Billie Eilish almost scrapped ‘stupid’ Birds of a Feather

October 30, 2025 – Radio 854 Music News:

Here’s an inside-look at how one of this year’s biggest pop songs almost never made it—perfect for spotlighting on the airwaves of Radio 854.

The surprise confession

Billie Eilish, widely known for her moody, minimalist sound, revealed in a recent interview with the The Wall Street Journal that she seriously considered cutting Birds of a Feather from her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft. In her own words, “Multiple times I was like, ‘We should cut this.’” And even when she played the finished album for her label, she told them: “Guys, this one is kind of stupid.”

So what changed? And how did a track she doubted become such a standout?

What made her hesitate

Here are some of the reasons Billie gave for almost abandoning the song:

• Un-characteristic tone: Compared to her usual introspective, dark-tinged tracks, Birds of a Feather leans into a brighter, more earnest pop vibe. She worried it didn’t align with her aesthetic.

• Fear of sounding “silly”: She used words like “kind of stupid” to describe the track during its development phase. Even the line “I’ll love you till the day that I die” made her hesitate—she was conscious of the risk of sounding overly sentimental.

• Creative gate-keeping: Billie and her brother/producer Finneas O’Connell spent nearly a year refining the song, trying to keep it genuine and avoid clichés.

From “almost scrapped” to global smash

Despite her doubts, Birds of a Feather went on to become one of her most successful songs:

• The track is featured on Hit Me Hard and Soft, her third studio album released in 2024.

• It topped the Billboard Global 200 and reached high positions in multiple countries.

• It earned nominations for major awards, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

In short: what the artist almost discarded became a defining moment of her recent era.

Why this story matters for Radio 854

• Relatable narrative: Even superstars doubt themselves. Billie’s honesty about her misgivings humanises her and gives listeners an interesting behind-the-scenes angle.

• Pop/oldies crossover appeal: At Radio 854 we’re all about Pop, Oldies and Top 40—this track touches on both the modern pop moment and the idea of timeless love.

• Conversation starter: Use this in a segment—“Did you know this nearly didn’t make it?”—to engage listeners, ask for their favourite “almost-hits,” etc.

• Playlist tie-in: You can spin Birds of a Feather, then follow with earlier Billie tracks (e.g., Bad Guy, Ocean Eyes) to show her evolution and invite commentary.

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Headline: Billie Eilish Says She Almost Scrapped ‘Birds of a Feather’ – And Now it’s a Hit

When you hear the soaring chorus of Birds of a Feather, it’s hard to believe it nearly never left the studio. Yet in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, pop-icon Billie Eilish admitted the track was, at one point, very nearly cut from her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft.

“Multiple times I was like, ‘We should cut this,’” she told the paper. She admitted that even when playing the finished record for her label she thought: “Guys, this one is kind of stupid.”

Why the hesitation? The song’s brighter, heartfelt tone marked a shift from Billie’s signature shadows and whispers. The lyric “I’ll love you till the day that I die” in particular made her uneasy. But step by step, she and brother/producer Finneas O’Connell refined the track, giving it space to breathe and shine.

The result? A song that soared to the top of international charts, racked up billions of streams, and earned nominations for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

For all the tracks we play here at Radio 854—whether the upbeat pop hits of today or the beloved oldies of the past—this story is a reminder that even the biggest hits often start with doubt. Next time you hear Birds of a Feather, know it didn’t just happen—it brave-heartedly overcame its own uncertainty.