HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (isolated vocals) by Billie Eilish // 2024 Record Store Day Exclusive Vinyl

Happy Record Store Day! One of my most anticipated releases for the Black Friday drop this year was a special version of Billie Eilish's incredible album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which features only her isolated vocals. You can only slightly hear parts of the instrumentals in the background because she recorded the songs without headphones, but this variant of the album puts a major emphasis on only her gorgeous vocals. It's a really cool concept, it almost sounds like you're in the studio with her hearing it recorded live.

There is so much depth to her vocal comps with all of the hidden vocals and ad libs that are hidden underneath the production. There are so many small details that otherwise get buried in each song that now get the chance to fully shine. Billie and Finneas' creative process is so fascinating, and this record give a glimpse into the way all of these songs came together. An album like HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is meticulously produced and every layer is so intentional, to listen to it and be engulfed in this musical universe they crafted is such an experience. It is so rare to find a body of work that is this captivating and feels so complete, it is very clear that absolutely no detail was overlooked within this music. It is all so masterfully done in every way. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is truly one of my favorite albums ever and I love getting to hear it in a different way than ever before.

This pressing is an indie record store exclusive released in November 2024 for Record Store Day Black Friday, which is an event held twice a year with dozens of new and exclusive music releases special for the occasion. It was limited to 25,000 copies. Although it had some of the highest quantities of any record this year at RSD, it was actually the hardest for me to find a copy out of everything I bought this year! I'm so happy to be able to add this to my collection.

The cover of this vinyl features an inverted version of the original album artwork on the front and back, as well as the inner sleeve with the lyrics. The disc is pressed on a beautiful cream white color, which suits the dark and light contrast of this album's aesthetic so well.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is such an incredible listening experience from start to finish, there is truly no other album quite like it. I have listened to it countless times since it was released earlier this year and every single time I am still completely blown away by it. While this album is concise in terms of the way it is just ten songs, it also feels like such a complete and fulfilling experience to listen to it as a whole. It's so cool to be able to hear it completely stripped down like this. What a rare experience to be able to have with an album! It is relatively common for artists to release instrumental versions of songs, but this is the first time I have ever seen someone release an entire album with just their vocals. When I saw her HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour in New York City last month, I was completely blown away by her performance in every regard. She somehow sounds even better live, which I didn't even think was possible. The isolated vocals on this record really capture all of the ways she is shines as a vocalist, she really is the greatest!

I love all of the hidden details throughout each song that are otherwise very subtle in the background of each song. I especially love hearing all of her harmonies so clearly, it sounds so ethereal. There are so many layers to every single song and hearing them so crisp and clear is amazing.

Hearing songs like "WILDFLOWER", "THE GREATEST", or "L'AMOUR DE MA VIE" completely raw and stripped back in this way does such an amazing job at showcasing the power in her voice. "THE GREATEST" specifically left me speechless, the entire song is incredible, but that high note still gives me chills every time I hear it. There is so much passion and emotion in her voice as she screams the words, "I waited and waited". She sounds so stunning throughout the entire album. Billie posted a video a few weeks ago that she recorded when she was working on "WILDFLOWER" and specifically spotlighted the hidden harmonies underneath from the second verse. I especially love when she sings the line, "I'd never ask who was better". I'm so happy to be able to listen to the full isolated version of the song any time now, it is so beautiful.

I also love all hearing all of the ad-libs throughout each song too. The sarcasm in her voice when she sings "L'AMOUR DE ME VIE" is so perfect and is one of my top favorites from this album! There are so many more layers to it than we initially hear on the surface of the official version. "LUNCH" is also so much fun and I hearing her vocals loud and clear on that song is everything. The ad-libs on "THE DINER" were some of my favorites to hear isolated too, there are so many details I never heard before. It has the same haunting quality to it that "BITTERSUITE" has, which I also love so much. In the background she references several other lyrics from earlier in the album, along with at the very end asking, "Will you come with me?".

The opening and closing songs of the album, "SKINNY" and "BLUE", are so incredibly gorgeous too. They bookend the album so perfectly and I literally transcend every time I hear them. The same goes for one of my favorite songs ever "CHIHIRO", the isolated vocal version is just so stunning. The chorus is one of the best verses of any song she ever made. When she starts to sing the "I don't know why I called" and the "wringing my hands in my lap" lyrics at the end I was levitating! Of course, "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" is just the best as well, I love every variation of that song so so so much. Also...the high note at the end!? Stunning!!!

This is absolutely one of the most unique records in my collection, I really don't have anything else quite like it. The production and instrumentals of course have always been such a crucial element of what makes Billie and Finneas' music so special and truly unlike any other artist. Hearing a version of that same music with everything else stripped away just makes me love the art they make together even more. There are so many hidden vocals and harmonies throughout every song, it really shines a spotlight on all of the work she and Finneas put into making each song one sound the way they do. It's like hearing HIT ME HARD AND SOFT again for the first time. For it to still sound this amazing completely bare without anything extra is such a testament to Billie's raw talents. No one else is doing it like her!

If you are interested in reading more about HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, I would love for you to check out my full album review here. I just had the chance to see Billie and Finneas preform live in New York City in support of this album, which was an incredible experience I also wrote all about here. Many more reviews of her music linked below and coming soon always. As of now, the isolated vocal version of this album is not available on streaming, but Billie did upload a few songs to YouTube - I cannot recommend checking them out enough, they're stunning. ✰

Thanks for reading! Record Store Day was so much fun this year, my dad and I had such a great time visiting all of the local record stores in the area. This year also marks exactly ten years since I went to my first Record Store Day, when I got my very first vinyl on Black Friday in 2014. It has been such a fun tradition that we look forward to going to twice a year! If you would like to read more about the other exclusive records I picked up this year, check out my review of Town Hall: Stick Season Collaborations by Noah Kahan, as well as the deluxe edition of Djo's DECIDE. Check out my other Record Store Day posts from previous events here & more vinyl posts are linked below.