When the industry zigzags, Billie Eilish likes to zig. Whether it’s refusing to conform to perceptions of what a female-identifying popstar “should” wear on stage, pressuring fans to vote, or questioning why her sexuality should making headlines, she’s an artist you can often count on. Disrupt the status quo, speak her mind, and prove the importance of doing things your way.
The same goes for his music. While festivals competed for the same middle-aged male artists, she had enough big pop songs to become Glastonbury’s youngest solo headliner in 2022, delivering a performance of “Your Power” that actually called out Roe against Wade. Earlier this year, “What Was I Made For?” swept the 2024 awards season, becoming one of the most celebrated aspects of the barbie film and one of his most special songs to date. It’s hard to predict what she’ll face next, but with Finneas by her side, the results are always exciting.
Fans may have joked about surviving the “Eilish drought,” but earlier this month, cryptic billboards appeared without prior warning around the world, featuring lyrics and her logo ” Blohsh” instantly recognizable. Millions of his fans added to his “Close Friends” Instagram, where more cryptic phrases were teased. And then the real news came: His third album, “Hit Me Hard And Soft,” would arrive in a little over a month, but there would be no previous singles. Just ten titles, due all at once on May 17, and described by his PR team as “his most daring work to date”:
“a collection of songs that is both diverse and cohesive, ideally listened to in its entirety from start to finish. The album does exactly what the title suggests: hits you hard and soft, both lyrically and sonically, while skirting genres and defying trends along the way. Hit Me Hard And Soft travels through a vast and expansive audio landscape, immersing listeners in a full spectrum of emotions. “It’s what the multiple GRAMMY and Oscar winner does best, continuing to establish Billie Eilish as the most exciting songwriter of her time.”
So far, it’s so enigmatic. And yet, in her desire to lure audiences back into the thrill of a full record, Eilish’s deployment seems resolutely in keeping with her contrarian nature, pushing artists to think more critically about the systems in which they allow themselves to be carried away. Since the streaming revolution, artists and fans have been encouraged to value the “single” above all else, carefully integrated into mood-based playlists or marketed via memes, brand tie-ins, lavish music videos and a lore-based backstory. Making albums can be expensive and time-consuming, and with less risk-taking in negotiation, artists are often encouraged to opt for a regular run of singles and EPs rather than committing to a single project. more importantly, especially one that requires a cohesive narrative or for the artist to take time away from the public eye to realize it.
In the age of “data fandom” where chart positions and metrics matter more than anything else, very few pop stars are immune to the pressure to garner attention via teaser clips, visuals, remixes and stories or constructed stories, thus keeping up to date with current events. Even the songs themselves are getting shorter; a run at TikTok’s friendly chorus in the 30-second range relies on the assumption that the general public doesn’t have the attention span for anything else.
By actively removing herself from this competition, Eilish appears to have had enough of the kind of promotional work that can make a musician feel like more of an influencer than an artist. But she also confronts the lack of mystery in modern music, where so many records have already been dissected and half-listened to by the time the album comes out. As an artist young enough to have never really known what it was like to buy a CD without being able to listen to a sample of it on iTunes first, there’s something quite encouraging about Billie’s attempt to revive the magic of discovery for his generation, to believe that his listeners trust him enough to guide them into a new era without using the entire toolbox of marketing techniques. In fact, she got really upset when rolling stone apparently leaked the tracklist, seemingly unable to let things go.
Of course, the anti-deployment could be read as a kind of marketing ploy in itself, a way to create a conversation about the lack of conversation. According to CrownTangle, the decision to invite “close friends” to Instagram led to seven million new followers in two days; not bad by social media manager standards. There’s power in actively refusing the idea of packaging your art into tiny, consumable TikTok snippets, but there’s also an astute recognition that, with the current UMG licensing impasse, there’s not necessarily a lot of promotion that an artist like Billie can really maximize on. anyway. Why not transform this lack of opportunity into an artistic choice?
However, with a less cynical hat on, the way Billie chooses to sell the record is also linked to a growing responsibility for the kind of fanatical consumption habits she wishes to encourage. Eilish and her family have been talking about climate activism and the importance of eco-consciousness in the music industry for years, while walking the walk at the same time: powering her festival sets via temporary solar farms, encouraging Partner fashion brands to stop using fur, releasing fewer fashion products, requesting exclusively vegan catering for tours.
Even before “Hit Me Hard And Soft” was confirmed, she spoke to the press about her distaste for artists who release excessive variants in order to manipulate additional revenue from loyal listeners, comparing it to The hunger Games. Some interpreted it as discord with Taylor Swift (who is indeed the queen of the many vinyl variations), while others saw it as somewhat of its own purpose, given that Billie herself is known for delivering special editions and collector’s versions which, while using recycled materials, could still be perceived as wasteful. Nonetheless, a new “Sustainability” page on his website lists a pretty transparent plan of action by most artists’ standards, including BioVinyl, plant-based inks, and a distinct lack of plastic. There will be eight vinyl variants available on its website, but most importantly, they will contain the same track listing, meaning no fan will have to purchase multiple copies just to access all the songs. It’s not the same as abstaining completely, but for an incredibly big popstar trying to meet her fans’ demand at least to some extent, it’s still a relatively positive step.
In choosing not to play with the attention economy, the confidence Billie and Finneas have in their own work – and the desire to think about its impact on the planet – is surely a sign of the confidence they have in what they do. did. “Hit Me Hard And Soft” will have to work hard to compete with some of the other major releases of the coming month: Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, TwentyOne Pilots. But after seeing what she’s capable of before, who would really bet against Billie Eilish? Sign us up for one of these vinyl variants and let the non-playing games begin.