HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

BILLIE EILISH

BY JAXSON CARR

    Billie Eilish and her brother Fineas have always been trendsetters for what many call "sad girl pop".  Although they are in no way, shape or form the inventors of this immersive niche, they have both left their mark in the shockingly small amount of studio albums they have released together. This album is no different. With songs forcing you to take a look in the mirror and the experimentation with electronic infused production, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is a force not to be laughed at.    

    The album opens with a Goliath of a song, SKINNY. The song covers how Billie feels about the general public commenting on her body, specifically her weight. The instrumental never swells dramatically, and while that normally would be a problem for me, it's this song's greatest feat. It perfectly exemplifies the feeling of hopelessness, along with a certain resemblance of emptiness. Billie's vocals are progressively more pleading as the song plays through, as if she has only one song to tell the entire world how she feels. One of my favorites of the year, SKINNY has no negative notes from me.

    This is where it gets iffy. When I first listened to LUNCH, it felt like a cheap rendition of "bad guy". Even though I still do feel this way, it helps that Billie seems to not take this song very seriously either, considering she did not submit it for any Grammy despite its strong commercial run. The song entails Billie wanting to have sex with a women, and that's really it. It's a great song to dance to, but there's no sustenance, leading it to be one of the worst songs on the album.

    Another smash hit not submitted at the Grammys! CHIHIRO is a 5 minute song that perfectly encapsulates the immersive and outstanding production from Fineas. The steady bass throughout the song curses you with a nodding head, a feat even Max Martin is struggling with as of now. Towards the halfway point, the song somehow becomes even better, with the production swelling to a high point before falling back down for a verse from Billie. My only gripe is a clapping sound heard right after this happens, which sounds very similar to the GarageBand effect, which just irks me. If it was just a bit shorter, I would be able to call this song perfect, but it's not.

    Here's the song she submitted for Grammys! I completely understand her decision BIRDS OF A FEATHER  being the song she chose to represent the album, but I think it's a bit too hyped up than it should be. The production is again the best feature of the song, but in my opinion, the songwriting falls short. As I write this, BIRDS OF A FEATHER is the front-runner for song of the year, and I think it's actually one of the weakest options. Songs like "Please Please Please" or songs that weren't even nominated like "we can't be friends" easily overpower Eilish on this one, and I find that upsetting. I feel a few lyric changes to make the message more clear would round this song out, but she didn't do that, so my point stands.

    WILDFLOWER may be the best song on this album. The production takes the backseat for this number, and Billie's quill and pen take center stage. Every word she sings is like a gut punch, and it isn't any better because of the way she sings it. I can't listen to this song without crying, and I am not one to cry to songs. The song slowly ramps up, making your heart fall deeper and deeper into your chest. It takes a lot of guts to release such a prolific track, but Billie did so with such ease, proving her to be a mainstay.

    THE GREATEST was my favorite song when I first listened. It goes from your standard Eilish song to a scathing stab in the heart to anyone who wants the impossible from her. The first few choruses ramp up, making the listener think she will belt, just for her to whisper the title of the song. This leaves the listener wanting more, which proves Billie's exact point. She finally screams those lines at the end, but at this point, no one cares. Billie ends the track in disdain with her greatness. An introspective track, THE GREATEST leaves you asking if you're the problem.

L'AMOUR DE MA VIE would be amazing if it was cut down a verse or two. A problem Billie has is either making songs way too short or just borishingly long. I have found myself in love with the first 3 minutes and skipping the rest as my brain had exhausted the message. I think what many artists forget is if you want a 10 minute song, you have to have 10 minutes of story. The final 2 minutes of L'AMOUR DE MA VIE is just an electro-pop remix of the first 3 minutes, and although it sounds great, it is not necessary. This may be a testament to my low attention span, but I still rest my case. 

    THE DINER is the song I cannot listen to in full. The production to me sounds like straight hell, with the synth sounding like pitched up nails on a chalkboard. Billie sounds like she smokes 7 cigarettes before recording this song, and that will never be my favorite. The lyrics are underwhelming, and that causes me to immediately press skip when I see THE DINER pop up on my screen.

    BITTERSUITE's worst feature is its inability to make an imprint. When I find myself listening to this song, it is mesmerizing, but I couldn't name a lyric off the top of my head to save my life. Fineas yet again does a stellar job with the production, but even his masterpiece cannot save this song from leaving my brain the second the next song plays.

    BLUE is the definition of a 5 minute song with 5 minutes of story. The entire time the song is played, my ears are focusing on nothing else. Eilish's lyricism is what takes charge in this track, with the production being nothing to call home about. Her vocals consistently shock me when I listen to this track, her ad-libs and hums burning into my brain. An excellent album closer, BLUE will go down as one of Eilish's best songs of all time.

    HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is a collection of 10 songs with varying degrees of quality. If it was any other artists, these half-fleshed out songs would be laughable, but Eilish manages to save many with her stellar vocals. My favorite song on the album is WILDFLOWER, with BITTERSUITE being my least favorite.

RATING: 8.0/10.0