Track Review: Take A Bite // beabadoobee

You may only know Bea Kristi by her playful stage name beabadoobee, but ever since her appearance on Powfu’s viral track ‘death bed (coffee for your head)’, the London singer-songwriter has been expertly cultivating a place for herself amongst Gen Z listeners: from her bedroom-pop roots (‘Tired’) to her recent teen-angst tunes (‘Talk’, ‘10:36’), her output remains distinctly on the pulse of modern music trends. 

“I’m craving expectations / that are unattainable temptations”, beabadoobee sings in a markedly Fiona Apple-esque fashion on her newest single, ‘Take A Bite’. The line aptly sums up the track’s brooding, restless mood as Kristi reflects on her self-sabotaging tendency to indulge in romantic relationships which only cause her pain.

Set to instrumentation reminiscent of Incubus’ ‘Drive’ (1999), there’s an introspective honesty present as the singer confesses her entrapment within a repeating cycle; she’s “indulging in situations that are fabricated imaginations” and obsessing over a past relationship like a forbidden fruit. Temptation overwhelms her as she admits “I think I might / take a bite”, but the consequences are harmfully intoxicating: “It gets harder to breathe / But I take it and I want it and I love when it bleeds”. Just as the track reaches its climactic height in a layered bridge of distortion and harmony, Kristi returns to the dulcet guitar of the opening in an apt reflection of the cyclical nature of her temptation and its repercussions.

While nothing new, the single’s mellow warmth is a welcome addition to today’s pop landscape, which has followed the general gravitation toward everything y2k into the sound of the early noughties. If Olivia Rodrigo is Gen Z’s take on pop-punk princesses such as Avril Lavigne, beabadoobee represents a gentler take on alternative rock of the period. By putting her indie-pop spin on a genre heavily influenced by artists such as Elliot Smith and Pavement, Kristi makes alternative rock accessible through her signature dreamy vocals and relatable, contemplative lyrics. 

‘Take a Bite’ feels like a natural progression for the singer from her previous early ‘00s-inspired tracks ‘He Gets Me So High’ and ‘Talk’. With her third album, This is How Tomorrow Moves in the works, we are sure to receive more servings of easy-listening, nostalgic and contemplative beabadoobee. Let’s hope they’re worth taking a bite of.

Words by Elise Barry

Support The Indiependent

We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.