On September 29, the Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour began its journey in Quebec City, beginning its 10-month run across the globe. Billie Eilish, a nine-time Grammy winner by the age of 21 (and nominated for seven more this year), released her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” earlier this year in May. The album quickly reached high popularity, charting all 10 tracks on the Billboard 100 and bringing Billie to #1 artist worldwide on Spotify. Tracks like “LUNCH” and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” piqued the interest of a wide audience, gaining much recognition on social media platforms Instagram and TikTok. As a result, the Hit Me Hard and Soft (HMHAS) tour has been extremely positively received; dozens of shows across the United States, Europe, and Australia have been completely sold out. So what aspects of this season’s lineup of shows has made the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour so successful? To what can we accredit Billie’s incredible rise to power in the world of music?

I feel insanely lucky to have experienced the HMHAS tour in person. I, along with two friends, drove to St. Paul on November 10th to see the concert firsthand. All three of us fans of Billie and her music were completely in awe of the singer and thoroughly impressed by the set. Our experience, along with the input I have gathered from other tour attendees, will guide this glowing review of the HMHAS tour.

Beginning with Billie’s amazing selection of openers, the concert started on a strong note. Towa Bird, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter, opened the set in St. Paul and left a strong impression on my friends and me. She carried an aura of confidence on stage, and although the majority of the crowd was not fully familiar with her music, she upheld a powerful performance that was extremely fun to witness. Nat and Alex Wolff, a pop duo from New York, opened in Omaha on November 17 and received just as amazing reviews from multiple concert-goers. Bailey Price, a senior at Valley High School, assessed their performance as “super fun even though I had never heard their music before.” Both Towa Bird and Nat and Alex Wolff, along with The Marias (Billie’s third opening act), provided a fun and engaging show and set the vibe of the concert with incredible success.

I had high hopes for the show itself, and the concert exceeded every one of the expectations I had set. The introduction music preceding Billie’s arrival on stage had me, quite literally, on the edge of my seat. The entire stadium was buzzing with anticipation and erupted into deafening applause upon her grand entrance to the stage.

Billie started her set off strong with “CHIHIRO,” closely followed by the internet sensation “LUNCH.” What impressed me most about the concert was the song choice. Among her setlist were songs from all albums, not only her most recent release. She featured tracks from “Happier Than Ever,” “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO,” and even her EP “don’t smile at me,” which debuted in 2017. Fans were exceptionally pleased with this decision to include a wide range of albums on the setlist. Lilliana Hutchins, a St. Paul concertgoer, stated that she “loved all the songs… I wasn’t expecting that, but there were some songs from other albums I’m really happy she played.” Billie’s decision not to limit her setlist to her most recent album made the concert emotional for every fan. Many of her most popular and most relatable songs–real fan favorites–are from some of her older releases. I know I certainly have attached sentimental value to many of her songs, and hearing some of them live made the concert an incredible experience.

Another aspect that makes the HMHAS tour so successful is the range of emotions throughout the night. The setlist offered incredible transitions from various moods and vibes, taking the audience on an emotional journey. Songs like “LUNCH,” “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE,” and “Guess” had the crowd raving. The hyped music along with an impressive display of lights and booming synths had everyone up on their feet, dancing and singing as loudly as possible. However, within a half hour of high adrenaline and jumping for joy, the mood switched to solemn and heartbroken. The tears were hard to contain as soon as “idontwannabeyouanymore” and “What Was I Made For” started to play, and Billie’s powerful vocals and heart-wrenching lyrics left me in shambles. “I was crying almost the entire time,” says Lizzie Harkin, who attended the Kansas City show on November 16th. “There were so many songs I felt sad for, and then for others, I was just happy to be there.” Overall, the concert had my friends and me leaving feeling like completely changed people. It truly was the experience of a lifetime.

The night ended with an upbeat performance of “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” to lift the spirits of those who, like me, had been in a music-induced daze for the past hour and a half, overcome with emotion by the show. This chart-topper was the perfect choice to cap the setlist. The song reached #2 on Billboard’s US Hot 100 in May and became a social media sensation the summer after its release. The uplifting melody and sentimental lyrics of friendship make the song personal to many people, which makes it the perfect song to end the night with. Most fittingly, however, was the very last lyric of the song, which melodiously rang out into the vast stadium “don’t wanna say goodbye…” And I truly did not want to say goodbye.