Move over Taylor Swift and P!nk. Billie Eilish is America’s freshly-crowned queen of pop, thanks to a grand, global entrance for her third studio album “Hit Me Hard And Soft”.
Eilish’s latest LP amasses more than 500 million global streams in its first week of release, eclipsing her 2019 debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
That’s an upgrade from the fast start (339,000 global units) for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” which won a stash of Grammys and topped the ARIA chart for eight non-consecutive weeks in 2019-20 and is now four-times platinum certified by ARIA; and 2021’s “Happier Than Ever,” which logged two weeks at No. 1 and is platinum certified (Eilish’s 2017 EP “Don’t Smile at Me” is two-times platinum certified).
It’s easily her biggest debut in Australia, Universal Music Australia tells Variety AU, blasting to No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, May 24, for her third successive leader.
Also, 10 tracks from “Hit Me Hard And Soft” land in the ARIA top 50, led by “Lunch,” the week’s top new release at No. 5.
“Lunch” is her 15th top five hit in these parts, a tally that includes No. 1s for “Bad Guy” (two weeks in 2019) and “What Was I Made For?” (three weeks in 2023).
Globally, “Hit Me” is Eilish’s biggest album debut on Spotify with 72.7 million first-day global streams. It’s the biggest album debut by a female artist on Spotify with no features, and the biggest album debut on the streamer with 10 tracks or less, according to UMG.
Those half-billion streams represent the biggest album debut for an artist born this century, surpassing Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 debut “Sour.”
“Hit Me” dropped May 17 via Darkroom/Interscope Records.
Aussie fans will get a feast of “Lunch” and other new cuts when Eilish’s global tour touches down in these parts next February, produced by Frontier Touring.
Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour – Australia
Feb. 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Feb. 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Feb. 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Feb. 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Feb. 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
Feb.25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
Feb. 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
Feb. 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
March 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
March 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
March 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
March 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena