HENRY HWU @HENRYHWU
On Friday night (Dec. 20), Billie Eilish played the penultimate show of her five-night run at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. — not to mention the second-to-last U.S. date of her global Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, which is slated to pick up again in Brisbane, Australia on Feb. 18.
Though Eilish (who was preceded onstage by opening act Ashnikko) warned the Kia Forum night 4 audience about a recent struggle with laryngitis, there was no discernible trace of it in the superstar’s pristine vocals as she plowed through a slew of hits both old and new, from “Ocean Eyes” to “Bury a Friend” to “Birds of a Feather” and everything in between. And though Charli XCX wasn’t on hand for “Guess” — Eilish’s recent duet with the Brat powerhouse — as she was Tuesday night during a surprise cameo, Friday’s show did boast another very special appearance from Eilish’s most important collaborator.
True to her discography, Eilish was equally adept at bringing the firepower for performances of bangers like “Bad Guy,” “Oxytocin” and “Lunch” as she was at slowing things down for ballads including “When the Party’s Over,” “Wildflower” and the Grammy- and Oscar-winning “What Was I Made For?”, which marked a vocal high point for the 23-year-old icon (who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, Dec. 18). Throughout, the megastar displayed her masterful gift for creating a sense of intimacy with a crowd of thousands, fostering a casual atmosphere despite playing to an arena packed with 17,000 screaming fans.
Find 6 major highlights from Friday night’s show, along with a full setlist, below.
Laryngitis Never Sounded So Good
Near the top of Friday night’s show — and after flawlessly singing multiple songs — Eilish told the audience she was “all in my head because on Nov. 13, I got sick, and I haven’t stopped being sick since then. So I’ve basically had laryngitis for like four weeks. And that sucks. So if my voice sounds like s—, then I’m sorry. But I’m doing my best.” The star then went on to sing 17 more songs … flawlessly.
A Family Reunion
Finneas, Eilish’s older brother, creative collaborator and “favorite person in the world,” joined her onstage Friday night, with Eilish making the “bittersweet” observation that this is the first of her tours that he hasn’t been on. The siblings then played a total of three songs together — “I Love You,” “Skinny” and “TV,” on which Eilish led a cathartic crowd sing-along to the song-ending mantra, “Maybe I’m the problem.” Finneas is slated as the opening act for Eilish on Saturday (Dec. 21), his first time opening for her this tour.
A Seasonal Moment
“Christmas is almost here,” said Eilish from the stage before launching into a gorgeous rendition of “Silent Night,” adding a festive note to the evening ahead of the holiday. Eilish has performed Christmas covers on every night of her L.A. run so far, previously busting out renditions of “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Speaking of Silent Nights…
As she’s done throughout the tour, Eilish asked for a minute of silence leading into her performance of “When the Party’s Over,” explaining the concept thusly: “Basically, all that has to happen is for the first minute of the song-ish, there needs to be complete silence in the room because I’m gonna be using a live loop and recording myself on top of myself and singing on top of that.” When experienced in person, there’s something astonishing about an entire arena full of people falling silent in an instant — and to hear Eilish’s remarkable voice humming into that silence marks a moment of transcendent beauty.
Billie the Shredder
Eilish briefly transformed into a guitar god during the penultimate song of the evening, “Happier Than Ever,” in which she busted out a Fender Telecaster (as she has throughout the tour) to show off her recently-formed electric guitar skills — complete with pyrotechnics during the final stretch. Just call her Billie Van Halen.
Billie the Camerawoman
One of the most welcome visual elements of the Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour has been Eilish’s use of a Go Pro-style camera — connected to the massive arena screens — to film herself while performing several songs, including “Bad Guy” and “Bury a Friend.” The conceit adds a playful, even intimate, aspect to the evening; and truthfully it’s just fun to see an artist on Eilish’s level goofing off with a camera in front of a massive crowd. Rare among pop megastars, Eilish has a way of making an arena-sized crowd feel like they’re getting a glimpse of the person behind the icon, and that was no exception on Friday night.
Kia Forum Night 4 Setlist
Chihiro
Lunch
NDA
Therefore I Am
Wildflower
When the Party’s Over
The Diner
Ilomilo
Bad Guy
The Greatest
I Love You
Skinny
TV
Bury a Friend
Oxytocin
Guess
Everything I Wanted
Lovely
Ocean Eyes
Silent Night
L’amour De Ma Vie
What Was I Made For?
Happier Than Ever
Birds of a Feather
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