Beabadoobee, Proof Artists Can Evolve Without Alienating Fans.

Bea Kristi, or as she’s known to her legions of fans Beabadoobee has achieved massive success in the past couple of years, and for good reason. Starting out as a simple singer songwriter, she managed to garner three hundred thousand views without even realising it on the first song she ever wrote on guitar. Coffee, a song that she called in an interview with Vice “the cringiest love song” kickstarted her career and got her signed to Dirty Hit. Not too bad then eh Bea? Truly a case of hidden talent popping up and changing lives. Coffee now has a whopping Eight and a half million listens on Spotify, with her other tracks not far behind. Her original stripped back vibe, taking influences from Simon and Garfunkel, Nineties angst and even her Filipino roots, brings forth a simple and fresh sound .

Over time Beabadoobee’s sonic vibe has developed, her latest track She Plays Bass, released just a few days ago, is a far cry from Coffee, yet it is still unmistakably Bea’s work. That same stripped down atmosphere and vocal style is still prevalent despite the new additions of drums, bass and electric guitar. She Plays Bass is brilliantly awkward and harkens back to bands like Pixies, while still maintaining a modern pop sensibility. I get kind of a slower Wolf Alice vibe on this one and is a welcome change from her earlier work without excluding her original fan base, which is a very hard thing for any artist to do, especially one so inexperienced. While I gather from a bit of searching on the internet that Bea has a boyfriend, the lyrics have an LGBT+ edge to them which is a nice touch and adds an air of mystery about her sexuality. Mystery and edge are a winning combination for an artist to have, it garners interest and attraction, which are the biggest things up and coming acts need in this brutal industry.

Beabadoobee’s success is proof that an artist can change their sound without completely ruining what makes them unique. Bea maintains her awkward, stripped back songwriting and lyrics, yet in a whole new context. So many artists change their style, and I’m not against that, however the band must maintain their original voice. If they don’t, they lose what made them interesting in the first place. The fact that Beabadoobee has signed to a label, changed her sound and not (while I hate the term, it’s appropriate here) “sold out” is a rare feat indeed, especially for one so young. heartily recommend that all my readers pay close attention to Beabadoobee’s future work, I reckon she will achieve even greater success in the next couple of years.

Peace, Love and Cowbells,

Oscar