HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish
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The third studio album is often the most vital part of a musical artist's career, as it bridges the moment of breaking out of becoming a "new artist" and becoming a talented artist rather than just having "potential". Being one of the biggest and most influential pop stars of this current generation, I'd say Billie Eilish's case had a lot higher stakes than the regular pop star due to her widespread attention and popularity of her first 2 projects.
Billie Eilish's WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO and Happier Than Ever, in my opinion, only displayed "potential"; I wanted more despite the great cuts that came from those respective eras. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT ends up seeing Billie Eilish taking her best traits and mastering them to a very high level.
SKINNY is a heartfelt intro track that delves into the emotional toll that fame can bring to someone, as well as the aftermaths of public scrutiny. I love the use of strings towards the end of the track, and the track sets the tone for a slower but more intentional sound filled with soft drums, strings, and acoustic guitars that are very much prevalent throughout the track list.
The intro track transitions seamlessly to LUNCH, which I believe is an outlier in the project in terms of sound. It is very much upbeat; the drums are very in your face, and it sounds like it is made to be a hit. The lyrics are very much tongue-in-cheek, and it is a very likable track, even if it isn't my favorite.
CHIHIRO has some of my favorite productions of the album. It is addictive to the point where I become lost in the music almost every time. I absolutely love the progression of the track and how it subtly builds up into an incredible outro that utilizes the electronic keyboards immensely.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER is now officially Billie Eilish's biggest song, with upwards of 3.8 billion streams on Spotify, and it is hard to see why. It has everything that a viral pop song should theoretically have: good progression, catchy melodies, great production, good lyrics, a memorable chorus, and a sound that instantly catches you from the very first listen. Though it isn't my absolute favorite track off the album, it is still an insanely accessible and enjoyable song that I absolutely adore.
WILDFLOWER is also another big hit off the album, and I don't believe that it is crazy to say that this one is superior to the previous. I love the use of acoustic guitar, and the latter half of the track is something that gets me every time.
THE GREATEST is undoubtedly my favorite off the track list. The track starts off very mellow and subtle, only using an acoustic guitar on the production side of things, but it eventually builds up to a grandiose and cinematic soft rock second half, which showcases some of the best vocal performances I have ever heard from her. Absolutely incredible performance on the songwriting and vocal side of things.
L'AMOUR DE MA VIE is a switch-up from THE GREATEST, songwriting-wise. The production is also a lot more upbeat, especially towards the second part of the song, which utilizes some electronic influences that are reminiscent of Charli Xcx. If there was one thing that I loved again and again throughout the track list, it was the progression of the songs, and it is no different here.
THE DINER is my least favorite. I am too much of a fan of the vocals, as I feel like it gets drowned out in the production a little too much for my liking. On the other hand, I do enjoy the production quite a bit. The track is like a grey area for me in which I don't know how I truly feel about it as a whole.
BITTERSUITE is very much enjoyable, but I think the ambitiousness that Billie partakes in this track sort of leads to its demise. The fact that there are 3 parts to a song that sound completely different from each other on a track that is frankly not that long comes up as kind of a mess and disoriented. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it, but I do have my critiques.
BLUE is an incredible closer to an incredible album. The track consists of 2 "mini-songs" that were created during the production of her first 2 studio albums but never fully fleshed out, repolished, and remade in a way that complements the rest of the album. It takes all of the best traits that make Billie Eilish who she is and masters them to perfection.
The Verdict:
A significant improvement on all fronts for Billie Eilish. This album completely threw out all of the doubts that I had regarding how truly talented Billie Eilish was as an artist out of the Window. Though I do have my criticisms regarding the latter half of the track list, overall, this is an immensely accessible album that always delivers a fun and fulfilling experience, which is why I will give this album a 9/10
Standout Tracks:
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