Vulnerability Meets Complexity on Billie Eilish’s "Hit Me Hard and Soft"

Hit Me Hard and Soft is a record where vulnerability meets complexity. The 10-track album transports us through Billie Eilish’s musical anthology, as we see her step-back into her roots while also showing off the maturity she’s developed both as an artist and a person. Although you are probably familiar with Eilish from her Grammy-winning single, “bad guy,” or the Oscar-winning, “What Was I Made For?,” Hit Me Hard and Soft is her third record following her vastly successful debut and sophomore albums. If you couldn’t tell, the saying “third times a charm,” does not apply to Billie Eilish. She’s been growing in stardom and artistry since her debut record at 15 years-old. The now 22-year old is coming to dethrone the top of the 2024 music charts with the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft this past weekend.

The intricate production found on this record explores different energies from pop-beats to subtle ballads, string quartets, and beautiful melodic layering throughout. Hit Me Hard and Soft feels complete. Foregoing any lead singles, this record is meant to be listened to top to bottom as it leads us through not only her creative journey, but powerful vocal progressions as heard in “Birds of a Feather” and “The Greatest.” 

From the top track, “Skinny,” we can hear Eilish transitioning from the soft-vocals highlighted in the last record, into the more mature range of what Hit Me Hard and Soft has in store for us. The lyrics in this song hint at the struggle Eilish is moving through from her past and the scrutiny she constantly juggles while growing up under the spotlight, “Twenty-one took a lifetime/Am I acting my age now?/Am I already on the way out?” 

Although the first song of this album starts off heavy and is an ode to the negativity she’s had to move past, “Lunch” quickly takes the album into a sapphic 180° turn. Just in-time for June, Eilish leans into the rising queer-pop energy in this track with an incredibly fun dance beat and lyrics “I could eat that girl for lunch/Yeah, she dances on my tongue.” 

Something we’ve seen with Eilish’s music time and time again, is her and Finneas’ ability to break from the standard pop songwriting traditions. Together they have cultivated synergy from Eilish’s vocals to the diverse sounds, tracks, and other production elements that ultimately continues to elevate her notable gothic-pop style higher and higher. Hit Me Hard and Soft only exemplifies this with “Chihiro,” “Birds of a Feather,” “The Diner,” and “L’amour de Ma Vie.” Eilish is unafraid of exploring new styles, nor pushing further and further in sounds that brand her music as singular. 

“The Greatest,” arguably one of the best songs on Hit Me Hard and Soft, highlights the true depths of Eilish’s artistry. This song is concentrated around lyricism and harmonies, with a soft string backtracking that builds as the song progresses. Not only do we hear the staggering vocal range Eilish has continued to refine, this song offers a full view of how raw and vulnerable she is willing to be with her listeners and fans, and will have you sitting there with your jaw on the floor as you listen. 

Although we witnessed a full demonstration of her growing vocal power and songwriting, the last two songs pay homage to Eilish’s roots. Hit Me Hard and Soft ends with tracks “Bittersuite” and “Blue” which are most definitely representative of the energy from her debut record, however, further incorporates the complexity and proliferation of her songwriting techniques. “Blue” closes the record with one of the most luxurious endings to a record I have ever experienced, reminiscent of an orchestral ending to a classic movie.

At the end of the day, Billie Eilish continues to excel with each new piece of art she shares with the world, and Hit Me Hard and Soft is the newest addition to her already impressive catalog.