Starting with her breakout single “ocean eyes” first released in 2015 when she was only 13 years old, Billie Eilish was proven to be a musical prodigy who pushes boundaries and redefines what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. Whether it is her signature whispery vocals, the unique beat and rhythm of her hit songs, her deep meaningful lyrics or even her iconic oversized fashion on red carpets, Eilish has always stuck out from the rest of today’s artists. Billie Eilish’s latest album “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which dropped on May 17th, 2024, solidifies her place as one of the most influential artists of our generation.
Praised by critics and fans alike, Eilish’s new album has skyrocketed, rivaling Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” place at the top of the pop charts. Like all her work, Eilish collaborated with her brother Finneas on producing and writing the 10 new songs featured in this album. Throughout the record, her music transitions from delicate lyrics to dancey disco beats. Additionally, with the unique lyrics and the song titles all in capitalized letters, this album showcases Eilish’s singer-songwriter ability to convey a handful of emotions.
Through its heartbreaking lyrics and melancholy aura, the song, “SKINNY”, is an extremely powerful opening to the album. The song opens with a nice, peaceful guitar riff and Eilish’s humming. While the song presents Eilish’s signature slow, breathy voice to a relaxing backtrack, it also showcases her growth as she extends her vocal range more than she has in her previous albums. Through this song, Eilish reflects on her struggle with her body image and feeling ugly as she sings: “The internet is hungry for the meanest kind of funny, and somebody’s gotta feed it.” With her honest and vulnerable lyrics, Eilish reveals her insecurities, making this song relatable to many high school students who resonate with her similar feelings of heartbreak and struggle with body image issues.
The transition from “SKINNY” to her second track, “LUNCH” may take listeners by surprise as Eilish moves from a sullow tone to a playful, fun rhythm. Within the first listen, it is clear that the song is an immediate summer hit with its groovy beat. With Eilish’s hypnotizing and intoxicating vocals all along to a catchy, pulsating beat, “LUNCH” is a highlight on the album. Through this song, Eilish explores her sexual identity as she opens up about her attraction to women. Additionally, “LUNCH” has already been going viral on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram and also hit 20 million views on YouTube in a week.
The next song on the album is “CHIHIRO” which is inspired by the Studio Ghilbi film Spirited Away. “CHIHRO” has a very distinctive melody and structure compared to the rest of the songs on the album. The song starts off with a chill, mellow vibe and develops into a musical masterpiece as it dives into the bittersweet ending of a relationship and how those feelings can linger. Whether it is the ethereal synths or Eilish’s echoey angelic vocals, this song is sure to give listeners goosebumps. With the combination of the deep bass and her light airy tone, the song is like breathing underwater with Eilish’s gorgeous runs as she demonstrates her large vocal range and effortlessly hits the high notes. The atmosphere, emotion, instrumentals, production and vocals of the song are all on point, making “CHIHIRO” another hit on the album.
Furthermore, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is the next track and is very upbeat, poppy and bright. This song definitely stands out on the album and just makes the listeners want to dance with its fun vibe. She still has the whispery singing tone, however, there is a change as Eilish expands her range and sings louder, even belting the high notes at the end highlighting her gorgeous, diverse vocals. In “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” Eilish sings about having an enduring, meaningful connection with someone special and staying with that partner forever even when times get tough as she sings the lyrics: “Birds of a feather, we should stick together.” This song sounds exactly like what being in love sounds like and mixed with Eilish’s heavenly voice, it creates a very pure and happy tone.
Whether it is Eilishs angelic voice, fantastic songwriting or Finneas’s creative and unique production, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” is a must-listen album for the summer. Whether young listeners are struggling with heartbreak, body image issues or just dealing with the ups and downs of their lives, her music will resonate with teenagers, making Eilish a standout artist for many young listeners. “Hit Me Hard and Soft” is bound to be a Grammy-winning album and is a perfect demonstration of how Eilish sets herself apart in the music industry.
