Billie Eilish HMHAS Album Cover: Behind the Underwater Photoshoot

Floating in Emotion

By William Drumm, underwater photographer and ocean ambassador

An Underwater Album Cover Like No Other!

A dream. When I was invited to work on the underwater photoshoot for Billie Eilish’s album Hit Me Hard and Soft, I knew it would be quite a challenge and opportunity. Billie is an artist who has an incredibly strong sense of vision and is deeply involved in every aspect of her projects, from the music itself to the visual representation. The cover photoshoot for Hit Me Hard and Soft was no different. She came in with a powerful concept and a clear understanding of what she wanted to convey.

What does the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover mean?

The Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover represents Billie Eilish’s connection to the color blue, not the sadness people often associate with it, but the peace, calm, and emotional depth water can hold. The underwater image was designed to feel like being submerged in emotion while still breathing. During one of our early meetings, Billie’s team explained how the color blue had always been significant to her, not just because of its association with sadness, but also because it’s a color that can convey peace and calm. We talked about water, reflections, and using light to create that balance between lightness and emotional weight. The we talked about how we would be able to make this happen.

I was intrigued, but also a bit apprehensive that we could pull it off. We had to create visuals in a small tank of water (20’x20’x10’) and make it look like she was in the middle of the ocean. I am typically shooting underwater in remote locations, in the middle of the deep blue sea. I had never had to make a scene that looked like the ocean from inside of a tank in a Hollywood film set. I reached out to other photographers, spent hours and hours researching, put together a team of people I knew would be perfect to support me, and crossed my fingers.  

Hit Me Hard And Soft album cover BTS video

How was the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover photoshoot done?

The day of the photoshoot was magic. We worked in a controlled underwater studio setting, and it felt like we were suspended in time. We used soft lighting with 20’x20’ diffusers to create the underwater light we were seeking, and the way the artificial light penetrated the surface mimicked the way sunlight filters through the ocean. Billie was fully immersed in the process, and you could feel the emotional energy in the room. Billie is the type of artist who brings a certain raw emotion into every frame, and this shoot was no different. She was fully immersed in the concept. There was something about the stillness, the soft blues, and the delicate movements that made everything feel weightless. We captured the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength that we were aiming for.

Billie and her team were all so nice and appreciative and fun to work with. Billie was an absolute champ and spent many hours holding her breath underwater to get the shot. It was such a pleasure to work with her.

There was one moment during the shoot that still stands out to me. We had set up the lighting and the background to reflect subtle blues and silvers, making it look as though Billie was deep in the ocean. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as if meditating on the emotions the album stirred within her, and that was the moment we captured the shot that ended up on the album cover. It was a perfect blend of stillness and depth and to me it was exactly what Hit Me Hard and Soft represents. As a photographer, those are the moments you live for, when the subject becomes the art.

Where was the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover shot?

The Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover was shot in a 20x20x10 foot underwater studio tank in Los Angeles, on a Hollywood film set. The challenge was making a controlled tank look like the open ocean. We used 20×20 foot diffusers above the tank to mimic the way sunlight filters through deep water, and built the lighting to create the soft blue tones Billie wanted. The team included Capture LA, with myself as the underwater photographer.

Audience Reaction

When the cover first appeared on Billboard, it sent shockwaves through social media. Fans immediately praised the raw and elegant aesthetic of the photoshoot, noting how it perfectly aligned with Billie’s evolving style. Comments flooded in about how the soft blues in the image felt soothing, but also brought out a deep sense of introspection, mirroring the emotions many had felt while listening to her music. Eilish fans, who are accustomed to her pushing boundaries both musically and visually, celebrated the release with comments like, “This is Billie at her finest—haunting, beautiful, and honest.”

Music critics also chimed in, noting that the imagery tied in perfectly with the album’s broader themes of emotional contrasts, softness and strength, love and loss, vulnerability and power. Rolling Stone praised the collaboration between Billie and Drumm, saying:

“Eilish continues to break barriers not just with her music but through her powerful visual storytelling. The Blue cover, photographed by William Drumm, shows an artist in full control of her image—soft yet strong, vulnerable yet empowered.”

It’s been so much fun getting to know Billie’s fans as well. They are the best fans on earth. 

Billie’s Thoughts on the Shoot: Colbert Interview

Billie later shared more about the Hit Me Hard and Soft photoshoot during her interview with Stephen Colbert on *The Late Show* in March 2024, just after the cover debuted. Watching her talk about our collaboration was something special. She told Stephen:

 “I wanted the visuals to feel like the music. For me, *Blue* is about feeling submerged in emotion, but at the same time, there’s this stillness. I knew I needed the photos to reflect that—a kind of calm sadness, like being underwater but still breathing.“

 When Stephen asked her about the inspiration behind the water element, Billie gave the kind of answer that makes you love working with her even more. She laughed a bit and said:

 “Water is just so powerful. It can be peaceful or terrifying—it’s deep, it’s endless. I thought that was the perfect metaphor for how I feel in the song.”

 Hearing Billie share her thoughts on our creative process made me appreciate the project even more. She’s someone who truly gets the power of imagery and emotion in art, and I was grateful to be part of bringing that vision to life.

Reflecting on the Experience

Looking back, I’m proud of what we achieved with the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover. Billie’s dedication to her craft and her willingness to collaborate made the photoshoot a deeply meaningful experience. It wasn’t just about creating a striking, iconic image. It was about conveying the emotion behind her music in a way that would resonate with her audience.

As a photographer, those are the moments you live for, the ones where you capture more than just a picture, but an entire feeling. And with Billie, that feeling was powerful, unforgettable, and ultimately, a reflection of her extraordinary talent. 

We couldn’t have done it without an amazing team. Thank you to Interscope Records, Capture LA, Mike Pizzi, Will Smart, Hunter Simmons, Michael De Kooter, Chelsea Dodson, and everyone else involved in this crazy brilliant shoot.  

To see more of my images and stories, especially from Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover, follow me on Instagram and check out my photography portfolio! 

FAQs about the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover

Who shot the Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover?

The Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover was shot by underwater photographer William Drumm, in collaboration with Billie Eilish, Interscope Records, and Capture LA. The image was made in March 2024 at a Los Angeles studio.

When was the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover released?

The album cover was unveiled in March 2024, ahead of the May 17, 2024 release of Hit Me Hard and Soft, Billie Eilish’s third studio album.

Was the Hit Me Hard and Soft cover shot in the ocean?

No. The cover was shot in a 20x20x10 foot heated water tank on a film studio set in Los Angeles. The lighting and post-production were designed to make the controlled tank look like the open ocean.

How long did Billie Eilish hold her breath for the shoot?

Billie held her breath for many takes throughout the shoot, often for extended periods. She did not use breathing equipment for the final cover image, she fully submerged and held her breath naturally.

What does the blue color in the album cover symbolize?

For Billie Eilish, blue represents both calm and emotional weight, peace and sadness coexisting. The cover is intentionally underwater and saturated in blue to reflect the album’s themes of being submerged in feeling while still finding stillness.

What does the Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover mean?

The Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover represents Billie Eilish’s connection to water and the color blue. The underwater image is designed to feel like being submerged in emotion while still breathing, mirroring the album’s themes of contrast: softness and strength, vulnerability and power.

Learn More About William

Thanks for reading. To learn more about my mission visit my about page. To see my favorite images visit my portfolio, and if you are interested in purchasing prints (a portion of each sale goes to marine conservation efforts) then take a look at my fine art prints and underwater prints t-shirts. Plus, to see even more of my images and to connect with me, make sure to follow me on Instagram!