Billie Eilish has released her third studio album Hit Me Hard and Soft.
It follows the US pop star’s 2021 album Happier Than Ever, which was a chart topper in Australia and New Zealand.
Fans have been clamouring to hear Eilish’s third album for a while, but what do the critics think? Reviews have been mainly positive so far.
Hailing it as “bold, brilliant and somewhat brighter,” NME gave Eilish’s album a four-star review. “On the US star’s third album, there’s upbeat bangers and a clear vision established for her artistry in the years to come,” NME wrote.
The Guardian was just as complimentary, with reviewer Alexis Petridis calling Eilish “still the great outlier of American pop.”
“On this deeply involving third album, Eilish once again breaks the rules for arena-filling artists: it’s subtle and understated, yet jars the listener with eerie show tunes and explosive noise,” Petridis wrote.
Variety was more lukewarm in its review. “Parts of Hit Me Hard and Soft are completely transparent in their blatant themes and melodies, and parts are more mysterious and elusive… which all contributes to it feeling like a much fuller meal than the 10-song track list would indicate. Eilish’s first two full albums arrived as what felt like instant classics,” Variety’s reviewer said.
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“After about a dozen first-day listens, I’m not certain if this album counts as that or not. But I do know I can’t wait to dive into it about 50 more times. Eilish and Finneas are as good a combo platter of songwriter/record-makers as anyone doing it today, and their willingness to change things up — between albums; within an album; within a song — has put them on a hell of an introductory roll.”
The Evening Standard, however, went highly positive: “Forget Taylor and Beyoncé, this is the pop album of the year.”
Listen to Eilish’s album below and decide for yourself if it’s better than Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s latest albums.
In other news, Eilish recently announced Australian shows for 2025, however New Zealand missed the cut.
Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft is out now.
