Billie Eilish is not just a musical genius for the Gen Z crowd; she is also showing signs of being a marketing mastermind. The singer freaked out her fans by making them believe she handpicked them to join her Close Friends story. But no one knew who else was in on the secret unless everyone on X, formerly Twitter, started bragging about their newfound friendship with the Oscar-winning singer. After adding fans to her close friends list, Eilish has now surprised them with yet another story.

Billie Eilish surprised everyone on Instagram by sharing a snap of her midriff tattoo out of the blue. The 'lovely' star had the words "Hard & Soft" inked on her skin and proudly showed it off with a close-up shot of herself lying on her side, her black t-shirt rolled up to reveal the tattoo. However, as per Daily Mail, it is not a new tattoo. Eilish actually gave a peek of the ink back in December 2023 at the Variety Hitmakers Brunch. 

At the brunch, Eilish wore a blue satin Dodgers bomber jacket that showed her midriff tattoo. Her latest move of adding her followers to her Close Friends list is reportedly a clever marketing ploy, and it seems to be really doing wonders for her. Just moments before revealing her tattoo, Eilish teased her fans with what appeared to be artwork from her upcoming album. This marked her first personal nod to the album, but fans have already spotted mysterious billboards popping up all over New York, Los Angeles, and Sydney in the past two days.

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It was the tattoo, however, that got people talking and they were even more surprised than when they saw the Close Friends icon pop up at the top of Billie Eilish's story.

Billie Eilish has always been unapologetically herself, never shying away from making bold statements. And her love for edgy tattoos is no secret either. The singer keeps adding to her ink collection, now sporting a total of five tattoos that she has shared with her fans — including a massive one on her back. Therefore, it is quite surprising to see people still taken aback by her midriff tattoo, considering they should be used to it by now.

Many fans loved the tattoo for its uniqueness, which perfectly captures the essence of Eilish's whole vibe.

There were, however, a big chunk of fans who could not understand what the tattoo meant. 

The hold that the Close Friends feature has on Gen Z is almost as tight as the grip that Eilish has on her fans and the music industry. Now, the only option fans have is to keep living in the fantasy that the two-time Oscar-winning songstress picked them to be her new "close friends". Because, why not?

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What do you think about Billie Eilish's tattoo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!