Track 1: SKINNY
The opening track of the album Hit Me Hard And Soft is the song “SKINNY.” This song is about Billie’s insecurities and anxieties about growing up and falling in love. The production of the song is subtle and delicate, which is mostly driven by acoustic guitar. The soft instrumentation allows Billie’s voice to take center stage, which fits the vulnerability of the lyrics perfectly.
Track 2: LUNCH
“LUNCH” is one of Billie’s boldest songs yet. This track flips the scene entirely from the first track. It’s vibrant, funky, and unapologetically fun. The song explores themes of identity, queerness, and confidence.
Track 3: CHIHIRO
“CHIHIRO” is the third track of the album, and the lyrics mention Billie’s thoughts of feeling misunderstood and unseen when she is in search of a spiritual and physical connection with the world. The title is inspired by 2001 movie Spirited Away, which follows a girl who learns to face her fears by developing an enhanced understanding of life. The song is soft and slightly melancholy.
Track 4: BIRDS OF A FEATHER
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish is about the belief that love lasts until the end of life. The ballad emphasizes her wish to be beside her partner for eternity. There is a timelessness to this song and a simplicity in the arrangement.
Track 5: WILDFLOWER
The fifth track, “WILDFLOWER” is about Billie’s experience comforting a girl who has gone through a breakup, and then having a romantic relationship with the person who broke up with the girl. This song is so raw and the vulnerability is shown on full display in her lyrics.
Track 6: THE GREATEST
“THE GREATEST” goes through emotions of loneliness, anger, defeat, and a longing of what could have been. Billie uses sarcasm in her lyrics, explaining how she gave all in a relationship when the person did not reciprocate her feelings of love, passion, and appreciation. The song starts off slow, almost tricking you into thinking it’s a sad ballad, then it explodes its intensity.
Track 7: L’AMOUR DE MA VIE
“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” which is French for, the love of my life, is the seventh track from the album. The song goes on about heartbreak, the trials of love, and reflecting on a past relationship. During parts of “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”, you can hear that Billie’s words are said in a careless tone, signifying that she is happy the relationship is over now, referencing to the second part of the song, “Over Now.”
Track 8: THE DINER
“THE DINER” is the true, frightening story of Billie’s experience with stalkers. The song is from the perspective of a stalker that shows themes of desperation and obsession. The vibe of this song is very dark, eerie, and cinematic. It’s chilling, but in the best way.
Track 9: BITTERSUITE
The song “BITTERSUITE” is a play on the word bittersweet. The term suite, suggests a love that is both sweet and painful, like the stay in a luxurious but lonely hotel suite. The meaning behind the song is the pull between self-preservation in the face of intoxicating love.
Track 10: BLUE
The tenth and final song in the Hit Me Hard And Soft album is “BLUE.” The song is a reworked version of two of Billie’s unreleased songs. The first song is “True Blue” and the second is “Born Blue.” This song is such a powerful closer for the album. “BLUE” references many lyrics and titles from other songs in the ballad. It feels like a full circle moment, it’s both nostalgic and looking forward to the future.
