Billie Eilish’s Paris crowd got a surprise dose of emo nostalgia last night (June 10), when she dropped a stripped-back, haunting cover of Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’ mid-set.
Suffice to say it was incredible. I mean, even Hayley Williams has now given it her seal of approval.
Performing at the Accor Arena as part of her massive Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, Eilish took a moment to slow things down thirteen tracks in. Sitting cross-legged in a circle with her band, she launched into the 2009 Paramore heartbreaker with a soft touch and a steady hand, letting the weight of the lyrics and the crowd’s singalong do the heavy lifting.
Hayley Williams caught the moment, reposting a clip to her Instagram story with a simple message: “Y’all did this so beautifully.” That’s pretty much the consensus online too, with fans praising the cover as one of the tour’s most emotional moments so far.
This isn’t the first time Billie’s tipped her oversized hat to Paramore. She famously brought Williams out at Coachella 2022 to scream through ‘Misery Business’. She’s also name-dropped ‘All I Wanted’ as her all-time favourite Paramore track. Williams returned the favour by inviting Eilish onstage during a Paramore show in LA last year to duet the same song – a full-circle moment in alt-pop history.
Eilish has made a habit of covering artists that shaped her, recently taking on Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ in Amsterdam. Thom Yorke is also a fan, by the way.
Her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour continues across Europe before hitting the UK next month with multiple nights in Glasgow, London, Manchester, and Dublin. Based on the current setlist, fans should be ready for more curveballs and catharsis.
As for ‘The Only Exception, it’s safe to say Billie’s made that song her own at least for one night in Paris. You can watch footage of the performance below (just mind the background chatter).
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