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Photo: Callum Harrison

This week British singer-songwriter beabadoobee, née Bea Kristi, returns to fans with her first project of 2021, Our Extended Play, a four-track EP that provides listeners with a new take on beabadoobee's signature style. After Bea's 2017 single "Coffee" was interpolated by another artist, she quickly amassed over 10 million listeners on Spotify and a newly devoted fan base. Though she may not have known it in 2017, the sky was the limit for the young artist, and luckily, Bea's newest release shows the artist spreading her wings and taking risks with new styles and sounds.

Though beabadoobee has already treated fans to a taste of Our Extended Play  via her 2021 single "Last Day On Earth," her EP in full sees the young singer doubling down on her new alt-rock-meets-brit-pop register. On tracks like "Last Day On Earth" and "Cologne," whose video also releases today, Bea displays an immense amount of talent and versatility by adopting a more abrasive and rock-leaning vibe.  

Her breathy and ambient vocals, a signature sound that paired incredibly well with her previous style of downtempo and acoustic cuts, simply flourishes over the EP's electrifying guitar and percussion tracks. On "Cologne" specifically, the distortion of the electronic vocals evokes comparisons to bands like Depeche Mode, though somehow amongst the chaos Bea's vocals retain their signature delicate elegance.  

For an artist who had already established her own musical lane, Bea's abrupt stylistic jump into a more heavy-handed genre is just about as graceful as one could hope. The two styles almost seem to meet in conversation on the EP cut "Animal Noises," a soft and saccharine song that gradually evolves into a rock-flavored cut with the introduction of string and percussion tracks. The riskiness of putting these two genres together pays off well, providing listeners with something entirely unique on Our Extended Play.  

The EP closer "He Gets Me High" is a touch more upbeat and eclectic than the tracks that preceded it, sounding like a Pale Waves hit but with dreamy vocals that balance Bea's distinct softness with an enviable ethereality.  

Our Extended Play sees Bea also closely collaborating with others for the first time, featuring writing and production from Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975 fame. Together, the three of them create a nuanced and '90s-inspired release that covers topics like unhealthy dependency, growing up, and everything in-between. With more music hopefully on the way, now is the perfect time to become a beabadoobee fan, and watch as she ascends into the musical stratosphere.

Listen to Our Extended Play  below: