Billie Eilish Embraces Evolution and Emotion in New Album Hit Me Hard and Soft

Billie Eilish, the multi-Grammy Award-winning artist, opens the doors to her emotions once again with her now-released third studio album. The album incorporates lots of sounds that, as a listener, remind us of Billie and her past projects, but also separates her from most artists in creating her own distinguished sound. With plenty of space to play with, she brings a new sound in her eerie and mysterious production that pairs well with her soft, obscure voice.

Eilish kicks off the album with “SKINNY.” This deeply personal, acoustic-focused song separates what her supporters and the internet see from how she feels regarding her self-image and mental health, along with her love life.

“People say I look happy, Just because I look skinny, But the old me is still me and maybe that’s the real me, And I think she’s pretty.”

The production behind the strings feels airy, as if she’s in the clouds, yearning for an answer through the confusion that haunts her and prevents her from knowing how to feel while on display. She closes the track with a minute of strings that speak for themselves and set the mood for what we can expect in Billie’s next chapter of storytelling.

The second track is smoothly transitioned into “LUNCH.” An upbeat, groovy ode to “that girl.” Creating an environment full of relatability and expression; inviting listeners to feel comfortable in their space when adding emphasis on topics like queerness and sexual liberation. The bridge presents a seductive side to her vocals and includes a rubber band-like electric guitar transitioning the atmosphere of the song to a surprising leap towards electronic sound and instantly brings us back to the main chorus.

“CHIHIRO” is a direct reference to Spirited Away, a coming-of-age anime story that displays how a young girl becomes aware of the obstacles that life will force her to endure as change presents itself through her maturing. The song begins with a lively and vibrant beat with lyrics that describe a change entering her life and stripping her love away. As the song progresses, we reach a buildup that beautifully embraces her frustration and desperation towards this change; rejecting her ability to adapt. We transition back to the initial question with despair until we hear “And that’s when you found me.” A smooth interlude into the second half of the song that instantly switches the mood and direction, introducing us to this change with more curiosity and openness. The buildup finds its way back to conclude the track. However, we now listen with more hope and desire.

“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” describes loyalty and love towards a person she can’t live without. The track is full of life, building up to a beautiful chorus that simply expresses the love of her life as her forever partner.

“WILDFLOWER” describes her experience in consoling a friend through a breakup, then enduring a relationship with the same guy that broke her friend’s heart. She can’t help but compare herself to the girl and wonder if she “crossed the line.” The simple acoustic goes a long way when the lyrics are so heavy, bringing more meaning and emotional attachment to the song.

“THE GREATEST” is a heavy-packed song that expresses her frustration with her partner when being “The Greatest.” Patiently waiting for his love, adapting to his needs, and making a supreme effort to be a perfect fit for him—until she finally reaches a realization of why she’s actually the greatest; believing every word she says during our second pre-chorus buildup. We enter our chorus breaking out of this mental prison she has incarcerated herself in during this relationship. She is The Greatest.

“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” or “The Love of My Life” expresses clarity when exiting a relationship. Confessing that she may have “lied” to this person about her true feelings towards him. This person clouded her thoughts and made her believe that this was the love of her life. The track begins with a slow acoustic guitar placing us in her shoes, and reliving her experiences. For about two minutes, we, as the listeners, are in the clouds soaking in self-realization and liberation with soft strings and percussion. The second half of the track smoothly transitions from this mellow lullaby to a high-tempo, autotuned, confident Billie. Reiterating her thoughts with malicious intent. Pitying his new relationship and showing some compassion to the girl by complimenting her appearance.

“THE DINER” starts off with “Don’t be afraid of me, I’m what you need.” Billie tells a story through the lens of a stalker. Driven through obsession and “love,” stalkers don’t see the wrong in their actions. Through corrective action, the obsession only builds their determination to begin their romantic life with this person. The whimsical production in the song brings the fanatical lyrics together to form a love story written from the eyes of a psycho.

“BITTERSUITE” strongly introduces synth to the album and immediately gives us a preview into her dreams, where she is getting intimate with a person she anticipates seeing. The feeling consumes her, but she can’t help but think she can’t fall in love with this person. The track slows down and transitions to a ‘Kahoot-like’ production as she mumbles the chorus, once again expressing that she’s having a recurring dream about this person. The song excellently sends us off to the last track with an instrumental of “BLUE” as the transition.

“BLUE” references the tracks before her.

“Birds of a feather, now I’m ashamed,”
“I told you a lie, désolée, mon amour,”
“Open up the door”

These are some of the direct references to her songs on Hit Me Hard and Soft. Billie expresses that she “tried to live in black and white, but is still so blue.” Perfectly concluding her 10-track album, she then transitions us to a letter to a past relationship, understanding that he/she is only the result of their parents, until she debunks that mindset and brings the lens back to her. Emphasizing that there is no excuse for such behavior. The strings bring us right back to the first track and conclude our experience of life through Billie’s project.

Once again, we are left floating in the clouds, casting our minds back to moments where we felt we’ve been hit, hard or soft. Moments in life where we felt liberated from someone or something, and yet, through our reminiscent patterns, we have never been more in control of our own emotions. Billie displays her ability to adapt through change and facilitates the process of liberation through self-realization and expression.