Billie Eilish has once again captivated her fans with the release of her new album, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter, who recently won an Academy Award for her ballad ‘What Was I Made For?’ from the ‘Barbie’ soundtrack, dropped her highly anticipated album on May 17. Eilish had announced the album in April and opted not to release any singles beforehand, stating, “I wanna give it to you all at once :PPP.”
The album, with a total runtime of 45 minutes, opens with the track ‘Skinny’ and features 10 songs in total. It explores themes such as body dysmorphia, depression, and navigating relationships.
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In an interview with Rolling Stone, Eilish described the album as a true reflection of herself, saying, “It feels like the When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? version of me. It feels like my youth and who I was as a kid.” She expressed that creating ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ was a journey back to her authentic self, stating, “This whole process has felt like I’m coming back to the girl that I was. I’ve been grieving her. I’ve searched for her in everything, and it’s almost as if the world and the media drowned her out. I don’t remember when she went away.”
The album also reflects Eilish’s love for anime, evident in the song ‘Chihiro,’ a tribute to the character from Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’. She further highlights her admiration for Japanese culture through her collaboration with Takashi Murakami.
‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ marks Eilish’s third studio album, following the success of ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ (2019) and ‘Happier Than Ever’ (2021), both of which reached the top spot on the Billboard 200. Her brother and long-term collaborator, Finneas O’Connell, produced the new album.
In a year that has already seen album releases from Beyoncé (‘Cowboy Carter’) and Taylor Swift (‘The Tortured Poets Department’), music enthusiasts have plenty to celebrate with the exceptional music from their favorite artists.