Concertgoers continue to hurl objects at performers, and Billie Eilish has now become the latest artist to experience this troubling trend.
The 22-year-old singer, best known for “Birds of a Feather,” was performing in Arizona on Friday when she was struck in the face by an object thrown from the audience, as shown in videos circulating on TikTok. The incident occurred during her performance of her Oscar-winning Barbie song, What Was I Made For?
The video footage captured the Grammy-winning singer briefly pausing her performance after being hit by what appeared to be a necklace or bracelet.
She made a visible expression of annoyance but quickly resumed singing, tossing the object to her left. Fans in the audience could be heard booing the person responsible for the action, while many others took to TikTok comments to express their disapproval of the behavior.
One fan wrote, “Why won’t ppl STOP THROWING THINGS? 9/10 things thrown get rejected, so if you want them to keep it, just wait until the end of the concert and workers will collect it.”
Billie Eilish discussed this issue last year, sharing her long-standing experiences with objects being thrown onstage.
She said, “I have been getting hit onstage with things for like, literally, six years” and explained that while it can be dangerous, she recognizes that it comes from a place of excitement and affection from fans.
“I have mixed feelings about it because when you’re up there, it blows. But you know it’s out of love and they’re just trying to give you something.”
This incident highlights an ongoing pattern of performers being targeted with thrown objects during concerts. Over the last year and a half, numerous artists have faced similar events.
In November, country star Zach Bryan had to stop a concert in Washington after an object was thrown toward him, striking his guitar player.
He addressed the audience, asking, “Who threw this? Who was it? Does anyone know?” He also warned fans against throwing items at musicians, stating, “If you guys do know who threw it, we can get them out of here if we ever find out who did it.”
In 2023 alone, several high-profile cases of objects being thrown at performers made headlines. A man was charged with assault after throwing his phone at Bebe Rexha during one of her concerts. Additionally, Kelsea Ballerini had to stop a show that same month after a bracelet was thrown at her.
Ballerini recounted the moment, saying, “Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye, and it more so just scared me than hurt me.
We all have triggers and layers of fears way deeper than what is shown, and that’s why I walked offstage to calm down and make sure myself, the band, crew, and the crowd all felt safe to continue.”
Harry Styles has also been targeted during his concerts, with Skittles being thrown at him during a 2022 incident in which he was hit in the eye.
Billie Eilish is currently touring in support of her latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft. She is scheduled to perform again on Sunday in California before taking the tour to Australia in February.
