Hit Me Hard and Soft is the third album by alternative singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish. While I’ve never listened to an album of hers front to back before, I know that  she’s got a very devoted fanbase, and that she is an incredibly talented singer. She’s won 9 Grammy Awards, and she’s only 22 years old, which is insanely impressive for a musician so young. Her brother, Finneas O’Connell is her main producer, and also helps in the songwriting department. This album was critically acclaimed by many, but how does it stack up in my opinion?

   We open up the album with the track, “SKINNY,” which has a gentle electric guitar backing track, and discusses falling in love, and how her weight is under scrutiny by the public, saying, “people say I look happy just because I got skinny.” Eilish’s vocals are absolutely angelic on this track and the track is very well produced, with a spacey and atmospheric sound. She’s incredibly vulnerable on this track, discussing how she cries and feels self-conscious about herself due to body shaming, and how just because she lost weight, it doesn’t mean she’s happier as a result. I think it’s important to address the jokes about her music being for 14 year old white girls who self-diagnose themselves with depression, sure there’s some of that in her audience, but her music is relatable and has gotten a lot of her listeners through tough times in their lives. I digress though this album is one of my favorite tracks on the record.

   We follow that with the sexy track, “LUNCH,” which is a raunchy and catchy lesbian sex song.  I like the groovy bass riff and reverb soaked guitars on the instrumental, the drum beat reminds me a bit of a Dua Lipa track, and showcases Billie’s versatility. The lyrics aren’t super explicit, but the metaphor to comparing a woman to a meal, isn’t exactly subtle. Not complaining though, it’s very well-written, and the production is top-tier, but it’s not my favorite track. “CHIHIRO,” is another track with a catchy bass and drum beat, and the title references the main character of the amazing Hayao Miyazaki film, Spirited Away. Billie’s vocal range is showcased and sounds heavenly. She’s an incredibly talented singer, and the themes of love and someone you thought you knew, being completely different, like they’re almost an entirely new person. Her voice really shines in the refrain, “Did you take, my love away from me?” Another favorite.

  After that, we get the track, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” a love song where Billie wants a relationship that lasts until death. I really like the calming synth instrumental, and the positive message of the track. She sings about a relationship that is passionate, and one of commitment, where both of the people in love, die together. She conveys the emotions in a relationship like that, singing, “And I don’t know what I’m cryin’ for. I don’t think I could love you more. Might not be long, but baby, I don’t wanna say goodbye.” I love the echoing falsetto vocals of Billie’s throughout the song. Another favorite. The next track, “WILDFLOWER,” Billie sings about her experience consoling her friend after a tough breakup. I like how the song opens up with her singing from the perspective of the people in the failed relationship. “Things fall apart, and time breaks your heart. I wasn’t there, but I know. She was your girl. You showed her the world. But fell out of love and you both let go.” I love the acoustic guitar and piano that are featured on this track, as well as those esoteric background vocals. Another favorite.

     “THE GREATEST,” is another soft ballad, where Billie discusses the tough issues of sacrifice and one-way love for another person. It’s a more simply constructed song, but the acoustic guitar and glowing synths really drive home the emotion of the track, as do Billie’s emotional lyrics. She knows to “do what’s right” even when there’s no benefit for her, and she is open and honest that that is a challenging thing to do. She’s calling herself the greatest sarcastically, for giving all of her love to someone who isn’t going to return it. I love the guitar riff at the bridge. I like how she thinks about what could’ve been had this person she was in love with, would return the same to her. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE,” is another solid heartbreak track, where Billie sings about a relationship she’s glad that ended. “I told you a lie, I said you, you were the love of my life.” I like the soft vibrato guitar riffs and calming piano. I also respect that she wishes her ex the best, while also acknowledging that the relationship wasn’t the right thing for her. That vocal filter on her voice at the last refrain is gnarly too. It’s cool that the track is split into two parts, “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE,” and “OVER NOW.” I like the upbeat dance rhythm of the second part, as its transitioned from a ballad. The auto-tuned vocals are a good touch, and giving that Billie has an amazing voice, the autotune doesn’t get annoying. The theme of the track stays the same, even with the change in sound.

   Following that, we have “THE DINER,” where she sings about the disturbing aspects of fame, singing from the perspective of her stalker. I like the vocal filter on Billie’s voice, and the creepy bass-thumping production. “I’m waitin’ on your block, but please don’t call the cops. They’ll make me stop. And I just wanna talk.” The heavy synth bass sounds like it was influenced by Mike Dean, and Finneas did a fantastic job on the instrumentation on this record. I love how Billie is portraying a truly disturbing character, in a way that’s incredibly realistic, because it shows how being famous puts a target on your back, and even though success is sweet, the cost of it can be truly horrifying.

   The second to last track, “BITTERSUITE,” is a three part song with phenomenal production by Finneas. I love the futuristic synths and minimalist drum rhythm that almost sounds like a heartbeat in Part 1. The transition to Part 2 is very well done, and the second stage of the song almost sounds like a Gorillaz track. The variety of different sounds on this album makes it extremely engaging. Billie’s vocals are a lot more low-key, and the glistening production takes center stage. Part III is mostly a mournful synth instrumental, but conveys so much emotionally with the variety of synthesizers. It transitions into the next track very well.

   Finally, we close the album off with the track, “BLUE,” which is a redone version of two previously unreleased tracks by Billie. In Part 1, she sings about being sad because she’s struggling to get over an ex. I like her illustrative lyrics such as, “In the back of my mind, I’m still overseas. A bird in a cage, thought you were made for me.” The vocal harmonies are absolutely lovely as well. Part 2 has a soft piano instrumental, and Billie’s voice takes center stage, “You were born bluer than a butterfly. Beautiful and so deprived of oxygen. Colder than your father’s eyes. He never learned to sympathize with anyone.” She sympathizes with the rough childhood of her ex, but states that, “I don’t blame you, but I can’t change you. Don’t hate you. But we can’t save you.” The production on the second part is probably my favorite on the track. The violins and the electronic drums stand out on an album that incorporates a variety of different sounds.

    I can say without hesitation, that this is one of the best albums I’ve heard so far this year. What I like about Billie’s love songs on this record, is that they’re incredibly relatable and aren’t basic or surface level. They’re deep and complicated, like human emotions are. She illustrates her experiences and her emotions through her music, like she’s painting a picture. The production done by her brother Finneas, is absolutely magical, and compliments Billie’s lyrics and vocals exceptionally well. “LUNCH,” isn’t one of my favorite tracks on the album, but it’s still great. I don’t think that I have a least favorite track on this album, as they’re all well written, beautifully sung, and composed in a mesmerizing way. If this album doesn’t win multiple Grammys I would be shocked. I’m going to listen to her previous albums now that I’ve heard this one, and I recommend this to fans of alternative pop, and just to music fans in general. 

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “SKINNY,” “CHIHIRO,” “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” “WILDFLOWER,” “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE,” “BLUE”

Least Favorite Tracks: None

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY_XwvKogC8

Genres: Alternative Pop/Bedroom Pop