HIT ME HARD & SOFT
An Album Review
Billie Eilish’s most anticipated album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT came out May this past year and has already been topping charts across national and international stations. Another string to the bow of the girl pop explosion this summer, accompanying releases from Charli XCX and the rise of the Midwest Princess herself to stardom, Chappel Roan.
The album is one of the more multi-genre releases from Eilish, delving into brighter sounds and acoustics as hinted from her Single “Guitar Songs” where she poured her heart out into “TV” and “The 30th”.
TRACKLIST
Skinny
Lunch
Chihiro
Birds of a Feather
Wildflower
The Greatest
L'Amour de Ma Vie
The Diner
Bittersuite
Blue
Although not released as singles, the chart toppers of this album are evident to the listener, with ‘LUNCH' turning heads and bringing a new edge to Eilish’s persona and bringing her own addition to the growing ’Sapphic Summer’ 2024 is bringing about.
Accompanying ‘LUNCH' on the chart toppers is ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’, a happiest song about loving someone to literal death anyone could ask for, in true Eilish fashion.
Both songs took the internet by storm, followed of course by her iconic collaboration with BRAT summer icon Charli XCX on ‘Guess’.
The rest of the album is a beautiful showcase of Eilish’s skillset and development as an artist, going from ‘SKINNY’, a song very reminiscent of her hit of 2023 ‘What was I made for?’ From the Barbie movie straight into the sapphic banger ‘LUNCH’ without missing a beat.
Moving from Lunch to the Techno-house/R&B stylings in ‘CHIHIRO’, into the soft pop ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ into the moving ‘WILDFLOWER’ ballad, she steps effortlessly from Jazz/Blues in the intro of ‘LAMOUR DE MA VIE’ transitioning into an insane 80s club banger, to the emotional rock ballad of ’THE GREATEST’.
She then returns to her dark pop roots in ’THE DINER’ and ‘BITTERSUITE’ and tying the whole thing up in a ‘BLUE’ bow, referencing a song she used to tour in the beginning of her career ’True Blue’ combined with quotes and references from each of the songs on the album.
Overall, a phenomenal album start to finish that feels like a true collection of moments from her life — a body of work rather than a story start to finish like some of her other albums felt, a very mature and in depth dive into her psyche and musicianship as a young woman.