Bea Miller has been releasing mini-compilations throughout quarantine, but the singer is finally giving fans what they deserve, a 7-track project titled “elated!” full of new songs and relatable moods.
The first track titled “hallelujah,” discusses the meaninglessness of life because of all of the crazy things happening in the world right now.
“How am I supposed to work on myself / When there are Nazis in a big White House? / It seems ridiculous to live in Hell / But I guess that’s what we’re doin’ now / And maybe I should see a therapist / But the apocalypse is probably gonna take us out.”
Miller talks about how maybe she’s been smoking too much or not sleeping enough, but those are the ways herself, and many other young adults, cope with the stresses and unknowns of life.
The second song is in all caps, contrasting from the rest in all lowercase, and is called “FEEL SOMETHING DIFFERENT.” The track is a remix of her single “feel something,” and features R&B artist Aminé. His sound brings a great addition to the overly played song, spicing it up and making it fresh.
On track “forever is a lie,” Miller talks about her feelings surrounding love and it’s temporariness and heteronormativity, as well as the deranged way society portrays it as some kind of ownership over one another.
“making bad decisions,” is one of my favorite tracks on the EP, and also talks about temporary solutions for happiness.
“Let me tell you ‘bout the time I / Took my friend out the friend zone / ‘Cause I felt so sad sleepin’ alone / Then I put him right back, just like that / ‘Cause I missed being by myself.”
The lyrics are relatable and are more truthful than many young adults get in pop music. “I am so impulsive to a fault / I want the opposite of what I got / The second I get bored, I switch it up / Making bad decisions based on temporary thoughts.” While Miller could still use some versatility in her sound, she does do better than in the past at mixing genres and tempos. “i never wanna die,” serves more of a punk or alternative rock sound.
Differently, this track is sort of a love-song and talks about someone being so special to her that she never wants it to end.
Miller is unique in the fact that she talks so literally in her lyrics, rather than just using meaningless hooks and words that will get old quickly. Her songs tell stories and create a variety of feelings unlike any other.
On the sixth track “wisdom teeth,” Miller tells a story about a dance recital when she was younger, which she ended up not even being in because she was staring at herself in the mirror the whole time. Many people may feel putting these types of things in songs is pointless, but I feel it adds substance and demonstrates even greater talent and potential for the 21-year-old.
She alludes in the chorus to losing her intelligence when her wisdom teeth were removed. “Why am I so stupid? I used to be so smart / When they pulled my teeth out, lost the wisest part.”
“self crucify,” the last track on the EP, is the slowest and saddest. She talks about her difficult relationship with her mother and an even harder one with herself. “You can call me what you wanna / ‘Cause I’ve probably called me worse.”
Unfortunately, these hard times and emotions are things many people experience, which is what makes this mini-album even better and more enjoyable. The variety of themes and sounds make “elated!” a project that everyone should check out.
I give this EP 4.5 out of 5 Swoops
