
After three years of silence, Billie Eilish has been feeding her fans well with her new album Hit Me Hard and Soft, released May 17. The album’s track list quite literally hits you hard and soft with its somber melodies like “Skinny,” “The Greatest” and “Blue” and upbeat songs like “Lunch,” “L’amour De Ma Vie,” and “Birds Of A Feather.”
The album shows how far Eilish has come as an artist and a singer, as this is the first album that she has had a large hand in producing, and the first time she has ever fully belted (seriously, check out minute 2:44 of “Birds Of A Feather”).
For the Studio Ghibli lovers, Eilish pays homage to the movie Spirited Away with her song “Chihiro.” Spirited Away follows a young girl named Chihiro who has to move with her parents, and while making their way to their new house they inadvertently enter a world of spirits. Throughout her journey in this spirit world Chihiro matures from a fearful child to a strong heroine. Speaking to Rolling Stone in an exclusive interview, Eilish said: “The song is loosely based off of that movie, which is one of my favorites. It’s kind of from her point of view, mixed with mine.” Chihiro’s storyline falls in line with Eilish coming of age. Eilish has been in the music industry since she was 13, and at 22 she is aiming to reintroduce the matured version of herself to the world. This especially can be seen in her song “Lunch,” which is an upbeat lesbian anthem that has aided in her coming out to the world. Just in time for the month of June, “Lunch” can be your new Pride month jam. This album is also the perfect soundtrack for those who are in their early 20s and graduating because it’s a bittersweet moment that hits you both hard and soft. — Emily Rogers
A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!

Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519