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<\/p>\nMadison Beer is opening up her locket and throwing away the key. <\/p>\n
Her third studio album locket arrives on the other side of an industry lull, a silent winter stretch when music quiets to a hum. Beer plans to brave the season by dropping this new project in the space between. She\u2019s not holding anything back this time. \u201cNo one\u2019s gonna tell me what to make or what to do,\u201d she says with an earned confidence. \u201cI\u2019m just at a point in my life and my career where I am gonna do what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Locket is an opening into herself; it possesses a totality that she\u2019s never felt prepared to share before. When we hop on a call, Beer seems unfazed, energized almost, by the quietness preceding her. Music executives on vacation, the same songs on replay and everyone tending to their own new year resolutions \u2013 none of this is a setback. She sees it as an opportunity to set the scene on her own terms. And that she does. \u201cI\u2019m approaching it excited about the music and with a \u2018Whatever happens, happens\u2019 energy which is very freeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
On locket, Beer\u2019s sonic evolution unfolds effortlessly, the tracks winding between R&B influences and the thumping dark-pop melodies that listeners have come to know her for. Any burgeoning artist in her place might feel an urgency to escalate and impress, but for Beer, those metrics fall to the sidelines. \u201cIt\u2019s a big deal for me to feel freed from the shackles of pressure and comparisons,\u201d she tells PAPER. \u201cI want to make music I\u2019m proud of and perform it for people who fuck with it. Take it or leave it, honey.\u201d <\/p>\n
These days, Beer tells PAPER that boundaries are her priority. \u201cI used to give literally everything,\u201d she admits. \u201cI have been doing this since I was 12, and I love what I do, but it can\u2019t be what defines me as a human being.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up in the public eye came with unavoidable scrutiny and undeniable personal cost. Entering a cutthroat industry at a young age ushered in preconceived notions about how the public could treat her and what they could expect from her. Especially as a young girl, comments about her appearance, continuous pressure to rebrand and invasions of privacy flooded in from the internet. Her work life became her whole life, and Beer found herself missing out on the small moments that many wouldn\u2019t even notice that she was sacrificing \u2013 birthdays, family time, time for herself just to rest.<\/p>\n
Before locket, Madison Beer wasn\u2019t sure if she wanted to do this anymore. Now, she\u2019s more sure than ever. With a new command over her image and artistry, her personal life now rests behind the proverbial curtain. Finding the balance was far more than a personal endeavor. Beer\u2019s recalibration protects the parts of herself that exist outside of performance, laying a new foundation for fans and fellow artists who might follow in her footsteps. Advocating for herself and her wellbeing is a non-negotiable \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s a matter of just saying \u2018no.\u2019 In an industry that rewards overexposure and constant reinvention, Beer aims for something more: sustainability. \u201cI want to be a role model,\u201d she claims. \u201cI hope that there are people out there that look up to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before we hang up, her tone turns from interview-ready to casual. No need for spectacle, just honesty. \u201cYou know, a top ten album would be fucking sick, but if I can be happy regardless of that, that\u2019s really the win.\u201d <\/p>\n
Read the rest of our exclusive PAPER cover story with Madison Beer below.<\/p>\n
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How has your winter break been? Did you go anywhere cool or watch any good movies? <\/p>\n
Releasing an album in early January I have now learned is maybe not the smartest idea because the whole industry just goes dark for two whole weeks. I\u2019ve been kind of freaking out, but now everything\u2019s back online. Luckily, we handled so much before the break. <\/p>\n
I stayed home. I literally did absolutely nothing, which was so nice. I watched great movies, though. I\u2019ve never seen \u201cThe Gentleman\u201d with Matthew McConaughey. I really liked that, I thought that it was great. And I will admit, which is honestly embarrassing to admit, I\u2019d never seen \u201cThe Shawshank Redemption,\u201d and it\u2019s literally my favorite movie now. I\u2019m obsessed with it. <\/p>\n
I got into a loop of watching things like The Grinch and The Polar Express.<\/p>\n
Those movies feel like fever dreams. The Polar Express scares me. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s comfortably spooky to me. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s valid.<\/p>\n
So, just the other day you had your first Billboard Hot 100 entry with \u201cBittersweet,\u201d congratulations! <\/p>\n
It\u2019s so cool. Thank you, it only took me 15 years.<\/p>\n
And now you\u2019re kicking off the new year with your third studio album. Those are big landmarks as an artist. How are you feeling?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m in a really great place. I\u2019ve never felt more equipped to be releasing an album. I feel very healthy. I\u2019m approaching it excited about the music and with a \u201cWhatever happens, happens\u201d energy which is very freeing. <\/p>\n
Some people hear me talk about this and it could sometimes sound like I don\u2019t care. It\u2019s not that. I care so much about the music that I made, and I love this album so much. I love everything to do with it. So I feel like it would be doing it a disservice to then chalk it up to \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t perform well then it must suck,\u201d because I don\u2019t think that. Historically, I\u2019ve never had a number one album, I\u2019ve never been someone that\u2019s crushing the charts. It\u2019s unfair for me to put that type of pressure on it. <\/p>\n
I feel so good, I just really do. I\u2019m pumped about the music, I\u2019m excited for my fans to hear it. I just feel super, super proud of what I made and where I\u2019m at. I hope people feel the same way. <\/p>\n
You\u2019ve spoken about how this era feels like the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Are there any big differences that you are anticipating or have already noticed between the two?<\/p>\n
I look at all my albums as times in my life. When I look back to \u201cSilence Between Songs,\u201d I really wanted to convey emotion and show that side of me. I wanted people to get to know me. With this one, I wanted to make something fun. Tour made me want to do that. With this album, every song that\u2019s on it, I was imagining the live show and what that\u2019s gonna look like. I think that\u2019s super fun. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m also talking about my personal life. It\u2019s a big deal for me to feel freed from the shackles of pressure and comparisons. At the end of the day, it\u2019s just not why I do this, and I actually don\u2019t care. I\u2019m not afraid to say it. It\u2019s just not my thing! I\u2019ve never been driven by anything but the love of the art and the love for the fans. That\u2019s truly it. <\/p>\n
If people don\u2019t like that, then it is what it is. I see posts sometimes that are like \u201cWhy do we want you to be bigger than you want it?\u201d And I\u2019m like, well, I don\u2019t know what to tell you. My priority isn\u2019t to be the biggest artist on earth. I want to make music I\u2019m proud of and perform it for people who fuck with it. Take it or leave it, honey. <\/p>\n
Exactly. When I was listening to locket, I noticed a particular evolution sonically. Touching on what you were saying about how going on tour affirmed the kind of fun you can have with live music \u2013 do you feel a new authority over your sound? How has your relationship to the technical aspect of your music-making evolved?<\/p>\n
I definitely take a way more hands on approach now. Luckily I work with producers who are super collaborative and want me to be producing with them because they trust my taste and vision. It\u2019s really affirming and cool because, growing up a young girl in the industry, I felt for a really long time like I couldn\u2019t have a voice in rooms especially with big male producers. I would feel shot down, I couldn\u2019t really speak my mind and was like \u201cI\u2019m not a producer.\u201d But then my producers were like, \u201cYes you are\u2026 Like what the hell, you produce just as we do. Just because you\u2019re not physically clicking the buttons \u2013 these are your ideas.\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s really awesome to work with people who want that and are down to be collaborative. So yeah, I feel like the approach is way different. Every single sound you hear, there\u2019s nothing on my album that I didn\u2019t choose. It\u2019s all of us, you know, but I\u2019m a part of every step. That\u2019s been a really fun experience.<\/p>\n
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Full look: Chlo\u00e9, Earrings: Jennifer Fisher<\/p>\n
I can imagine how affirming that is \u2013 to have that creative control and see it unfold. <\/p>\n
Yeah, no one\u2019s gonna tell me what to make or what to do. I\u2019m just at a point in my life and my career where I am gonna do what I want. <\/p>\n
Is there something about your creative process that would surprise people who try to box you in as \u201cjust a voice\u201d or \u201cjust a face\u201d when actually, you\u2019re the head of creative? <\/p>\n
Probably just that I am the head of creative. All of the ideas that you are seeing are coming from me. I\u2019m a part of every aspect. I mean, even when you come see me on tour, hopefully, you\u2019re seeing lighting programming that I was sitting there for every single song and giving direction. I\u2019m not saying I do everything myself, but my hand is in all of it. I\u2019m sitting there for every single step because I have such a clear vision. <\/p>\n
That alone would surprise people, because a lot of people don\u2019t know much about me and probably think I\u2019m just a dumb pop girly. <\/p>\n
When I was listening to the album, I caught myself a few times wondering if there were any samples or interpolations. If there are, could you talk about those and what drew you to them? <\/p>\n
There\u2019s actually not really, except for I guess you could call them samples, but in \u201cComplexity\u201d there\u2019s a sample of the elevator ding in Severance in the middle of the song. I just thought it was funny and cool because the lyric is \u201cRemember the time you severed me.\u201d Then there\u2019s a sample of Marceline from Adventure Time at the end of \u201cHealthy Habit\u201d and she\u2019s saying \u201cYou don\u2019t remember anything, do you?\u201d Everything else is original.<\/p>\n
I love that, like how you\u2019ve done the Rick and Morty sample before.<\/p>\n
Now I can\u2019t wait for shows and all of them are screaming \u201cYou don\u2019t remember anything do you?\u201d I can already imagine it. It just feels personal, you know? My true fans \u2013 the ones who come to the shows, the ones who have read my book, the ones who see me clearly \u2013 they appreciate that. They hear stuff like that and they\u2019re like \u201cThis is that closeness that we love with her.\u201d We have this relationship that is really special and that\u2019s my way of honoring it because I want them to go \u201cWe know she loves her Adventure Time, that\u2019s funny that she would put that in there.\u201d It\u2019s a way of feeling close to them as well. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s nice that you feel like you don’t have to take yourself too seriously, that you\u2019re able to honor that closeness by having a little bit of fun with them. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a double edged sword. Like, okay yeah I should obviously take it seriously \u2013 this is my career. This is my album. But on the other hand, this is music. It should be fun! It should be silly at times. It should be personal. I want them to have those moments where it makes them feel like \u201cshe did this for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riffing off of that, would you say that you give everything of every part of yourself to your art? Or are there parts that you keep for yourself, and how do you draw that line?<\/p>\n
I used to give literally everything. Making this album, I gave legitimately everything and then after it was done, I took a step back and was like, \u201cI don\u2019t know if this is all there is to life.\u201d I have been doing this since I was 12, and I love what I do, but it can\u2019t be what defines me as a human being. <\/p>\n
I value so much more about myself and about my life outside of my music career. Life is short and I don\u2019t want to look back and be like \u201cDamn I spent all my time working\u201d when I could have gone on vacation with my family, had a birthday party \u2013 little stupid things that people don\u2019t think of that you find yourself sacrificing. I don\u2019t want to do that anymore. I want to also prioritize my human life and not just always exist in this \u201cMadison Beer, performance, posting\u201d cycle. <\/p>\n
If anything, I want to be a role model for people who want to have a career in something that is pretty life-consuming. I want to be someone who they can look to and be like \u201cWow, she maintains a healthy work life and healthy personal life.\u201d <\/p>\n
Especially with the position you\u2019re in, being consumed can become your whole life. Working becomes your whole life.<\/p>\n
Like, where\u2019s the line? When is my time off? I love what I do. But you\u2019ll hear on the album, on \u201clocket theme\u201d I touch on it a little bit. I talk about how I had to take a step back to see if I even wanted to continue this. It\u2019s a lot at times, it\u2019s really fucking intense. I\u2019m somebody that can\u2019t turn off my very sensitive heart and sometimes this job is not cut out for people like that. There are times when I need to take a step back. And you\u2019ll hear that on the intro. Ultimately I decided to make another album and stay here, but yeah. I just want to keep doing things my way so I feel good about it. <\/p>\n
Do you feel like standing firm on those boundaries has, in some way, allowed you to feel safe enough to break down your own walls? <\/p>\n
One hundred percent. That\u2019s me advocating for myself and my wellbeing. Saying no is powerful sometimes. <\/p>\n
All the discourse online about me needing a rebrand \u2013 I see this shit everyday. \u201cWe need a new thing! She needs a new hair color, she needs a new this!\u201d They want everything about me to change. I\u2019m like, take me as I am or don\u2019t. I hope that there are people out there that look up to me and say, \u201cI want to be myself because she is herself, regardless of all the people telling her to change all the time.\u201d That\u2019s become a very important pillar for me.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s admirable that in the thick of it, you are still looking out for the girls behind you. To lighten things up a little: If you could hold one thing in a locket with you forever \u2013 anything or anyone you could dream up \u2013 what would it be?<\/p>\n
Honestly, my instinct would be my brother. He\u2019s been the most consistent person in my life. I\u2019ve known the kid for 23 years and I just love him so much. He\u2019s brought me so much joy throughout the years and he makes me laugh harder than anyone. Our closeness means a ton to me. <\/p>\n
I can\u2019t wait to tell my best friend that. We listen to \u201cRyder\u201d all the time together.<\/p>\n
Stop it, that\u2019s so cute. He\u2019s the best.<\/p>\n
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Jacket and shorts: Datt Official, Harness: Zana Bayne<\/p>\n
Speaking of, you\u2019re very intentional with each album\u2019s world building and soundscape. What was one choice you made on locket purely because it felt good, not strategic?<\/p>\n
The whole album is very me, and encompasses me better than any other project I\u2019ve ever released. But specifically, the outro of \u201cangel wings.\u201d It\u2019s a pretty long outro; it\u2019s not made for radio. I made that for the kids that love music, that might be producers. <\/p>\n
Part of the conversation that has followed you as an artist is where you fall in the music industry, categorically. Where do you see yourself? Who do you consider your contemporaries and inspirations? I would love to hear who floats in your orbit from your perspective. <\/p>\n
I definitely think I sit in a pop landscape \u2013 I would say pop alternative. It\u2019s not completely down the line pop, but it\u2019s not fully alternative. locket has a lot of R&B influence. As for my contemporaries, I love all the pop girlies that are all very beloved. Whether it\u2019s Tate [McRae] or Sabrina [Carpenter], or Clairo and beabadoobie, the spectrum is very wide. We all make super different music but sit in a similar world. I would love to think that I\u2019m amongst those really talented people. <\/p>\n
Ariana\u2019s obviously always been one of my idols and someone I\u2019ve looked up to my entire career. Sonically and vocally, I just think she\u2019s incredible. I\u2019m also a huge Daft Punk fan. I love old 80s music. I\u2019m very into The Beatles. My music catalogue is very random.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but think about Ariana and also Imogen Heap when listening to some of the songs on locket. I loved the combination of R&B influences and then by the next track thinking \u201cOkay! We have a new Imogen daughter on our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes! That\u2019s so cool, I love Imogen. Do you know Eli? <\/p>\n
Yes! I\u2019m living for her. <\/p>\n
She\u2019s perfect. Her voice is fucking literally insane. I followed her on TikTok for awhile then saw her at a bagel shop and we were looking at each other and I was like \u201cis that her?\u201d and then just went right up to her. She\u2019s so talented. There\u2019s a song called “Fortunately 4 U,\u201d it\u2019s so fucking good. <\/p>\n
I had her song Glitter on repeat for two weeks. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s so good. <\/p>\n
You\u2019ve been in the game for a long time. At what point did you feel authority over your image and art? Was there a specific moment of reclamation or is it a gradual journey that you\u2019re still on?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s definitely a gradual journey. I would say getting dropped from my record label and my management when I was 16 helped, because I was able to be like alright, well, you know what it is? Sink or swim. To me, that was my moment of asking myself: What can I do? What\u2019s in my realm of control? It\u2019s still taking shape to this day. I\u2019m co-directing my music videos and writing the treatments; that\u2019s something that wasn\u2019t even in the realm of possibility a couple of years ago. It\u2019s just going to continue to evolve.<\/p>\n
Speaking of co-directing, who are some of your dream collaborators? It could be producers, directors, other artists, anyone.<\/p>\n
I mean, I would love to be in movies. If you want me to shoot for the stars, being in a Christopher Nolan movie would be my dream. That would be cool. <\/p>\n
Honestly, same. It\u2019s sink or swim and you chose swim, girl. <\/p>\n
Thank you. <\/p>\n
What does success look like to you right now? <\/p>\n
Success to me looks like being happy and content, no matter the outcome. Not tethering my self worth to things that are out of my control. Being proud of who I am and what I\u2019ve made, regardless of the noise or the charts, the numbers, anything. That, to me, is true success. You know, a top ten album would be fucking sick, but if I can be happy regardless of that, that\u2019s really the win. <\/p>\n
You sound happier and more present than you\u2019ve ever been. But also, continuing to believe in yourself this way will pay off \u2013 we just saw it with the Hot 100 entry! <\/p>\n
I appreciate that. That\u2019s what my fans were saying, like, \u201cShe did this without y\u2019all\u2019s rebrand\u201d and \u201cShe did this making her shit by herself.\u201d I\u2019m excited that I\u2019m able to do it my way. Frank Sinatra said it best. <\/p>\n
So when people talk about this era, what do you hope they take away from it?<\/p>\n
I hope they remember how I stay true to me, and I hope they think this is an epic album. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Madison Beer is opening up her locket and throwing away the key. Her third studio album locket arrives…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241903,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[3050,17401,146,85,46,22811,409],"class_list":{"0":"post-241902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-ariana-grande","9":"tag-cover-story","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-madison-beer","14":"tag-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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