HIT ME HARD AND SOFT – An Album

Released on May 17th 2024, Billie Eilish bombed the modern music world with a new, amazing album. Coming from a 3 year full album hiatus, she released her third studio album this year. Fans are thrilled about the new 43 minute long album that’s jam packed with strong emotions and amazing music.

Who Is Billie Eilish?

Many have heard the name Billie Eilish before. Born on December 18th, 2001, in Los Angeles, California, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell grew up in a supportive family. Her parents wanted her and her older brother, Finneas Baird O’Connell, to explore hobbies outside of regular school. The two of them both got into music at a young age, with the first song ever released being one written by Finnease for his band. Billie, at the time, was 13 when he asked her to sing the song he wrote that is now known as Ocean Eyes. The song ended up going viral which boosted Billie into fame and gave her a platform to produce more music. Since then, she has released 3 studio albums and a handful of singles that have all gained massive popularity. Winning many awards for her music, including Grammy’s, Oscars, and a Golden Globe, she has a bright future ahead of her in the music industry.

The Review

1.) SKINNY

“Skinny” is an amazing start to the emotion packed album that is HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. The melancholic guitar that is continued throughout the whole song adds to the mood and fits in with the deep meaning. With topics like self-image and freedom woven into the lyrics, it adds a sense of humanity behind Billie. The lines, “Just because I got skinny/But the old me is still me and maybe the real me/ And I think she’s pretty” touched many who listened to the song and personally made me shed a tear. This song gives an in-depth view of what Billie’s thoughts are like, including her fame and her thoughts on how the public sees her. It’s an amazing way to start off the new album. 

Rating – 9/10

2.) LUNCH

“LUNCH” is a fun and upbeat song that talks about being obsessed with someone. The beginning of the song starts off with “I could eat that girl for lunch”. Billie sings about her obsession over someone, and how much she would do to keep them. “I could buy her so much stuff” directly links to that. The desire to be with someone and obsessing over them can clearly be seen with the words. The song also addresses Billie’s “coming out” that she talked about last year in an interview with Variety. This song isn’t one of my personal favorites, but it’s an amazing listen with an upbeat mood.

Rating – 6/10

3.) CHIHIRO

Having leaks of the song blown up on social media, “CHIHIRO” is the song I was personally most excited about, and it did not disappoint. The song, named after the main character Chihiro in the award winning Japanese movie Spirited Away, dives into the ending of relationships and being lost and confused. Lines like “When I come back around, will I know what to say?” show the confusion in a relationship that is complex. “Open up the door, can you open up the door?” can be used as a metaphor when asking for a relationship back, with letting each other back into one another’s lives. It can also be used as a way to see one asking for vulnerability and openness in a relationship. The electronic music mixed with the bass in the background is an interesting twist that gives the song a fresh feel. Personally, I love this song and was so excited for it to come out. 

Rating – 9/10

4.) BIRDS OF A FEATHER

This is probably my favorite song on the track. It starts off with a fun and upbeat melody that is immediately paired with some serious lyrics like, ‘Til I’m in the grave’ and ‘Til I ride away, dead and buried’. The song is about being in a ride-or-die relationship and talks about being with someone until you die. The upbeat melody differs from the song’s meaning and gives it almost a hopeful theme. The end of the song hits at the feeling of when you thought a relationship would last forever but then you realize that it might not. With the line “It might not be long” ending the pre-chorus before the end of the song, it gives off the feeling of a coming end. Overall, this song is a fun listen and I love the words and the beat.

Rating – 10/10

5.) WILDFLOWER

The beginning of this song is very quiet and melodic. You can hear every note in Billie’s voice and the feelings portrayed through this song. The song quotes relationships and how past feelings can collide with current ones. The line “But I see her in the back of my mind all the time” could be seen as an insecurity in a relationship with “her” being Billie’s partner’s ex-lover. I love the soft melodic guitar mixing with Billie’s voice throughout the song. The true emotional vulnerability can be heard in the way she sings. Many fans think this song is about Jesse Rutherford, one of Billie’s ex boyfriends. It’s a beautiful song and a great addition to the album.

Rating – 8/10

6.) THE GREATEST

“The Greatest” begins with, again, a more soft and simple guitar layered perfectly with Billie’s voice. With the motif of this song being self-sacrifice in a relationship and the feeling of not only emotional but physical rejection in a relationship, it hits hard for many fans who have been in similar situations. With the first lines being “I’m trying my best / To keep you satisfied” you can get a taste of some of the self-sacrifice in a broad sense. The small buildups in the chorus keep listeners on their toes, not knowing what to expect next. The song takes a turn towards the end when both the music and Billie’s singing become more passionate and hurt almost. “Just wanted passion from you / Just wanted what I gave you” gives a glimpse of how she wants her feelings to be reciprocated in the relationship. The song takes an emotional turn that left me stunned on my first listen.

Rating – 9/10

7.) L’AMOUR DE MA VIE

This song is different from the rest of the songs on the album. It has more of an upbeat instrumental track in the beginning, unlike the last few songs which are more quiet and melodic. The song expresses feelings of a relationship that isn’t working out and is coming to an end. The first line “I wish you the best for the rest of your life” shows that she isn’t necessarily upset about the breakup and is simply saying that it just happened. The emotional complexity of the song is very interesting and shows the growth that she could go through while in the relationship and after it has come to an end. The whole song switches about halfway through and has more of an electronic beat. I personally love this switch up: it’s super refreshing and adds a kick to the song. Lyrics like “And we’re so glad it’s over now” shows emotional growth coming out of a ended relationship with the realization that it wasn’t good for either partner. I love this song and the refreshing beat.

Rating – 8/10

8.) THE DINER

With another more electronic song, “THE DINER”, is all about unrequited love and the issues pertaining to stalking that Billie has had to deal with since becoming famous. “I saw you on the screens / I know we’re meant to be” can directly relate to both topics. She is singing from one of her stalker’s viewpoints. The song takes a more serious turn when she sings about the stalker breaking into her home.”I came in through the kitchen lookin’ for something to eat” is the line used to describe that moment. This deep topic and scary situation is put into a contradictory fun and unique beat and it is rather interesting and different from the rest of the album.

Rating 7/10

9.) BITTERSUITE

I love the intro to this song so much it makes me feel like I’m floating. Taking on the struggles with long distance relationships, this song explores the feeling of loneliness and how a relationship can be “bittersweet”, going back to the name of the song. “I’ve been overseas / I’ve been having dreams” shows the emotional connection to the relationship and how she’s dreaming about it. The song takes an unexpected turn in the beginning where it slows down a little bit. It gives the song an almost dream-like feeling. “I don’t need to breathe / When you look at me, all I see is green” can link to being heavily in love with someone so much so that she doesn’t need to breathe anymore. The song goes on to talk about this feeling of being in love, while also trying to keep herself from being hurt. The lyrics hint again at “Love so bittersweet, mm”. The end of the song takes a final twist when the music changes. The end of the song’s melody is similar to the unreleased Billie song “True Blue”. The emotional roller coaster that this song takes you on is amazing and a fun listen.

Rating 9/10

10.) BLUE

“Blue”, the last song in the album, is a good way to end it. The song talks about Billie’s emotions and how she describes her way through sadness and how she truly feels, using the color blue as a metaphor throughout the whole song to explain how she felt. The color blue is usually tied to sadness, so it’s a good fit. “I’d like (Not what you need) / To mеan it when I say I’m over you / But that’s still not true, true” can be seen once again in her previous relationship with Jesse Rutherford. This may be alluding to how she might not be over him. The song takes an unexpected turn, like the last few songs in the album have, and talks about family relationships. The lyrics “Colder than your father’s eyes / He never learned to sympathize with anyone” can be interpreted as family issues or social expectations. These lines can be seen directly connecting to Billie’s family and societal expectations that she and her brother faced growing up in the limelight. This almost 6 minute song is an amazing way to end the album.

Rating – 8/10

Billie’s Future / A Second Part?

Many fans have speculated that there will be another part or a second album to go along with HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. Easter eggs have been found all over that might hint to a double release. For example, at the end of “THE DINER” there is a phone number that is said. When calling this number you hear Billie answer and say that she isn’t able to hear you and that she’ll call back. The ilomilo/Red Blue Theory is also one that has been talked about a lot on social media. The artists talked about her love for the video game Ilomilo that dropped in 2011. Taking inspiration from this, she went on to write a song named after the game in which she dubbes her favorite work. The game has two characters, one being red and the other being blue. The color blue can be seen playing a great part in the album, and when some fans inverted the color of the album cover, they saw a red version. You can also see red text on some of the new merchandise that she released for the new album. Some fans also think that this album is too short for how long she was working on it and that there has to be more to it. I think that all of these theories are interesting, and I, too, believe there will be a double release following this album.

My Final Take

Overall, this album caught me by surprise. Every single song had a twist that made me keep wanting to listen on. I was very excited for this album and it did not disappoint at all. I know many fans all over the world are enjoying this album as much as I am. I have been a fan of Billie Eilish since her first song, and I am very interested to see how she continues her music career. All Billie fans are on the edge of their seats to see if there will be a double release, just as I am.

Sources

Billie Eilish | Biography, Songs, What Was I Made For, & Awards | Britannica. (2024, May 17). Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billie-Eilish#ref375253

Billie Eilish’s Steamy “Lunch” Lyrics Depict Her “Craving” a Girl. (2024, May 17). ELLE. https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a60819121/billie-eilish-lunch-lyrics-meaning/

Billie Eilish’s New Song Reminds Me Of “Baby Reindeer.” (2024, May 17). Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/billie-eilish-the-diner-lyrics-meaning-stalkers

Billie Eilish. (2024). HIT ME HARD AND SOFT [Album]. Darkroom and Interscope Records.

Hit Me Hard and Soft. (2024, May 22). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Me_Hard_and_Soft

Is Billie Eilish’s new album “Hit Me Hard And Soft” a double album? (n.d.). Capital. Retrieved May 22, 2024, from https://www.capitalfm.com/news/music/is-billie-eilish-hit-me-hard-and-soft-double-album/

Parade. (2024, May 16). “Chihiro” Lyrics from Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Parade. https://parade.com/entertainment/chihiro-lyrics-billie-eilish

Veloso, L. (2024, May 21). Billie Eilish’s Album 4 Theory Explains Why Fans Are “Convinced” She’s Releasing A Double Album After Hit Me Hard and Soft. StyleCaster. https://stylecaster.com/entertainment/music/1780923/billie-eilish-album-4/