Billie Eilish has been killing it in the music scene since she was 15 years old and her hit single “Ocean Eyes” released. The momentum has not stopped with her releasing her EP “Don’t Smile At Me” and going on tour from 2017-2018, releasing her hit debut album When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? followed with a tour from 2019-2020, and finally dropping her neutral-themed second album Happier Than Ever with, you guessed it, a corresponding tour from 2021-2022. Now Eilish will do it all again with her junior album Hit Me Hard and Soft on May 17, 2024 followed by a tour. As a long time Billie fan, I have so much excitement over this album and the topics that will be discussed. I’m breaking down all that is known about the album so far.
The first major difference with this third album is that it dropped out of nowhere and we are getting little teasers for it. Eilish has not released any new music since her sophomore album in 2021, keeping fans in the dark about when new music could be dropping. She finally revealed the album just last month with an excited Instagram post to fans, creating immense hype and excitement for new Billie music. She then went on to state in an interview that she will not be releasing any singles for this album. This means that every single song on the album will be brand new and never heard before when it drops. This is uncommon in the music industry as many see singles as a way to draw hype for the album and therefore sales when it drops. However, this shows that Billie is confident in this album to stand on its own and wants people to truly experience this album for the first time on its release date.
However, that does not mean that she has not teased her fans with some content. During an interview with Zane Lowe about the album, she let Lowe play a 15 second clip of a song on the album. The production and her voice based off the clip alone display the immense growth and fun this album will display with great and unique production by her brother Finneas amplifying her amazing voice. Billie also then went on to play more snippets of songs at Coachella last month as well. Completely unexpectedly, Eilish hosted a event at Coachella with her friends and treated the lucky fans who came to more clips of the album. Once again, the production and her voice sound great with her delving into almost sultry, funky sound. I know when I saw the recording from both events I felt assured this album would be a great time and an instant hit once again.
Another really interesting thing is what she has revealed in terms of the mood and content of this album. She has stated in interviews that she feels this album is like a sister album to her debut, When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? She says she feels she was able to go back and reflect on when she was younger and find the fun in making music. This makes me excited as personally her debut is my favorite work from her hands down and sonically just from the clips alone, I definitely feel they sounds similar with darker production utilized over the more airy and angelic production on her sophomore album. This album is also darker in the material covered, similar to the debut, with an interviewer who listened to the album stating there is a song that deals with the misconception that losing weight will make you happy. This makes sense as Eilish has stated she was in a deep depression while writing this album similar to her debut, struggling with not having many friends due to trying to keep an air of mystery to protect herself due to the fame. This honesty with struggling with mental health is one of the reasons she has so many fans as they feel seen, represented, and not alone in their struggles when listening to her music.
Though there is little known about the album, the hype for it is real. From the information and clips given by Eilish, it is evident that she will be breaking charts once again with fans cheering her on. It promises a dark sound and production that will keep listeners invested accompanied by relatable lyrics. Personally, I, like millions of others, cannot wait for May 17, 2024 and to see Billie kill it on tour with the already-intriguing new album.