Billie Eilish favored herself after the discharge of her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? instantly depend among the many biggest of her era. Together with her distinctive vocals and various music, the singer-songwriter grew to become a famous person, and with Happier Than Ever a worthy successor adopted fairly shortly. A 3rd lengthy participant took a little bit longer, however this one too shouldn’t be inferior to its predecessors. Not like different main pop stars equivalent to Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande who additionally launched a brand new document earlier this 12 months, Billie Eilish succeeds in delivering a stunning, thrilling, dynamic and robust document. The now 22-year-old hits the bull’s eye many times together with her albums, however we also needs to not overlook that snacks like “What Was I Made For?” and “every little thing i wished” are nonetheless very robust songs.
It was a matter of ready in suspense to see how HIT ME HARD AND SOFT would sound, as a result of in contrast to her earlier data, Billie Eilish didn’t launch any singles this time. Alternatively, she shouldn’t be an artist who sticks to at least one style, so it was virtually sure upfront that Eilish would as soon as once more deliver collectively a number of genres. The American hoped that by not releasing singles, the album could be listened to extra as a complete, as she believes it’s way more of an entire than her earlier data. In concrete phrases, because of this HIT ME HARD AND SOFT it performs with the thought of what’s one tune and what’s not, with some songs flowing into one another and others consisting of a number of elements.
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The primary two songs, for instance, move properly into one another, even supposing they sound utterly totally different. “LUNCH” is catchy and groovy, and is about Billie eager to shove her face right into a vagina, as she describes it. “SKINNY”, then again, is the subdued, intimate and delicate opener of the album. It is about how the media and the web have a look at Billie as a pop star as she compares herself to a chook trapped in a cage. The musically much less attention-grabbing “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” can be about birds, with Billie singing in her attribute manner that she and a cherished one belong collectively like a flock of birds. Love is a vital thread all through the album and is mentioned in numerous methods.
Throughout “THE GREATEST” the opposite excessive of affection is explored. It’s a dynamic break-up tune that begins quietly and the place unhappiness turns into frustration and anger throughout an explosive climax. An outline that additionally applies to “Happier Than Ever” from the earlier album, though it feels equally honest on each rock songs. Rock music is (as already talked about) not the one style that Billie Eilish makes her personal, as a result of she additionally manages to attain when she delves into the world of digital music. “CHIHIRO”, named after the long-lasting Studio Gibli character, begins groovy, however at instances leans in direction of a small rave. Billie may have accelerated the tune a little bit extra to make it an actual techno monitor, however on this manner “CHIHIRO” can be one of many highlights of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. Each songs are stunning and present what a style chameleon Billie Eilish is.
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But not each tune is a shock, as a result of “WILDFLOWER” feels relatively cliché. Begin smooth after which go a little bit tougher, with out it ever actually turning into particular. The outro lasts a bit longer than anticipated and provides extra energy in an intimate manner. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” (which isn’t in French and isn’t a tune) additionally goes on a bit longer than you’ll anticipate. The acoustic indie pop tune is given a second life and given an digital twist that feels each futuristic and nostalgic. It’s a good and robust shock, and of the three songs that include two elements, the distinction between the primary and second elements is the biggest right here.
The opposite two songs that use the identical trick are the final two, the place the outro of the primary units up the second. On the primary a part of “BITTERSUITE” the beat feels a bit like an echo of “I Didn’t Change My Quantity” and the second half as elevator music, in which there’s a flirtation with each love and suicide within the elevator. There’s a temporary nod right here to the lyrics of another songs earlier than “BLUE” refers to all earlier songs, as was additionally accomplished on “goodbye” from Billie’s debut album. Lastly, the album closes superbly with strings, much like these on the finish of the opening monitor.
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HIT ME HARD AND SOFT So it performs a bit with the boundaries of what’s one tune and what’s not. A transition right here and there ensures that items of music might or is probably not included collectively on the tracklist, however in the end this dynamic album doesn’t essentially really feel extra like a complete than Billie’s earlier albums after we omit the tracklist. The power of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT lies primarily within the honest, uncooked and trustworthy lyrics that give us a glimpse into the pinnacle of a 22-year-old in our society. Billie Eilish as soon as once more succeeds in bringing collectively a number of genres and various atmospheres together with her music in a very natural and spontaneous manner.
Uncover “CHIHIRO”, our favourite tune from HIT ME HARD AND SOFTin our Image of the Plate playlist on Spotify.
