*This article is written by staffers Sadie Loughlin and Cara Xie*
Billie Eilish, one of the leading musicians in the alternative pop genre, has once again taken the music world by storm with her latest album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” The album is impactful and emotional, made unique by Eilish’s soft vocals and experimental style.
Eilish claims that this album is one that she is truly proud of. On “The Late Night Show with…” Eilish realized she began disappearing during the Covid pandemic, when she spent most of her time alone. “This whole process [of making the album] has felt like I’m going back to the girl that I was four years ago. I’ve been grieving for her. I’ve been looking for her in everything, and it’s almost like she got drowned by the world and the media. I don’t remember when she went away,” Eilish said in the Hollywood Reporter.
Hit Me Hard and Soft hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in the United States a few days after it was released.
The first track on the album is “SKINNY,”a song about Eilish’s experience with internet bullying and insecurity. The haunting melody in the background works with the sad lyrics to emphasize her loneliness and depression.
Afterwards, “LUNCH”, the next song, was a stand-out track. The song’s popularity on social media has skyrocketed the new song rapidly. It’s a sharp contrast to the previous song’s tone; “LUNCH” is upbeat and fast paced. Its lyrics about being desperately in love with someone has an optimistic tone and a catchy chorus.
”CHIHIRO” is a return to Eilish’s characteristic slow and floating melodies. The lyrics about feeling unsure of what to do next are deep and relatable. The background music also includes some electronica elements that mix with the sharp, quick verses to create a calm mood that anyone can enjoy. “My favorite song of the album has to be ‘Chihiro’. I felt that this song was her most creative one. There was a lot of switch up and new types of beats in this song, and the album especially plays around with a new genre that we haven’t seen from Billie,” sophomore Nicole Noriega said. The song name “Chihiro” was named after the main character of Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away, and metaphorically expresses the walls put up by a lover Eillish is willing to sacrifice anything for.
”BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a snazzy, happy pop song about connecting with someone deeply and never leaving them. Eilish’s strong vocal talents are most noticeable here; her high pitched riffs are impressive and seem nearly ethereal.
Students were actively sharing their thoughts and opinions on the album the day it was released. “I really like bittersuite more than the rest of the album. I was initially drawn to it because it was the original leak of the album that Billie posted on her Instagram. I loved the short beat Billie put online. When I first heard the full song, I fell in love with it even more. As for the album itself, I don’t think it’s Billie’s best album. I don’t think any album will beat her Happier Than Ever album. Hit Me Hard and Soft sounds too similar to Eillish’s previous music,” sophomore Joshua Mcmurray said.
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” is a beautiful album about loss and love. The songs are extremely varied; some have mournful, deep lyrics while others have catchy choruses and upbeat music perfect for dancing or singing along. Eilish’s uniquely soft voice never wavered even through the long high notes that appear in so many of these tracks. Her style is experimental so there’s music for all kinds of people including fans of electronica, pop, indie music and even jazz.
Billie Eilish made history as the second artist and youngest one to win the top four awards: Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year at the 2020 Grammy Awards. (Photo/Crommelincklars)
