Oscars night is about celebrating the greatest films of the year, but one of the most powerful aspects of those great films is the music within them. Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" is undeniably the most memorable song from a movie in 2023. The singer shared a poignant performance of the tune at the 2024 Oscars.
With her brother and co-writer Finneas O'Connell on the piano, Eilish began the performance turned away from the audience. She sang the first verse as the curtain came up and pink lights dotted the stage and theater. As Eilish made her way into the chorus, the stage began to rotate to bring her face to face with the crowd of A-list movie stars. As she turned, she stood in front of an entirely pink background surrounded by pink-lit curtains on either side of the stage.
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Once Eilish turned towards the audience, a string orchestra joined in on the performance in the second verse. Eilish immersed herself in the song, closing her eyes for the entirety of the performance. She truly allowed her delicate voice and the vulnerable lyrics to shine through as she sang.
Eilish gave her all to the performance until the final note, opening her eyes to find a standing ovation from the celebrities and stars in the audience. The singer looked visibly surprised by the response. Stars of "Barbie" looked especially touched by the performance. Director Greta Gerwig and actors Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera appeared to get emotional as they applauded Eilish.
Watch Billie Eilish's Oscars Performance:
"What Was I Made For?" came into the night nominated for Best Original Song. Released in July 2023, the song has already won a slew of awards, including Grammy awards for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
The Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, aired Sunday, March 10 on ABC.
