Billie Eilish asks Melbourne crowd ‘why are you even here?’

Billie Eilish has blitzed Melbourne with an intense and intimate live show, but the intriguing superstar is still grappling with her surreal life.

She has 76 billion streams, seven Grammys, two game-changing albums, and an Oscar.

Yet, at a capacity-filled Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night, multifaceted superstar Billie Eilish still grappled with her ability to have an audience show up.

“I f---ing just love you so much,” Eilish, 20, told the crowd. “Thank you for having me, and thank you for being here. My life is such a trip, it’s stupid. I’m speechless that I exist.”

She added, almost incredulously: “You’re all here and what the f---? Why are you even here? It’s just so insane to me”.

Her new tour, Happier Than Ever, which is also the title of Eilish’s latest album, blitzed the senses with slick and sly production values: a minimal stage set up blasted with a maximum special effects, video, and lighting.

The stunning visuals punctuated Eilish’s smart and raw confessionals, famously co-written, performed and recorded with her brother Finneas O’Connell in a bedroom at their family home in LA.

Billie Eilish on stage in Melbourne. Picture: Matty Vogel

The shapeshifting stage switched from matte black to alarming red for the opening Bury A Friend, then rose and dipped as swirling lasers, dramatic LED screens and blinding strobes fired up highlights including Therefore I Am, Goldwing, Oxytocin and a searing finale, Happier Than Ever.

Bad Guy and When The Party’s Over and Lost Cause featured in the encore.

Eilish performed with multi-instrumentalist Finneas and drummer Andrew Marshall, keeping the close-circle and DIY spirit of their music, which crosses pop, rock, jazz, electronica, bossa nova and bass music, intact — and intense.

But the production bells and whistles never detracted from the power of Eilish’s songs. Her performance was fresh, fierce and, as she regularly reminded the crowd, aimed at having fun. A catwalk stage, and cherry picker “moment”, allowed Eilish to serenade the back rows, and stay close to shrieking fans.

“I like the vibe in here,” Eilish said, knowingly. “I’m giving you permission to lose your mind.” And they did.

Kudos to Billie Eilish for being happier than ever, humbler than many, and more intriguing than most.

Billie Eilish performs at Rod Laver Arena on Friday, Saturday and Monday.