It’s been three long years since Billie Eilish’s second album Happier Than Ever took the world by storm. The number one, platinum-selling studio album cemented Eilish – then still a teenager – as one of the world’s most important pop artists.
Now, fans are finally getting their hands on more of her music, with the release of Eilish’s third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which is landing on Friday (May 17) in the early hours of the morning.
Details about the new record are sparse. Eilish has given only a handful of interviews and has shared just a handful of brief song snippets. She hasn’t dropped any singles, either, explaining: “I really don’t like when things are out of context... This album is like a family: I don’t want one little kid to be in the middle of the room alone.”
It means anticipation has reached absolute fever pitch for the album’s imminent release.
“The snippet just changed the trajectory of my life,” commented one fan under a brief glimpse of Chihiro that Eilish shared with Zane Lowe, appearing on his Apple Beats1 radio show. “My hands are shaking and tears are rolling down my face,” commented another.
To celebrate the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft, which is made up of ten songs and runs to 44 minutes, here is our pick of Billie Eilish’s best songs to date, ranked in ascending order.
10. Everything I Wanted
It’s a testament to Eilish’s talents, and the sheer number of excellent songs in her oeuvre, that this gorgeous standalone 2019 single, later added to the deluxe version of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, only narrowly makes the cut. Co-written with her older (and only) brother and producer FINNEAS, the track is the perfect example of Eilish’s abilities to seamlessly fuse house, electronica and pop sounds. A song about the siblings’ relationship and his protectiveness of her, it won Record of the Year at the Grammys in 2021, and was praised by critics who enjoyed seeing a softer, more tender side of the artist.
9. I Didn’t Change My Number
With its heavy beat, its old-timey Amy Winehouse-style lilt, and Eilish’s woozy vocals, I Didn’t Change My Number is a real doozy. The second song on Happier Than Ever, a break-up record that also reflected on power dynamics and dealing with stardom, it’s a blistering takedown of a lover: “I didn't change my number, I only changed who I reply to,” she sings. She’s not upset, but determined: “Maybe you should leave, before I get too mean,” she sings.
8. Oxytocin
Oxytocin is another Eilish song that defies categorisation – if we tried, we’d say it’s a dark EDM-pop-techno song, though it also ranked on the US’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. The fifth song on Happier Ever After, the song is certainly one interpretation of Oxytocin, the ‘love hormone’ that drives human connection. “I wanna do bad things to you,” sings Eilish. “You know I need you for the oxytocin.” Explicit, direct and excellent listening.
7. NDA
The 13th song on Happier Ever After, and the album’s fifth single, NDA is a dark, beat-heavy alternative pop track, and a meditation on the difficulties Eilish has faced balancing fame and privacy while growing up in the limelight. In the self-directed music video, a blonde Eilish walks along a highway at night, with cars driving dangerously close to her as the song ramps up. Imbued with pain and anger, NDA perfectly communicates Eilish’s distress – while also being a total banger.
6. You Should See Me in a Crown
The lead single from Eilish’s first studio album, You Should See Me in a Crown laid the groundwork, not only for the rest of the album, but for the artist’s subsequent five years of astounding musical success (the song went 2× platinum in US following its 2018 release and Eilish has now won nine Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards). Frank and moody, full of synths and sharp hi-hats, the song is a statement of intent: “You should see me in a crown, I'm gonna run this nothing town,” sings Eilish. And she wasn’t wrong.
5. Bury a Friend
The third single from Eilish’s debut album, to this day Bury a Friend remains one of Eilish’s most famous songs. It went viral, soaring to the top of the charts around the world, going 3× platinum in the US. Oh, and it later became the theme tune for True Detective season 4. “Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me? When we all fall asleep, where do we go?” asks Eilish in the earworm chorus. Simply, a stunning track.
4. Billie Bossa Nova
It’s true that other Eilish songs have made more of a cultural impact, but Billie Bossa Nova, from Happier Ever After, is a fan favourite, and it’s easy to see why. Eilish’s voice is extraordinary, her signature beats are there but they’re à la Bossa, and the song is a bit less explicitly edgy than her usual numbers and therefore comes as a breath of fresh air. “Goddamn, Billie's whole vibe changed but the song is still goddamn insane,” said one fan under the lyric video, summing things up.
3. Happier Than Ever
A song of two halves, Happier Ever After is Eilish’s brutal reflections on the toxicity of a relationship. Earnest and searing, she couldn’t be clearer about how it made her feel: “When I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever,” she sings on the steadily building pop-punk track, “You clearly weren't aware that you made me miserable.” Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the album, the song was lauded by critics who said it epitomised the peak of Eilish and FINNEAS’ talents. Nominated for four Grammys, it was listed by everyone from Pitchfork, to NME to Billboard as one of the best songs of 2021.
2. Bad Guy
This trap-pop number, the fifth single from Eilish’s debut album, is still the now-22-year-old’s most famous song – and with good reason. It’s zany, catchy, high-tempo, pulsating and quickly became one of the anthems of 2019. A song about the way people present themselves, Eilish is having a good time taunting someone for posturing: “Think you're so criminal... So you're a tough guy,” she teases, before correcting for the record: “I'm the bad guy.” The fact that the track still resonates today exemplifies Eilish and FINNEAS’ talents: Eilish was just 17 when the song was released. The silly, fun music video, which now boasts a breezy 1.2Bn views, seals the deal.
1. What was I made for?
It was tricky enough picking ten of our favourite Eilish tracks; so imagine the impossibility of selecting a favourite from the bunch. But all things considered, it has to be What was I made for?, Eilish’s most recent single, and a song created specifically for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie blockbuster. A cathartic ballad, it was nominated for five Grammys (winning two), was awarded an Oscar, and went to number one in both the UK and the US.
The track was written for Barbie: “I did not think about myself once in the writing process. I was purely inspired by this movie and this character,” said Eilish. But when she read back her lyrics she realised that she had unintentionally penned a song about herself. And she’d created a total bruiser, too: deeply moving with powerful vocals, it’s an ethereal yet blazing piece on identity and belonging.
