Billie Eilish Delivers Stripped-Back Cover of Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’

Billie Eilish brought an emotional moment to fans at her Paris concert on Monday night (June 10), delivering a stripped-down cover of Paramore’s Brand New Eyes ballad “The Only Exception.”

Performing the first of two nights at Accor Arena, Eilish paused her usual setlist to pay homage to the emo-pop icons. Sitting in a circle with her band, the the singer wove through the melancholic melody as the crowd quickly recognized the 2009 fan favorite. A clip of the performance quickly circulated online, with fans and artists alike showing love for the cover.

Among them was Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who reposted the video on Instagram Stories, tagging Eilish and writing, “@billieeilish i love you sweet baby b — y’all did this so beautifully.”

It’s not the first time the two artists have shared a moment. At Coachella 2022, Eilish invited Williams onstage to perform Paramore’s “Misery Business” and Eilish’s own “Happier Than Ever.” Williams later returned the favor in 2023, bringing Eilish out during Paramore’s Los Angeles show to perform “All I Wanted.”

The Paris cover came midway through Eilish’s 25-song Hit Me Hard and Soft set — a tour supporting her third studio album of the same name. Released May 17, 2024, Hit Me Hard and Soft marked Eilish’s third studio album following 2019’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and 2021’s Happier Than Ever. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Eilish previously earned No. 1s on the Billboard 200 with her debut LP When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019) and Happier Than Ever (2021), while becoming the youngest artist in history to sweep the top four general field Grammy Awards in one night. On the Billboard Hot 100, she’s charted 36 songs to date, with “Bad Guy” hitting No. 1 in 2019.