12 votes

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft (Full album, 2024)

8 comments

  1. [6]
    0x29A
    Link
    Like what I'm hearing so far. Avoided big name pop artists for a long time because I was letting myself absorb other's feelings about really popular things and typical hipster/metal/etc elitism...

    Like what I'm hearing so far. Avoided big name pop artists for a long time because I was letting myself absorb other's feelings about really popular things and typical hipster/metal/etc elitism and such and wish I had checked her music out sooner. I think there's a lot to like and a lot of character and authenticity that people just assume is not present in pop for whatever reasons.

    5 votes
    1. [5]
      phoenixrises
      Link Parent
      I really feel like Billie is really the queen of "sadgurl indie music" and I love her for it, even during her old days. Highly suggest listening to her old EP "dont smile at me", she's pretty...

      I really feel like Billie is really the queen of "sadgurl indie music" and I love her for it, even during her old days. Highly suggest listening to her old EP "dont smile at me", she's pretty consistent with her music. (Fun fact, I'm in the top 500ish in the world for specifically Happier Than Ever on Beat Saber lol)


      typical hipster/metal/etc elitism

      I totally feel that. It's surprising to me that this thought process survived outside of like.... early high school tbh. I remember I also used to think like that before I just let myself love the music I enjoy. Glad you got out of it! Pop music is so fun and there's just so much to the space in general. (I'm biased but highly suggest Niki's "Nicole" album if you're into Billie Eillish sound from an Asian artist)

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        0x29A
        Link Parent
        Yeah, I think it's sometimes a path of least resistance thing. It's very easy to hate / be elitist about stuff like that. I still catch myself doing it. It's interesting how that mindset has...

        Yeah, I think it's sometimes a path of least resistance thing. It's very easy to hate / be elitist about stuff like that. I still catch myself doing it. It's interesting how that mindset has carried forward and is still all over the place. Many people eventually break out of it, thankfully.

        Now, for me, it's a case by case sort of thing- instead of painting with broad brushes. There may be plenty of valid reasons to consider an artist 'manufactured' or way too rich and pushed by the industry or the problems with celebrity or whatever- I think the problem is all in making assumptions. Plenty of artists that happen to get popular still retain their authenticity- still deserve to be humanized, often don't even want the fame, use their platform for good, etc. It's too easy to just dismiss everything because of some assumption.

        Thanks for the recommendations, will check them out! I do need to do a deep dive on Billie Eilish still. Mostly have enjoyed videos/singles/etc in recent years.

        3 votes
        1. phoenixrises
          Link Parent
          I definitely catch myself doing it as well, nobody's perfect! For me I think the mentality of looking down on popular things just feels so limiting in the things that you can appreciate. Even if...

          I definitely catch myself doing it as well, nobody's perfect! For me I think the mentality of looking down on popular things just feels so limiting in the things that you can appreciate. Even if you don't like things, giving it an honest shot is always worth it. Hope you enjoy Billie's music though, I'm also really loving this album :)

          2 votes
      2. [2]
        cloud_loud
        Link Parent
        I think Lana Del Rey probably takes that title. Although Lana wasn’t ever as big as Eilish, at least I don’t think so but I could be mistaken. It seems like Lana’s fame has been more of a recent...

        I really feel like Billie is really the queen of "sadgurl indie music" and I love her for i

        I think Lana Del Rey probably takes that title. Although Lana wasn’t ever as big as Eilish, at least I don’t think so but I could be mistaken. It seems like Lana’s fame has been more of a recent thing and she was more niche ten plus years ago.

        The post-Royals musical landscape was able to give us Eillish and Finneas as these mega music stars.

        3 votes
        1. phoenixrises
          Link Parent
          I do love Lana too to be fair, I just haven't listened to her since Chemtrails. You might be right though, NFR is probably one of my favorite albums ever.

          I do love Lana too to be fair, I just haven't listened to her since Chemtrails. You might be right though, NFR is probably one of my favorite albums ever.

          1 vote
  2. norb
    Link
    I gave this album a listen, and while there's not really anything "wrong" with it, I just found it kind of boring. I really liked how WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? had more...

    I gave this album a listen, and while there's not really anything "wrong" with it, I just found it kind of boring.

    I really liked how WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? had more "experimental" or "electronic" music to it, vs. this one which is more straightforward when it comes to the music and arrangements.

    I have the same problem with Lorde. Loved her early work because the music was interesting. Most of her later stuff is more "basic" pop or singer/songwriter music. Which is totally fine! It's just not my thing usually.

    2 votes
  3. cloud_loud
    Link
    I love this album, The Greatest is the stand out for me. What a breath of fresh air from the overlong and frankly boring Tortured Poets Department. This is the first great pop album of the year.

    I love this album, The Greatest is the stand out for me. What a breath of fresh air from the overlong and frankly boring Tortured Poets Department. This is the first great pop album of the year.

    2 votes