Madison Beer’s debut album Life Support has finally arrived, and it could not have come at a better time. After being dropped by her original record label at 16 years old, going through a public breakup this past year, and having recently being diagnosed with a personality disorder, the 21-year-old singer has a lot to get off of her chest.
Beer was recently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, but shows on the album how she is now more in touch with her emotions because of it. And although a breakup album would have been perfectly suited for her situation, Beer did not want that to be the entire story of her debut album.
Life Support is anything but surface-level. Beer gives a raw and authentic view of her life, which takes most artists years to open up about and perfect. And while some may make the comparison between her and singer Ariana Grande, she was able to set herself apart and show the world her struggles.
The album’s opener, “The Beginning” shows off the singer’s hauntingly beautiful vocals. It set the tone of the rest of the album: chilling, beautiful and raw. This intro directly led into the album’s lead single, “Good in Goodbye,” an R&B inspired track that waves goodbye to a toxic lover. The song continues the spooky vocals shown in the opener, yet is still empowering to show that Beer is no longer going to stay in a toxic relationship.
Beer continues this confident attitude in “Blue”, as the singer gains the courage to leave a horrible relationship. The lyrics, “We were like a California sunset/ Fated to die any minute/ Gettin’ rid of you might be the best thing I ever did” explains the urgency of getting out of this relationship. And she knows this because she runs “when [her] makeup does.”
“Stay Numb and Carry On” switches the tone of empowerment and shows Beer’s emotion toward a breakup. She describes herself as being emotionless due to the pain past lovers have caused. The chorus explains that now she stays numb because of her past traumas: “Stay numb and carry on/ Too young to hate someone/ Truth is, it was never love/ Your fault if you thought it was.” It’s a track that everyone can relate to because everyone has been through the pain that made them wish they were numb.
Unlike most of the album, “BOYSH*T” and “Baby” are more upbeat pop tracks that prove Beer’s personal growth of her confidence, both personally and sexually. “BOYSH*T” reflects on an immature lover that Beer no longer has time for. This lover keeps trying to come back, and even though she finds it tempting to return to her toxic patterns, she won’t go back because she doesn’t “speak boysh*t.” “Baby” is a sex-positive track that shows off Beer’s regained confidence in her body, as she describes “If you wanna be my baby/ Know I’m gonna drive you mad/ Probably gonna call me crazy/ I’m the best you ever had.”
In one of the most notable songs on the album due to its popularity on Tiktok, “Selfish,” Beer describes trying to change her lover for the better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out and the feelings are not completely reciprocated. The lyrics, “Shouldn’t love you, but I couldn’t help it/ Had a feeling that you never felt it/ I always knew you were too damn selfish” demonstrate the hurt the singer went through during this relationship, but she has finally moved on from these obstacles.
Beer’s long-awaited album was definitely worth the wait. She was able to prove her individuality while still being vulnerable and raw with her audience. It wasn’t aggressively sad, but it was still able to show her struggles and controlled the narrative of how they were shown. Beer was able to truly open up on her fights with the world, past lovers and the inner fight with herself. The album’s message not only resonates but shows that Madison Beer is truly here to stay.
Rating: 4/5
