Introduction

Have you ever heard of Beabadoobee? Or any of her music? If you have, you have really good taste in music. If you haven’t, that’s okay! In this article, I will cover some of the things about her, her music, and the meanings behind her some of her songs.

Hi! My name is Maya and I’m the person who wrote this article. I’ve been a big fan of Beabadoobee since I was 10 years old. I first learned about her when scrolling on TikTok in early 2020. I saw a  video with her song “Tired” popped up on my for-you-page and I immediately got into her music. Now I’m 14, about to turn 15 soon in August, and I still continue to listen to her songs almost everyday. But anyways, I wanted to say that although this article is very long, I really enjoyed working on it and I really hope that you enjoy reading it.

Background

Beatrice Kristi llejay Laus, also known as Beabadboobee or Bea, was born on June 3rd, 2000 in Iloilo city in the Philippines. She lived in the Philippines with her family up until the age of three. At this time her parents decided to move to London, England. In London, she grew up listening to Filipino music as well as pop and rock music from the 80’s-90’s as her parents would often listen to The Cranberries, The Cure, and Nirvana.

However, growing up in London was not easy for Bea. She was the only Asian girl in her Catholic all-girls school that was primarily white. She would commonly experience racism while dealing with unspecified trauma at home. This made Bea feel alienated around others which led to the creation of her imaginary world, Beatopia. Seven year old Bea created the world by drawing and mapping it out on paper. Beatopia helped Bea cope with reality and the things going on around her. However, her violin teacher, Mr. Roberts, found Bea’s paper drawing of Beatopia, pinned it on the wall and made everyone laugh at it. Due to the bullying and embarrassment, she eventually forgot about Beatopia.

Some facts about Bea’s world: Beatopia

• The world smells like pancakes and mushrooms
• Beatopia has its own alphabet in various symbols
• It is more of a feeling than visual to Bea
• The official language is called Beatopian
• Beatopia contains a lush utopia of ferns and spring flowers

When Bea was around 15 or 16 years old, she had a group of friends that would romanticize pain and being sad. These friends would cope by taking a lot of drugs. Her friends had a big influence on Bea, and soon she started to use drugs to escape from everything as well. Reminiscing about the situation, Bea said, “I think we just wanted to escape something, or fill a hole. I felt empty inside; I didn’t feel happy or sad, I just wanted to feel something.” Although Bea said that this was the  saddest that she had ever been, it was also the most fun that she had ever had. 

At the age of 17, Bea was expelled from school for her misfit behavior and bad grades. This led to Bea feeling very depressed and misunderstood by the people around her. “People were expecting me to be super-cute and quiet or whatever,” said Bea. “Then they realized I had a big, fat mouth and went to an all-girls school that kicked me out.”

Her dad soon realized that something was happening to Bea and got her a guitar to help her cope with her emotions. Bea learned how to play the guitar and wrote a song named “Coffee”. She posted the song online for her friends, though it quickly went viral, gaining 49 million streams on Spotify. It was then sampled in Powfu’s 2020 song, “death bed (coffee for your head)” that received 10 billion plays on TikTok within 3 months. This song was the catalyst for Bea’s musical career; she began gaining rapid recognition for her unique music and created a loyal fan base.

Beabadoobee’s Music

Bea has gone through a lot with her music. Her songs tell stories and reveal aspects of her innermost life. She knows that many feel connected to her music because they see themselves in her work. Below you will find overviews of each album!

Patched Up

Released on: December 7th, 2018.
Genre: Indie
Total songs: 7
Total Time: 25 minutes, 15 seconds
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Popular Track: “Tired”

After all the unhappiness that Bea had gone through as a teenager, it still led her to turning 18 years old, an adult, in the end. This album discusses Bea “patching herself up” from the highs and lows of finally becoming an adult. It also happens to be the first album that she has ever released! Her songs in this album go into detail about how she feels about becoming an adult. Her song, “Eighteen” which is about desperately holding onto comforts she knows she needs to let go. “Tired”, a song about Bea being over her life, just like the lyrics in the song say, “Maybe it’s time to say goodbye ‘Cause I’m getting pretty f*cking tired’”.

↳ Songs:

1. Everest – 2:38
2. Tired – 3:20
3. Dance with me – 3:54
4. Art class – 4:08
5. If you want to – 3:44
6. Eighteen – 3:58
7. The way I spoke – 4:15

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

୨⎯ Loveworm ⎯୧

Released on: April 26th, 2019
Genre: Indie
Total Songs: 7
Total Time: 25 minutes, 45 seconds
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Popular Track: “Apple Cider”

Bea’s extended play, Loveworm, was inspired by all of the artists, specifically The Moldy Peaches and Pavement, that she had listened to throughout her life to help her forget everything going on around her; a escapism tactic.  This extended play is about appreciating the life around you since beauty is everywhere if you really look for it. Bea described this extended play as something that is very special to her, that helped her and she wants it to help others as well. She wants it to be something that people can cry and dance at the same time.

Note for those who don’t know: An extended play is a musical recording that is longer than a single but shorter than an album!

↳ Songs: 

1. Disappear – 4:08
2. 1999 – 3:11
3. Apple Cider – 2:58
4. Ceilings – 3:59
5. Angel – 3:13
6. You lie all the time – 4:11
7. Soren – 4:01

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

 ୨⎯ Fake it flowers ⎯୧

Released on: October 16th, 2020
Genre: Indie and Shoegaze
Total songs: 12
total time: 41 minutes, 2 seconds
average rating: 8/10
Popular Track: “How was your day?”

Bea decided to release her studio album, Fake It flowers after her song, “Coffee” began being recognized internationally because of Powfu’s song, “death bed (coffee for your head)”. Bea said that Fake it flowers is her whole life, in one whole album. The songs in Fake it Flowers discuss very hard topics such as: first time self-harming as a child as well as other traumatic experiences that she lived through. There are also wholesome topics such as Bea’s relationship with her boyfriend. This causes people to feel many intense emotions while listening to this album because of those reasons.

↳ Songs:

1. Care – 3:14
2. Worth it – 3:14
3. Dye it red – 3:09
4. Back to mars – 1:30
5. Charlie brown – 2:32
6. Emo song – 3:38
7. Sorry – 3:53
8. Further away – 3:07
9. Horen Sarrison – 5:35
10. How was your day? – 4:20
11. Together – 3:20
12. Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene – 3:24

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

୨⎯ Beatopia ⎯୧

Released on: July 15th, 2022.
Genre: Indie
Total songs: 14
Total Time: 45 minutes, 44 seconds
Average Rating: 8/10
Popular Track: “the perfect pair”

Featuring collaborations with other artists such as PinkPantheress and even George Daniel from the band The 1975, Bea’s imaginary world, Beatopia from her childhood, inspired her to create an album based off of it. She wanted to add a nostalgic feeling into her music, while the music had deep meaning. The whole idea of her album, Beatopia, is about Bea accepting herself after going through all the trauma that she had gone through in her life.

↳ Songs:

1. Beatopia Cultsong – 2:31
2. 10:36 – 3:15
3. Sunny day – 2:40
4. See you Soon – 3:26
5. Ripples – 3:07
6. the perfect pair – 2:57
7. broken CD – 2:50
8. Talk – 2:38
9. Lovesong – 4:05
10. Pictures of Us – 4:39
11. fairy song – 2:44
12. Don’t get the deal – 3:40
13. tinkerbell is overrated [feat. PinkPantheress] – 3:48
14. You’re here and that’s the thing – 3:18

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

୨⎯ Live in London⎯୧

Released on: September 29th, 2023
Genre: Indie
Total songs: 22 songs
Total Time: 1 hour, 17 minutes
Average rating: 8/10

A special album from her live concert in London.

↳ Songs:

1. 10:36 (Live in London) – 4:27
2. Apple Cider (Live in London) – 2:53
3. Care (Live in London) – 3:40
4. Fairy Song (Live in London) – 2:50
5. Worth It (Live in London) – 3:23
6. Together (Live in London) – 3:22
7. Charlie Brown (Live in London) – 3:25
8. the perfect pair (Live in London) – 3:02
9. Sunny day (Live in London) – 3:01
10. He Gets Me So High (Live in London) – 3:09
11. Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene (Live in London) – 3:41
12. See you Soon (Live in London) – 3:37
13. Don’t get the deal (Live in London) – 4:00
14. Sorry (Live in London) – 3:43
15. She Plays Bass (Live in London) – 4:19
16. Back To Mars (Live in London) – 2:01
17. Last Day On Earth (Live in London) – 3:54
18. Dye It Red (Live in London) – 3:53
19. Talk (Live in London) – 4:42
20. Coffee (Live in London) – 3:28
21. Ripples (Live in London) – 2:44
22. Cologne (Live in London) – 4:17

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

୨⎯ Live in LA ⎯୧

Released on: December 6th, 2023
Genre: Indie
Total songs: 21
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Average Rating: 8/10

A special album from one of her live concerts in LA.

↳ Songs:

1. Talk (Live in LA) – 3:46
2. Apple Cider (Live in LA) – 3:02
3. 10:36 (Live in LA) – 3:19
4. Together (Live in LA) – 3:21
5. Charlie Brown (Live in LA) – 2:55
6. Care (Live in LA) – 3:45
7. She Plays Bass (Live in LA) – 4:45
8. Last Day On Earth (Live in LA) – 4:05
9. Pictures of Us (Live in LA) – 5:00
10. Animal Noises (Live in LA) – 3:54
11. the perfect pair (Live in LA) – 2:19
12. See you Soon (Live in LA) – 3:58
13. Sunny day (Live in LA) – 2:41
14. Glue Song (Live in LA) – 2:56
15. Don’t get the deal (Live in LA) – 4:08
16. You Lie All The Time (Live in LA) – 4:45
17. Back To Mars (Live in LA) – 1:41
18. Cologne (Live in LA) – 5:09
19. the way things go (Live in LA) – 3:29
20. Coffee (Live in LA) – 2:14
21. fairy song (Live in LA) – 4:26

♫⋆ ₊˚｡♪ .˚⋆✮ 

Bea’s Single, “The way things go” Backstory:

Beabadoobee had been dating her now ex-boyfriend, Soren Harrison since she was 15. This meant that they were dating for a total of seven years until they broke up in June of 2022, when Bea was 22 years old.  The reason as to why they broke up is unknown. Fans speculate that Bea and Soren were in an open relationship or that they just split up because one of them cheated on the other.

However it is known that not long after their breakup, Soren started dating Bea’s stylist, Molly Hayward. Molly would style Bea for many of her music videos such as “Worth it” and “Together”. In 2021, a year before Bea and Soren broke up, Molly told British Vogue that “Bea wasn’t just a client, but also her close friend” showing that Molly betrayed her friend when she started dating Soren.

When Bea’s fans found out about what happened, they were devastated. Soon enough, both Molly and Soren received tons of backlash. Molly eventually started acting petty on social media, going as far as posting an Instagram post of Soren hugging her with the caption saying: “I guess that’s just the way things go”.

Bea found out about the post and didn’t attack Molly. Instead, Bea got creative and made a song that was released in July of 2023 about what happened called “the way things go”. The song explains how Bea feels about the situation with lyrics such as:  “there’s so much left to say / I guess I’m just the bigger guy / and there’s too much on my mind / that I don’t even want to try” and “didn’t think you’d ever stoop so low / getting with the only girl you know / a lousy route that only makes me say ‘That’s pretty lame’ And that’s the way things go.” When Bea went live once she even changed up the lyrics to the song, wishing that Soren and Molly were happy together, showing she wishes them well even after all that they have put her through.

But of course, Molly had to be insufferably annoying and posted a video of Soren to Bea’s song “the way things go”. This outburst led Molly nowhere as she got even more backlash from Bea’s fans. Due to all of the backlash that she has been receiving from Bea’s fans, her accounts are now private or deleted. Right before she made them private, she spoke out about the hate on her Instagram story.

I’ve seen many people say that they would fight with Molly and Soren if they were Bea, but that Bea handled this whole situation in a very clever and mature way. Bea never attacked them even after all that happened. In my opinion, Bea is iconic for not doing anything to them but wishing them well and making a song about everything that happened, I admire her for that. Now, Bea is happy with new boyfriend, Jacob Erland and even though fans complain about the way he looks, I’m honestly happy that she’s happy.

 Bea’s Single: “Glue Song”

Speaking of Beabadoobee’s new boyfriend, Jacob Erland, Bea also made a song about him! The song was released before “the way things go”, being released on Valentine’s Day in 2023. The song is called the ‘Glue Song’ in which she discusses how much she loves Jacob by using lyrics such as: “I’ve been stuck by glue right onto you I’ve been stuck by glue” and “I’ve never known someone like you / tangled in love, stuck by you from the glue.” The song reiterates that she is locked in with him. The music video was filmed in her birth city, Iloilo!

Bea’s Latest Single: “A night to remember”

In 2023, Beabadoobee and another singer called Laufey wanted to collaborate on a song and they did just that. Both Bea and Laufey wanted to create something different that they have never done before; they came up with the song, “A Night to Remember”.  The song, “A night to Remember” was released on October 20th, 2023.

The song starts with: “Swore I’d seen you before / watched you walk through the door / something in your eye / reminded me of somebody I used to know.” The song talks about two people meeting and having a great time together but eventyally distancing themselves, no longer talking again but recognizing each other when they see each other again.

୨⎯ Wholesome facts about Bea! ⎯୧

1) Even though Bea is a musician she stated that she wants to own a nursery when she gets older.

2) Bea’s influences for her music are artists she listens to: Elliott Smith, Alex G, The Cardigans, Kimya Dawson, The Moldy Peaches, Mac Demarco, Mazzy Star, Pavement, The Cranberries, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Greenday, Lush, The Sundays, Weezer, The Smiths, Frank Ocean, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, and Pixies.

3) Her aesthetic is inspired by Ramona Flowers from the Scott Pilgrim series and the character Caroline from the movie Caroline, as she wants to give off a “manic pixie dream girl” vibe.

4) She opened for Taylor Swift during the 2023 Era’s tour from March 24th to April 29th.

5) She has two cats! Their names are Kimchi and Miso.

6) Although she understands her native language, Tagalog, more than she speaks it, she can still speak it a little.

7) Her favorite food is Ube, specifically Ube Halaya, a Filipino dessert made out of Yam.

8) Her name “Beabadoobee” is from her fake Instagram account, known as Finsta.

9)Her freckles are real.

10)Her favorite animal is a red panda.

Works cited :

Al Newstead. [2022, july 19th] Bad teachers, drugs, gatekeepers: what drove beabadoobee to make beatopia  abc.net.au : https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/beabadoobee-made-beatopia-feature-album-review-interview/13980968

Brighitliliz. (n.d) Beabadoobee Profile & Facts  kprofiles.com :  https://kprofiles.com/beabadoobee-profile-facts/

Cliff, A. [2020, march 17th] Beabadoobee wants her songs to hit you like a rock  dazeddigital.com : https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/48382/1/beabadoobee-interview

Corbett, K. [2024, January 4th] Bea Kristi’s Ex-Boyfriend Soren, Is Dating Her Friend, and of Course Tiktok Is Spiraling Over the Betrayal  distractify.com : https://www.distractify.com/p/beabadoobee-ex-boyfriend

Davies, C. (n.d) Beabadoobee and Laufey | Recounting ‘A nigh to remember’  flaunt.com : https://www.flaunt.com/post/beabadoobee-and-laufey-recounting-a-night-to remember#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20both%20agreed%20that%20we,Reclaim

Hyun Kim, M. [2022, June 15th] Beabadoobee on Fairies, Shrooms, and standing up for her vision  rollingstone.com : https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beabadoobee-beatopia-1366083/

Leigh Walker, S. [2018, December 14th.] Beabadoobee’s Patched Up is a testament to the messiness of youth  thelineofbestfit.com : https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/beabadoobee-patched-up-album-review

Mclnnes, L. [2023, February 1st] Beabadoobee’s World Building sniffers.co.nz : https://www.sniffers.co.nz/article/beabadoobees-world-building-sniffers-cover-story

Pedridis, A. [2020, Otocber 15h.] Beabadoobee: ‘I want to be that girl I needed when I was 15’ theguardian.com : https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/oct/15/beabadoobee-i-want-to-be-that-girl-i-needed-when-i-was-15

Ramzi, L. [2021, March 11th.] Meet Beabadoobee, the Singer-Songwriter  Keeping 90’s Nostalgia Alive vogue.com : https://www.vogue.com/article/meet-singer-songwriter-beabadoobee

Rey, J. (n.d) Beabadoobee gets real about dealing with trauma as an artist scoutmag.ph : https://www.scoutmag.ph/72721/beabadoobee-difficult-childhood-beatopia/