Madison Beer released her third album, locket, on Jan. 16 of this year. Beer, who was discovered and signed by Justin Bieber in 2012, is known for having a large social media presence and for being wildly beautiful. Her longtime fans, like me, know her for being equally talented and underrated.
Among her fanbase, locket’s release was highly anticipated. Both because it was her first album after she split from her long-term boyfriend and because of fans’ hopes that it would be just the thing to help her gain substantial status in the pop world.
I saw at least a dozen TikTok videos claiming that locket would be her breakout album. Fans hoped it would produce enough memorable mainstream hits to propel her to true stardom, much like what Sabrina Carpenter has achieved in the last couple of years.
Unfortunately, media reviews have been mixed. Some people believe that locket missed the mark. One Pitchfork review by Grace Robins-Somerville succinctly sums up the idea that while the album had several good songs, they either lacked originality or were overshadowed by other songs on the track list.
Conversely, a Rolling Stone review by Maura Johnston offers a different perspective. Johnston argues that the album did have the effect that fans imagined it would because of its production, storytelling, and the strength of the singles Beer chose for the album. I would also say that releasing four music videos for a single album was a good move on Beer’s part.
In my opinion, the album has zero skips and great replay value. It felt heartfelt, personal, and its themes align with my life recently. Basically, it came out at the perfect time for me to appreciate it fully. I must say that I will rave about any music Beer puts out, though, as she has never disappointed me.
My soft spot for her aside, I do agree with some of the negative reviews about the album from a marketability standpoint. Beer continues to lack a unique and identifiable pop star ‘persona’ that makes her easily digestible to audiences.
Throughout her career, she has been defined by her outstanding beauty and continuously discounted for her strong vocal abilities. Because she is not a concept, she is hard to understand and is easily picked apart.
While there is a delicate, feminine, coquette-like quality to her and her music, more popular artists, like Ariana Grande, have occupied the same industry space during different eras of their careers (think eternal sunshine era). Essentially, Beer is still missing a niche look and sound that she needs to set her apart.
At the same time, Beer admitted in an interview for The Guardian that she is less concerned with making a big breakthrough hit than she is with making music she truly enjoys. She is not chasing charts or changing herself to cater to the music industry.
I think if Beer continues to release albums and music videos with this mindset, she will be successful no matter what the charts say. She already has an excellent discography, and she will only get better as she develops her personal and musical styles.
Music is meant to make you feel something, and sometimes a song or album can help you through a hard time in your life. locket is currently that album for me, so Beer will always be a “pop princess” and more in my eyes.