After some fans spent a week in advance camped outside in tents, Billie Eilish left fans Happier Than Ever with her return to the Kia Forum.
The absence of elaborate costume changes and a decked-out stage went unnoticed by fans, with Eilish’s presence and airy, strong voice bewitching audiences. The singer, who only had one outfit to worry about throughout her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour, is rounding out her North American leg.
Proving she’s not “only good at being bad,” Eilish performed tracks from her recent self-reflective Album Hit Me Hard and Soft, taking them to the next level on stage to keep fans craving more.
Back at the Forum
With an impressive 66 songs over a nearly decade-long career, Eilish returned to the Forum and performed about 40% of her discography. She previously performed at the Forum in December 2022 for her Happier Than Ever Tour with her brother Finneas. On opening night, fan participation was similar to that of Harry Styles back in November 2022.
Electrified by the digital performance floor and a digitized box that Eilish arises in – similar to the box she used for her “Bad Guy” Saturday Night Live performance five years ago – fan participation was just one of several memorable moments on Eilish’s opening night.
The first track of the evening was “Chihiro,” an ode to the character in Spirited Away, and while it may not precisely be a dance number from her album, Eilish called for her fans to join in. Screaming to the high heavens at the Forum, the fans’ response proved the nine-time Grammy Award singer can captivate a crowd.
After performing the first four songs, Eilish hit the crowd with her track “Therefore I Am,” simply stopping to gaze at her audience with a fixed look for an undefined time. The fans roar with excitement, ready for more, as Eilish smirks and gives a quick pull of her hair.
Donning fishnet stockings, knee socks, an Oakland A’s cap, and a No. 25 New Orleans Saints Reggie Bush jersey, Eilish’s performance was an eruption of beats and riveting laser light. The singer uses the stage as her gym, breaking across the floor during performances such as “Lunch.”
In one moment, fans are mesmerized while Eilish lays on the stage and croons, only to get caught up as the singer dodges pyrotechnics quickly. “Lunch” may be a moderate toe-tapping track about cunnilingues on her recent album, but Eilish transforms the song into a showstopper that delights her fans.
Signature Songs With Finneas
While Eilish performed standout songs from her Hit Me Hard and Soft album, the artist quieted her audience down. At the same time, she sampled her Catholic choral humming for “When the Party’s Over” and set the whole arena into a flash of red for “Bad Guy.” Yet, the crowd cried when Eilish was joined on stage by her brother, Finneas, who made a special appearance to perform along with Eilish.
Together, the siblings performed their Oscar-winning Barbie single, “What Was I Made For,” where Eilish dangled her feet over the stage and captured her fans for nearly four minutes – it was an undeniable emotional high point in the show. Finneas also joined Eilish to perform “Happier Than Ever” and “Birds of a Feather.”
At the Babygirl afterparty last week, Finneas stated he would sit on the sidelines during his younger sister’s show; yet, it would hardly have been a proper homecoming without him. Finneas also appeared at the Hard and Soft Tour stops at Madison Square Garden, NYC, and Newark, NJ.
The return of Eilish to the Kia Forum drew a considerably larger crowd than when the artist last performed in December 2022 for her Happier Than Ever Tour. The bartender at the Forum Club noted how the masses were on par to the final day of Styles’ Love on Tour residency two years ago, stating, “I think she’s just gotten bigger.”
Eilish will head internationally to enthrall audiences in 2025.
