“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” marks Billie Eilish’s third studio album, a long awaited release after the singer’s 2021 album “Happier Than Ever”. Eilish has stated that this album feels like a return to the woman she feels she’s lost the past few years – and we couldn’t agree more.
By now, we know that Billie and her brother Finneas (who co-writes and produces all of Billie’s music as well as creating his own as a solo artist) are a rare gem, who have proven their talents as artists over and over again. But with “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”, the pair have truly outdone themselves.
With a total of 10 tracks, there is not a single song on the album that feels like it shouldn’t be there – every single one works, especially when listening to the whole track list in order.
Creating atmosphere is central to this album. From the distortion of vocals on some tracks like “THE DINER” and towards the end of “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”, the production and melodic ascension of songs like “SKINNY”, and the sheer brilliance of making the end of a track blend seamlessly into the beginning of a following track (“BITTERSUITE” fusing into “BLUE”). The quality and genius of the production of this album is reminiscent of Eilish’s debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO?” from 2019, but elevated, darker and frankly, sexier.
With sapphic charged pop track “LUNCH”, that sees Eilish discuss her explicit thoughts and desires to be intimate with another woman, but then heartbreakingly honest “WILDFLOWER” where Billie regrets falling in love with a friend’s ex-partner, “H.M.H.A.S” contains a multitude of emotions, scenarios and melodies. We are witnessing Eilish’s experiences first hand – be it with love, sex, heartbreak or navigating fame. We are not only hearing her deepest thoughts – we are feeling them through the production, too.
“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” feels like a return to the soul of Billie Eilish, with dark and moody production and even darker and moodier lyrics, all bundled up in a gorgeous parcel with a touch of sex and vulnerability. “Happier Than Ever” felt like a new era for Eilish, seeing her test the waters with a new sound and image – one that was beautiful and produced some incredible songs – but nothing quite beats Billie’s dark and sultry signature sound.
RATING: ★★★★★.
