Billie Eilish gave a high-energy set at the T-Mobile stage to end the sold-out first night of Lollapalooza. The crowd, that extended as far as most eyes could see, came alive during the concert.
Eilish opened her set with “bury a friend” and red lighting to match her newly red-and-black hair. Pyrotechnics accompanied her, shooting fire to the beat of the song. After the song ended, Eilish yelled “Chicago!” and then launched into her next song.
Eilish’s stage presence was undeniable, especially during songs like “Therefore I Am.”
After “Therefore I Am,” Eilish addressed the crowd.
“What’s going on, Chicago?” Eilish said. “It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I played this fest five years ago and it was one of my favorite experiences in the world. I’m so happy to be back.”
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Eilish then performed “my strange addiction,” then slowed things down for her next song, “idontwannabeyouanymore.” The stage lights turned blue and Eilish sang gently and with a clear tone. The crowd could be heard singing along.
Eilish smoothly transitioned into “lovely,” a song with Khalid, though he was not at the performance.
After that, Eilish spoke to the audience again, asking the two sides of the crowd how they were doing. She then voiced a request.
“All I ask for tonight is that you all lose yourselves to me,” Eilish said.
She then asked the crowd to jump, then do “a little side to side,” then shake their heads and then scream. She asked the crowd to jump for the next song, “you should see me in a crown.” The audience came alive, moving to the beat of the song and singing along.
Further into the set, Eilish performed her song from the new Barbie movie, “What Was I Made For?” with her brother, FINNEAS.
Eilish then performed “Oxytocin,” which also had pyrotechnics.
Then, Eilish and FINNEAS sat down for an acoustic portion of the set. Eilish commented on the heat.
“I be sweating,” Eilish said.
After, Eilish gave a brief speech about her brother and how thankful she was for him.
With FINNEAS accompanying her on guitar, Eilish sang “i love you.” The duo then performed “Your Power,” and Eilish also had a guitar for the song. The siblings shared a sweet moment, standing up, smiling and facing each other while singing.
Eilish said she had missed Chicago, then introduced the next song, “TV.” The performance was breathtaking, with much of the crowd singing along and Eilish’s superb vocals.
Eilish then sang part of “bellyache,” before transitioning into “ocean eyes,” one of her first ever releases. The crowd moved their arms above their head to the beat, with Eilish leading.
Eilish paid tribute to recently passed “Euphoria” actor Angus Cloud, with “Never Felt So Alone,” a Labrinth song.
Then, Eilish sang “when the party’s over,” another mellow track.
After that, Eilish smoothly transitioned into “all the good girls go to hell,” before displaying “NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET” on the on-stage screen and speaking about how much of the set is powered by solar power.
Then, Eilish sang “everything i wanted” and spoke to the crowd.
“Alright Chicago, I have two more songs, then I’m leaving,” Eilish said.
Before the last songs, Eilish introduced her band and thanked the crew, her team, her parents and Lollapalooza. She also thanked the large crowd.
“I literally can’t see any place where there aren’t people,” Eilish said. “It’s just people forever.”
Eilish then launched into one of her biggest hits, “bad guy.” The song was upbeat and energetic with a strong bass part. Fireworks launched from the top of the stage at the end of the song.
The final song of Eilish’s set was “Happier Than Ever.” The crowd sang along to the song’s mellow beginning. As the song built momentum, so did Eilish, until the second half of the song hit and many fireworks exploded while the song exploded with sound. Pyrotechnics soon went off, as well as even more fireworks.
After the song ended, a mini fireworks show ensued as Eilish stayed on stage to wave at fans and blow kisses.
Eilish’s headlining set was a very strong, energetic start to Lollapalooza 2023.
