Home Entertainment Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell Had to Work Through a ‘Big FigҺt’ While Recording Her New Album Нit Me Hard and Soft

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell Had to Work Through a ‘Big FigҺt’ While Recording Her New Album Нit Me Hard and Soft

Entertainment — 05/27/2024

Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, experienced a ‘big figҺt’ while recording her new album, Нit Me Hard And Soft.

Hit Me Hard And Soft was preceded by Eilish's first two records, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and Happier Than Ever, which were released in 2019 and 2021, respectively; Eilish and O'Connell are seen in Feburary

The 22-year-old star and her frequent collaborator, 26, clashed over the ‘context and subject matter’ of the album. They discussed their disagreement on a new episode of The Zane Lowe Interview Series, where Finneas revealed he had to confront Billie about her approach to the album’s themes.

Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell, had what they described as a 'big fight' during the recording process of her new album Hit Me Hard And Soft; seen in February

“We’d been writing these fragments, and I felt…I’ve been proven wrong many times, but that night I thought, ‘Subject-wise, I’m not being led into what you’re actually feeling. I think there are real guards up,'” Finneas recalled.

The 22-year-old hitmaker and her frequent collaborator, 26, came to odds over their approach to the 'context and subject matter' of the album.

Finneas mentioned that Billie often remained vague about the meanings of her songs, advising her to ‘sɑy how you feel’ when explaining her lyrics, which sparked an argument. Billie found her brother’s reaction particularly unsettling.O'Connell also recalled that Eilish often remained elusive about the meaning of each of her songs, and he advised her to 'say how you feel' when explaining the context behind her lyrics; seen in 2022

She then discussed her love-hate relationship with making music. “I used to hate making music…I love performing it when it’s good, but I’ve always struggled with the process,” she said. However, she was ‘finally enjoying the process’ when she began arguing with her brother.

O'Connell concluded by speaking about how he found that being able to connect emotionally with his collaborators led to stronger results in the studio; seen in 2022

Billie recognized herself in Finneas’s frustration. “I was like, ‘I have felt that way and you have always kept things moving, and now you feel that way,'” she reflected.

Finneas concluded by noting that emotional connection with collaborators leads to better studio results. “My strength as a collaborator, especially with Billie, is understanding that person to feel like I’m contributing something,” he said.

Нit Me Hard And Soft follows Eilish’s previous albums, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and Happier Than Ever, released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The new album debuted last Friday along with its first single, “Lunch”, receiving positive reviews from critics.

Eilish will promote her new album on an upcoming tour starting at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City on September 29. The tour will continue into 2025, concluding with two shows at the 3Arena in Dublin on July 26 and 27.