Katy Perry Recalls “Huge Mistake” of Passing on Billie Eilish

Katy Perry isn’t ashamed to admit that she regrets not working with Billie Eilish when she had the chance.

Prior to Eilish’s breakthrough from unknown artist to superstar with her breakthrough song, “Ocean Eyes,” Perry got an email from one of her associates at Unsub Records, the label Perry founded in 2014 under the umbrella of Capitol Music Group. The email pitch was then-unknown artist Eilish.

“‘Hey check out this new artist, I’d really like us to work with her,’” Perry explains of the email in a TikTok video. “And it was a song called ‘Ocean Eyes’ and it was just a blonde girl and I was like, ‘Meh, boring.’”

Not long after the release of “Ocean Eyes,” Eilish earned critical acclaim. The song has since been certified three times platinum by the RIAA. “Big mistake,” Perry admits of her initial rejection. “Huge mistake. Don’t let this hit the internet.”

Eilish became a bonafide superstar with the release of her 2019 debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? The project spawned hits “Bad Guy,” “Everything I Wanted” and “Bury a Friend.” The album earned her and her brother Finneas, who co-wrote and co-produced the project, Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2020.

“Bad Guy” won a Grammy Award for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year while Eilish was named Best New Artist. Her 2021 sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Alternative Albums chart. It featured hits “My Future,” “Therefore I Am,” “Your Power” and the title track, among others.

Despite missing the opportunity to work with her early on, Perry made an appearance in Eilish’s 2021 documentary, The World’s a Little Blurry. In the doc, Eilish she meets Perry and Orlando Bloom backstage at Coachella where Perry offers her advice on being in the music industry.

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