Billie Eilish shares details of eco-friendly vinyl for new album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’
Billie Eilish has shared details of her eco-friendly vinyl for her forthcoming album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’.
- READ MORE: Overheated: Billie Eilish and mother “proud” to platform change makers at London climate event
The singer revealed the news of a new release earlier today (April 8), when she shared an update with fans on on her Instagram page. According to the post, the new album will be titled ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’, and is set to arrive on May 17 and is available for pre-order here.
Her third album will arrive in digital and limited physical variants. According to the sustainability tab on Eilish’s official website, ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ will be release on eight different vinyl variants which will be produced “with the most sustainable practices available”.
A statement on website reads: “The standard black variant is made from 100 per cent recycled black vinyl. The remaining seven colored vinyl will be made from ECO-MIX or BioVinyl. The former is created using 100 per cent recycled compound made of leftovers from any color which cannot otherwise be used.
“These pieces are recycled and re-used for production of future discs; therefore, every disc will be unique and look different from the last. Additionally, Billie is using recyclable compound for her single LP colors, collecting all first run scraps to re-use for additional runs later. BioVinyl helps reduce carbon emissions by 90 per cent vs. virgin vinyl by using non-fossil fuel materials like used cooking oil or industrial waste gases while maintaining the same audio and optical quality as conventional vinyl.”
As for the packaging, the statement explains: “All vinyl packaging is made from FSC® certified recycled paper/boards made 100% from post-consumer waste and recycled pre-consumer fibers. The ink used is raw plant-based and water-based dispersion varnish. In place of shrink-wrap, the sleeves are 100% recycled and re-usable. For shipping, all finished goods are packaged and shipped to depots in up to 93 per cent recycled and 100 per cent recyclable shipping boxes.”
The announcement of her various vinyl variants comes after the ‘What Was I Made For?’ singer criticised artists who release multiple vinyl formats to boost album sales, calling the practise “really frustrating”.
“We live in this day and age where, for some reason, it’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging,” Eilish said in an interview with Billboard, “which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money.”
After the singer’s mother, Maggie Baird, interrupted to point out vinyl sales “counts toward No. 1 albums”, Eilish responded: “I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is.”
The singer then went on to address the backlash against her recent comments on artists releasing multiple vinyl variants.
Taking to her Instagram stories, Eilish said: “Okay so it would be so awesome if people would stop putting words into my mouth and actually read what I said in that Billboard article.”
“I wasn’t singling anyone out,” she continued, “these are industry-wide systemic issues. & when it comes to variants, so many artists release them – including ME! Which I clearly state in the article.”
Eilish has had a long history of advocating for climate action, having recently hosted the ‘Overheated’ climate action event in London last year with her mother.
Speaking with NME backstage, Baird told us: ““Everybody knows the clock is ticking. The truth is, touring is in jeopardy. The music industry is in jeopardy. If you don’t do it now, you’ll be forced to do it in the future.”
‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ will mark the singer’s third studio album, and the follow-up to her 2021 release ‘Happier Than Ever’. Her first album arrived back in 2019 in the form of the breakthrough LP ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’.
Following ‘Happier Than Ever’ Eilish dropped the EP ‘Guitar Songs’, as part of a surprise launch in 2022. It contained two tracks ‘TV’ and ‘The 30th’.
She has also released two mammoth singles for film soundtracks –the Grammy and Academy Award-winning track ‘What Was I Made For?’, released as part of the Barbie Soundtrack, and Oscar-winning James Bond theme ‘No Time To Die’.
Last year, the pop singer opened up about what had changed in the creative process while working on her third album.
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Anagricel Duran
NME
