Billie Eilish’s third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, was released on May 17th, 2024, featuring ten tracks totaling 43 minutes. The album goes in-depth into relationship issues Billie had in recent years, as well as her struggle with body dysmorphia and her journey exploring her sexuality. However, one track is out of place, seeming like a return to the creepy Billie music from her first album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?: “The Diner”.
The song is written from the point of view of a stalker, someone obsessively following and writing letters to the person he is stalking, misconstruing every word and public appearance the stalked individual says and does to be a sign of her love for him. Throughout the song, the stalker constantly writes disturbing letters and sends them to the person, stating he even memorized her phone number and even broke into her home. These lyrics are accompanied by a very dark and bass-heavy production, the vocals buried under the production and echoing around the mix as if the stalker was singing to you at a distance.
But this song is not just a story, but a real experience with a stalker Billie Eilish herself had. In 2021, a stalker by the name of John Hearle was said to have been harassing her outside of her home, sending distressing letters to her much like the stalker in the song does. He allegedly said in one letter, “You can’t get what you want unless what you want is to die for me.” When the singer would exit her LA home, the man would often be outside making throat-slitting gestures. Billie Eilish sought to get a restraining order against the man. In a quote, Billie told The Irish Times “I do like having anonymity, or autonomy, but I really am flipped out when I’m alone. I hate it. I have a lot of stalkers, and I have people that want to do bad things to me.”
The song ends with the stalker threatening the listener, followed by Billie whispering a phone number repeatedly. When dialing the phone number, Billie’s voice pops up, redirecting you to text the number and allowing you to get announcements and texts from the singer regarding the album.
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is out now on all streaming platforms.
