The last time NME talked to Billie Eilish; she was going through some changes. Just before her big Glastonbury headline show in 2022, she said she was “trying to find myself again” and that she “felt pretty trapped in the persona that people had of me.” Billie often faces identity crises, and these have played a big role in her career. Her debut ‘When We All Fall Asleep…’ is a memorable and game-changing debut record, with Billie’s disruptive streak front and centre. The pre-pandemic Gen Z experience was encapsulated by an air of anxiety and uncertainty about the process of growing up, and it was revolutionary in its abrasive, bedroom-pop sound.
Then came ‘Happier Than Ever,’ a wide-ranging album influenced by vintage aesthetics and classic songwriters such as Julie London. Billie Eilish replaced her baggy, neon clothes with pin-up dresses and bleached blonde hair.
Who was Billie Eilish, it wondered, and what was her purpose? Was she a disruptive force hailed as a leader for her environmentally conscious generation, or just another young person trying to find her place in the world?
‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ is a portrait of who she is now, and who she could go on to become in the long run.
The album didn’t have any singles released beforehand, and only a few short previews were shared, like at Coachella DJ sets or in the Heartstopper soundtracks, so there weren’t many hints about what it would be like. A Rolling Stone profile gave a lot of details, maybe too many for some people. But it was clear Billie Eilish wanted to get personal: “Making this album felt like reconnecting with the girl I was in 2019. I’ve been mourning her. This album isn’t about happiness, but it does show bits of the full human experience for once.”
The album didn’t have any singles released beforehand, and only a few short previews were shared, like at Coachella DJ sets or in the Heartstopper soundtracks, so there weren’t many hints about what it would be like. A Rolling Stone profile gave a lot of details, maybe too many for some people. But it was clear Billie Eilish wanted to get personal: “Making this album felt like reconnecting with the girl I was in 2019. I’ve been mourning her. This album isn’t about happiness, but it does show bits of the full human experience for once.”
Soon, Billie starts telling her own story, just like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande did in their recent albums. She asks questions like, “Am I acting my age? Am I starting to decline?” When she steps off stage, she feels trapped, like a bird in a cage or a dog in a pound.
The song ends with a beautiful orchestral part, similar to what she did in the Bond song ‘No Time To Die’ with Hans Zimmer. It’s an amazing song, one of her best ever.
‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ definitely sounds brighter and more confident. In the song ‘Lunch,’ Billie goes back to the same lively beat as ‘Bad Guy’ and ‘Bury A Friend.’ She mixes in a guitar riff with the same kind of energetic beats she experimented with on the second album’s song ‘Oxytocin.’
In ‘Lunch,’ Billie expresses her desires openly for the first time, especially since she’s become more accepting of her queer identity. She sings, “I could eat that girl for lunch / Yeah, she dances on my tongue / Tastes like she might be the one.”
‘Birds of Feather’ is a touching love song where the protagonist finally feels valued, though the outcome might not be the happy ending they hoped for. Despite giving one of her best vocal performances, there’s a hint of sadness, as reflected in the lyrics: “I don’t know what I’m crying for, I don’t think I could love you more.”
In ‘The Greatest,’ which follows the themes of ‘Happier Than Ever,’ Billie continues to explore the complexities of relationships. With a gradual buildup leading to a powerful guitar solo, the song captures a longing for more. Unlike the explosive anger in the title track, it portrays the efforts made to sustain a relationship’s spark. Through these tracks, Billie Eilish demonstrates her talent as both a storyteller and performer, captivating listeners with the intricacies of human emotions and connections.
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