On Friday, Billie released her third studio album titled Hit Me Hard and Soft and it has surely got fans talking. The album features some of Billie and Finneas’ most mature music to date with 10 ambitious unreleased tracks.
The second song on the album is “Chihiro,” named after the main character of Hayao Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away. In the film, Chihiro is moved away from the life she knows and ends up stuck in a spirit realm trying to save her family.
Billie is yet to open up about the meaning behind “Chihiro,” but has previously spoken about the film and her admiration for it. Speaking about the art direction of her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? in 2019 with Vice Australia, Billie said: “I owe most of it to Spirited Away and Miyazaki.”
Describing the film, Billie added: “It is so weirdly unrealistic but realistic, when Finneas saw Spirited Away, he was so scared from the parents turning into pigs that he had to go to therapy for years because of it. I remember watching and being like “this is hard” and I watch it over and over and over…”
She ended by saying: “I thought it was so dope and I had the biggest crush on the dragon in that movie.”
Aside from the title being named after the lead character of the film, there seem to be quite a few more references to Spirited Away within the track. In the first verse, Billie sings “Said you won’t forget my name
Not today, not tomorrow.” This can be a reference to the antagonist of the movie, a witch named Yubaba who runs a bathhouse within the spirit realm.
Chihiro found her parents were transformed into pig-like humans in this world and works for Yubaba at the bathhouse to save them. The witch however takes the names of her “employees” and gives them new names. If you forget your real name in the spirit realm, you will be stuck there forever. Chihiro is given the new name of Sen in this magical world.
Later in the song, Billie references the other protagonist in the story, a boy named Haku. In the movie Haku lives in the spirit realm and guides Chihiro through her journey. At one point Haku is unrecognizable in a dragon form, but at first glance Chihiro recognizes him. There are many points in the movie that seem to point at Haku and Chihiro being soul-mates.
Upon remembering her real name and saving herself from Yakuba’s curse, Chihiro realizes Haku saved her from drowning when she was younger. This is a quick reference in Billie’s song when she says, “But there’s a part of me that recognizes you. Do you feel that too?”
The story of Chihiro and Haku is also referred to in the lyric “I was waiting in the garden
Contemplating, beg your pardon?” as the pair snuck out of the bathhouse to meet in the garden.
The entire second verse seems to be relating to the beginning of Spirited Away when Chihiro first sees her parents sitting at a counter in the spirit realm, only for her to realize they have been turned into pigs.
Saw your seat at the counter when I looked away
(Way, way, way, way, way)
Saw you turned around, but it wasn’t your face
(Face, face, face, facе, face)
Said I need to be alone now, I’m taking a brеak
(Break, break, break, break, break)
How come when I returned, you were gone away?
When Chihiro works at the bathhouse she is visited by a mysterious figure known as No Face. The faceless spirit follows her and wants her to open the door to let him into the bathhouse. She does so, and Billie sings references this key-point in the pre-chorus: “Can you open up the door?”
The song ends with Eilish singing “And you tell me it’s all been a trap.
(And you don’t know if you’ll make it back) Don’t say that.” This again relates to Spirited Away and the relationship of Chihiro and Haku. Chihiro helps Haku remember his true name which leads him to an uncertain fate, but he is free from the witch now. The story unfolds with Chihiro saving herself, Haku, and her parents. By returning to the real world, Chihiro’s memories have been erased of her journey and likely so has Haku’s.
There are a ton of lyrics to dissect on this track, I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface. The themes of Spirited Away can have many meanings when it comes to “Chihiro,” and fans have come up with many theories.
Have you listened to Hit Me Hard and Soft? Which references did we miss?
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