Bea Miller’s serenity and self-empowerment can be defined as America’s best-kept secret.
Although Bea Miller’s vocal scape starts off with a faint, hoarse whisper — it gains momentum when she lets loose. With this in mind, Bea’s tonality can be described as bluesy with a Mixolydian side.
Her songs pretty much unravel the feeling that’s associated with each emotion. On both sides of the spectrum, Bea Miller acknowledges them but she also comes to terms that it makes her human through a fuse of electro and dreamy pop. She writes songs that only revolve around personal experiences.
Ultimately, Bea Miller wants to be the artist that’s honest. She wants to be someone who her fans can relate to because she didn’t have that as a music fan of other artists. After all, Bea Miller is someone who understands that everything that glitters isn’t gold.
Sprouting from the Big Apple, Bea Miller takes pride in calling Manhattan her birthplace. After her family moved to Brooklyn until she hit the age of 4. Then she moved to Maplewood, NJ.
By the time she was 12, Bea Miller was writing her own songs thanks to her guitar she named Charlotte. A year later she found herself competing on the second season of The X Factor where she placed ninth.
Afterward, Bea Miller signed to two record labels Syco Music and Hollywood Records in Apr. 2013. Since then she’s released two albums called Not An Apology and Aurora. Alongside is a trilogy of EPs: Chapter One: Blue, Chapter Two: Red and Chapter Three: Yellow.
Bea Miller has also released a fair amount of singles like “Song Like You”, “S.L.U.T” and “It’s Not U, It’s Me” featuring 6lack, which lets one know it’s okay to not be right for someone else because sometimes we get so caught up that we need to be what they expect us to be.
Bea Miller’s 2015 project Not An Apology ultimately speaks on standing up for what one believes in. The genre is rock pop but it gives the guitar some leeway to find it’s own rhythm.
“I Dare You” is awe-inspiring. In the midst of being torn down, she encourages all to get back up because you’re worth fighting for. Particularly this song speaks on a time where she was being belittled but she found the strength to stand up for herself.
The chorus gives those who feel defeated hope to have their own voice.
“So put me in a cage, lock me in a room/Throw away the key, I dare you/I’ll break down the walls, a high heel wrecking ball/And I won’t let you tear me down, no/Oh, oh, throw away the key, I dare you/Oh, oh and I won’t let you tear me down, no.”
https://tidal.com/track/49376603
However, “Force of Nature” has a softer side. In this song, the guitar chords are a bit lighter but the words hold weight. Bea Miller compares her love to a force of nature and says that even when she’s prone to get hurt, she doesn’t mind it.
Bea Miller has always tried to fight against her feelings but she can’t much longer. An example can be seen from the first bridge to the chorus,
“I know I should take cover/Hide inside these four walls/But baby I surrender it all/Cause you’re a force of nature/Look at what you’ve done/I can taste your danger/But I don’t want to run/So hold me to the ground/And I won’t put up a fight/I’m a caution taker.”
The trilogies Chapter One: Blue, Chapter Two: Red and Chapter Three: Yellow incorporate different themes. Blue represents the sadness she felt during the roughest period of her life so far, red represents self-liberation and yellow represents her feeling sad and angry.
In Chapter One: Blue, the main instruments that take lead are the intuitive drum, piano, and drums. As a whole Chapter One: Blue speaks on a tough break-up and the effect it’s had on her.
Bea Miller’s popular song “Song Like You” portrays what it’s like to be with an ex who’s addictive yet no good through her war-cry vocals in the pre-chorus.
“A song like you would never tell me the truth/It would turn me on, break me down, make me feel like there is nothing outside this room/A song like you would have me lost in my youth/Oh, baby, a song like you.”
Fast forward to “I Can’t Breathe” and it lets the violin and piano captivate how broken she’s feeling. She just wishes to go back to a time where things were concrete.
“Somebody get me a hammer/Wanna break all the clocks and the mirrors/And go back to a time that was different/A time when I didn’t feel like there was something missing/Now my body and mind are so distant/Don’t know how to escape from this prison/How can I free my mind?”
In Chapter Two: Red, Bea speaks on how despite the obstacles in her way, she can get through it all by using self-empowerment. The EP’s sound is mostly electro-pop and is lead by a range of piano chords, guitar chords, and snaps.
In “Like That” Bea Miller doesn’t care about how others perceive her. In fact, she only gets stronger when others try to tear her down. An example can be seen in the chorus,
“When you treat me like that/It’s pushin’ me harder, it’s pushin’ me harder/When you breakin’ my back, when you breakin’ my back/I only get stronger, I only get stronger.”
Whereas “buy me diamonds” gives the perfect clap back through desire for shiny gems.
“You made me feel so unwanted/Made the decision to leave you behind/You say you’ve changed and you’re sorry/But I don’t wanna know/So give me something I can hold/That I can trust and call my own/And won’t run out and leave me cold/Give me something that won’t tell me lies/Won’t leave me hanging out to dry/Won’t f-ck me over make me cry.”
Following after is Chapter Three: Yellow. It profoundly speaks on how she’s owning herself instead of letting others define who and how she should be or look. In the pit of fury, she tells all in songs like “repercussions” and her hit single “S.L.U.T.”
“repercussions” is a song that speaks on Bea Miller taking her worth back because beforehand she used to let people step all over her. It trickles in a warm vibe with guitar strums and drum kicks.
As she sings on how she has to take back what’s hers, one can relate due to societal views. An example is shown is this very line,
“My point of view has been altered because I’m never looking out through my own eyes/I don’t know when I misplaced my own perspective/So now I gotta take back what was mine/So tired of this stagnant place that I keep living in.”
“S.L.U.T” was created due to a hateful comment left under one of her pictures. According to Bea Miller, the picture was of her in a bodysuit and skirt but the outline of her nipples could be seen.
She didn’t care because most girls with smaller boobs can pull off not wearing a bra but this one girl had a different opinion. The hater said, “How could you post this? You’re such a slut, how could you be promoting being a slut on your Instagram? So inappropriate that you’re not wearing a bra.”
The comment left Bea enraged. While she was in the process of venting to the writer and producer, the writer searched ‘slut’ while they were on Urban Dictionary just to see what would come up.
Strangely enough, there was an acronym there that said, “Sweet Little Unforgettable Thing.” The writer looked at Bea and said “sweet little unforgettable thing. How do you feel about that?”
Bea responded, “We have to write this song!” As a whole, the song uses an appeasing trumpet to keep the fun vibe alive. It’s a funky pop song that speaks on loving the skin you’re in.
“Cause it’s my own and I’ll keep owning it/I’ma do just what I want on the regular/And it’s really not my fault if you’re scared of a/Sweet little unforgettable thing, unforgettable/Sweet little unforgettable thing, so incredible/No and I’m not sorry, I’m just loving my body.”
Lastly, Bea Miller’s recent album Aurora is a compilation of all the songs from the previous trilogy except it mixes in singles and unreleased tracks as well. From “crash&burn” to “outside” you’re going to catch a different vibe every time.
“crash&burn” is an electro-R&B and pop track that speaks on how this one special character has gotten through to her. She is certain that this guy is the one to stop her from crashing and burning.
An example of this is shown in the line:
“I know that it’s been written before/But I wanna let you know that I adore you/You’re the only one who makes me feel so high/But I won’t crash and burn this time.”
Whilst “outside” is on the funky electro-pop side. As the guitar takes lead, Bea Miller speaks about her feelings when it comes to depression. Her mind just runs around in circles and wonders why this is even happening.
All in all Bea Miller is an artist who gets what it’s like to have good and bad times. Regardless, she wants to enjoy her life because it’s too short and you only get one chance to do it. Life can suck and that’s totally fine.
As a word of advice — you can pretty much get through anything with Bea Miller streaming from your playlist. If you get a chance check out some of her music while she’s on her Nice to Meet U Tour.