The fan-flooded stands all screamed in unison, “Billie! Billie! Billie!” as the suspense continuously built more and more. The crowd dressed according to their theme which was to recreate iconic Billie outfits. Billie Eilish, a famous singer-songwriter, is going on tour for the first time since the Happier than Ever tour. When discussing the setlist for the concert, some people were nervous that she would only play songs from her new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, since it is called the “Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour”. However, Billie performed some of her older and classic pieces from as far back as her first EP, Don’t Smile At Me.
The show began after Billie emerged from a large box in the center of the stage, with the intro to her new song, Chihiro. The crowd went wild with excitement as they all sang along with the chorus. “I don’t/ I don’t know/ Why I called/ I don’t know you at all” echoed through the stadium as the bass vibrated the entire facility. Chihiro is the first song on the album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, so it was only fitting for it to be the first song she played at her concerts. She played all of the songs from her new album but some of them were noticeably fan-favorites. The crowd went wild for her songs, Wildflower and The Greatest. Both of these songs could be described as the perfect songs to scream inside of your car. The crowd confirmed this description with their blaring shrieks and the sounds of “Man am I the greatest” being belted by every single person in the room. It was an experience that’s hard to put into words, but one thing it was for certain was unifying. Nearly 21,000 people came together to show their love and support for a single artist, which was an incredible thing to witness.
In terms of her older albums, she played incredible choices and the crowd loved every single one. From one of her more emotional albums, Happier Than Ever, she played some more fan-favorite songs like NDA, Therefore I Am, Male Fantasy, Oxytocin, and Happier Than Ever. When it comes to her more dark and ominous album When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go, she sang When The Party’s Over, ilomilo, Bad Guy, Bury a Friend, and You Should See Me In a Crown. During Bad Guy, Billie grabbed the camera then ran through the crowd, and made her way to a second, smaller, stage to perform more songs like her feature on Charlie XCX’s song Guess, closer to people in the stands who didn’t get a great view of the main stage. After returning to the main stage, she sang a mashup of three of her slower, but equally gut-wrenching, songs. The mashup began with her single Lovely, then it transitioned into idontwannabeyouanymore, and the mix ended with one of her oldest, yet most popular songs, Ocean Eyes, from her EP Don’t Smile At Me. Towards the end, the lights went pink, the crowd went silent, and hearts melted as Billie sang her award-winning song What Was I Made For from the Barbie movie. Such powerful lyrics being sung in such a delicate but still strong voice was undeniably emotionally moving, and an experience that is hard to prepare yourself for. Brooke, a good friend, looked over her shoulder with tears streaming down her face and screamed ¨Kylie I don’t think I’ve ever been happier!”
When the concert came to an end, Billie thanked the crowd and sprinted off the stage and through her fans as the outro to her song, Blue played in the background. Confetti cannons shot off Blohsh, her emblem, shaped confetti. The exits were packed with crowds of tear-stained faces as everybody somberly walked to their car already reminiscing on the incredible experience that had just ended. The Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour is a journey through countless emotions, incredible outfits put together by fans, and a night that is definitely worth remembering.
