Concert review: Billie Eilish stuns sold-out Xcel Energy Center with her confidence and strength

A half hour into her sold-out concert Sunday night at Xcel Energy Center, Billie Eilish pulled off a trick I’ve never seen in 20 years of reviewing concerts at the downtown St. Paul hockey arena.

Sitting cross-legged in the center of her massive, in-the-round stage, the Los Angeles native — speaking with quiet, but steely, confidence — explained to the 18,000 or so fans that ringed the entire arena that she would need silence for the first 30 to 40 seconds of her next song, “When the Party’s Over,” in order to record some vocals that she then looped to create a base that she sang over. She otherwise loves the noise of the crowd, she explained, and implored them to continue making as much of it as they wanted to, just give her those few moments of silence.

Not a single person in the room appeared to even move as she sang some wordless vocals that sounded gospel-inspired and a bit like synthesized strings. With the looped bit ready to go, the crowd roared with approval when the first actual lyrics came out of Eilish’s mouth and continued to scream and sing along to the rest of the track, which on record sounds so delicate and fragile, it seems like the most unlikely arena anthem around. She spent most of the song laying on the stage floor, and yet it felt like the final song of any other show.

Oh, and did I mention Eilish is just 22 years old?

One of the most unusual pop superstars of her era, Eilish was homeschooled by free-spirited, artsy parents and began writing and recording music with her brother Finneas O’Connell at the age of 13. She has since issued a series of global smashes, received nine Grammys, two Golden Globes and two Oscars.

The pair’s songs freely lift from numerous genres, including dance pop, hip-hop, folk and goth. They can come across as gloomy and subtle, but Eilish has long since figured out how to make them work in a concert setting. Eilish made her local arena debut at the X in March 2022 and proved to be an animated and energetic performer who knew how to work with a full house of screaming young women.

Sunday, Eilish still had the crowd in the palm of her hand, but she displayed a newfound maturity and awareness of what it takes to create an intimate, engaging experience in such a large space. Given that the crowd sang along throughout the night, and not just to the hits, it brought to mind one Taylor Swift. Indeed, Eilish is probably the savviest performer to forge such a close connection with her listeners since Swift came along.

After “Therefore I Am,” she took a few moments to mosey around the stage with a wide grin on her face, basking in the applause. It didn’t come across as arrogance, but more of a triumphant “we did it” moment. And during her jaunty 2019 hit “Bad Guy,” Eilish stepped into two lowered pits in the stage to interact with her live band. She finished by indulging in some madcap dancing that was the perfect fit for the chaotic, yet infectious, song.

With its impressive lights and video projections, Eilish’s stage offered an immersive and dazzling experience. But for all the work and preparation it surely took to achieve, Eilish wasn’t afraid to unplug from all of the technology when necessary. At her concert Wednesday in Nashville — the day after the election — she added a new song to the set, which she also played Friday in Cincinnati and Sunday at the X.

She introduced the stripped-down, mostly acoustic “Your Power” as such: “It’s been a really tough week and I think we all know why. If you’ve ever been, you know, taken advantage of by anyone in the world, I love you and I feel you and I would hope the person that did that to you wouldn’t become president. But sometimes,” she said, pausing to let the crowd cheer. “Anyway, this song goes out to you.”

Monday, Eilish will perform a second show at the X to another capacity crowd. Given the path her career has taken so far, don’t be surprised to see her in a stadium next time she comes through town.