On October 7, 2024, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish brought Hit Me Hard and Soft: the tour, to the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Eilish announced the tour on her Instagram account on April 29, 2024, just two and a half weeks before the release of her third studio album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.”
At 8:30 pm, Eilish arrived on the stage where she was on top of a glowing cube in the middle of the stage. Up there she opened with one of the most popular songs, “CHIHIRO,” the second single on her new album. It’s high-energy and immediately grabs the attention of the audience. From there she went straight into “LUNCH,” “NDA” and “Therefore I Am,” all three of which are fan favorites that got the audience more hyped to start, but still left the audience anticipating the songs that were to come on the setlist.
It wasn’t just the songs that made the show so captivating for the audience; it was the stage, the lighting and the way that Eilish and her band performed each song. With songs like the next one on the setlist, “WILDFLOWER”, the floor of the stage had more calming visuals because the song was slower and quieter. This song was not only a change in pace of the show but was a moment that highlighted another side of Eilish as a performer. It showcased her vocal abilities in the closing chorus, contrasting with the first four songs, which showcased more of her performance strengths. A major highlight of the show was how Eilish performed “when the party’s over”. For this performance, Eilish began by recording the backing track to the song live on stage. This was a unique experience that added to make this performance different from anything else in the show. After that, Eilish went on to perform “THE DINER” and “ilomilo.” Both songs were hits with the fans that got everyone screaming. But that wasn’t even close to the loudest the crowd got during the concert. One of the loudest moments of the night was when Eilish performed her biggest song to date, “bad guy.” This performance had the entire audience jumping and screaming every single word. The same happened for the song that came after it, “THE GREATEST.” Despite being a slower low-tempo song, it had almost as much energy as every other song so far. The setlist continued on to slower songs after this, with “Male Fantasy,” “SKINNY” and “TV,” which she performed with two of her best friends, Nat and Alex Wolff, who also opened for her. These slow moments showcased Eilish’s vocal abilities since these songs were performed acoustically.
This was about the halfway point of the show and at this point, Eilish had the crowd completely engaged in every aspect of the show; from the songs, to the performance, to the little details of the transitions between songs. Not only that, but thus far, Eilish had displayed to her audience the diversity of the show in the songs performed and the different ways she would perform songs throughout the rest of the show.
The next song that Eilish performed was one of the most high-energy points in the show that had the crowd jumping and screaming every single word. This performance was of her song “Oxytocin.” During this song, the atmosphere was explosive because of not only how Eilish performed it but also the lighting that accompanied it, which made the atmosphere what it was. This energy continued through to the next song “you should see me in a crown,” as well. But the difference with this song, and the two that followed it, was that Eilish moved to a smaller B-stage that was off to the side of her main stage. where people who may not have had a great view of her before were able to be closer to her and see her for a few songs in the night.
As the concert started to get closer to closing, Eilish performed three more slow songs, accompanied by her playing piano, “Lovely,” “idontwannabeyouanymore,” and “Ocean Eyes.” These three led to “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE,” which she started out playing on guitar, but by the end, the song shifted to be upbeat and had everyone out of their seats, jumping.
Finally, the last two songs came. The first of these two songs was the most anticipated song of the concert, “Happier Than Ever.” The bridge of this song is known for being a part that is perfect for screaming your heart out. The concert closed with the hit song from her new album, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” which closed the concert off with an upbeat moment.
If you haven’t seen Eilish perform live, then this tour is your perfect chance to see all parts of Eilish as a performer in one performance. If you have seen Eilish before, then this concert is still worth your time because it is so different from anything she has ever done before. Overall, this concert is a great time with a lot of great performances and visual depictions of Eilish’s new album.
Setlist:
CHIHIRO
LUNCH
NDA
Therefore I Am
WILDFLOWER
when the party’s over
THE DINER
ilomilo
bad guy
THE GREATEST
Male Fantasy
SKINNY
TV
BITTERSUITE
bury a friend
Oxytocin
you should see me in a crown
Guess (ft. Billie Eilish)
everything i wanted
BLUE
Lovely (with Khalid)
idontwannabeyouanymore
Ocean Eyes
L’AMOUR DE MA VIE
What Was I Made For? [From the Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Happier Than Ever
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
BLUE
