I attended the Billie Eilish X Spotify listening experience, and I’ll never be able to listen to music the same way again

No, Billie hit me hard and soft

Features By Rowan Davies published 26 May 2024

As a pop music enthusiast, I’m constantly on the lookout for fresh sounds and new artists, and Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist has become one of my favorite ways of supercharging Spotify in 2024. So for that reason alone, Friday is the highlight of my week. 

However, last week New Music Friday was eclipsed by New Music Thursday when I listened to the new Billie Eilish album ahead of its release courtesy of Spotify – and it was a listening experience quite unlike any other . 

In the heart of King’s Cross in London, the immersive showspace Lightroom played host to an exclusive Billie Eilish X Spotify event to promote her third album Hit Me Hard and Soft. The album was played from front to back, with no interruptions – just how every album should be listened to in my opinion. But for the first time, I got to listen to an album in full-length with 28 Panasonic laser projectors providing the visuals, and audio pumped  through the Holoplot X1 sound system –- the same one that’s used at the Las Vegas Sphere, a vast high-tech concert and multimedia venue.

As well as her sustainable vinyl record announcement, Billie’s album outroll has been her most innovative and technical one to date, and her partnership with Spotify and Lightroom marked the culmination of this cycle:

“Spotify collaborated closely with Billie's team and Lightroom to create a one of a kind immersive listening experience for fans in celebration of the new album. The experience is driven by bespoke visuals which Spotify developed to pair with each track on the album. Our intention was to provide fans a space to listen to the album front to back, uninterrupted - just as Billie intended. We were thrilled to partner with Lightroom to bring this experience to life in their unique immersive space” – Spotify added.

Stepping into the Billie-verse  

Before I head down into Lightroom’s immersive space, the foyer is plastered with promo for Billie’s new album Hit Me Hard and Soft – so I know I’m in the right place.  

The first flight of stairs I walk down takes me to a low-ceiling waiting room-type space where I patiently await my next cue – I still have no idea where I’m going. A door opens, and there’s another narrow staircase to climb down. It gets darker with each step, and before I know it, I’m engulfed in total blackness, with my only light source coming from deep sea blue light strips and a sign ahead that reads ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’. 

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