Billie Eilish took over the internet starting yesterday (April 4) afternoon with a relatively simple move: She added all of her Instagram followers to her “close friends” list. Normally, this status is reserved for, well, close friends, with whom you would share posts, perhaps more personal or intimate in nature, that the general public wouldn’t get to see.
So, this whole thing has made some Eilish fans feel like they’ve reached a new level of access to the singer. Another effect this stunt has had is that Eilish has gained a bunch of Instagram followers from it.
As of our initial report that was published at 1:23 p.m. ET yesterday, Eilish had about 110 million followers. As of this post, at 8:05 a.m. ET on April 5, that number has risen to 115 million (this tool indicates that number is more specifically at over 115.78 million). Therefore, in the past approximately 19 hours, Eilish has gained something like 5 million followers, give or take.
So far, Eilish has shared two Story posts with her “close friends” list. One is a grainy photo showing a hand (Eilish’s, presumably) in front of what looks like a night sky. The other post is of a photo showing off Eilish’s midsection and thighs, which notably reveals a tattoo, only some of which had been seen previously. The whole thing appears to say “hard & soft.”
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