Billie Eilish delivers powerful anti-body shaming message during concert

Billie Eilish isn’t wasting any time sitting around counting her many Grammy and Brit Awards (for the record, she now has five and one, respectfully). The 18-year-old kicked off her Where Do We Go? World Tour in Miami on Monday and gave her fans a show that was both entertaining and empowering. Eilish opened the show with death-defying theatrics, performing on top of a hospital bed that was raised above the crowd. Attached to a harness, Eilish fell through the bed and hung mid-air before slowly ascending to the stage.Performing her biggest hits, including “Ocean Eyes” and “Bad Guy,” Eilish surprised fans once again near the end of the concert with a pre-recorded video showing the singer slowly disrobing. Standing in a pool of black water, Eilish delivered an anti-body shaming message that went viral before the singer took her final bow.“Some people hate what I wear, some people praise it,” said Eilish in the video’s voiceover as the words of her speech were displayed on a second screen. “Some people use it to shame others, some people use it to shame me. But I feel you watching, always. And nothing I do goes unseen.”[video_embed id='1903848']RELATED: Billie Eilish becomes youngest artist to pen a James Bond theme song[/video_embed]The popstar slowly removed her shirt as she sunk deeper into the water, with her message of empowerment continuing. “So, while I feel your stares, your disapproval or your sighs of relief, if I lived by them, I’d never be able to move. Would you like me to be smaller? Weaker? Softer? Taller? Would you like me to be quiet? Do my shoulders provoke you? Does my chest? Am I my stomach? My hips? The body I was born with, is it not what you wanted? If what I wear is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I am a slut.”

this is why i love this girl so much #BillieEilish so strong and powerful pic.twitter.com/hVtTlpYC57

— victoria rodriguez (@VictoriaPortz) March 10, 2020

Eilish’s fans have been quick to praise the young singer for continuing to use her platform to fight body shaming.

BILLIE EILISH HER BODY SHAMING SPEECH IS EVERYTHING EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HEAR!!!!!!! I wish I was a teen when she came up she would’ve given me so much strength! luckily my gen had Demi Lovato for topics like that ???

— NAAZ (@BitsOfNaaz) March 10, 2020

I'll fix the caption "@billieeilish delivered a powerful message about body positivity during an interlude at her concert in Miami while looking Goddessly beautiful." #NotMyResponsibility https://t.co/cHwS1Hx6WI

— Katana (@findingmilo) March 10, 2020

so moving and powerful. don’t try to fulfill people’s standards, be yourself. love yourself. ?? #BillieEilish pic.twitter.com/jXivlBVR9v

— V I A (@viancaagtz) March 10, 2020

Monday’s show isn’t the first time Eilish has spoken about her disdain for the sexualization of women’s bodies. In a 2019 Calvin Klein campaign, Billie said she chooses to wear baggy clothes in order to keep her body private. “Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath. Nobody can be like, ‘she’s slim-thick,’ ‘she’s not slim-thick,’ ‘she’s got a flat ass,’ ‘she’s got a fat ass,’” says Billie. “No one can say any of that because they don’t know.”Eilish’s sold-out show in Miami included some famous fans in the audience. Sharing a picture taken backstage, Jennifer Lopez shared a snap of her 12-year-old daughter Emme, an aspiring singer, sandwiched in between her an Eilish. Yes, it's slightly cooler than our first concert experience.

When Emme met Billie ???? @billieeilish pic.twitter.com/xBDEVfeVSe

— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) March 10, 2020

Eilish’s 53-date North American, Latin American, Asian and European tour features her close friend and Canadian artist Jessie Reyez as the opening act. The Brampton native also shared a picture from backstage at Monday’s show, captioning the image with one of her favourite lyrics from the five-time Grammy winner.

My fav Billie Eilish lyric isI don’t want to be you anymoreDay 1 pic.twitter.com/YDMFC2sFSv

— Jessie Reyez (@Jessiereyez) March 10, 2020

Fans who met Eilish during night one of the tour’s meet and greet shared pictures and details on social media, revealing that part of the $275 VIP access includes a pair of Billie Eilish’s Beats headphones, which retail around $200. A body positive popstar who doesn’t take her fans and their money for granted? We bow down to Billie Eilish.[video_embed id='1913978']BEFORE YOU GO: It may be called 'American Idol', but Canada is well represented [/video_embed]