How the Billie Eilish furore proves we still can’t handle a woman in control

Billie Eilish ‘breaks the internet’, the headlines screamed.

On her Instagram account, Eilish had shared the first of many pictures from a photoshoot with British Vogue. The images showed a very different character to what we’ve come to expect – gone were the green hair and dark, baggy clothes, replaced by platinum blonde and a selection of vintage-style corsets. Most notable, for me, was the stance: head up, chin lifted, staring straight at the camera. There was a defiance in the images, echoed by Eilish’s own voice.

“I love these pictures and I loved doing this shoot. Do whatever you want whenever you want. Fuck everyone else,” says her caption under one of the photos, no doubt steeling herself for the inevitable backlash to her transformation.

And of course, it came. 'Proof that money can make you change your values and sell out': Fans shocked as Billie Eilish swaps baggy clothes for lingerie in Vogue – despite years of vowing to 'hide her body’, shouted the Daily Mail. Twitter was awash with disappointment at her perceived hypocrisy. Some fans suggested she had been pushed into the shoot by her record label.