Billie Eilish is Bringing the Rhythm Back to Music

2020’s Music is Generally Not Too Great

story by Meisner Dunlap, photo by Natalie Arthur

In general, music has gone downhill since the coronavirus pandemic. Musicians are becoming increasingly famous for their sexiness rather than their talent. But one artist has actually improved her craft during the 2020s — her name is Billie Eilish. 

Indeed, Eilish's airy voice in her 2010s albums was unique, but it made it hard for me to understand her lyrics or sing along to her songs. But the songs on her latest album are much more singable.

The Los Angeles-born singer and songwriter released three studio albums: “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” “Happier Than Ever” and “Hit Me Hard and Soft” in 2019, 2021 and 2024, respectively. Her first studio album is emotionally monotonous, whereas her third one has more vulnerable vocals.

Additionally, social media has caused me and others who dislike airy vocals to become overexposed to the songs in Eilish’s 2019 album. Her song “Bad Guy” was especially pervasive in TikTok memes and edits.

Overall, social media creates an entirely separate problem that adds to my negative view of the most modern of music. 

Take the six-seven (6-7) meme that started in February 2025, for example. The TikTok short comes from this terrible song by Skrilla, in which the rapper repeatedly says “six-seven” in a whiny voice in the chorus. Skrilla has absolutely no talent whatsoever.

As an experienced vocalist with almost-perfect pitch, I can be very picky about people’s voices. So, I would venture to say Skrilla’s vocals are among the most annoying I’ve ever heard. But at least he’s handsome, I guess.

In Eilish’s case, the associated TikTok edit made my dislike of “Bad Guy” less about the song itself and more about the fanbase, the trend cycle, and the Hot Topic aesthetics and imagery associated with the “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” track.

If you say you hate Eilish’s 2019 album, do you mean that you are tired of hearing about the “Bad Guy” trend or do you actually dislike the work as a whole? It’s not my favorite musical compilation of all time, but “hate” is too strong a word in my case. I just think the album, especially “Bad Guy,” is overrated.

Conversely, I view “Hit Me Hard and Soft” as an underrated work. “Birds of a Feather,” the second single of Eilish’s 2024 album, is my favorite song of hers. She really shows off her phenomenal vocal abilities that she completely concealed back in 2019.

Overall, compared to the 2019 album, I heard richer songwriting and lyrics, more melodic structure and an aesthetic that is friendlier toward a larger audience in the 2024 album.

“Hit Me Hard and Soft” focuses less on aesthetic imagery and more on deep lyrics that convey relationships, longing, identity, intimacy and other emotional topics. Therefore, by 2024, Eilish became more well-known as an artist and less as a trend.

I found it easier to connect with the cinematic, organic, layered style of the 2024 production compared to the minimal, bass-heavy, sparse, awkward, corny, whispery, anti-pop structure of the 2019 production.

Try to listen to each of the two albums I discussed above and pay special attention to the tone of each song. Then, compare and contrast your findings for each album.