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Finneas defended his sister Billie Eilish after she was criticized by “very powerful old white men” for her Grammy acceptance speech.
The duo won song of the year for “Wildflower” on Sunday night (February 1), and Eilish used the opportunity to condemn ICE and advocate for immigrant rights. Both siblings wore “ICE Out” buttons as Eilish urged people to stand up against the ongoing ICE raids.
“No one is on stolen land illegally,” Eilish said. “It’s really hard to know what to say and do right now… I’m just really hopeful in this room and I feel like we just have to keep fighting and speaking out and protesting because our voices really matter and people matter.” Before leaving the stage, Eilish declared: “Fuck ICE.”
Finneas now turned to threads to support Eilish. “I see a lot of very powerful old white men outraged by what my 24-year-old sister said in her acceptance speech,” he wrote. “We can literally see your names in the Epstein files.”
ICE criticism at the Grammys
Eilish wasn’t the only one to speak out against ICE and the current administration at the Grammys. Bad Bunny probably made the most pointed and emphatic statement when accepting the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album: “Before I say ‘Thank God’, I say ‘ICE out’.” Before the main broadcast, Kehlani ended her acceptance speech for the Best R&B Performance award with a loud “Fuck ICE.” And Shaboozey dedicated his first Grammy — for best country duo/group performance for “Amen,” his collaboration with Jelly Roll — to the “children of immigrants.”
In addition to all the speeches, numerous artists showed up at the Grammys and walked the red carpet while wearing “ICE Out” buttons. These included Eilish, her brother and collaborator Finneas, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Brandi Carlile, Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Margo Price and Samara Joy.
Rain of awards for Billie Eilish
“Wildflower” is the fourth single from Eilish’s third studio album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” from 2024. The win is the tenth Grammy for the singer-songwriter. Eilish won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2020 for her smash hit “Bad Guy” and again in 2024 for the Oscar-winning single “What Was I Made For?” from the soundtrack to “Barbie”. She also won the Grammy for Album of the Year for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
