HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

Billie Eilish spent seven hours underwater to capture one of 2024's most striking album covers. The HIT ME HARD AND SOFT cover required the pop star to repeatedly hold her breath in a 20x20x10 foot heated water tank at a Los Angeles film studio, with no breathing equipment for the final shots.

The concept originated from Eilish's deep connection to the color blue, which she explained represents both peace and emotional weight rather than just sadness. During early meetings, her team discussed water, reflections, and using light to balance lightness with emotional depth, creating visuals that would feel like being submerged in emotion while still breathing.

Underwater photographer William Drumm collaborated with Eilish, Interscope Records, and Capture LA to execute the ambitious shoot in March 2024. The challenge lay in making a controlled tank appear like the open ocean, requiring 20×20 foot diffusers above the tank to mimic sunlight filtering through deep water.

The lighting setup was meticulously designed to create the soft blue tones Eilish envisioned. The team built specialized lighting to achieve the ethereal underwater effect, with post-production work enhancing the illusion of being in the middle of the ocean rather than a studio tank.

Concept design and packaging came from Bandicoot Design, a UK-based firm that handled the album's visual identity beyond just the cover photograph. Their work included creative direction, music packaging, and art direction, using Adobe Photoshop to refine the final imagery.

When the cover debuted on Billboard, it immediately sent shockwaves through social media. Fans praised the raw and elegant aesthetic, noting how it perfectly aligned with Eilish's evolving visual style and brought out deep introspection that mirrored emotions from her music.

The shoot represented a significant personal challenge for Eilish, who had traumatic water memories from childhood and previously experienced panic attacks during water-related shoots. She had overcome her fear while filming the "Happier Than Ever" music video, making this underwater cover a statement of artistic growth.

The behind-the-scenes footage later went viral in 2025, with fans celebrating Eilish's dedication to her artistic vision. Comments flooded social media about how the soft blues felt soothing while bringing out deep introspection, though some questioned whether seven hours was excessive effort.

Visually, the cover creates immediate tension between the soft, intimate space of a bedroom and the hard, unforgiving environment of deep water. The dreamlike composition features Eilish floating in a deep blue void, with floating bedroom imagery creating an uncanny quality that speaks to vulnerability and isolation.

The blue-saturated palette marked a departure from the neon green and black aesthetic of her debut album and the blonde transformation era of "Happier Than Ever." The underwater photography technique recalls fashion photographers like Ellen von Unwerth and connects to broader visual trends in contemporary pop.

The album cover has achieved lasting cultural impact, with the imagery becoming synonymous with Eilish's artistic evolution and commitment to visual storytelling. The underwater aesthetic influenced discussions about artistic dedication and the lengths artists will go for their creative vision.

Released on May 17, 2024, the album became the fastest by a female artist to reach 10 billion streams on Spotify, with the cover art playing a crucial role in the project's visual identity and massive commercial success that continued into 2026.