Atwood Magazine’s writers discuss beabadoobee’s third album ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves,’ a vulnerable, introspective, and strikingly mature record whose experimental landscapes and playful storytelling capture the essence of bea’s contemporary, ever-evolving artistry.
Featured here are Atwood writers Hannah Burns, Jake Fewx, Josh Weiner, & Rachel Min Leong!
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To start, what is your relationship with beabadoobee’s music?
Hannah: It was before Beatopia was released, probably early 2021, that my friend Lane sent me a spotify playlist of his favorite beabadoobee songs. We often liked the same music, but I had never heard of Bea. I listened to Loveworm when it rained, then summer of 2022 I moved to New York. I associate Beatopia with that first summer here: sweating while waiting on the subway and picnics in central park. I had tickets to see Bea in October 2022, but I got sick and couldn’t go to the show. Two years later, I’m seeing her in September for This Is How Tomorrow Moves. So grateful to Lane for showing me Bea and for the concert redemption!
Rachel: My relationship with her music has mostly been through her famous singles like ‘Glue Song’ and just Instagram, to be honest! It was also a friend who sent me that song. I’ve loved all her big singles and this album was a really big departure from that, so I really enjoyed that. I also really love seeing Asian artists do this genre of music, I think it’s such a big move for representation!
Jake: This is actually my first time listening to beabadoobee! I had heard of her through various year-end type lists but had never given her music a stab until now. I’m happy to report that I am a fan!
Josh: Like everyone here except Hannah, it seems, my relationship with beabadoobee isn’t that extensive. I’ve heard a couple of her songs and noticed that she appeared on the Eras Tour as an opener a few times – but that’s about it. Still, I’m glad I went ahead and listened to This Is How Tomorrow Moves anyways, despite my limited previous exposure to the lead artist!
What are your initial impressions and reactions to This Is How Tomorrow Moves?
Hannah: My impression was that there was something nostalgic about it, something late nineties pop rock maybe. It felt like a departure from her early bedroom pop sound and the dreamy psychedelic sound of Beatopia. I was afraid that I wouldn’t like the new sound, but it suits Bea’s voice beautifully and showcases her range.
Rachel: I love the synergy of the instrumentals and her vocals. I think this is synonymous with all her material, but I really like the soft quality of her voice that she backs with such grand and explosive instrumentals. This record is really unique to me in that it captures a kind of early 2000s feel but also feels very fresh. Since ‘Glue Song’ has been my basis to go off of, This Is How Tomorrow Moves is way more up my alley!
Jake: I’m impressed with the album! A lot of the music has this lush, soothing quality that is very immersive. The lead singles definitely stand out amongst the rest of the tracklist, but there is a good amount of variety in the sounds bea pulls from overall which I appreciate. The songwriting is fairly straightforward and, despite the variety, beabadoobee’s singing remains calm and consistently excellent. Like Rachel said, she does a good job capturing the nostalgia of the Y2K aesthetic without coming across as too heavy handed. There’s a lot to like!
Josh: I’m a fan! I felt it was appropriately lengthed and had an effective balance between loud songs and slow burners, so it all came together well in the end.
How does this album compare to 2022’s Beatopia and past beabadoobee releases – what are the most striking similarities or differences?
Hannah: Bea has always been a great songwriter, but This Is How Tomorrow Moves was an entirely different level of vulnerable and introspective. The most striking difference was how mature this album felt.
Jake: Full disclosure: I have only had the chance to listen to Beatopia and the new album, but there are definitely some throughlines across both projects. That pretty, calming quality exists in both projects, but I think Beatopia executes it just a little better. A lot of tracks on Beatopia would fit snugly on ‘Tomorrow Moves’; however, I personally don’t find the former to be as adventurous. There’s definitely a progression in bea’s storytelling on the new album as well. She captures that somber, reminiscent feeling really well in both the lyrics and sound palette which really shows her growth and maturity as an artist. Don’t mean to knock on either album; they’re both really good!
Josh: To be honest, this is the first time I have listened to a beabadoobee album all the way through, so I’ll basically have to skip this question and the one at the end that asks about how “the pantheon of beabadoobee’s discography.” But I will say that, after listening to This Is How Tomorrow Moves, I’m definitely interested in catching up more on the rest of beabadoobee’s discography!
This Is How Tomorrow Moves was notably produced by Rick Rubin, who reportedly gave Bea confidence to trust her songwriting. For those familiar with Rubin’s work, how or where do you hear his influence?
Jake: Once this was pointed out to me I can’t unhear it! I definitely hear that punch in the instrumentals on “Post.” “Beaches” also has a very authentic, ‘90s Rubin rock feel.
Josh: I’m most familiar with Rick Rubin for the work he did eons ago on a bunch of old school hip-hop records like Licensed to Ill. Since I didn’t notice at first who produced this album, I never would have guessed that it is indeed the same big-bearded gentleman who helped helm some of the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy’s defining releases. But indeed it is! I’ll probably have to listen closely to This Is How Tomorrow Moves again to detect where Rick Rubin’s influence lies, but my basic guess is that it’s mainly in the “indie rock” segment of what (according to Wikipedia) is an “indie rock-dream pop-indie pop” record.
Beabadoobee teased This Is How Tomorrow Moves with “Take a Bite,” “Coming Home,” “Ever Seen,” and “Beaches.” Are these singles faithful representations of the album?
Hannah: I thought the singles were easily some of the best songs on the album, which was putting her best foot forward while remaining faithful to the diversity of the album.
Rachel: I love “Beaches” and like Hannah said, I love that she picked these tracks specifically as singles, because they’re really different but you can still hear the essence of her that resonates in all of them. The rest of the album just pieces in really nicely.
Jake: Absolutely. Like I mentioned before, these singles definitely stick out amongst the rest of the track list. They capture the album’s more adventurous quality and showcase maybe the best lyrics on the album as well.
Josh: I agree with everyone else. They’re a diverse range of singles from a sonically diverse album, so that basic parallel is definitely there.
This Is How Tomorrow Moves is billed as part-love letter to Bea’s younger self, and part-taking the reins on the next stage of her life. Does this description capture the spirit of these songs, and where do you hear or feel it most?
Hannah: I think Bea captured her growth in such a lovely way, especially on “Girl Song.” “In a way, I’m figuring it out at my own pace,” the first line of the song, feels like the thesis of the record. Bea catalogs the past, acknowledges how she feels in the present, and makes plans for the near future: singing “writing cause I’m healing, never writing songs to hurt you” in “This is How it Went.”
Rachel: Oh yes! I love this description of the album, and I think it really resonates with what I said earlier about the sonic aspects having that retro quality, as well as the storytelling in the songs. I think aesthetically as well it is quite a departure from her previous releases, and that really fits with the theme.
Jake: I hear most of this idea in songs like “Real Man,” “A Cruel Affair,” and “The Man Who Left Too Soon” – they’re a little petty! The track’s approach to romance and intimacy carries a naive “young love” sentiment that reads a bit tongue in cheek to me. bea is definitely acknowledging her maturity through this portrayal of her younger self, but it almost seems to me she is reveling in the memories of her younger love life. It adds a lot of personality to the music. “Take a Bite” does a nice job showing a more grown up approach to intimacy with its artistic imagery which also adds some nice variety to the album.
Josh: I see no need to argue with my fellow writers on this one. The intimacy and introspection come through distinctly on this album, especially on some of the slower jams.
Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?
Rachel: I like “Ever Seen.” I’ve obviously never heard the song before this, but it made me feel so nostalgic listening to it, as if I’ve heard it a hundred times before in a different time of my life. So I really connected with this song! I just love the sound of it, and the sparse production, and the lyrics.
Jake: “Take a Bite” and “Beaches” are fantastic, catchy indie rock cuts, but I keep coming back to “Coming Home” and “A Cruel Affair.” The indie pop sensibilities are really bubbly and cute but still somehow showcase bea’s graceful musicianship.
Josh: I agree with Rachel in that I like “Ever Seen” the most, mainly because it is one of the most exciting and rockin’ hard tracks here.
Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?
Hannah: “Beaches” is my favorite song on the album, partly because of the “Island in the Sun” sound, but also the songwriting: “Cause days blend to one when I’m on the right beaches / And the walls painted white, they tell me all the secrets / Don’t wait for the tide just to dip both your feet in.” The song feels like true clarity, like finally trusting yourself or someone else. It has this feeling of peace in letting go.
Rachel: I also really like “Cruel Affair” for this. I love the opening line, ‘As she wakes they all say with wide-eyed gaze and amaze, how can something so uncomplicated still fill her brain.’ And the bossanova vibe she’s got going on in the background of this song is so addictive!
Jake: I know I have mentioned “Take a Bite” quite a bit, but I LOVE beabadoobee’s imagery on that track. The references to “red cherries” and “kiss on the lips” add a vividness to later references to color.
I also like the moment on “Post” where she sings: “Life worth living, but hard as it gets / Guess sometimes you learn to forget.” I feel like it captures the theme of growth bea portrays for much of the album as she learns to accept the small victories in life, even if that was difficult in her younger life; it’s very relatable.
Josh: Like I said, I like the song “Ever Seen,” and I’m a fan of its central lyrics: “Spent some time waiting for your face. Don’t want to risk just making all the same mistakes. The highest I think I’ve ever been, said I had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen.” That’s some true compassion, right there!
Where do you feel This Is How Tomorrow Moves sits in the pantheon of beabadoobee’s discography?
Hannah: I am definitely more in a This Is How Tomorrow Moves phase of life right now, but for me Beatopia is a no-skip album that always lightens my mood. Everything about Beatopia is perfect. From the visuals to the lyrics and production, it is pure magic. This Is How Tomorrow Moves comes in a cozy second place, but I don’t think Beatopia will ever be outranked.
Rachel: I think Beatopia, after having a listen today, feels very ‘of it’s time’, the way that This Is How Tomorrow Moves is also very ‘of our moment’. But I think that’s what’s so interesting about music, and watching your favorite artists grow and change with public influences but also personal ones! I think This Is How Tomorrow Moves is definitely more expansive and creative, genre-wise, and it’s really exciting to see what she drops next.
Josh: As mentioned above, I’m not in such a great position to answer this question right now. But I look forward to the day when that changes– real soon, I hope!
Jake: I am still very new to the beabadoobee train but I really like what I hear! Out of the two projects I have heard of hers so far, it is difficult to pick a clear favorite since they are both fairly consistent in quality. However, I really like the creativity bea displays on This Is How Tomorrow Moves! If she can seek out an even more adventurous sound and further hone her songwriting then I think we are in for much more great music to come!
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:: stream/purchase This Is How Tomorrow Moves here ::
:: connect with beabadoobee here ::
Watch: “Ever Seen” – beabadoobee
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© Jules Moskovtchenko
© Jules Moskovtchenko
This Is How Tomorrow Moves
an album by beabadoobee
