“Pictures of Us” by beabadoobee, Sunday, April 9, 2023

Last week, I was listened to a kind of discover music podcast just to hear some takes that the commentators had to say about another artist I was preparing to post about. I didn't actually end up writing about that artist, but I inadvertently discovered a few new artists to add to my AppleMusic library, one of which was Filipina-British singer-songwriter Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus, better known by her stage name beabadoobee.

BUILDINGS AND RUST.  With nearly 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify, it seems that the bedroom pop singer beabadoobee is blowing up in popularity these days. Could it be her opening on the current leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour? Born in Iloilo City in 2000 and relocating to London with her family at the age of three, Laus was influenced by indie rock from an early age. At the age of seventeen, she learned guitar from YouTube tutorials after having played violin since the age of ten. In September 2017, she released two songs on YouTube, a cover of Karen O's "Moon Song" and an original titled "Coffee." With 300,000 views on YouTube, Bea signed to Dirty Hit Records. The UK-based label housed acts like The 1975, The Japanese House, Wolf Alice, and Rina Sawayama. After signing to Dirty Hit Records, beabadoobee released several EP and started garnering critical acclaim. Supporting tours with Clairo, labelmates The 1975, and Halsey and admiration by Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Khalid for her artistry, beabadoobee has become a kind of artist's artist.  

LAST NIGHT’S EMERGENCY. Last year, beabadoobee released her second full-length record Beatopia. The album shows Laus's blends indie rock with acoustic singer-songwriter tendencies. The under-refined elements of the album make the album delightful, from the cover art that looks like it was designed by a child to opening track "Beatopia Cultsong." Most of the album is more at home in a coffee shop than on the radio, but there are certainly some catchy hooks hidden within the album. Deep within the record is today's song "Pictures of Us." The song's lyrics are vague. The short verses deal with a conflict between the speaker and an unnamed female. Musically, the song reminds me of a '90s soft rock forgotten gem. The song was originally written by The 1975's frontman Matthew Healy about his childhood friend, by Bea rewrote the track about a friend she had when she was a teenager. Of the iconic line in the chorus: "She reminded me that God starts with a capital, but I don't think I can do it" Laus told Apple Music: "It’s so open to interpretation. To me personally, it means someone that you truly, truly admire, but not being able to be on the same page. But you’re trying to be."



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