Shadowing Practice: Billie Eilish on Her Throwback Jimmy Obsession, Ankle Sprains and Green World Tour - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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-Welcome back. I'm so happy you're here.
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-Welcome back. I'm so happy you're here.
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I know you're at "Saturday Night Live," and that's how you first know me, right?
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From "Saturday Night Live." -Did you hear about that?
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-No. -So, okay, listen.
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When I was growing up -- I mean, I am 17, but when I was like... Really, like 5 or 4 or more or 3 -- I don't know.
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I used to watch a show called "The Electric Company," and -- [ Laughs ] There was a guy on it, and he had eyeliner, and he was singing about H's 'cause it was, like, a little kids show, and he was like -- the hook was like -- What is it? It was like "My H's," like...
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Something, something, nothing -- I don't even know what it was, but it was you, and then I remember seeing you on TV, and I was like, "That's the guy from the commercial with the H's." [ Laughter ] -It's such a long career.
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-I got a pocket full of H's, and I'm not afraid to use them.
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-Yeah, pocket full of H's. It was like a Ramones type of song. -And it was you!
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-♪ I got a pocket full of H's, and I'm not afraid to use them ♪ But no one saw that in my whole lifetime.
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[ Laughter ] -But I thought -- -I made movies, I was on "Saturday Night Live" for years.
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"Weekend Update" -- hello!
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-So, like, when I was on this show, like, a while ago...
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-You didn't know me from "Saturday Night Live"?
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-No. [ Laughter ] -That's what I heard that you did.
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-I was so excited to meet you because...
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-That's hilarious. They all told me that you knew me from -- you got a story about "Saturday Night Live." Oh, my gosh.
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I can't believe you saw that. [ Laughter ] Oh, my God. No one saw that.
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And I was, like -- I was pulling H's out of my pocket and throwing them and stuff.
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-Yeah, you were. You had thick eyeliner.
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-Let's talk about you. [ Laughter ] -Let's talk about your music right here.
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Look at this -- "When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go" is the biggest selling debut album in a decade.
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You're the first female artist -- [ Cheers and applause ] You're the first female artist to have 14 simultaneous chart entries.
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Your music and videos have been streamed 15 billion times.
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[ Cheers and applause ] That's you! That's you I'm talking about.
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I got to say, the album is so great.
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Everyone loves it. Your fans are young, they're old, they're all sorts of people.
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Why do you think this music resonates with so many different people?
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-Um...I mean, it was, like, a big goal, so I feel like I'm -- I don't know why necessarily.
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I just think I'm mainly happy about it.
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I think, like, I grew up listening to so much different kind of music, like, old stuff and new stuff and hip-hop and contemporary and then jazz and Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and then Tyler the Creator and, like, Nas. -Yeah.
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-I was all over the place, and I think I just put it into my music.
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And with the album, specifically, there was one thing I really tried to do, which was that -- There are like 14 songs on the album, and one of the goals I had was I wanted to make an album that I could put 14 people into a room that each had, like, fully different, fully different tastes -- like, one person like this, one person like this, and that's all they liked, and that if I played them my album, each person would like at least one song.
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-Wow. That's a really cool way of attacking it.
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And you did it. I mean, I heard it.
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I think I heard "Bad Guy" first, and I was like, "I don't know if anyone's ready for this type of music." It was so different. I was like -- -I didn't, either. I thought they'd hate it.
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-I didn't know why. I was like, "Is this..." Dude, you changed the face of pop music and music, in general, 'cause we were hearing the same song for the last three years, and you just played something totally different, like, pwkk! And I was like -- Now we're gonna hear nothing but songs like "Bad Guy" for the next three years.
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Because that's all -- It was good.
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-Thank you so much.
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-I love the whole record. -That's really sweet.
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-Which one -- Just tell me, which one do you think would go to me out of these 14?
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-Would go to you? -Yeah. What number am I?
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-What number are you? -Yeah, in this album.
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-Oh. -Mm-hmm.
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-I mean, you just made it pretty clear that you're "Bad Guy." [ Laughter ] So 2.
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-It was a trick question. Yeah, you're right.
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I like that. But I'm a good guy.
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-You are a good guy. -Thank you, yeah.
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-A good bad guy. -I am, yeah.
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-I want to talk about this thing happening right here.
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-Yes, sir. -What's going on?
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You sprained your ankle, or what's happening?
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-Look at my little sock. -Yeah.
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-Um, yeah, I sprained this. You know, what's funny is they're actually both sprained.
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This is like -- -What?
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-Three weeks old, four weeks old.
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This one is like two months old.
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Hilarious. -How do you -- how did you -- [ Laughter ] But how did you sprain your ankle, and how do you perform with a sprained ankle?
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-I just wear this, and I pretend it's not sprained.
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[ Laughter ] I sprained it in the lawn like 3 seconds into the show.
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For real. Like, I walked on stage and sprained it.
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-Walking? How hard do you walk?
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-I jumped. One leg -- -There you go.
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-It was the sixth count into "Bad Guy." It was, like, literally the sixth count -- ♪ Bum, ba da da, buh buh -- ♪ -And that's where you did it.
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-Why? You stood up.
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You really stood up. -I was ready to get into it.
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I was ready to jump. -You was about to jump.
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-I was ready to jump, and that's it.
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Now I sprained my ankle just now.
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I just sprained -- I sprained both of my ankles.
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-It wasn't only just embarrassing that I sprained it.
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It was more embarrassing that I, like, fell.
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You know what I'm saying? Who falls, you know?
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[ Laughter ] Embarrassing.
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-You didn't tell me you fell.
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So, you went for it, and then you fell.
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But did people think it was part of the dance?
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-Probably. [ Laughter ] Or they just were like, "Pfft! She fell." Like, that's what I was worried about, that they were like, "Loser, she fell." -No. -But, really, I was, like, laying there in agonizing pain.
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Thing is, I have sprained this leg -- or, this ankle like five times before, so I knew exactly what it was.
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-Maybe you're wearing the wrong footwear.
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[ Laughter ] -I actually was wearing -- That's crazy you say that.
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I was wearing a pair of shoes I had never performed in.
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-You got to bring me on tour with you.
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-Yeah, I do. I do!
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-Talk about the new world tour.
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Can you believe you're going on a world tour, Billie Eilish, 17 years old?
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[ Cheers and applause ] That's what I'm talking about! That's how you do it!
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But you're doing something different and cool with this tour.
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Talk about the green part of this tour.
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-Yes. Well, basically, we just announced today, as you just said, it's the Where Do We Go World Tour.
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-The Where Do We Go World Tour. -Where Do We Go World Tour.
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And, basically, we're trying to be as, like, green as possible on the entire tour.
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So, there's, like -- We're actually bringing someone from Reverb, this company that basically specializes -- Is that a word? -Yeah.
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-Okay. -"Reverb" or "specializes"?
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-Specializes. -Specializes.
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Reverb, I'd be like, "Oh, is that...?" Yeah, but Reverb. -Specializes in, like, the best and most healthy and green ways to do everything.
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So there's no plastic straws allowed, the fans are gonna bring their own water bottles, there's gonna be recycle cans everywhere.
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'Cause it's like, if something's recyclable, it doesn't matter unless there's a recycle bin, you know?
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It doesn't do anything unless there is one.
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-Don't want just recycled trash everywhere.
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You're actually gonna recycle everything.
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-Yeah. -I love that you're doing this.
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You're doing so many great things.
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I love it. -Thank you.
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[ Cheers and applause ] I'm psyched to have you back. Come back whenever you want.
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Do we know what songs you're doing on "SNL"?
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Can you say, or...? -Ooh!
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-I actually haven't said, but I can say.
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-You can? -I don't know if I can.
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-Why not, right? What songs you gonna do?
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-This is live. -Yeah, we're too late.
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-A little too late.
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You know what? I don't care, so why not?
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I'm doing "Bad Guy" and "I Love You." -Oh, my gosh! Come on.
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So watch that Saturday! Billie Eilish tomorrow night.
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[ Cheers and applause ] "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go" is available now!
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Yeah, give her a standing ovation. Why not?
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You can watch Billie perform on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" tomorrow night, at 11:30 p.m., on NBC.
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Context & Background
In an engaging conversation, Billie Eilish reflects on her early encounters with television and music, revealing how these experiences have shaped her career. She humorously recalls her childhood memories of watching "The Electric Company," a children's show, and how it sparked her admiration for influential figures in the music industry. Billie discusses her debut album, "When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go," highlighting its success and the diversity of her musical influences. This dialogue not only showcases Billie's journey but also poses intriguing questions about musical resonance across different age groups and tastes.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I got a pocket full of H's, and I'm not afraid to use them.” - A playful expression emphasizing confidence.
- “That's a really cool way of attacking it.” - A way to show appreciation for someone's approach to a problem.
- “I didn't know why.” - A phrase to express confusion or uncertainty.
- “Let’s talk about your music.” - A transition into a conversation topic, particularly useful for interviews or discussions.
- “You changed the face of pop music.” - A powerful compliment acknowledging someone's impact on their industry.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively improve your English pronunciation and speaking skills, follow this step-by-step guide using Billie Eilish's dialogue as your practice material. This technique, often referred to as shadow speaking, can be particularly beneficial for learning English with YouTube. Here’s how you can tackle the video:
- Watch and Listen: Start by watching the video without subtitles. Pay attention to Billie's tone, rhythm, and pronunciation.
- Repeat Key Phrases: Choose the top phrases listed above and repeat them aloud. Focus on mimicking Billie's intonation and clarity.
- Break it Down: Segment the dialogue into smaller parts. Shadow each segment by pausing the video after a phrase or sentence and repeating it immediately.
- Utilize Online Resources: Employ a shadowing site to find more videos like this one. Look for content that matches your interests as this will keep you motivated.
- Record Yourself: Record your attempts to shadow Billie and listen back. Compare your pronunciation and expression to the original.
This method not only enhances your ability to communicate but also enriches your understanding of conversational context. By engaging with authentic materials like interviews and discussions, you can see noticeable improvements in your English skills over time.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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