This Is How Beabadoobee Moves

Propelling her music into a new age, Beabadoobee takes care to incorporate past influences while looking inward and reflecting on the nuances of being a woman on
This Is How Tomorrow Moves

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIRTY HIT

The greatest strength of Beabadoobee’s new album is her ability to lean into early 2000s sounds while maintaining her intimate bedroom-pop sensibilities that we’ve come to know and love. While she’s come a long way from her debut single “Coffee,” This Is How Tomorrow Moves evokes a sense of timelessness; her maturity is audible, but the dreaminess of her previous albums shines through.

“Take a Bite” is the album’s confident and honest opener. Previously released as the first single from the album, “Take a Bite” throws listeners into Beabadoobee’s world and sets the expectations for the album well. It signals a shift from her earlier albums as electric guitar flourishes overlay her reflectiveness to create an irresistible, angsty track. “Take a Bite” comes with an additional kick as Beabadoobee confronts destructive tendencies with ease and a touch of self-deprecating irony:

“Indulging in situations that are fabricated imaginations / Moments that cease to exist / Only want to fix it with a kiss on the lips / But I think I might / Take a bite” 

“California” is another pumped-up song. One of my favorite tracks on the album, it’s a catchy, sun-kissed alt track. Her earworm of a line “I swear I tried” is layered over distortion-driven guitars, creating a grungier sound when compared to other tracks on the album. There’s a sharp juxtaposition between her breezy vocals and the brazen instrumentation.

“I wanted to write an almost Sonic Youth-inspired song, so I was kind of fiddling around with riffs,” Beabadoobee shared about the track in an interview with Stereogum. “I love Kim Gordon’s vocals in general, so in the second verse I tried emulating that. But yeah, essentially that entire song is just about being on the road and being in California a little bit too much.” 

“One Time” follows, starting off deceptively soft. By the second half of the track, there’s an anthemic beat as it devolves into a crash of layered vocals, Beabadoobee's emotive voice flying high as always.

“Real Man” is a quieter moment in the album. The melody is insanely hypnotizing as it bounces along a flirtatious beat. It also gives way to a series of more acoustic tracks, with “Tie My Shoes” and “Girl Song” following. These tracks are a tribute to the strength of Beabadoobee’s vocals; although the earlier energized and rockish songs were great, tracks like“Girl Song” show that her vocals and sound are just as good in stripped-down settings. 

“Girl Song” in particular sticks out as a piano ballad on the album. It’s a heartbreaking track that touches on self-esteem and body image:

“Just a girl who overthinks about proportions or her waist / The creases on her face / Day like no other, and just another bad day”

In a world where beauty standards disproportionately affect young women, Beabadoobee’s raw lyrics cut deep. Although not an inherently new topic in songwriting, “Girl Song” feels like a refreshing take that invites relatability and comfort with listeners. 

Another single, “Coming Home” returns to a bright-eyed Beabadoobee. A waltzy and whimsical track, it finds beauty in the mundane things in life, such as doing the dishes and laundry. Inspired by missing those things while on tour, it’s a sweet, romantic tune that highlights the little things in life that give us stability. “Ever Seen” is similarly bright, chronicling the hope and energy that comes with new love. Written while Beabadoobee was opening for Taylor Swift on her Eras tour, the accompanying music video was fittingly directed by her boyfriend Jake Erland.

“A Cruel Affair” once again shows off Beabadoobee’s evolving sound, taking on a bossa nova tone. “I thought that what was perfect for me about this song was that I wanted to write a song about constantly comparing myself to every pretty girl on the internet, but I wanted to feel hot in doing so. And every time I listen to bossa nova in the summer I feel like a sexy bitch,” Beabadoobee shared. “So I was like, it’s only fair to write a bossa nova song about it. And at the end, there is a sense of hope where I’m like, ‘She’s a catch but so am I,’ so what’s the point of being pissed off about it? So yeah, the album is deep as it is, and so serious, and I just wanted a fun little break from all the seriousness of it all.” You can’t help but sway your hips to the tangy guitar and smile at the shimmers that close out the track – mission accomplished, Bea!

“Post” returns to the rock-infused sound found at the start of the album, paving the way for “Beaches,” a warm, riffy track. Once again directed by Erland, the music video for “Beaches” captures the song’s slightly nostalgic and majorly fun energy. Beabadoobee and her band splash around on a summery soundstage as the tide comes in – don’t question its believability, just enjoy the vibes.

“Everything I Want,” “The Man Who Left Too Soon,” and “This Is How It Went” round out the album. The experimentation of earlier tracks is seemingly forgotten, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it does leave her strongest tracks at the forefront of the album. The simplicity of “This Is How It Went” is a serene – and slightly meta – contemplation of writing songs about people who eventually listen to them. A poignant note to end on, Beabadoobee offers it as a way to understand why she writes songs.

Beabadoobee maintains her fiery energy throughout the album as it dips and flows, from rock and pop tracks to more subdued ballads. Through it all, she approaches struggles with love and life, especially as a Filipino woman in the music industry, with a high level of emotional intelligence, highlighting her growth, and revealing several layers to her music as it pushes the boundaries of her sound.