Billie Eilish showed very intimate tattoo despite vowing to fans they would never see

People and celebrities alike get tattoos for so many different reasons.

Some choose to mark significant experiences with a drop of ink, while others see body art as a way to fully express who they are while channelling their beliefs.

Angelina Jolie’s tattoos tend to reference her deep, personal connection to her children with her tattoos. Rihanna uses her tats to communicate messages, while Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga celebrate music releases with theirs.

Another famous face whose tattoo collection is growing is ‘Bad Guy’ singer Billie Eilish.

The 23-year-old, born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, has five known pieces of body art, with each holding a deeper meaning.

Billie Eilish has five known tattoos, including a 'big boy' dragon (Instagram/@billieeilish)

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2017, she claimed: “The only tattoos I wanna get are the ones that barely anyone can see.”

Three years after making the bold claim, Eilish got her first tat.

The star, who was just 18 at the time, told the publication she’d decided to ink her skin the day after sweeping up at the Grammy Awards.

“I did get a tattoo, but you won't ever see it,” she stated.

Providing a further update to her fans in 2021, the ‘Birds of a Feather’ hitmaker announced she'd had two more permanent pieces of work inked on her body.

The singer didn't entirely stick to her plan of getting tattoos 'barely anyone can see', however - with one featuring prominently on the side of her hand.

One of the singer's tattoos is inspired by one of her childhood books (Instagram/@billieeilish)

That particular piece of art features a drawing of some fairies, which is inspired by a book called Fairyopolis that Eilish loved growing up.

"They're like my little guardian angel fairies," she explained.

She also has one 'big boy' tattoo of a dragon snaking down her waist, which she's shown off on Instagram.

However, it's her first tattoo that she initially vowed to keep hidden.

It wasn't until a couple of years later that Eilish revealed more details about the tattoo, explaining that it's located in the middle of her ribcage and says 'Eilish'.

And what was her reasoning for getting it? Because she ‘loves herself’, apparently.

The position of the tattoo means it would typically be covered by clothes, and therefore, easy to hide from the public.

Eilish previously vowed to 'never' show off one of her intimate tattoos (Instagram/@annabelzimmer)

However, fans once managed to get a glimpse of the artwork thanks to a snap shared by Eilish's friend Annabel Zimmer, the daughter of film composer Hans Zimmer.

Annabel posted the picture as she enjoyed some nice weather with Eilish, who was seen in the photo smiling and tilting her head towards the sun.

She had sunglasses on and her hair pulled back, with the tattoo just visible below the string of her bikini.

While there are certainly clearer photos on the internet, fans of the singer accepted this was the best they were going to get.

You can see kind of see it here:

She has her name 'Eilish' tattooed (Instagram/@annabelzimmer)

Rolling Stone has also previously reported that the tattoo is drawn in an 'ornate, gothic font'.

It's just about possible to make out the pointed letters of her name written in black across her skin.

In October 2023, she debuted her latest ink by posting herself on the tattoo table mid-session. The tattoo, thought to be an oil spill by some and a tree by others, covers the entirety of her spine.