The drop of “Hit Me Hard and Soft” had been teased for months, but it’s finally here. Containing 10 songs and a combined listening time of 43 minutes, this is her third album after “Happier Than Ever” and “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”

I would say this album sticks out compared to the others, due to how the songs sound like a different genre, synth pop. They’re all pretty unique, and you can tell Eilish and Finneas (Eilish’s brother and co creator) had more fun with the album, even experimenting with some forms of autotune. “L’amour De Ma Vie” is a great example of this due to the end of the song where she sings almost robotically. It adds some sort of carefree playfulness.

Another trait that sticks out about this album is all the songs fitting together about a similar theme: relationship, whether it’s a strong bond between friends or something more. 

I really love how the song “Birds Of A Feather” can be perceived in different ways, due to it being about wanting to stick by someone. I think these lyrics are what sold that perspective “Birds of a feather/we should stick together/I know I said I’d never think I wasn’t better alone.” I find it to be a comforting and heartwarming song, reminding me how important some of the people in my life are.

I would argue that this album was released at an almost perfect time, with Pride Month being just around the corner. This album has an underlying LGBTQ+ undertone that can be graphic like in “Lunch”. Eilish talks about an unnamed girl who pops out throughout the entire record. This song is home to many current trends on social media especially in the LGBTQ+ community, an example is people posting their partners to the different song lyrics.

I have two main tracks from this album that are my favorite, “Skinny” and “The Greatest”. The reason I love “Skinny” so much is due to its relatability to teenagers and having crushes. I know a lot of people can relate to this song, and I think that’s an important part of the media nowadays, especially because of how hard it can be to talk about those certain topics like your feelings for someone or sexual identity. Artists writing pieces like this is a way people can see themselves reflected in music. I love the sound of Eilish’s voice when she sings “And I still Cry, Cry.” It’s so beautiful and the vocal range she has is so impressive. 

The reason I love The Greatest is for a similar reason: her voice. She sings so powerful in this, which we don’t see from her often due to the usual voice we hear. We see her hitting higher notes more controlled, which can be soft and delicate.

Overall, this is a great record, and I’d argue every track is a hit. I am expecting her to win many Grammy’s due to this album, and I’m excited to see how she continues her music career after this.