Photo Cred: Michael Benz, Unsplash
Billie Eilish’s third studio album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” was released on May 17. It consists of only 10 songs with a total run-time of 43 minutes. FINNEAS, who is Eilish’s brother, is the producer and co-writer for the album. The collaborative team of Eilish and FINNEAS has delivered hits for years, and this album is no different.
The album focuses on the more personal aspects of life. Eilish explores struggles with relationships, body image, and fame. The lyrics convey messages that all listeners can relate to, and many recognize themselves through Eilishs words. Songs like “SKINNY” and “THE GREATEST” are real focus points of this album in the emotional category.
The production is one of the most interesting parts of the album. Both Eilish and Finneas have talked about the use of unique samples and in this album, you can very clearly see the use of these sounds and there are very interesting beats throughout. Along with the beats, the instrumentals were a huge focal point for me when I was listening. From a subtle violin to a beautiful piano melody, the instrumentals throughout help set the tone of each song.
Billie Eilish’s vocals are one of the reasons that she is such a great artist. Her voice can almost be described as ethereal. Her runs and high notes make you feel like you are floating and while she is able to lean into the more pop style, the emotional songs are really where her voice is highlighted the most.
There are a few songs that have very similar progression and build-up. The songs start as slower and heartfelt but they slowly progress into more rock-inspired ballads. It does make the album seem a bit repetitive and it is reminiscent of Eilish’s past music. Along with this a lot of songs have very long outros that repeat a lot. In some parts, they tie the album together, but in others it makes it sound too repetitive.
The album is concise and cohesive. It may be only a few songs, but it feels like we are hearing a whole story. While there are some repetitive aspects, overall the album gives us hit after hit. While this album stays true to Eilish’s music style, her music has matured in some ways and she seems to be exploring different avenues which is cool to listen to. Many fans believe that this is Eilish’s best album yet, and I am not one to disagree.