Billie Eilish live in Philadelphia, PA! // HIT ME HARD AND SOFT TOUR 2025
Following her career-defining 2024 run on the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour, I was so excited to get the opportunity to see Billie Eilish live again! She added an additional US leg to her tour earlier this year and was so happy to hear she added an extra date for Philadelphia, PA! This is my second time seeing Billie live and it was another incredible experience. My first time was in October 2024 at Madison Square Garden, a dream come true after nearly a decade of being one of my favorite artists. It felt like such a long time coming to finally see Billie in person, and now to have seen her twice in just over a year is surreal. Even better, both shows are truly among my favorite concert experiences ever.
The way Billie's music comes to life on stage is unlike any other artist I've seen. Sonically, her songs are already bold and vibrant, but the visual details elevate the show to another level. The stage for the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour is massive, stretching across nearly the entire floor. Her band performs from two pits on opposite ends, leaving the rest of the stage open, transforming it into a giant screen that immerses the audience in each song's atmosphere. On top of that, the production is filled with lasers, flames, and confetti too. I also had some of the best seats I've ever had for a concert of this size and it was so exciting to be that close to Billie and still have an amazing view of the entire stage and crowd too.
Last year, I was up in the 200s when I saw her, and even from that distance the view was still amazing. That's the brilliance of this tour's design; no matter where you're seated in the venue, the show feels so immersive. Every perspective offers something special, which makes every experience truly unique and you'll have an incredible view no matter where you are.
I shared a similar sentiment last year after seeing Billie live for the first time and it remains true now too, but for one woman alone on stage, Billie commands the crowd with an incredible presence. She runs laps across the stage the entire time with endless energy and transforms a massive arena with 20,000 people into a small, intimate venue with every song. The energy of the crowd is electric, with everyone singing every single word to ever song from start to finish. Not to mention, her vocals are stunning and somehow even better live!
Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko kicked off the night with an incredible set. I wasn't too familiar with her work beforehand, but her performance was so fun and energetic. After seeing her live, I've loved diving deeper into her music!
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT has quickly become one of my favorite albums of all time. Every single song is such a masterpiece, carrying the listener on an incredible journey from start to finish. Billie performed nearly the entire record live, alongside countless other iconic songs from her catalog in the expansive setlist. It was a perfect mix of old and new, with even a few surprises sprinkled in.
The setlist itself was slightly different than the one I saw last year, which made it especially exciting to witness how the show has evolved since those earlier tour dates. I loved getting to hear new songs that I hadn't experienced live before, as it gives me an even deeper appreciation than I already had for them.
"WILDFLOWER" was one of the most stunning moments of the night. The entire crowd lit up the arena with their flashlights, as they joined Billie in singing the backing adlibs. It's become a true pillar of her live shows ever since the song was released last year, and the way she harmonizes with the crowd makes it feel like pure magic.
Hearing Billie sing the lyric "Did I cross the line?" live was somehow even more powerful than the studio version, her vocals are so perfect and angelic! Witnessing the climax of the song unfold in real time was breathtaking, a reminder of how her live performances elevate the music to an entirely new level.
Like I mentioned before, despite being in a room of 20,000 people, Billie has a way of making the arena feel like a small, connective space where every person is part of the moment. Narratively, the song holds such importance within the album, and live, it transforms into one of the most emotional highlights of the show.
"when the party's over" was another emotional highlight of the night and a true classic from Billie's first album that has only grown more powerful with time. The performance felt incredibly intimate, beginning with Billie asking the crowd to stay silent for just a minute while she recorded the looping vocals and humming live.
Of course, Philly isn't necessarily known for always following the rules perfectly, so just as she was about to start, someone on one end of the arena shouted something, prompting someone on the other end to yell back, "shut the fuck up!" It was really hilarious actually, and very much in line with the vibe of Philadelphia. By contrast, when I saw her perform this in New York last year, you could literally hear a pin drop the entire time she was talking beforehand.
When she song began, she layered her live vocals over the loop she recorded at the beginning, giving a glimpse into what some of the process looks like when she records her vocals in the studio.
No other performer could create something so special in a live setting like that, thousands of people holding pure silence for a minute straight, simply listening to her angelic vocals as she lays alone in the middle of the stage. It's a breathtaking moment that captures the vulnerability and artistry at the heart of Billie's music.
"THE DINER" is one of my absolute favorites from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, it's such an underrated track from that album. Hearing it live just makes me love it even more. I love the dark energy of the song, the chaotic vibe and heavy instrumentals make it feel even more intense live.
"ilomilo" has been another longtime favorite for those reasons as well, it has always been a major highlight from her debut for me. The iconic stare at the end, when the cameras zoom in on Billie's face, is such an iconic moment every time...stunning!
Of course, no Billie show could ever be complete without the classic "bad guy"! Screaming "I'm the baaaaaad guy… DUH" along with thousands of other fans is pure joy. The energy is unmatched, and the dancing makes it even more fun. During this song, Billie walks around with a handheld camera, giving her own POV of the crowd and stage, which is projected onto the screens. She does this a few times throughout the night, and it always adds such a cool, personal touch to the show.
Billie's performance of "THE GREATEST" felt like the true peak of the night. She performed it on the elevated platform above he stage, which added so much impact to the song. The platform slowly rose throughout the performance, beginning with Billie lying down and ending with her standing tall above the crowd, a visual symbol of the strength and resilience the song represents within the album's larger narrative. It was a gorgeous and powerful progression that perfectly matched the emotional arc of the track.
Hearing her sing the words "Man am I the greatest" is such a powerful moment. The verse to follow is equally as incredible live too, the entire crowd screaming the words along with her as she sings, "I loved you, and I still do, just wanted passion from you, just wanted what I gave you, I waited and waited". It is truly so incredible to witness someone sing with that kind of power and conviction live.
She returned to the elevated platform later in the set for "L'AMOUR DE MA VIE", which became another one of the biggest highlights of the show. The track is already a gem on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, but live it takes on an entirely new energy. Billie leaned into the cheeky delivery of the line "but you moved on...immediately," punctuated by the iconic "bum bum bum" and the playful expression she flashes the camera. I love that she then also performed the entire extended cut of the second half of the song, "OVER NOW". The combination of the rising platform with the unrestrained, wild energy of that song is such a cool way to bring it to life.
Every night on this leg of the tour Billie has been performing a different cover, usually a classic jazz standard but sometimes more contemporary choices as well. In Philadelphia, she chose the classic "I'm in the Mood for Love", and it was absolutely stunning. It has been performed countless times over the decades since its release, but a popular rendition of this song is by Julie London, whom Billie has cited as an influence many times throughout her career. She even referenced one of her album covers directly in the artwork for Happier Than Ever and hearing her interpretation of her music live was such a beautiful homage to that inspiration.
Billie's voice is perfectly suited for jazz. The warmth and emotional depth she brings to this style make it feel effortless. She is so versatile as a vocalist, which I don't think many give her nearly enough credit for. I really hope she'll continue to explore that side of her artistry even more in future releases.
When Charli sang "Eat it up for lunch, yeah it's so delicious," Billie suddenly appeared on the opposite end of the arena, popping out onto a smaller B stage for her verse. The energy was unreal with brat green lasers everywhere and the ground literally shaking from the crowd going wild. There are so many moments of this show that I look back on with the best of memories, but this part was especially so much fun and I loved screaming along to every single word!
After three songs straight of so much chaos, Billie slowed it down with "everything i wanted". Performed on the B stage, it was such a beautiful and grounding moment of the show. Originally written for Finneas and their bond, in a live setting it takes on a whole new meaning of the love and connection between Billie and her fans. She walked back to the main stage through the audience with a handheld camera capturing everyone lining the front row surrounding the stage. It was such a connective moment and a perfect example of the dichotomy not just within this show, but within Billie's music as a whole and her ability to move seamlessly from wild energy to heartfelt vulnerability.
When Billie returned to the stage, she performed a trio of really beautiful songs on the piano. "lovely" has always been one of my early favorites of hers, and hearing it live again reminded me just how incredible that song is. I also really love how my photos turned out from this part of the set, she was so close! It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the night for that reason. I still can't believe I was that close to her, honestly.
Last year she played "idontwannabeyouanymore" in this section, but she has since swapped it with the second part of "BLUE", and I was so happy to finally hear that live. It's such a gorgeously haunting song and a true highlight of the album. It was a gorgeous performance and was brought to life perfectly with the stage lit up entirely in blue. I tried to avoid as many spoilers as I could about how the setlist had changed since the last time I saw the show, so hearing "BLUE" added in was such an exciting surprise!
To close out the piano section, she sang the song that started it all, "ocean eyes". This show happened just a few weeks before the ten year anniversary of its release, which made the moment even more special. The imagery of waves washing over the stage was stunning, bringing the song to life in such a magical way. I'll always love "ocean eyes", it was the perfect way to honor where her journey began while celebrating everything she's accomplished since.
"What Was I Made For?" is such an incredibly special song, and I am forever moved by everything it represents for me and so many other women. Hearing it live was such a beautiful moment. You could tell how meaningful it is for Billie too, as she held the hands of fans in the front row and walked across the entire stage singing with a radiant smile the whole time.
It was also so meaningful to get to hear the song with my mom this year too. Last year, she was going to come with me to see Billie's show in New York, but she had to have knee surgery a couple of weeks prior and wasn't able to come. We both loved Barbie so much and the part of the film that features "What Was I Made For?" was such a pivotal scene in it. I was really happy that Billie added another date for her tour so close to us so we had another chance to go together and finally get to hear that song. It felt like such a full-circle moment that I will never forget!
This song became a true celebration of girlhood and womanhood since its release. Being surrounded by women who all share the same connection to this song at the show was incredibly powerful, and it perfectly reflects what Billie means to so many people. Its why she is such a once-in-a-generation voice and talent. You could feel how emotional it was for so many women in the room, the collective bond to it was so strong.
"Happier Than Ever" is the Billie Eilish song, truly one of the best she has ever made. I love it so much, and honestly, I've said this a million times already, but this might be my favorite part of the night and one of my favorite songs she has ever made. The catharsis of hearing it live is indescribable. Screaming the lyrics, "you made me hate this city!" and "Made all my moments your own, just fucking leave me alooooooneeee!" with 20,000 other people is pure magic.
It is the most electrifying end to the show as Billie shreds on her electric guitar with flames erupting across the stage. Also, being this close to her on that side of the stage made it even more surreal. She is truly the coolest ever, and the most amazing performer I've ever seen!
The very final song of the night was the stunning "BIRDS OF A FEATHER", which I love so much. On the screen, she played the original scrapped version of the music video, which was so cool to see again. One of my favorite parts of the entire show was when she sings the line, "Might not be long but baby I don't wanna say goodbye" as confetti erupted all over the arena. If you look closely at the pictures, you'll see that most of the confetti is shaped like the iconic blohsh figure as well, which is such a unique detail! I have one single piece of it, which is such a cute keepsake of the night!
Over the past year and a half, "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" has taken on such a beautiful life of its own. Its a song that represents so much love and joy for so many people. Billie performs it with so much joy too, and that energy radiates through the crowd in the most powerful way. Ending the night with this song felt incredibly special, it was a perfect tribute to the magic of her music and the connection it creates.
Comments
Post a Comment