Review: This is How Tomorrow Moves by beabadoobee released via Dirty Hit

After new years in 2020 I discovered Fake It Flowers, a record by then just nineteen-year-old Beatric Kristi Ilejay Laus or beabadoobee. Afterwards the singer put out some EPs and a sophomore album, none of which particularly caught my attention. Now, at twenty-four, she’s dropped album three and has elevated to a pretty significant level of fame opening for Taylor Swift and playing her own large-scale shows.

One of my favorite parts of any bea track is her undeniable sense of humor and it's clear she hasn’t lost it, but it has evolved as time has gone on. While there’s no burn or obvious bite to a song like “Take a Bite,” there is a confidence and an honesty in owning up to situations sort of not present before. A song like “One Time” has the more classic version of this aspect of bea’s performance and lyricism; she talks about being reminded of someone who doesn’t cross her mind normally and turns into sort of a joke at their expense. Of course, of all of these, the real gem is “Real Man” a track where bea not only burns her subject but herself and really has a lot of fun doing it.


Not even just in snark, “Real Man” is a great cut instrumentally as well and uses the more grand and whimsical production first established on 2022’s beatopia. This type of songwriting communicates the instrumental is just as much about the evening in question as the lyrics are. Other tracks like “Coming Home” and “Man Who Left too Soon” all utilize this guitar and string driven sonic style I honestly wish was explored even deeper. Of course, all of this circles back to the fact of bea being more honest and open in her music. “Girl Song” has no visible touch ups and seems to be just piano and bare, honest vocalization.


It isn’t all just the introspective, mellowed out stylings of beatopia, the skeleton of Fake it Flowers is in here as well. Fake It had a lot more pop rock tracks and we see this alive and well in a song like “California” with its multi-percussion intro, soft rock sonics and a quiet yet intense bridge. This is the elevated version of what we got before only now it feels very much like the identity of this artist as opposed to a younger artist trying things out. Even when it's not necessarily “rock band” the instrumentation on the record altogether is very impressive. A song like “Ever Seen” has a great lead into a beautiful string backed chorus, another simple but strong bridge, the entire track is an adventure.


I really loved Fake It Flowers and since I wasn’t exactly feeling everything between then and now I’m glad I’ve kept up with this artist. If she was able to put out a record I love before twenty, is already supporting arena-level artists, I have no doubt this is only the beginning.


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"Real Man" is featured on the AsterTracks Spotlight playlist

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