The Neighbourhood’s star Jesse Rutherford started his solo career because he “needed a moment for himself.” Is Billie Eilish influencing this desire to be a solo artist?
The 31-year-old singer, who is currently dating pop superstar Billie Eilish, has been the frontman of the rock band since their 2011 formation, but now that they are on hiatus, he has emerged as a solo artist with new songs ‘Joker’ and ‘Rainbow,’ and admits it was inevitable “sooner or later.”
On Apple Music 1, he told Zane Lowe:
“It’s a true solo journey, and the music is just kind of soundtracking what I’m going through in my life. And I thought it was kind of time to grow as an individual because I’ve put a lot of my time and energy into growing within relationships, which is a great thing. I mean, I love and I hold dear all my relationships, and I feel like I have a lot of strong ones.
And even the ones that didn’t last, I feel like we’re lovely, and nobody’s on any sort of bad terms or anything. I just needed a moment for myself. It was just kind of like it had to happen sooner or later.”
The band’s fourth studio album, ‘Chip Chrome and The Mono-Tones,’ was released in 2020 and featured the ‘Sweater Weather’ hitmaker. He said that now was the “best time” to launch his solo career because he had taken a break from the spotlight.
He added:
“So this felt like the best time to do it. Honestly, taking some time away from touring and music in general was probably a really good thing for me. And even now, jumping back in, I’m kind of like, ‘OK, here we go.’ I wish I could sit here and be like, ‘Man, I’m so excited. Everybody’s got to go hear it.’ But I’m kind of like, ‘I mean, I’m being honest. I think it’s good, if you get around to listening to it,”
Meanwhile, Billie Eilish’s relationship with Jesse Rutherford is stable, despite the backlash over their age difference.
In October 2022, the pop sensation was rumored to be dating The Neighborhood’s lead singer, and she confirmed their romance one month later, in November.
Although they are ten years apart in age, Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell have defended their relationship. “Listen, as long as she’s happy, I’m happy,” O’Connell said at the GQ Men of the Year celebration on November 18, 2022.
Rutherford, who is more reserved, has revealed little about the connection and has yet to make an Instagram post about it. On the other hand, Eilish made their relationship on Instagram official on November 1, 2022, by posting a photo of their matching Halloween costumes and making fun of their age gap.