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Chihiro (song)

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"Chihiro"
Promotional single by Billie Eilish
from the album Hit Me Hard and Soft
ReleasedMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
RecordedApril 2023
Genre
Length5:03
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Finneas O'Connell
Music video
"Chihiro" on YouTube

"Chihiro" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. The song is the first promotional single and the third track on her third studio album Hit Me Hard and Soft. The song was written by Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell, who also produced the track, which was released on May 17, 2024, through Darkroom and Interscope Records.

Background and release

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A man and a woman sitting on stage, both holding guitars with microphones.
Billie Eilish (right) and her brother Finneas O'Connell (left) performing in June 2022

On April 12, 2024, in an interview with Apple Music's presenter Zane Lowe, Eilish teased a 15-second snippet of "Chihiro", which was released on her third studio album Hit Me Hard and Soft (2024).[1] The song's title is a reference to the main character of the Studio Ghibli animated film Spirited Away (2001).[2] "Chihiro" was previewed with "Lunch" and "L'Amour de Ma Vie" at Coachella 2024.[3]

On May 10, 2024, Eilish released a 49-second-long clip of "Chihiro" through Fortnite Festival on the Fortnite Festival channel of the video-sharing platform YouTube because it was confirmed the song would be included as a backing track on the third season of Fortnite Festival.[4] "Chihiro" is the third song on Hit Me Hard and Soft;[5] it was released with the studio album on May 17, 2024,[6] through Darkroom and Interscope Records.[7]

"Chihiro" was written by Eilish and her brother-and-frequent-collaborator Finneas, who also produced the song.[8] It was recorded in Los Angeles, California, United States.[9] In an interview with Angie Martoccio of Rolling Stone, Eilish said:[10]

The song is loosely based off of that movie, which is one of my favorites. It’s kind of from her point of view, mixed with mine. The visuals in that movie are some of the best ever—all that Studio Ghibli shit is unbelievable ... There’s all those visuals of the train in the water after the flood, and it literally looks like an ocean with a train track. I had just watched Spirited Away and Finneas had made that beat. I love that movie. I’ve seen it so many times.[10]

Eilish and Finneas hosted free listening parties prior to the album's release; American Express presented a party on May 15 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and another on May 16 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, in association with Snapchat.[11] On May 15 at the Barclays Center, "Chihiro" garnered some of the evening's most-enthusiastic crowd response.[12]

Composition and lyrics

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"Chihiro" is a mid-tempo song[13] that incorporates elements of techno-house,[14] R&B,[7] and progressive R&B.[15] In the lyrics, Eilish sings of feelings of being lost and found that are reminiscent of the Spirited Away character Ogino Chihiro.[10]

Commercial performance

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After the release of Hit Me Hard and Soft on May 17, 2024, "Chihiro" made its debut at number six on the Billboard Global 200 chart.[16] It debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100[17] and at number three on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[18] Additionally, the song debuted at number seven on the UK Top 10.[19]

Music video

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The music video for "Chihiro" was teased on June 5, 2024, when Eilish shared on social media a short video in which she runs down a hallway. It premiered on Eilish's Vevo channel on YouTube at 09:00 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on June 6.[20] Eilish directed the music video and stars in it alongside Nat Wolff.[21]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Chihiro"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[65] Gold 20,000
Canada (Music Canada)[66] Platinum 80,000
France (SNEP)[67] Gold 100,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[68] Gold 15,000
Poland (ZPAV)[69] Platinum 50,000
Portugal (AFP)[70] Platinum 10,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[71] Gold 30,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] Silver 200,000
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[73] Platinum 2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Li, Joyce (April 15, 2024). "Billie Eilish Previews New Songs at Her Coachella DJ Set". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Aniftos, Rania (April 12, 2024). "Billie Eilish Teases 'Spirited Away'-Inspired Track Off Upcoming Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Rettig, James (April 14, 2024). "Billie Eilish Previews New Songs In Surprise Coachella DJ Set". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Ben Rogerson (May 10, 2024). "Billie Eilish has released a 49-second clip of new song Chihiro via Fortnite Festival and it confirms that it's a synth-led electronic banger". MusicRadar. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "Billie Eilish dominates charts with Hit Me Hard and Soft, a genre-bending exploration (Ed 137)". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. May 30, 2024. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Singh, Surej (April 19, 2024). "Check out the tracklist for Billie Eilish's new album 'Hit Me Hard And Soft'". NME. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (May 19, 2024). "Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft review – could have hit even harder". The Observer. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (May 17, 2024). "Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard And Soft: Here Are The Full Album Credits, Song By Song". Uproxx. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
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  10. ^ a b c Prance, Sam (May 21, 2024). "Billie Eilish Explains The Deeper Meaning Behind Her 'Chihiro' Lyrics". Capital. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
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