Summary
Billie Eilish's third studio album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, features a song inspired by Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away. Eilish and her brother Finneas co-wrote the song CHIHIRO, which incorporates elements from the iconic film. The song's beat, lyrics, and music video are influenced by the imagery and themes of Spirited Away, reflecting the lasting impact the film has had on the artists.
Ghibli Studio's impact on American media has always been widespread, but its influence officially reached the pop music industry thanks to a song on American music artist and songwriter Billie Eilish's third studio album, CHIHIRO, which was inspired by one of Ghibli's most famous films, Spirit Land.
On May 17, 2024, Billie Eilish released her long-awaited third studio album.Hit Me Hard And Soft, with 10 songs on the tracklist, is a 45-minute album of deep and deeply personal ballads. Eilish co-wrote the album's unique tracks with her brother Finneas.
Together, the two have created a groundbreaking collection of songs, each with hidden nuances and references to other artists. Additionally, Billie noted to Zane Lowe in an interview with Apple Music that “This is the most ‘me’ thing I’ve ever done.” However, anime fans may be surprised to learn that one of the songs is actually a tribute to one of Studio Ghibli’s best films, Spirited Away.
Studio Ghibli's Most Famous Film Inspired One of Pop's Biggest Artists
Spirited Away Inspired Eilish's New Song: CHIHIRO
Following a 10-year-old girl's journey into the spirit world of an abandoned amusement park, Spirited Away was Miyazaki's first feature film to win an Academy Award, earning it the title of Studio Ghibli's most iconic project. The film was released in theaters in 2001, But to this day, it continues to inspire Hollywood's most famous artists. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Eilish discussed her song CHIHIRO, which is based on the main character of the same name from Spirited Away:
“This song is based partly on that movie, one of my favorite movies. It's like her perspective, combined with my perspective. The imagery in that movie is some of the most beautiful imagery ever.” – Billie Eilish
Check out the lyrics to Spirited Away in CHIHIRO
Spirited Away influenced the song's beat, lyrics, and music video.
Billie also noted in her interview with Rolling Stone magazine that The song's beat and music video are largely inspired by the film's stunning visuals and settings:
“There are a lot of pictures of trains in the water after the flood, and it really looks like an ocean with train tracks. I just watched Spirited Away, and Finneas created that rhythm. I love that movie. I've watched it so many times.” – Billie Eilish
However, fans of Eilish and Ghibli's films, such as @gibsonnggirl and @liitlink on X, also pointed out that some of the lyrics allude to the underlying message and themes of the film. For example, “I saw you turn around, but it wasn't your face” could allude to multiple moments, including Chihiro struggling to remember her parents' faces after they turned into pigs.
On the other hand, it could also refer to Chihiro not fully recognizing Haku in his dragon form.
Furthermore, “and you didn't know if you'd make it back / I said, no, don't say that” could be a reference to the film's overarching story of Haku helping Chihiro return home despite their many challenges.
Finally, “And that's when I found you, you were waiting in the garden. Pondering, sorry” could represent the touching scene of Chihiro and Haku in the garden outside the pig farm, sharing onigiri together.
Both Billie and Finneas have strong connections to Spirited Away. Not only did it inspire the most talked-about song on her recent album, but she also mentioned to Vice Australia that her 2019 album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, was also credited as part of a Ghibli project: “I owe a lot of that to Spirited Away and Miyazaki.”
“It’s so surreal and yet so real; when Finneas watched Spirited Away, he was so terrified of his parents turning into pigs that he had to go to therapy for years because of it. I remember watching it and thinking, ‘This is so hard,’ and I watched it over and over again…” – Billie Eilish
Even though Spirited Away is over 20 years old, Its influence and impact on Japanese and American media is unparalleled, and it's artists like Billie Eilish and Finneas who have helped fans remember the ingenious qualities of Studio Ghibli's best movies
Source: Rolling Stone;