This Is How Tomorrow Moves marks a period of growth for Philippines-born Londoner Beabadoobee. In the professional sense, she’s gone viral many times over in the past two years, toured America with Taylor Swift and made this record in California with the legendary Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Imagine Dragons/Gossip). In a more personal sense, she’s prioritised growth and healing as she reflects on everything that came before. Stepping away from the angsty grunge-infused alt-pop of her first two records, Fake It Flowers and Beatopia, her Rubin-produced third album favours bright, bold introspection: “I guess it’s about becoming a woman,” she declared in May, when announcing the record.
Complex and hard-hitting emotional themes are the main focus here. Indie-pop opener, and recent single, Take A Bite reflects on her proclivity for chaos with light and airy dream-pop vocals. Tie My Shoes explores the residual pain of childhood trauma and complicated parental relationships, while The Man Who Left Too Soon grieves the fact that she will never get to meet her partner’s late father. Even the thematically lighter moments of the album are approached with depth and maturity, such as Coming Home’s take on homesickness and domestic bliss. And there’s a certain humour in Real Man, where Beabadoobee conjures up the sarky alt-pop of Marina and Halsey as she laments a disappointing one-night stand.
