Since Billie Eilish’s sophomore album “Happier Than Ever” hit the scene in the summer of 2021, fans have been impatiently waiting for her next album announcement, and understandably so – Eilish went nearly three years without any sort of hints, teasers, or singles (not including the very popular song written for the “Barbie” movie).

Then came April 2 – mysterious billboards began popping up around the globe, featuring her “Blohsh” brand logo and lyrics sprawled across a black background in the same shade of blue as her social media profiles at the time. Eilish also began posting cryptic stories to her close friends on Instagram, which she added all of her followers to, and began to prepare everybody for some sort of announcement.

Eventually, on April 8, after what seemed like forever, she announced her long-awaited third album: “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.” The announcement post consisted of one picture of Eilish fully submerged in water, grasping towards a white door. The scene is reminiscent of the artist’s music video for “Happier Than Ever,” which some fans have pointed out.

The album will consist of 10 tracks and is set to come out on May 17. Everything about it that we have seen is very different – from the stylization of the title in all capitals, to the color scheme, to Eilish herself admitting that “everything is different about it.” It’s hard to tell what the album will be like.

Unlike her previous albums, there will be no lead singles, as Eilish said she wants to give it to you all at once. The jump from writing as an 18-year-old, a new adult, to writing as a more mature 21-year-old is bound to be a big one, and fans are very excited to see what an older, mature, more true-to-herself Eilish will have to say about her growth and her life.