"All I Did Was Dream Of" This Iconic Collaboration
Written by Faith Logue
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
Beabadoobee, whose real name is Beatrice Kristi Laus, is known for her 90s-influenced indie pop and bedroom pop music, releasing her fifth album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, in 2024. She announced she was working on new music and gave fans a taste of her new era with “All I Did Was Dream Of You,” with bedroom pop group The Marías (who also announced they are working on a new album at the GRAMMYs). The collab was surprising and exciting and did not disappoint, as it is somber, mellow, and upbeat before all crescendoing into a noise rock ballad.
The track starts slow and melodic, with beabadoobee’s fresh and angelic voice filling in the rest as she sings, “Please/All I did was dream of you.” She is highlighting that the relationship she is/was in made her happy, and it was “always so easy” with them, but when the moments are low, they overconsume her, and she begs them to stay. As the track continues, the percussion becomes steadier, with vibrant piano and guitar licks helping it along.
The chorus is upbeat yet dramatic and sad, reminiscent of beabadoobee’s track “Beaches.” She begs for some sort of sanity, singing, “Stay/stay or just leave/stay or just leave me be,” in a desperate attempt to keep this happiness around, becoming more frantic with her approach as it continues.
As if the track couldn’t become more hauntingly beautiful, the voice of The Marías lead singer María Zardoya echoes with an industrial instrumental backing her. She paints a picture of wanting this person and the feelings of loneliness she exhibits when they aren’t around, singing, “Nightmares always feel like this/They swallow me/But I let go/Doesn't feel like I can breathe (Stay with me for a while).”
The second repetition of the chorus takes on a darker tone, with electric guitars creating a swirling soundscape as beabadoobee and Zardoya chant together, “Stay/stay or just leave/stay or just leave me be.” The track abruptly fades, leaving just an isolated piano and an underwater vocal effect on Zardoya’s voice as she utters, “Stay/Like the summer breeze/Don't go/Don't go.”
“All I Did Was Dream Of You” by beabadoobee featuring The Marías was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. There was not one point on the track that I could predict would happen as it sped up, slowed down, and bottomed out. As both continue to make their mark in the indie scene, I hope they continue to collaborate and tinker with this industrial-electric soft sound in this track.