Photo Credit: Jules Moskovtchenko

Boasting notes of her usual bedroom-pop aesthetic, beabadoobee has released her highly anticipated third album, ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves‘. The album, produced by Rick Rubin and released via Dirty Hit, explores a journey of self-acceptance and reflection through its raw and powerful lyrics. Combining indie, folk, pop, and blues elements, this album is a beautiful encapsulation of maturity and womanhood.

The Philippines-born and London-raised singer-songwriter, Beatrice Laus, rose into the indie music scene back in 2017 with her single ‘Coffee‘. Unbeknownst to seventeen-year-old Laus, her life would change dramatically over the next seven years; from debuting with a Top 10 album and attaining a viral TikTok hit, to supporting Taylor Swift on the North American stretch of her Eras Tour. Since her last record, ‘Beatopia‘, was released in 2022, Laus has been on a journey of self-acceptance and personal growth, with her artistic evolution and confidence shining through like no other on ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves‘.

Opting for four lead singles preceding the album’s release, Bea’s flawlessly soft and whispery vocals paired with the poetic and raw lyrics in each single are a perfect showcase of the album and Laus’ newfound confidence and maturity. Introductory track and single, ‘Take A Bite‘, references the singer-songwriter’s recognition of the duality of toxicity in relationships, and taking responsibility for this. This appears to be a running theme throughout the album, with singles ‘Ever Seen‘, ‘Coming Home‘, and ‘Beaches‘ all portraying strong elements of growth and evolution also. The uniqueness of the Gen Z-er‘s sound makes it hard to liken it to that of other artists, although there is clear inspiration from some of Laus’ idols: Peaches and Pavement. It is arguable; however, that there is a more noticeable reminiscence to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, Holly Humberstone, and even Taylor Swift’s semi-recent sounds. This is particularly evident in the upbeat and catchy Ever Seen and introspective single, Beaches.

Written at Rubin’s LA-based Shangri-La studio, ‘Beaches‘ is potentially the most self-reflective of the bunch. With Laus’ surroundings and change in lifestyle undeniably igniting her creativity and journey of acceptance and confidence, the singer-songwriter took some much-needed time to reflect on herself. Learning to celebrate her self-belief and newfound acceptance that “there’s an inevitability of [her] fault” in situations, Laus solidifies this in the track’s chorus, with lyrics ‘I’m sure now, I’m sure’ oozing confidence when paired with the heavy guitar chords present throughout.

Boasting a delicate piano soundtrack and Beatrice’s euphonious vocals, ‘Girl Song’ captures the emotion and vulnerability felt throughout the album perfectly, with lyrics “hardly recognising my own face, just a stranger in the mirror” and “all I want to do is make it up to you” highlighting the struggles she has faced whilst on her journey of self-acceptance and young womanhood. Claiming to be “one of [her] favourite songs off the record”, ‘Post‘ is the only track not fully taken from personal experience, but rather that of the people closest to her. Although it boasts more rock and heavier guitar riffs than the other tracks, Laus’ soft vocals tie this track in with the rest of the album beautifully.

Closing off the record with ‘This Is How It Went‘, the singer-songwriter bestows an honourable mention of her adoration of Elliot Smith, with the waltzing sound throughout perhaps being a subtle nod towards inspiration from his musical style. ‘This Is How It Went’s playful and waltzy sound represents finding comfort and closure in songwriting, with lyrics “just let me write a song like all the songs I like listening to” and ‘it’s time to let it go loose, we’ll just move on’ solidifying just that; a perfect way to close the album off.

Although her sound may not be to everyone’s taste, beabadoobee has gained an exponential Gen-Z following and took to social media yesterday to share the news that ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves‘ has reached Number One in the Official UK Album Charts. Attesting to her growth and resilience, a chart-topping album is something every artist dreams about, with Laus claiming that ‘this means the absolute world’ to her. Overall, the deserving Number One Album, ‘This Is How Tomorrow Ends‘, is a perfect ode to self-love and acceptance, and a truly emotional, poetic, and raw reflection of confidence and the struggles of young womanhood.