Written by Ivona Homicianu
Madison Beer’s locket exceeds the definition of pop. The songwriting takes front stage as she delves into her memories, these moments kept in a locket held close to the artist’s heart, revealed in the opening track: ‘locket theme.’ The album is woven to recount a series of events that highlight her artistic identity, which becomes elevated with this latest project.
‘locket theme’ sets the scene for the project by already returning to Beer’s debut record Life Support. While the sound is similar, it still carves its own identity. “I’ve been searching but the answer’s right in front of me” tells us about the introspective process of creating the album, returning to the past to better see the present.
The end of the track transitions into ‘yes baby,’ revealed last year as a single. If pop perfection had a sound, it would be this one. It has a unique tone that borders on electronic, but remains wholeheartedly pop. Beer’s honeyed voice and delivery is perfectly in tune with the message she conveys. The repetition of the lyrics and the high tempo is what makes for a replayable track that will remain in memory years from now.
An electronic touch to her songs can be noticed in the majority of the tracks, such as ‘angel wings,’ ‘bittersweet,’ ‘complexity’ and ‘make you mine.’ It causes a cohesiveness in the album along with the other genres explored (such as R&B and pop). Beer’s vocals dissolve into the production in most of these songs, another signature move on this album that enforces her sound.
Her variety when it comes to tempo is noticeable. From upbeat to relaxing, ‘for the night’ is a stripped back guitar-lead song. The lyrics describe a desire to give in to this person that is not good for her, setting a clear precedent of co-dependency as a main theme on the album. It is further accentuated with the lines on her recent single ‘bad enough’: “I don’t know how to be alone” and “It’s not bad enough to let my baby go.”
The fairytale-esque atmosphere is her signature style. It comes through in the music production but also the music videos which often are inspired by tales and have a magical fantasy dimension to them. ‘bad enough’ itself is an adaptation of the classic tale Beauty and The Beast.
She explores the difficulty of moving on with ‘you’re still everything.’ The lyricism is at its strongest within this track. She captures the emotion of giving it all to someone you love beyond words and the impossible nature of having to live without them.
The storytelling of locket is following the course of realising one’s self worth through the end of a relationship. In ‘bittersweet,’ she is sitting in between, admitting that she’s happy that the relationship ended but at the same time she’s not completely healed. The synth builds along with the beat as she moves further away from this unhealthy relationship.
What is also prominent within the record is self-awareness. Realisation comes as fast as the beat on ‘complexity.’ “How can I expect you to love me when you don’t even love yourself? / How can I expect you to want me when you want nothing for yourself?” sees the past through a clearer lens. Opposite to nostalgia, hindsight is another one of the main themes on the album. It champions growth while not diminishing emotions felt at the time.
Along with record-charting ‘bittersweet,’ ‘make you mine’ was another single which was released two years ago before an album was announced. It’s an upbeat track that plays on the exhilarating energy of a new crush, featuring the synth production that makes the cohesiveness of this album.
“I used to wish” starts the closing track of the record, ‘nothing at all.’ The song details everything that the artist has hoped for herself, fantasies that have not lived up to their expectations. She describes the fear of losing the happiness achieved. It is as if the veil of romance that she has seen life through is gone, and her dreams bring more anxiety than satisfaction. Just like her previous tracks, ‘nothing at all’ combines fairytale and synth elements to achieve a dichotomy of feelings, showing the complexity and distinction of her own voice.
locket proves the artist knows where she is standing. Through vulnerability, she assembled a loyal listening base that knows they can count on her honesty. What is most admirable is Beer’s dedication to staying true to herself and her artistry. Although she has received criticism urging her to change for a more distinct voice in pop, she has shown that she’s improving her craft with each new release— and locket is no exception.
Leave a Reply