A deeply self-assured record with a vast sonic scope of rock and pop
It’s been just over two years since beabadoobee let us into her imaginary childhood world Beatopia - an album which marked her breakthrough as an artist.
She had already seen plenty of success before that point, but Beatopia felt like she had settled into her sound and mastered who she was as an artist, enabling her to explore ambitious structures and techniques within her songs.
This left the question of what she would do on her third album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves. It would have been simple for her to remain in the comfort of her bedroom, reflecting on the past and offering further insights into her secret world.
But This Is How Tomorrow Moves sees her swap her bedroom for Rick Rubin’s infamous Shangri-La studio in Malibu. After years of recording almost exclusively in London, close to home and with the option of friends stopping by between sessions, this was no small uproot for her.
The result? A deeply self-assured record with a vast sonic scope of rock and pop, which still manages to maintain all the charm of Beatopia.
It’s important to note here that beabadoobee’s discography wasn’t dormant between then and now, with standalone singles ‘Glue Song’, ‘The Way Things Go’ and ‘A Night to Remember’ all going viral on social media.
She was also the support act for a hefty chunk of the North America leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour last year - a huge boost for any artist in today’s musical climate.
These life experiences no doubt contributed to the step forward beabadoobee has taken on This Is How Tomorrow Moves. The track ‘Ever Seen’, for example, which was written on the road while on tour with Taylor Swift, is tinged with a newfound country twang.
Self-assured: beabadoobee (Photo credit: Jules Moskovtchenko)
But the biggest difference here is beabadoobee’s confidence, both in herself as a person and in her songwriting abilities. She seems deeply self-assured, seen in the moments of fierce growth and self- reflection on the record.
Whether she’s seething about a break-up ('One Time'), or rolling her eyes at unsatisfying sexual experiences with terrible one-night-stands ('Real Man'), beabadoobee is undeniably surer of herself than ever before.
But this doesn’t stop the moments of self-doubt creeping in occasionally. beabadoobee keeps it real on tracks like 'Girl Song', where low self-worth and poor self-image emerge, and 'Tie My Shoes', where she considers how her family’s wounds have impacted her ability to form her own romantic connections.
This Is How Tomorrow Moves doesn’t completely leave the past behind, then. In fact, it almost serves as a love letter to her younger self, capturing a journey of confidence and introspection, with themes of self-acceptance and personal growth woven throughout.
It also sees her reverts back to her traditional songwriting approach - abandoning the ambitious song structures and techniques of Beatopia, in favour of simply writing songs on her guitar, without overthinking the process.
In beabadoobee’s own words, This Is How Tomorrow Moves is about becoming a woman, and being more aware of her actions. Previously, her songs have captured her reaction towards other people’s doings, but the album sees her boldly accepting and taking accountability for her involvement in the situations unfolding around her.
There’s no doubt that beabadoobee is going to maintain her ‘indie darling’ status with this release, but if there’s one defining feature of her music, it’s her honesty.
Listening to a beabadoobee album is like opening her diary, and This Is How Tomorrow Moves is no different - it’s simply a new chapter.
Rating: 9.1/10
This is How Tomorrow Moves is out tomorrow (9 August) via Dirty Hit
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