Billie Eilish Hit by Necklace During Arizona Concert Performance

At the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday, December 13, a moment of Billie Eilish's performance was interrupted. The 22-year-old singer was delivering an emotional rendition of "What Was I Made For?"—a ballad from the Barbie movie soundtrack—when a necklace thrown by an enthusiastic fan struck her in the face. Sat cross-legged on stage, Eilish winced from the collision but continued, undeterred to deliver the emotive song. Later, she casually flung the necklace away in minor annoyance and continued performing.

Eilish's History With Onstage Object-Throwing

This isn't the first time objects have been thrown at Eilish while performing. During an interview at the Barbie movie's world premiere in July 2023, she said this happened for some time. "I've been getting hit on stage with things for, like, literally six years. I don't know why this is new," she told The Hollywood Reporter. Eilish elaborated on the motivations behind these actions, noting that while fans often act out of excitement, it can pose significant dangers.

Billie Eilish & Finneas tell The Hollywood Reporter on the pink carpet of the #Barbie World Premiere that they felt "inspired" to write a song after watching the film pic.twitter.com/nXgi0LINL0

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 10, 2023

“People just get excited, which can be dangerous,” she explained. She also commented on the prevalence of fans throwing smartphones to capture selfies with artists, a practice she finds frustrating yet rooted in admiration. “It’s infuriating when you’re up there. But you know it's out of love, and they're just trying to give you something. You're in a vulnerable position, but I've been getting hit with stuff for years," she added.

A Troubling Trend in Live Performances

This isn't an isolated incident for Rave; rather, it forms the larger pattern of increasingly troubling fan behavior that includes attempts to throw objects at performing artists. The month saw several high-profile incidents in which big-name artists like Zach Bryan, Wiz Khalifa, Morgan Wallen, and Nicki Minaj experienced objects being thrown at their shows.

In June 2023, P!nk was even shocked when some fans threw their mother's ashes on stage during a performance in BST Hyde Park, London. Similarly, Cardi B experienced one such disruption in August 2023 when water was thrown at her during a concert. Bebe Rexha suffered a serious incident in June 2023 when she was hit by a phone that caused an injury. Styles had a Skittle thrown at his eye at a concert in Los Angeles in 2022, and Kid Cudi stormed out of Rolling Loud after fans threw bottles at him.

Eilish's Tour Goes On

Nevertheless, Eilish is pushing on with her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour. The North American leg kicked off in late September and will wrap up with five nights at Los Angeles' Kia Forum, ending December 21. After a short break, the pop star will resume European and Australian tour dates in February.