Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s important to find moments of respite and joy. That's why I find it so refreshing to come here and talk with you about one of my greatest passions: music. As a source of inspiration and creativity, music has the power to add color and vibrancy to our lives, providing an escape from the stresses of the week. So, let's take a moment to unwind and explore the world of music together.
Today, I am thrilled to delve into the captivating world of Beabadoobee and share my thoughts on her second album, “Beatopia".
Beabadoobee, whose real name is Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus, is a Filipino-British singer, songwriter, and musician known for her angelic voice, introspective lyrics, and catchy guitar riffs that draw influence from '90s alternative rock and shoegaze. She began her career by uploading her first song “Coffee” to SoundCloud and was soon discovered by Dirty Hit, signing with the label in 2018. Beabadoobee has since released several critically acclaimed EPs and her debut album "Fake It Flowers" in 2020. Her music explores themes such as love, loss, and self-discovery, drawing from her personal experiences and emotions.
In her latest album, Beabadoobee draws inspiration from an imaginary world she created as a child. The name "Beatopia", comes from this world that she invented when she was about seven years old. Bea, who was born in Iloilo City, immigrated with her family to London, where she often felt like an outsider in her majority-white school. To cope with the difficulties of being in a new environment, she escaped into the alphabet, people, and places of Beatopia. However, when her classmates discovered her fantasy world, they ridiculed her, causing her to abandon it. As she began working on her new album, the kingdom of Beatopia began to resurface in her creative vision.
Beatopia is a departure from her previous work, but still feels like a natural progression. The album is a cohesive, dreamlike journey through a fictional world that Beabadoobee has created. The music is heavily influenced by adult contemporary and guitar-driven bubblegum pop, with nods to the soft rock of her childhood. The record includes 14 tracks, encompassing both gentle and thrilling moments. “Beatopia Cultsong” and “fairy song” represent the album's mellow side, while the rock eruption in “10:36” and “Talk” provides the thrilling moments.
The record also ventures into new territory with the swaying Bossa Nova rhythms in “The Perfect Pair” and the sprawling midwest emo inspired “Pictures of Us” (co-written with and featuring vocals from The 1975’s Matty Healy). The highlight of the album is the shroom-trip inspired track “See you Soon”, that builds sweet, echoey vocals that teeter on the edge of a tantalising crescendo that never fully arrives. The lyrics are often more form than function, with words serving as vessels for sounds. “I find words that don’t really make sense but fit perfectly with the melody or just feel nice to say,” she commented on her writing process.
With Beatopia, Beabadoobee embraces the vibrant colours of her imagination and the magic of letting the world in to see. Overall, it's a restorative album that offers gentle reminders to take care of oneself, and is a testament to Beabadoobee's growth as an artist. While it lacks the edge and drive of its predecessor, the experimentation on the album hints at a new and successful direction for her music.
And I leave you with "10:36"
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