Billie Eilish – ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ review: bold, brilliant and somewhat brighter

ON THE EVE of her 2022 Glastonbury headline, Billie Eilish confessed she was “trying to find myself again” and felt “pretty trapped in the persona that people

had of me.”

Such identity crises have driven her career. Her 2019 debut, ‘ When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, captured the anxious and revolutionary Gen

Z experience. ‘ Happier Than Ever’ followed, inspired by old- school cool and classic songwriters, marking a shift to pin- up dresses and bleach blonde hair.

In 2023, Eilish reflected on her purpose with ‘ What Was I Made For?’, her Oscar- winning contribution to the ‘ Barbie’ soundtrack. “Think I forgot how to be happy / Something I’m not, but something I can be,” she sang. This song questioned her own identity and purpose.

‘ Hit Me Hard and Soft’ portrays who she is now and who she might become. The album’s no- single rollout and occasional snippets offered few clues. However, Eilish wanted to get personal: “This whole process has felt like I’m coming back to the girl I was [ in 2019]. I’ve been grieving her. This isn’t an album about happiness, but there are at least glimmers of the full human experience for once.”

The opening track, ‘ Skinny’, sets the tone for the album. Eilish reflects on confidence and self- image: “People say I look happy, just because I got skinny / But the old me is still me, maybe the real me, and I think she’s pretty.” She engages with her narrative much like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. The song concludes with an orchestral flourish similar to her work on ‘ No Time To Die’ with Hans Zimmer.

‘ Hit Me Hard and Soft’ is brighter in sound and more confident. ‘ Lunch’ returns to the pulsing beats of ‘ Bad Guy’ and ‘ Bury A Friend’, blending guitar riffs with ravey beats. Eilish is explicit in her “cravings,” embracing her queer identity: “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 love song from someone who knows how it feels to be valued, though it might not be a happy ending. Amidst one of her best vocal performances, she sings: “I don’t know what I’m crying for, I don’t think I could love you more.” ‘ The Greatest’ acts as a sequel to ‘ Happier Than Ever’s title track, building to a guitar solo ending. This time, explosive rage is replaced with thankless acts of service to keep a partner interested.

Overall, ‘ Hit Me Hard and Soft’ is a bold, brilliant, and somewhat brighter offering, showcasing Billie Eilish’s continued evolution as an artist.