Billie Eilish brought the 92nd Academy Awards to a breathless standstill Sunday with a performance of the Beatles’ 1965 hit, “Yesterday,” during the evening’s In Memoriam segment.
The Los Angeles-born singer-songwriter wore a black sequined outfit and was accompanied by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, on piano on piano as images of Kobe Bryant, Kirk Douglas and other stars appeared on screens above them.
The Academy confirmed on Twitter last month that Eilish would appear at the Oscars for a “special performance,” but kept specifics under wraps. Some fans assumed that Eilish would use the occasion to unveil her much-anticipated theme song for the forthcoming James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” but that didn’t happen.
Eilish herself called “Yesterday” a song she’d “always loved” in an Instagram story shortly before the ceremony.
Sunday’s much-buzzed-about performance capped off a bustling awards season for Eilish and O’Connell, who is her main songwriting and producing partner.
Last month, Eilish became the youngest artist ― and first woman ― to make a clean sweep of the “Big Four” categories at the 2020 Grammys: Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Bad Guy,” and Album of the Year for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
Eilish’s triumph was second only to Christopher Cross, who achieved the four-category sweep in 1981.
Finneas, who has also collaborated with Camila Cabello and Halsey, won Producer of the Year/Non-Classical, as well as Best Engineered Album/Non-Classical, for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
The forthcoming Bond theme will place Eilish alongside luminaries like Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney and Madonna who have recorded songs for Bond 007 films over the years. At 18, she’s the youngest artist to do so.
Watch Billie Eilish’s full performance of “Yesterday” with Finneas below.