HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – Billie Eilish
Top Picks: SKINNY, BIRDS OF A FEATHER, THE DINER
Similar Artists: Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Madison Beer
With billboards across the country and a lot of teasing on social media, Billie Eilish announced her third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. After three years of pause since her sophomore project Happier Than Ever, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is easily one of the most anticipated albums of the year. With so much buzz from critics and fans alike, especially following two smash-hit projects, Eilish had high expectations to hit, and boy did she knock them out of the park.
At its core, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is the quintessential twenties album. With tracks focusing on friendship, love, self-identity, and other highly relatable ponderings, Billie Eilish has encapsulated the feeling of fully entering adulthood and leaving childhood behind. The project is a new era for Eilish. She leans into the full vocals we got glimpses of in Happier Than Ever, and she takes an honest, mature stance in her songwriting. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is an ode to Eilish’s power with a pen, a unique producer, and an unfathomable voice.
The album opens with “SKINNY.” Lyrically, the track is reminiscent of “Getting Older” and “Not My Responsibility” from the singer’s sophomore album. These tracks spoke of growing up, facing new challenges, and Eilish’s struggle with body image as a result of public scrutiny. “SKINNY” is an amalgamation of these themes, written from a more mature, grounded mindset. Eilish laments the public’s assumption that her “newfound” happiness is the result of losing weight, and she grapples with entering an adult relationship while under public scrutiny. With nods toward the relationship being queer in nature, it’s hard not to think of the intense backlash Eilish faced for “queerbating” after the release of a music video for her track “Lost Cause.” It gives perspective to Eilish’s process of coming out to the public eye, and it sheds light on the types of struggles she faced within her own queerness and queer relationships—a thread throughout this project.
Snippets of “LUNCH,” the second track of the album, were released to social media by Eilish during the album’s pre-release promotional efforts. While there were no singles released during the album roll-out, “LUNCH” was certainly the closest fans got, and they were more than willing to show their support for the song. The track is a sultry, bouncing track filled with catchy, sexual quips. The chorus, stating “I could eat that girl for lunch / yeah she dances on my tongue,” sits atop a plethora of breathy vocals. The stacked vocal splits, coupled with a lot of revered breaths, give the track the sultry, sexual feeling that supports the lyrics. It’s Billie Eilish at her best.
The fourth track of the album, titled “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a beautiful ode to deep, spiritual love. It’s also the first track where Eilish introduces her full, chest belt, both in the background harmonies and the main vocals. In previous projects, critics have been known to point out Eilish’s lack of strong, grounded vocals. It seems Eilish has chosen to prove her vocal strength. These powerful performances are also highlighted in “THE GREATEST,” “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” and “BITTERSUITE.”
In a tribute performance to Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra back in 2022, Eilish performed a fantastic rendition of Lee’s iconic “Fever.” From that moment, fans could be heard shouting for a jazz project from the singer. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” seems to be that track. While the song is not a true jazz song, it certainly pulls inspiration from the likes of Lee and Sinatra. The track is full of snappy instrumentals, bouncing synths, and rhythmic snares, and Eilish’s vocals are full of low melodies and scatting adlibs. It is certainly the closest we’ve heard Eilish get to the jazz genre within her own music. However, like all of the tracks in HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, this song makes a transition toward the end to lead into the subsequent track. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” ends with an 80s-style synth track and modulated vocals that are reminiscent of Eilish’s “NDA” from her sophomore album.
Eilish and brother-turned-produced FINNEAS are known to implement unique sounds of everyday life into the instrumentals of their projects. This was first discovered when the pair explained the clicking sound on the smash hit “bad guy” came from a crosswalk in Australia, and these sounds have since become a sort of easter egg for fans to find. “THE DINER” is likely the most notable example of this on the newest project, as fans were quick to decode the core melody as the Kahoot theme song.
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT comes to a close with a special moment for long-time fans of Eilish. First performed in Los Angeles in 2016, titled “True Blue” by fans, the song became an iconic piece of Eilish fandom and a widely loved unreleased track. After lyrics to the song began appearing on billboards across the world, fans began to theorize over the official release of the beloved track. While many refused to believe that a song that stayed unreleased for almost ten years would be professionally recorded and distributed, rumors and speculation ran rampant after the tracklist announcement. The closing track of the album “BLUE” could only be one thing. Eilish and FINNEAS reworked the track to fit the soundscape of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, but the core and lyrics of the song remain true to the version performed all those years ago. While the writing may feel a bit juvenile, the nostalgia and emotional connection that the song has far outweigh any lyrical shortcomings. “BLUE” was truly a moment for Eilish to connect with her dearest fans, and that sentiment is commendable.
Overall, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is a new version of Billie Eilish. The album is an introspection on sexuality, identity, and fame, while also being the most mature project (lyrically and sonically) from Eilish. It’s a testament to her vocal prowess. It’s an ode to fans. It’s the eureka moment of finally understanding yourself down to your very core. With the gorgeous vocal harmonies synonymous with Eilish’s sound, and the funky production FINNEAS is known for, the project feels like a piece of Eilish herself. The singer is constantly producing perfect, world-altering music, and this album has achieved the feat of outdoing all of her past projects. It’s a phenomenal progression of Eilish as an artist, but it’s also a testament to her and her brother’s talent. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is, undeniably, one of the best pieces of artistry released by Billie Eilish.