The experts talk Billie Eilish’s 'Hit Me Hard and Soft': ‘She unleashed all of her feelings'

Rolling Stone writers Brian Hiatt and Angie Martoccio dove into Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft album on their latest podcast episode, and theorize that it’s her most vulnerable work yet.

LISTEN NOW: Rolling Stone Music Now | The Making of Billie Eilish's 'Hit Me Hard and Soft'

When Billie Eilish revealed her third album this past May, fans were confused that there wasn’t one lone, stand-out single. From “Bad Guy” to “Therefore I Am” and even the latest “What Was I Made For” Barbie track, Eilish’s album Hit Me Hard And Soft was expected to crank out the same kind of instant pop hit that fans felt accustomed to. Yet, in the latest Rolling Stone Music Now episode, journalist Angie Martoccio revealed that Finneas and Billie Eilish defied those wishes on purpose.

“They did not want a single. They were adamant about that,” Martoccio told podcast host Brian Hiatt. “You know, they want to turn on… they drive around and ‘cook’ a lot to albums, and they kept saying that they wanted that for themselves.“

Martoccio, who sat in on the album’s creation, said that the duo wanted to focus on a collection of works and leave the “quick and easy” singles behind. To do that, Billie had to decide what was worth saying and more importantly, what was worth listening to. “I think she really struggled for a long time on what she wanted to say,” Martoccio began. “And then I think she kind of unleashed all of it, all of her feelings. The lyrics are very transparent. There's nothing really hidden there, as we know.”

Hit Me Hard And Soft is a series of 10 candid songs, each connecting to some of Eilish’s most difficult experiences. Martoccio recalled Eilish saying that,“the music has to speak for itself, cause I don't want to talk about this.” Perhaps some things are better sung than said: for example, the song “The Diner”. It’s written from the perspective of a stalker -- of which Eilish, unfortunately, has many . Fan favorite “Lunch” discusses her sexuality in what Hiatt called “as loud an announcement of one's sexuality as you can have.” And the album’s first track, “Skinny,” grapples with body image and the difficulty of fame and social perception.

“People say I look happy / Just because I got skinny,” she croons, “But the old me is still me and maybe the real me / And I think she's pretty.”
“When I heard ‘Skinny’ I heard so much more of Billie and her experience,” Martoccio noted of the singer’s intense honesty. “So much more than she ever reveals about herself.”

Billie’s authenticity in the album is undeniable. Her lyrics and voice cascade through vintage midi synths and chilled drum grooves, all while she sings everything from a cheekily rhyme to a brutally honest lyric. So why did Eilish, who takes her privacy so seriously, decide to be vulnerable?

“I think she has an internal struggle with basically wanting to tell the world who she is and then not wanting to deal with the backlash,” Martoccio said, recalling their past conversations. “You have to keep in mind that if she says anything or does anything, it becomes a headline.” Thus, it seems this latest album was used to both process and express her feelings to fans directly, without anyone else’s skews.

Listen to Audacy’s Billie Eilish Radio now -- and to hear the full album analysis by the Rolling Stone experts, check out the podcast episode linked above.