Billie Eilish reveals listening parties ahead of album release – Digital Music News

The promotional wheels are in motion for Billie Eilish’s third studio album, which is set to receive two listening parties sponsored by American Express, YouTube Music and Snapchat.

Live Nation recently revealed these listening parties, after Eilish, signed to Interscope/Universal Music, announced late last month a massive tour in support of Hit me hard and soft. This project will be available on May 17, and the series of multicontinental concerts of the same name should begin in Quebec next September.

However, before the free album is released and the tour begins, lucky Eilish enthusiasts will have the chance to attend two Hit me hard and soft listening evenings: one reserved for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the 15th, the other planned for the 16th at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. (As suggested by official social media posts (but not the official release, Eilish and Finneas will apparently attend the parties.)

Although the free promotional events aren’t too out of the ordinary, the list of associated sponsors is remarkable. American Express presents both events; YouTube Music is involved in the Brooklyn stop, while Snapchat has signed on to sponsor the Los Angeles listening party.

(At the height of its relatively short-lived licensing showdown with TikTok, Universal Music made clear its intention to rely on partnerships with competing short-form platforms like YouTube Shorts and Snapchat. And even though the showdown is in the rearview mirror , these strengthened pacts will likely continue for the foreseeable future.)

And the previously mentioned Live Nation is of course part of the listening parties, with Ticketmaster handling passes on demand only. The window to request tickets (capped at two per submission) closed this morning and the platform will contact selected recipients with confirmations on Friday.

Those who don’t get one of these tickets won’t be completely unlucky when it comes to Hit me hard and soft listening parties, as Eilish revealed today Apple Music-sponsored listening events at select AMC theaters.

Participating establishments will present the album “in spatial audio with Dolby Atmos”, specifies the promotional poster. Tickets are $5 each, events are booked for the 16th as well as the 17th, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the AMC Cares charitable fund, which is supposed to provide “grants and financial assistance to qualified nonprofit organizations.” .

In conclusion, it is worth highlighting the store’s specific product range. Hit me hard and soft products available including but not limited to exclusive vinyl editions from Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Amazon and independent record stores.