beabadoobee’s Painting the Apocalypse In 90’s Nostalgia on Her "Last Day On Earth"
Written by Caitlin Joy
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
The fizzy, pastel haze of the bedroom pop dreamscape has been home to a plethora of young, starry-eyed creatives since its emergence in the last half of the latter decade, for it is void of outdated industry politics, and instead, gifts artists the opportunity to expand their craft and curate their sound organically. beabadoobee, the nom de plume of Philippines-born, London-raised Bea Laus, began her sonic journey amidst the nouveau genre’s softly twinkling realm in 2017 and has since traversed in diverse DIY music directions, achieving an immense amount of commercial and critical successes alike, along her travels.
As of 2021, Laus appears to be an ever-exploring inhabitant of the modern day’s late-90s grunge revival, in a suburb reminiscent of that explosive, unapologetic riot grrrl music, as ascertained by her highly acclaimed 2020 debut album, Fake it Flowers, which dripped in vibrant, crackling nostalgia. The remarkably well-received release, meriting 1.5 billion streams and ample admiration from the music press, is evocative of sparked live-wire soundtracks from the effervescent, coming-of-age era overflowing in unabashed, angsty anthems and raw, vulnerable ‘diary entries,’ cathartic to teenage girls, then and now.
beabadoobee continues to navigate the fizzing ethos of fuzzy 90s indie/alt-rock with her most recent single, “Last Day On Earth,” an ebullient, sugar-soaked daydream reflecting upon what jovial frivolity and feel-good rebellion Laus would pursue happenstance the title, nee, would have, prior to the anomalous global order. Bea remarks upon her friends’ apocalyptic escapades, narrates her ideal end-of-days amusement, and muses curiously upon the earth’s impending termination in lively, euphoric melodies, atop bubbly, scintillating chords, a lustrous, sparkling rhythm, and what sounds aptly alike the shaking of glitter. Though an apposite metaphor for our grim, somber time, “Last Day On Earth” glimmers with a light, sanguine exuberance palpable in its infectious, playful chorus, ‘Shoop-doop, shoop-doo, badoobadoo,’ friendly, optimistic tempo and themes of uninhibited youth, blissful spontaneity, and untroubled acceptance.
Alas, as inspired by the sentimental apathy and amiable edge of the blurring, stargazy VHS-age, “Last Day On Earth” is equally an indisputable allegory to the extraordinarily atypical time in which we have been inhabiting: a reality that ubiquitously feels detached from any prior customs, normalcy, and expectations. Bea details, “[Last Day On Earth] is about all the things I would have done had I known we were going into a lockdown and the world was going to change the way it has. …lyrically it’s me reflecting on how it would feel if we all knew ahead of time what was going to happen. All the things I would have done if I knew it was the last day of our old normality.” Such an empathetic sentiment offers solace for listeners that similarly yearn for a return to the days of carefree gaiety, reckless abandon, and absent precociousness, but through a narrative vessel that entices the imagination, thus acting as a captivating diversion from the depressing, existential aspects of the inspiration material.
Pivoting off the notion of normality, Laus curated the tune’s innovative prose, artistic approach, and piquant commentary on a secluded farm in the English countryside, with the additional expertise of fellow Dirty Hit labelmates Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975 (whom she had accompanied prior on their international “Music for Cars” tour). beabadoobee and co. created and produced an EP entitled “Our Extended Play” over the early summer of last year, set for release this spring, comprised of a sundry array of exploratory tracks with experimental sonics and the ever-changing sound that both Bea and the band have been renowned for throughout their careers.
Accompanying “Last Day On Earth” is a grainy, pastel-toned music video, reflecting pristinely the visual richness of a Nikon camera, depicting, in a superlative grunge aesthetic and meticulous indie atmosphere, the uninhabited escapades of Bea’s reminiscence—a hazy collection of cherished memories and valuable stories. In addition to belonging to Laus’ personal inventory of bittersweet nostalgia, the events portrayed artfully mimic the quintessential cliches of beloved ‘90s teen rom-coms,’ their youthful blithe intertwined with the mesmerizingly impulsive and cynical imagery enamored by the Tumble generation: an exact embodiment of ‘beabadoobee’.
Contrary to the single’s declaration, there is an abundant amount of time remaining on Earth, and perhaps you could abide a portion of it, collecting awe-inspiring memories at a beabadoobee show this fall to fondly reminisce upon, in the instance reality ever becomes overly adverse, overwhelming or altogether apocalyptic! https://www.beabadoobee.com/tour