By Arielle Nguyen
After listening to the same ten songs on shuffle for the past few months, I decided that expanding my musical mindset would be my saving grace. I decided to change myself, my mindset and the words — sometimes screamed, sometimes delicately spoken — exploding in my eardrums through earbuds. My solution?
Billie Eilish’s newest album: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.
Eilish first gained recognition in 2015 with her debut song, “Ocean Eyes,” produced by her brother FINNEAS. In 2019, she released her first studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? which featured songs including “Bad Guy,” “You Should See Me in a Crown” and “Bury a Friend.”
I was never a Billie Eilish fan growing up, though I had a fondness for a few of her songs. When I found out that she released a new album during my song crisis, it was like a dream come true. With ten new tracks, I can now listen to twenty songs on shuffle!
“SKINNY”
The first song of the album “SKINNY” falls into various themes of aging and love. Although we have listened to her thoughts on aging through previous tracks such as “idontwannabeyouanymore” from her 2017 EP Don’t Smile at Me, “SKINNY” features, for the first time in a while, a song about love. Let alone love with a woman! Eilish has my support.
Eilish’s voice, buttery and soft, laces the delicately-woven song into a heart-wrenching masterpiece. Many listeners may know this song from TikTok, especially the lyrics, “But the old me is still me and maybe the real me / And I think she’s pretty,” featured in “glow-up” TikToks. However, the entirety of the track is an appropriate tune to hang with while you’re crying in the shower.
“LUNCH”
We all know this song … if you’re a TikTok or Instagram Reel fiend. The second track of the album, “LUNCH” dives into some of the boldest themes Eilish has written, including queer identities, confidence and questioning her own identity.
The harder, more prominent bass and her gentle voice mix into a hard-hitting song — the fame it has received is rightfully earned. It’s the type of song you’d listen to in your earphones in the car with your family, bopping your head to. The type of song you’d loop on repeat, the type of song you can never get over. Maybe it’s just me, but I would die for hard basses and gentle voices.
“CHIHIRO”
Recognize that song title? If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, the third song in the album, “CHIHIRO” is a reference to the protagonist Chihiro from the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. The song entangles many of the themes found in the film including confronting your fears and growing up … which I will not dive into if you haven’t seen Spirited Away. Off topic, please watch it!
I’m happy to say I recognized the song title immediately and understood many of the references in the song. I’m also really enjoying the bass that Eilish employs in the album so far; it provides a memorable contrast to her voice. Furthermore, the post-chorus forced my entire being to reset. The music crawled through my ears and my heart, and her backing vocals tied everything together.
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
The ideal song for friends, lovers, your twin flames … again, I’m a pop culture fiend. In the fourth song of the album, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” illustrates endless love until death. Maintaining that bond requires strength, courage and determination, qualities that Eilish has sung about in previous tracks.
God, this song wrings my heart out. Every time I hear it on TikTok, I always grin at the photos of people growing up together. The vocals, the melody … everything mixes together. I imagine this song would feature in “indie-teen-growing-up” films. Or, you know, you can always pop your earbuds in and stare out of your car window.
“WILDFLOWER”
“WILDFLOWER”, the fifth track from the album, recounts Eilish’s experience comforting a girl after a breakup, and then having a relationship with her ex. Wow. I mean, that’s a little crazy, but I’m not going to judge.
This track reminds me of when you’d comfort your crushes dealing with breakups. I envision a love triangle trope as well. Eilish’s voice expresses many complicated emotions, and you can really empathize with her feelings. Maybe you have similar experiences, maybe you don’t, but I know for sure that this beautiful song is ideal for bedtime sobbing.
“THE GREATEST
“THE GREATEST” illustrates the intricacies of sacrifice and unrequited love. In the beginning of the song, Eilish commits herself to this person, capturing her dedication through lyrics including “I’m trying my best / To keep you satisfied / Let you get your rest / While I stayed up all night”, her desperation deepening as the track concludes.
Similar to her song, “Happier than Ever” from her 2021 studio album of the same name, the suspense builds up throughout the end of the track, ending in a wretched, melodic scream for help, for love, for anyone to listen. “THE GREATEST” is truly the most devastating song on her album.
“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”
“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” or “love of my life” in French, describes the heartbreak and euphoria following a past relationship. The song begins with a bittersweet, melancholic tone and ends upbeat and hip-hop-like. Imagine listening to a heart-wrenching song under your sheets, and then switching over to a gym-workout-type song. Yeah. This song is exactly that.
Whether it was her intention or not, “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” is an emotional, chaotic rollercoaster. The beat and melody are definitely my favorite aspects of the song with the bass peeking in every so often. It’s a nice surprise. Part II, or the part of the song that becomes upbeat, isn’t something I’d find myself listening to. However, I really enjoyed the exposure to new styles and genres!
“THE DINER”
Ah, we’re back at food. Can’t wait to eat “LUNCH” at “THE DINER”! This track illustrates the dehumanizing side of fame, pulling experiences of stalkers within the lyrics. From obsession to desperation, you name it, Eilish dives deep into these frightening themes. The song also depicts the stalker’s desire to connect with their “lover” as well as their struggles with rejection.
I really love the beat and the track. It feels almost circus-like as well — unpredictable and a little chaotic with the instruments. The urgency in her voice matches the theme to a tee! “THE DINER” isn’t my favorite in the album, but if it comes up in my playlist, you know I’d be jamming out hard.
“BITTERSUITE”
Bittersweet? No! “BITTERSUITE”, the penultimate song in the album, finds Eilish crumbling in her desires for a healthy relationship while trying to confront her emotions. Similar to “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”, this song has multiple parts to it, each with different melodies and emotions. However, “BITTERSUITE” has three sections instead of two.
This song, oh my goodness. The sharp shifts in the moods in each section hits hard. The transitions to each part perfectly ring throughout my soul. I don’t know about you, but this is the type of song I want to bury myself in. It’s the type of song I’d give anything to listen to for the first time.
“BLUE”
The final track of “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” is “BLUE,” a rewritten version of two of Eilish’s unreleased songs, “True Blue” and “Born Blue”. Similar to the album’s overarching themes, this song illustrates growth in a cold-shouldered family.
This may be the saddest song on the album, actually. I would listen to this while lying on the floor of my room while the night outside urges on. Perhaps I would listen to this while crying in the shower. The beat and melody is gentle and melancholic, matching with the “curves” of her voice. B.R.B., adding this to my sad playlist!
HIT THE HEADLINES!
Through tormenting melodies and heart-striking lyrics, Billie Eilish laments the concepts of love and heartbreak — hitting you hard and cradling you soft.
You can stream HIT ME HARD AND SOFT on any music platform.
