Forget flare jeans and crop tops, the real early aughts trend that’s making a comeback is the soft grunge soundtrack of your favorite teen movie, better known as London’s indie rocker, beabadoobee. Following her 2020 debut Fake It Flowers, the 21-year-old has been keeping busy releasing another EP and writing her sophomore studio album, Beatopia, scheduled for release on July 15 via Dirty Hit. Its first single, “Talk,” drops with a resounding thud as Bea doubles down on her signature hazy rock sound, leaving any traces of her bedroom pop beginnings behind.
While Fake It Flowers detailed a tumultuous romance, bridled in angsty teenage imagination, “Talk” transitions into a more carefree and loose Bea, one that doesn’t spend hours writing about a love interest, but rather, goes out and gets one. “Generally, it’s about doing things that aren’t necessarily healthy or great for you, but you can’t help indulging,” she shares in a press release. “It’s like that unavoidable feeling that you get. You can’t get rid of it, and you know it’s bad, but you love it really, and it’s whatever, so you do it anyways.”
Over a raucous blend of fuzzy guitar and softened drums, Bea details giving in to an ill-fated romantic liaison: “You don’t exist, you’re just a bad decision,” launching into an irresistible hook reminiscent of an early 2000s Amanda Bynes movie scene. In the accompanying music video, she performs in front of 150 of her biggest fans and close circle of friends, unpretentiously enjoying the moment without trying to make anything more out of it — a fitting metaphor for the track itself.
Following the release of Beatopia, beabadoobee will be embarking on a run of headline shows in the UK, culminating in a show at London’s legendary Brixton Academy. Before that, you can also catch her in select North American and European cities and festivals (Coachella, The Governors Ball, Glastonbury, Osheaga, and more), and as a main supporting act for both Halsey and Bleachers on their respective U.S summer tours.
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