Billie Eilish exhibits introspection.
In the third album of Billie Eilish's career, "Hit Me Hard And Soft," she's explored as a multifaceted musician who fearlessly experiments with content - from queer imaginings to dreams of love satisfaction to coming to terms with past traumas.
Billie Eilish, with only her debut record announced five years back, reigns supreme among Generation Z celebrities. Few others in the quickly paced music industry ride the roller coaster as steadily as she does. Three years after her previous album "Happier Than Ever," two-time Oscar winner and nine-time Grammy winner Eilish has come back with her latest long player "Hit Me Hard And Soft."
Similar to her debut, the album was preceded by dark harbingers. A dark cover featuring a character submerged in water, a provocative title that conjures images in all directions, and musical fragments that sketch the dark atmosphere of bubblegum pop: Billie Eilish's promotional team is, as always, a textbook example of effective marketing. The chaotic world of teenagers is in a frenzy to see what news Eilish's court has for them. The youngsters are eagerly anticipating the reveal.
Sexual fantasies, self-doubt, maturing experiences
The Daily Telegraph refers to her album as an intimate exchange between two close friends. They catch up, have a drink, and she bares her soul - without any hesitation or frills. This summary is quite correct. Billie Eilish doesn't hold back in her lyrics and takes the listener on a journey where relationship drama, sexual fantasies, self-doubt, and maturing experiences blend together.
After the cinematic introduction ("Skinny"), Eilish psychically peels off her clothes and devours a female beauty ("Lunch"). "I could eat that girl for lunch / She dances on my tongue," she hints, just 22 years old. She makes her intentions crystal clear. It's lunchtime! Her next song, "Birds Of A Feather," is airy and lively. It's about the one, all-encompassing love: "Till the day that I die," Billie croons, as the sun shines in the sky. Love is a recurring theme. It's dissected in all its forms. Shortly before the end, the artist paints a chilling image, reminding us of past experiences with a stalker fan. In 2023, Billie Eilish had a fervently devoted fan who followed her all the way up to death threats. In a spooky whisper, she submerges herself in processing this memory ("The Diner"). Under forty minutes later, we are closer to Billie Eilish than ever before.
A walk through various genre landscapes
Aligned with the emotional intimacy of the lyrics, the music presents itself as a delicate, primarily warm and transparent veil. Eilish explores a bubbling sound adventure with a love for experimentation, sometimes grinning and other times worried, cruising through various genre worlds without losing sight of her distinctive marks.
Guest appearances from house beats, guitars, a few strings, funk interludes, a hint of folk, and plenty of mood create Eilish's "Hit Me Hard And Soft" as a multi-layered Generation Z pop milestone that has no reason to be overshadowed by her earlier albums "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" and "Happier Than Ever." With her third album, Billie Eilish leaves another lasting impression and establishes herself as a sophisticated artist who has long since claimed her own domain, far away from the bubblegum pink realm of Taylor Swift.
"Hit Me Hard And Soft" by Billie Eilish is available now.
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Source: www.ntv.de
