This summer, Billie Eilish announced a second leg of her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. Its dates were slated for October and November for a limited run in a variety of states like Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and more. As a Billie fan since 2018, I knew I had to attend a show. I was lucky enough to snag tickets for her Philadelphia performance at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Oct. 23.Â
While I was in the upper bowl, the view was still perfect. Billie has a 360 stage for her shows, making it visible for everyone to see, regardless of where fans are sitting. The concert started at 7:00 p.m., with Young Miko opening. Billie went on stage around 8:15 p.m. with flashing lights and black and white visuals. She started with “CHIHIRO,” one of the most popular songs on her new album, decked out with her baggy jersey and custom Billie hat.Â
Her setlist was a perfect mix of her older and newer songs, playing many fan favorites. She sang popular songs like “bad guy” and “Happier Than Ever,” but also had deep cuts like “ilomilo,” “NDA,” and “Oxytocin.” While most of her songs are on the sad side, it was still energetic with fans scream-singing and swaying to the beat. The most surprising, yet exciting, song she played was “Guess,” which she is only featured on. While Charli xcx did not come out on stage, it was still my favorite of the night. Another shocking song she sang was “lovely.” The song, which features Khalid, was extremely popular in 2018. It was one of the oldest songs of hers that she had on the setlist that night which is why I was surprised she played it.Â
Billie’s visuals were definitely the highlight of the show. With the song “NDA,” the stage transformed into a road, imitating the high adrenaline music video. She had many horror-based graphics, as her older songs tend to fit the eerie vibe. What I noticed the most on her screens were the animal visuals. She had snakes and deep sea animals, like squids, displayed throughout the show. Showing the creepy creatures definitely played into that eeriness. The lights were always eye-catching and included her iconic colors like bright red, neon green, and navy blue. When she played “WILDFLOWER,” the dark blue visuals looked beautiful with all the phone flashlights going up in the crowd.Â
While I cried most of the concert, she closed out with “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” ending on a happy note. This was genuinely one of the best concerts I’ve attended. Her performance was engaging, while being deep and emotional throughout. She truly delivers a great show every night, wanting to make her fans happy while also genuinely having fun on stage. I can’t wait for her next album and future tours; I will never miss one of her shows after having gone to such a great concert.