Slowly but surely, Beatrice Kristi Laus is gaining traction not only with her superior blend of indie-pop, anti-folk and folk-pop but also through nods from the likes of Harry Styles and Taylor Swift (who picked her as a support act for some of her Eras tour). Beabadoobee’s superb Beatopia, from 2022, had been regarded as the album to introduce the 24-year-old Filipino-British songwriter to the masses and associated arena-sized venues, but despite her impressive performances on streaming platforms – more than a billion on Spotify alone – we’re not so certain she’ll be playing Croke Park any time soon.
Not to worry: This Is How Tomorrow Moves is at least a step in the right direction. In writing terms, it also highlights a marked level of maturity with songs such as Tie My Shoes, Girl Song, Ever Seen, One Time and Beaches. The past two years have, we learn, involved conscious self-improvement, self-acceptance, self-confidence and a determined effort to change the direction of “the most negative, most chaotic thought ever known to man and making that into my reality”. The album’s songs also touch on the “inevitability of my fault” in issues such as relationships and childhood unhappiness (“it takes two to tango in everything”).
Such explorations are writ large throughout, but the songs aren’t all serious. The album was produced at Rick Rubin’s Malibu-based Shangri-La Studios – working there was “a therapy session”, says Beabadoobee – and there are playful hints to offset the confessional tenor. Ever Seen has a country polish that you could see your face in. California could be an alternate version of Wheatus’s Teenage Dirtbag. One Time is as Beatlesesque as it gets. A Cruel Affair is a limbo dance set to music. Everything I Want is a show tune waiting enthusiastically in the wings. And Beaches is a rock song powered by Malibu’s warm sunshine and crashing ocean waves.
In short, This Is How Tomorrow Moves points to yet another vivid phase in the creative life of one of the most interesting Gen Z pop stars around.
