▲戳图收听《HIT ME HARD AND SOFT》专辑
今天，美国创作女歌手Billie Ellish的第三张专辑《HIT ME HARD AND SOFT》在QQ音乐上线了。
According to reports, Billie Ellish's idea to prepare the album came about in December 2022, when she revealed in an interview that she would be working on the album in 2023. In December 2023, Billie Ellen said on a talk show that she was "almost finished", and this response made fans look forward to hearing the new album sooner. It wasn't until April of this year that Billie Ellen finally announced that she would be back with a new album.
Before the official release of this "HIT ME HARD AND SOFT", no single was released to warm up. Billie Ellel said, "I don't like to have a single and the whole album separated, for me this album is like a family, and I don't want a kid to be alone in the middle of the room. ”
The album opens with a soothing melodic "SKINNY", which talks about how you feel about your self-image and how you feel after leaving the spotlight. "The internet is hungry for that kind of vitriolic jokes, and someone will help it, do you still cry", the critical lyrics and Billie Ellish's delicate singing voice slowly convey the girl's inner struggle, which is deeply touching.
The song "CHIHIRO" was inspired by Chihiro, the heroine of the animated film "Spirited Away" directed by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. This "Spirited Away" received great attention after its release in 2001, and the box office directly broke the 27.2 billion yen of the 1997 American film "Titanic" released in Japan, becoming the highest-grossing film in Japanese history at that time, and at the 75th Academy Awards, the film also won the "Best Animation Award". Coincidentally, Billie Ellen was born in 2001.
Chihiro in the film is a 10-year-old elementary school student who is not interested in many things, and in the process of moving with her parents, she accidentally enters the world of gods, and after a series of adventures, Chihiro also grows up. Billie Ellen loved the film, saying, "It's weird and unrealistic, but it feels very realistic, and it's cool that there are faceless men in addition to Chihiro and the other characters." ”
Billie Ellish's "CHIHIRO" creates a retro atmosphere, whether it is the emotional drum beat or Billie Ellish's story-telling voice, they all tell the entanglement of falling into an emotional relationship, especially the charming melody at the end, which makes this complex emotion even stronger. This is a unique story that belongs to Billie Ellish, and perhaps everyone will feel different feelings in the song.
This "Blue" is the closing song of the entire album, and at 5 minutes and 43 seconds, it is the longest song released by Billie Elleld since her debut. When the dreamy melody sounds, many fans can't help but think of Billie Ellish's previous "True Blue". The song tells the story of wanting to get rid of the dependence on the person you love, but still can't help but miss the other person. At the same time, the title of the song "Blue" not only means "blue", but also means "feeling lost", and such a name echoes the concept theme of the album.
It is worth mentioning that at the end of "Blue", Billie Ellen can still be heard whispering "But when can I hear the next one", which seems to be a hint and has also attracted all kinds of speculation from fans.
Referring to the album, Billie Ellell said, "I love the thrill of when things get intense, and I love the sweetness of being treated gently, and I want to find a way to do both, even though it's often hard to achieve in real life." Next, let's listen to the new album and enter the world of Billie Ellish's music.