What does Chihiro mean? Billie Eilish's new song's connection with Spirited Away explained

Billie Eilish released her third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, on May 17, delighting fans. The project includes numerous fan favorites, such as Lunch, The Diner, Skinny, and Wildflower. The singer also created a track titled Chihiro, a nod to her favored movie, Spirited Away.

The album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, has been critically acclaimed, receiving over four stars from publications like NME, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and The Independent.

The album was produced in collaboration with Billie Eilish’s brother, singer, and longtime collaborator, Finneas. In the album, Eilish explores new rhythms and lyrical styles while maintaining her signature brilliance.

One of the notable tracks is Chihiro. For those uninitiated, the term is the name of the lead character in Hayao Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away. She is a 10-year-old protagonist who strengthens her character to protect those she loves.

Lyrics in Billie Eilish’s Chihiro track include:

"Open up the door, can you open up the door?/ I know you said before you can’t cope with any more/ You told me it was war, said you’d show me what’s in store/ I hope it’s not for sure, can you open up the door?"

Other lyrics from the Grammy-winner’s track include:

"Running my hands up my lap/ And you tell me it’s all been a trap/ And you don’t know if you’ll make it back/ I said “No, don’t say that"

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What is Spirited Away about? Details explored as Billie Eilish releases song named after movie protagonist

Spirited Away is the 12th animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The movie follows 10-year-old Chihiro as she wanders through a world of spirits and gods. At one point, she is forced to work in a bathhouse after her parents are turned into pigs by an evil witch named Yubaba.

Chihiro is initially described as having a childlike personality, however, she grows to become a responsible, capable, hardworking, and brave young girl who puts her fears aside to protect her friends and family.

The movie became a hit, earning a massive ¥31,680 billion in Japan. Additionally, it earned several prestigious awards, including the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear Award and an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, among others. Due to its immense popularity, the movie was also adapted as a stage play by John Caird.

Billie Eilish had not opened up about the song at the time of writing this article. However, in a 2019 interview with Vice Australia, where she was promoting her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, she revealed that she was inspired by Spirited Away when it came to the art direction of her first album.

Speaking about the movie, Billie Eilish said:

"It is so weirdly unrealistic but realistic, when Finneas saw Spirited Away, he was so scared from the parents turning into pigs that he had to go to therapy for years because of it. I remember watching it and being like "this is hard" and I watch it over and over and over."

She further added:

"I thought it was so dope and I had the biggest crush on the dragon in that movie."

As the album continues to amass streams, listeners can also purchase a vinyl of the 10-track LP. Currently, there are three vinyls available, including the Amazon Exclusive Red Vinyl, the UO Exclusive, and the Walmart Exclusive Grey Bio, which are priced at $32.99, $32.97, and $32.97, respectively. They can be ordered on the official websites of Walmart, Amazon, and Urban Outfitters.