Fake it Flowers, the debut album from London-based artist Beabadoobee is the perfect embodiment of early 2000s indie and paves the way for young girls longing to perform everywhere.
As I entered my early teens I fell in love with indie music, I began exploring and started to feel weighed down by the male dominance of the genre. So, I then went on the hunt for artists that I could relate to, that’s when I found groups like Lush, The Breeders, Bikini Kill, Letters to Cleo, Sonic Youth, Hole, L7, Bratmobile, etc. It was a whole new world filled with powerful women that screamed and shouted and were being themselves without caring about what others thought, it gave me confidence in who I was and allowed me to speak up. Yet I’ve struggled to find modern day artists that exudes a similar sort of energy, that was until I found Beabadoobee, an artist I believe will help inspire a whole generation of girls in music.
At the age of 20 Beabadoobee, born Bea Kristi, has already released three Eps, signed to one of the most recognised indie labels in the UK (Dirty Hit) and been nominated for the Rising Star award at the Brit awards. All three of her Eps were successful but it wasn’t until her song Coffee was sampled by artist Powfu in their song Death Bed (Coffee for your Head), which went viral on TikTok, blew up and catapulted Beabadoobee into the international sphere. Since then she has opened up for the likes of Clairo and the 1975 and has made her mark within the modern indie world.
Beabadoobee’s debut album, Fake it Flowers, begins with Care, the first track to be released back in July. Immediately the song boasts Beabadoobee’s sweet vocals, her quiet almost whispers contrasts with the more rock like melody. For a lead single Care sounds the most saturated and neat yet was chosen well as not only does it showcase the range of Beabadoobee’s voice but also lyrically it’s the strongest. Care feels like it’s been plucked straight from a 90s teen film, a common theme throughout Beabadoobee’s discography.
A highlight of the album is Charlie Brown, upon first listen of the album, Charlie Brown was the one track that I had to go back and replay several times. Immediately, the focused guitar and bass creates a rhymic, fast-paced beat, a quick break between the verse and the chorus builds anticipation as Beabadoobee screams the chorus (‘Throw it away’) accompanied by a roaring assamble of instruments.
The charming part about the album is the lyrics. Beabadoobee’s lyrics seem more like a conversation, it doesn’t matter whether the subject of the song is a love letter or about a friend, her lyrics appear simple but seem to create a deeper connection with a listener.
The second half of the album feels different from the first. Tracks like Care, Charlie Brown and Worth It, present the heavier side of Beabadoobee, yet the second half creates a lighter and emotionally fuelled atmosphere. Horen Sarrison is maybe the most impressive song in the second half, a song written about Beabadoobee’s partner has a rich sound due to the inclusion of a strings section. How Was Your Day? Is the next track and feels more like a demo than a single on an album, the simplicity of just Beabadoobee’s voice and the guitar combined with the crackling of the recording makes for a cosy listen with her lyrics sounding more sincere.
Fake it Flowers ends with the track Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene, a fun song that Beabadoobee mentioned in an interview with i-D about the names she would like to call her future children. The song wraps up the album and breaks the serious themes seen throughout, it even sums up the online persona of Beabadoobee. Her Instagram stories often funny and light-hearted and this song is even a reminder that Beabadoobee, despite her talent, is still a 20-year-old, yet has produced such a polished and heart-felt album which many artists could only dream of producing for a debut album.
By Abbie Aitken
Listen to Fake it Flowers on Spotify: