Without a new Billy Eilish record, it wouldn’t be one of the biggest years in music, would it? Of course.

Eilish, 22, joined the long list of musicians releasing albums this year, which includes Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Dua Lipa, St. Vincent, Zayn, and Lana Del Rey, when she formally revealed her third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, on April 8.Hit Me Hard and Soft is the much awaited sequel to Happier Than Ever, which came out in 2021.

“It’s so crazy to be writing this right now,” Eilish posted on Instagram alongside the cover art for her next album. She talked about how excited and anxious she was about the endeavor.

As she and her brother, Finneas, collaborated on the album, Eilish said to her fans, “we truly could not be more proud of this album, and we absolutely can’t wait for you to hear it.”

Even though she was excited, Eilish clarified that she wanted everyone to hear the album “all at once,” so those who are eager to wait for the release date will need to exercise patience. The decision was akin to that of Ariana Grande, who decided that her album Eternal Sunshine “should be heard in one piece” and didn’t release a follow-up single following “Yes, And?”

Scroll on to find out when Eilish’s new album drops, why there won’t be multiple different colored vinyls and more:

When Is ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Coming Out?

Along with sharing the title and cover art for her third album, Eilish revealed that Hit Me Hard and Soft will arrive on May 17.

‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Will Sound Different

Eilish appeared in Variety’s Power of Women edition in November 2023. Interviewer Katcy Sephan later shared a quote from Eilish about her upcoming album that “didn’t have space” in the feature.

It does feel different than the other stuff, but not in a weird, foreign way,” said Eilish. “It just feels new. It just feels like change. Change is one of my favorite things in life.”

A press release for the record calls it her “most daring body of work to date,” noting that the album is “a diverse yet cohesive collection of songs ideally listened to in its entirety from beginning to end” and ”does exactly as the album title suggests; hits you hard and soft both lyrically and sonically, while bending genres and defying trends along the way.”

Hit Me Hard and Soft’s Song Titles

Eilish previously shared that the album will have 10 songs. On April 18, Eilish dropped the entire tracklist.

The album will feature 10 new songs: “Skinny,” “Lunch,” “Chihero,” “Birds of a Feather,” “Wildflower,” “The Greatest,” “L’Amour de ma Vie,” “The Diner,” “Bittersuite” and “Blue.”

‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Will Be Eco-Friendly

According to Billboard, Hit Me Hard and Soft will have eight vinyl variants, all of which will become available on the same day. The different versions will all have the same songs, so there won’t be an incentive to buy all eight to hear all of Eilish’s new music.

Eilish’s online store listed two versions of the vinyl pressing when she announced Hit Me Hard and Soft: the basic black version and the Eco-Mix version.

The Eco-Mix is a 100 percent recycled compound made from “trimmed flash and leftovers from any color which cannot otherwise be reused,” according to the website. This means that every pressing of this variant differs from the last. The album will also avoid using plastic shrink-wrap.

In a March 28 interview with Billboard, Eilish spoke out against artists “making f—king 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more.” Eilish dubbed this tactic “wasteful” and argued that artists who do it are more concerned about sales numbers than the impact on their fans’ wallets and the environment. (While some fans believed Eilish was commenting on Taylor Swift’s multiple vinyls, she clarified that she wasn’t “singling anyone out” and that the criticism was “industry-wide.”)

Similar to Happier Than Ever, Eilish will offer a special CD version of Hit Me Hard and Soft. The CD’s softpak case will come covered in red paint splatters. When announcing the new album, Eilish shared a video of her administering the paint herself to the CDs, giving them a personal touch.

Why You Are Not Billie Eilish’s ‘Close Friend’ Anymore

On April 4, Eilish added all 110 million of her Instagram followers to her “Close Friends” list, a designation usually reserved for confidants within a user’s inner circle. This move earned Eilish 10 million new followers in less than a week.

However, the stunt was short-lived. Pop Crave reported days later that Eilish removed her followers from the “Close Friends” list.

“The fact that I have a far bigger audience and platform than I’ve ever had in my life means I can reach that many more people, and that’s such a huge responsibility and privilege to have,” she told Billboard about her approach to fame. “If I don’t use that privilege to do some good in the world, then what’s the point?”