Billie Eilish’s ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ praised by critics for ‘subtlety and hidden detail’

Critics have been showering Eilish’s third studio album, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ with praise, with reviews hitting the web just before the album's official release. 

Boasting an impressive early Metacritic score of 95 based on reviews from key UK publications, the album continues to receive critical acclaim.

Reviewers commended the album's production, with The Guardian’s Alex Petridis commenting on its “subtlety, and hidden details.” 

He also noted the layered production by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, writing, “Muffled backing vocals and sound effects are buried so deep in the mix that they’re only really noticeable if you’re wearing headphones, like the aural equivalent of catching something out of the corner of your eye.”

NME's Thomas Smith awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting the track ‘Skinny’ and comparing its closing flourish to Eilish's work on the James Bond theme song ‘No Time To Die.’ 

The Independent's Helen Brown described the album title ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ as a “perfect fit for a record that whispers its way through a marvellous maze of music to deliver some big emotional wallops.”

Across the Atlantic, Variety's Chris Willman singled out ‘Lunch’ as a potential summer anthem, writing, “Lunch' is the album’s obvious and unabashed banger.”

CNN's Alli Rosenbloom attributes Eilish's continued success to her unique approach and “proven track record,” with two Oscars, nine Grammys, and two number-one albums under her belt.

Rosenbloom says of Eilish, “The young entertainer has a proven track record of success doing things her way. And why should she change now, if it’s working?”