildflower” and “L’Amour de Ma Vie” as part of Songline, the inaugural installment of Amazon Music’s new songwriting series.
"did some little acoustic live performances of the album with some of my friendsssss 🙈🙈 wildflower, birds of a feather, skinny and l’amour are out now on amazon 🤗🤗🤗," Eilish wrote on Instagram July 29.
"love u all so so much 💘 pls enjoy💘💘," she added.
Her performance also comes just days after the release of Charli XCX’s single “Guess," which features Eilish.
":PPPPPPPP f*ckin love u so much @charli_xcx thank u for letting me be a part of dis😛😍," Eilish wrote in an Instagram post of the music video to the new song on Aug. 2.
Charli responded, commenting, "Billieeeeeeee!!!!!!! ahhhh tysm for being on this track i’m beyond honored."
"love and respect forever!!! you’re one of a kind xxxxxx," she added.
In support of her new album, Eilish will begin her "Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour" on Sept. 29 in Québec, featuring 81 stops across North America, Australia, and Europe, before ending July 23, 2025, per her website.
Olympic viewers saw multiple performances by French and American artists in a mix of live and pre-taped performances.
The musicians' involvement in the closing ceremony was an obvious nod to their deep ties to Los Angeles. Eilish was born in L.A. and celebrated the city with her 2021 film "Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles." Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg is a Long Beach native and West Coast rap legend and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who rose from L.A.'s punk scene, have long been synonymous with the city's vibrant music culture.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
