Is “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” A No Skip Album?: Mariah’s Album Review
Genre
Alternative
Metacritic Score
89%
Recommended to me by @angel_halo 17 on Instagram
Review/Interpretations for "Hit Me Hard and Soft"
Billie Eilish and her producer brother Finneas is coming off of a amazing award season. After securing a second Golden Globe and Oscar for their work on, “What Was I Made For”, for the Barbie soundtrack. The 22-year-old recently released her third studio album entitled “Hit Me Hard and Soft”. Could she continue the amazing winning streak that is stamped into her career?
Eilish starts the album off with a beautiful message escorted by her iconic and beautiful whispery voice. “Skinny” encapsulates Eilish’s criticism about her weight while also turning the song into a body-positive message and reminding everyone that self-love happens within. The musical arrangements towards the end were mesmerizing, all thanks to Finneas’s beautiful producing The song then seamlessly transitions to “Lunch”, a song that centers around Eilish’ love for women and embraces women's love-women relationships. An anthem in a way. Eilish recently stated her love for both men and women. The vibe of the song is completely different, yet still conveys the meaning of self-love and loving whomever she wants. The beat is techno and more upbeat. This is one of my favorites of the album.
The album then comes into a mellow and chill vibe with “Chiriro”. The song is loosely based on the character of the Studio Ghibli animated movie “Spirited Away”. In this song I have noticed Eilish’s vocal improvement. Her voice has more variations and more notes/pitches being dealt in. The theme and story of the song is about being in an abusive relationship filled with toxicity, but not knowing when to quit. The music video that follows this song displays that nicely. The beats of the song reminded me of “Stanger Things” with the intensity and denseness of it all.
The chill continues throughout the next track “Birds of A Feather”. Instead of having a negative and heavy topic/connotation, this track focuses more on the positives. The song’s motif illustrates the importance of staying at each other’s side, even through death. No matter the relations, Eilish sings about how she will have that person’s back no matter what. This could also imply that Eilish is also referencing her brother and their close-knit bond. Eilish then transitions over to “Wildflower”. This song has some really good storytelling elements. The plot follows Eilish comforting a friend after a breakup, then, dating the ex that broke the friend's heart. The regret in Eilish’s voice is painful yet beautiful to listen to. The important element to note in this song is that the guitar is the only main instrument. It is like Elish is singing directly to us.
In the journey of love, heartbreak, and loss, Eilish gives a stellar showcase of talent with her next song, “The Greatest”. This is another one of my favorites from the album. The song's lyrics beautifully capture the theme of a one-sided relationship and the sacrifices made for love, depicting the act of giving up on personal desires for the sake of someone else. The repetition of the phrase, “I am the greatest” makes it feel as if Eilish provides affirmation for herself while in a tiresome relationship. The song creates a cinematic feel as Eilish finds herself at the end. With a back-to- back favorite song on the album streak, "Amour De Ma Vie" is next. The phrase is French for "Love of My Life." The song seems to convey a sense of heartbreak but also implies some relief that the relationship is over. It feels like a part of the healing journey that Eilish is set on. The track reminds me of "8" from her first album, “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go,” particularly with the child's vocals. Towards the end, there is a switch in the beats, which seems to not quite fit her voice or the overall vibe of the song. But, that does not take away from the rest of the song. Additionally, the lyrics seem to compliment the previous girl he was with which shows that Billie is compassionate towards her.
The album takes a dark twist within the next song as it revolves around teh dark side of fame, more specifically stalking and obsessing. “The Diner” is told through the perspective of the stalkers that Eilish has encountered over her years of fame. The song gives me the same vibes as “NDA, from Eilish’s second album “Happier Than Ever”, and “Bad Guy” from her first one . As the album starts to wind down the songs start to get more captivating. “Bittersuite” is a creative way of playing onto the word “bittersweet”. The into captured my attention. The theme is about Billie feeling left unsatisfied about someone and trying to hide them by sneaking away in a hotel suite. The plot is very raunchy, which I kind of liked. The vibe and beat of the song switch a lot, which is a cool display of talent. The beat switches a lot which is a cool display of talent from her producer brother Finneas.
Finally, the last song on the album is here…. “Blue”. The song presents beautiful melodies and harmony, encapsulating a theme of feeling 'Blue' and embracing a sense of depression. All throughout the album Eilish’s voice has been nothing short of perfect and this song is no different. As the song progresses into the second half, Eilish shifts to focus on the concept of a toxic family, invoking feelings of fear and the impulse to break free from this environment. Interestingly, the second half of the song stands out as particularly powerful, which makes it better the impact of the first half, in my opinion. This song rounds out my favorites from the album and it left a very good impression on me. The album was well crafted and one thing I like is seeing the progression in Billie’s voice. This album has shown that she is adapting and evolving. Even Finneas is evolving with the production of this album. Overall, this was a great album with heart-hitting themes that gave me a looking glass into Eilish and her love journey.
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