American pop singer and songwriter Madison Beer released her third album, “locket,” on Jan. 16, exploring themes of heartbreak and self-reflection across its eleven tracks. While the album was not disappointing, it was not particularly impressive.
The album begins with the song “locket theme,” an ethereal intro that sets the album’s emotional tone. With this song, Beer introduces the theme of her album, singing, “All our memories safe in my locket.” The song feels nostalgic as she looks back on her relationship and her feelings surrounding the breakup, which is pretty much what this whole album is about.
The mood switches dramatically with “yes baby” as the next song. With a heavy beat, the song consists of the lyrics “yes baby” being repeated throughout almost the entire song with varying beats and synth patterns. This song has much more of a bold, rhythmic feel to it, like a song you might hear in a nightclub. While the song was a fun listen, it lacked the emotional depth I expected from this album after hearing “locket theme.” Next in the album was “angel wings.” Shifting to a more pop genre, the song talks about how losing a lover is easier to cope with by pretending they’re dead with “angel wings,” hence the song title. It was a fun take on dealing with loss in a creative way to lessen the heartbreak.
“For the night” brings the mood back to a softer, more vulnerable tone as Beer admits that she would feel better if her ex would love her again, even if it was just for the night. Compared to other songs in the album, the song sounded rather flat and anticlimactic with no notable changes in melody, tempo or emotional intensity. “Bad enough” is a self-reflection on how Beer feels that while she may not be particularly happy in a relationship, she stays because she doesn’t know how to be alone. Her self-reflection is expressed through the songs “healthy habit,” “you’re still everything” and “bittersweet,” while “complexity” and “make you mine” focus more on her lovers. These shifts between personal reflection and romantic relationships encapsulate the back and forth feelings of emotional conflict during a heartbreak.
As a reflection of her life, the album covers a range of moods and genres, from raw, emotional tracks like “bad enough” to catchy pop tracks like “make you mine.” The balance between high-energy moments and quieter, reflective pieces gives the album an intentional flow, almost like a musical diary. As an artist, she tells the story of her personal experiences, which I give her credit for. However, the album does not consistently push beyond familiar sounds or ideas.
While all the songs were a solid listen, I felt that there was nothing special about the album that set it apart from other mainstream pop releases. Like most of her previous songs and albums, Beer once again delves into themes of heartbreak and love, making the album feel overly repetitive. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed most of the songs and I would definitely play the album as background music for driving or doing homework. Overall, I would give the album a 3.5/5.
