Beats From ‘Beatopia’

Review on Beabadoobee’s Second Studio Album

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Madison Shields

Beabadoobee’s album “Beatopia” is the epitome of bringing a dreamworld to life through music. With her beautiful balance of different instruments and the unreal lyrics she creates and voice she garners, enjoying the album is easy. Hearing how she deals with her various problems in love through song is an experience I’ll never tire of.

Madison Shields, Editor

The first time I heard a Beabadoobee song was two years ago on “TikTok” when the song “Coffee” was heavily popular when used alongside people making dalgona coffee (whipped coffee). I didn’t start actively listening to her until late 2021 when the song “Tired” had a resurgence of popularity, again on “TikTok”. This led me to listen to her EP “Patched Up,” thus starting my unwavering love for Bea and her music.

I’ll admit that I’m not an OG fan, but I love her music like I am one. The reason for that being her new album, “Beatopia”, which is absolutely insane in the best way possible. I’ve been given the opportunity to see her on tour and witness the album played live on Nov. 8. I’ve been counting down the days till the concert happens, 15 days as I’m writing this, and my excitement will only increase as the date gets closer. The reason this album has stuck with me is because of how incredibly unique it is, and how each song feels like you’re being transported into Bea’s imaginary world that the album is based off of:

“Beatopia Cultsong”: As the first track on the album “Beatopia Cultsong” sounds and feels perfect. With a homey guitar and Bea’s beautiful voice harmonizing on top, it feels like I’m being transported through another dimension. Especially with Bea only repeating the words “Is it me or recently time is moving slowly,” creating an almost dream-like feel. As her voice fades out the sound of an old television can be heard, but before I can think about it for too long the next song starts.

“10:36”: One of my absolute favorites on the entire album. The relatable lyrics, yummy guitar and almost hyperpop sound of this song are all factors to why I love it so much. When I listened to this album for the first time and this was the second track I found myself becoming so much more excited for the rest because of how much I liked it. Bea has such a distinctive way of combining different types of instruments, while also beautifully writing lyrics to match. I basically listen to this song everyday.

“Sunny day”: This is definitely an interesting apology song. I was expecting a light-hearted, child-like song when I first saw the title. But the actual song was much better than what I expected, with simple lyrics and comfy guitar playing in the background. I followed Bea as she struggles with her various relationships with her significant other and friends, and I found the lyrics to be super relatable. The constant apologies throughout the song led me to wonder what she did to be wishing so hard for another sunny day.

“See you Soon”: I was tricked by the beginning of this song on my first listen. I thought it was going to be too similar to “Sunny day,” since they start with a similar sound but I was very wrong. It turned out to be another one of my favorite songs on the album. I know I have a lot, but they’re all so good. This song is about Bea knowing she wants to pursue a relationship with someone she’s interested in, but choosing to take time to work on herself, or that’s what this song means to me. And that’s one of the main reasons I love this song so much. It also feels like I’m walking through a park on a cold day, thinking about important things. Because Bea’s thoughts and lyrics in this song feel so important to me personally.

“Ripples”: The strings at the beginning of this song could put me to sleep on any night of the week, they’re so soothing, the lyrics are as well. This was the first truly sad song for me on the album. I found myself crying when I listened to this song for the first time. I don’t even know the reason why, but it pulled on my heart strings in all of the right places because this song will forever hold a special place in my heart. I recommend listening to this song on rainy days or whenever you’re feeling unmotivated or lonely.

“the perfect pair”: I know it’s the most popular song on the entire album but it’s for good reason. The balance of all the instruments on this song is actually crazy, paired with some of the best lyrics on the entire album lead to this masterpiece of a song. This song blew up on “TikTok”, rightfully so because it’s so good, but still makes me embarrassed to say it’s my favorite song, since it’s so popular. But it’s so worth it. If you listen to any of the songs on the album, it should be this one. I will never get over the perfect mix of various instruments this song has, along with Bea’s wondrous voice and lyrics.

“broken cd”: Another sad song on the album. It’s not one of my favorites, but I still appreciate the tempo change in the middle of the song. I was taken aback when I heard it for the first time, since the beginning was so heart-felt. But I do find myself sometimes skipping this song when I relisten to the album.

“Talk”: The guitar in the background of this song carries the entire track for me. I didn’t feel connected to the lyrics when I first heard it and I still don’t. I don’t hate the song at all, but I would say that it’s like white noise when I listen to it. I find myself not remembering anything that happened from when this song starts till it finishes, then I bring myself back to reality. Definitely not the best experience I’ve gotten from the album.

“Lovesong”: This track is so drastically different from the previous one that it caught me off guard when I was listening for the first time. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do, and that’s completely due to the lyrics within this song. It feels like a sad love story filled with cliches and young love cram packed into one song. I absolutely love it, a perfect love song.

“Pictures of Us”: The beginning of this song sounds a lot like “See you Soon” but it’s completely different in a very comforting way. I’m a huge fan of long intros to songs and this track has exactly that, with a little over a minute long intro. The soothing guitar riff transports me through a lulling sense of safety till I’m brought back by Bea’s voice. I find myself rocking my head back and forth while listening to this song, it resonates with me on a spiritual level. Everytime I listen to it I find something new to love about it, most recently it’s the way the song ends with the same guitar riff it started with, but it’s much louder and more clear, making me feel like this song puts past relationships into a clearer perspective after listening.

“fairy song”: The title of this song was the first one to catch my attention, and I was the most excited to listen to it since it was farther down on the albums tracklist. But I found myself not liking it as much as I thought I would. I don’t know if it was the weird fairy-like vocals in the background that just weren’t doing it for me, or the regular lyrics. Either way I find myself skipping this track as well when I relisten.

“Don’t get the deal”: I understand this was supposed to be a song with two perspectives singing about the same thing, but it didn’t resonate with me at all. It felt very kiddish and not in a good way. It was the first song on the album that I genuinely didn’t like at all. There aren’t any aspects I find myself wanting more of.

“tinkerbell is overrated”: I absolutely love PinkPantheress, and the fact that she collaborated with Bea on this album made me so incredibly happy. This song transports me back in time to when I ran around the playground in elementary school and looked for bugs. This is the music I played in my head when my thoughts were going 100 mph as a kid. It feels very calming to listen to this song when I first wake up in the morning, makes me feel prepared for the day, while also letting me relive fond memories from my childhood.

“You’re here that’s the thing”: I have a theory that the last song on every album will be the best. Even though my theory has been continuously proven wrong, I still choose to believe it every time I listen to a new album. While I don’t think this is the best song on the entire album, it is one of my favorites, my fourth favorite to be exact. It’s a sweet song simplifying the act of overthinking, I relistened to it about five times after my first listen. I was mesmerized by the echo effect the end of the song had, making it sound like a personal concert with headphones on. Listening to this song before bed always puts me in a good mood, especially when I’m sad.

This album is in my top 10 favorites from the entire year of 2022, specifically ranked at spot number 7. I listen to this album weekly, if not daily. It’s the perfect mix of bedroom pop with the tiniest bit of angst, creating an eccentric sound that nobody will ever replicate.

I give this album 9/10 beas from beatopia.