Beabadoobee "Pylon" Album Review
Magda Kanecka | October 2026
Following the Filipino-British singer-songwriter’s number-one-charting record “This Is How Tomorrow Moves” (2024) and the standalone collaborative track “All I Did Was Dream Of You” featuring The Marías earlier this year, Beabadoobee (stage name of Beatrice Laus) is back with her highly anticipated fourth studio album.
In an interview with Radio X, Bea told presenter Dan O’Connell that the album’s name came from electricity pylons being a constant object she noticed while on tour: “It was kind of this object that I gravitated towards when I was on the road, which is what this album is about – it’s about being away, and I think, every time I missed home, I became obsessed with these things that helped me feel connected to the things I missed.”
Written while promoting her last album, this record re-establishes Bea’s core indie rock sound while also introducing grungier undertones that work exceptionally well on tracks like “Sun Has Set” and “Satellite”.
Full of legendary collaborations (from Turnstile’s Brendan Yates to Hayley Williams on vocals and Title Fight’s Shane Moran as a producer), vocal experimentation and lyrics that each listener can tailor to their unique experiences, Beabadoobee’s fourth record is not one to miss.
Track 1: “Pylon”
The LP opens with a mellow title track that pre-sets the themes for the rest of the record.
Lyrically, it is a sweet dedication to the good times spent doing what you love, surrounded by people you love. It describes being away and still finding your way back to what matters to you.
Broken into two acoustic verses with brief electronic interludes after each one, verses like “The show’s on / And the drive’s long / But the rest of the roads are clear / And every mile just brings you near” express remarkable warmth even in difficult times, making “Pylon” the perfect opening track that invites the listener in before the next song rapidly explodes with emotion.
Track 2: “Sun Has Set”
The first single released on June 24, 2026, alongside the album announcement, “Sun Has Set” stands strong as one of the more direct tracks on the record.
Within its alternative guitar-heavy production, the track sends one clear message: “When I say we’ll never be friends / I mean we’ll never pretend / Fuck that, you can never run back to me now”.
It is a mantra full of unquestioned anger that Bea has learned to accept, knowing that expressing it would not have been worth it either way. Like the track “California” on Bea’s 2024 record, I imagine this song would be an excellent live show opener.
Track 3: “Estranged”
Unlike its precursor, the third track opens more slowly and builds momentum as it reaches the chorus. We previously heard snippets of this song on Bea’s social media accounts, and I must admit: the studio version exceeded my expectations.
The lyrics describe seeking to get out of a bad or unfamiliar place: “Feeling estranged, yeah / Gotta mean it, beat it, but I don’t wanna feel it”. In the context of touring, we can imagine this track to be Bea missing home, counting down the days until she can get back.
Based on the title alone, I thought this would be a much sadder, acoustic-led song, but on first listen, I was hooked by how catchy and fun it is, alongside the very quintessentially Beabadoobee production, vocals, and instrumentals. The final chorus ties it all together, taking the track up a notch before ending on a particularly reflective note.
Since the album came out, I have not stopped listening to “Estranged”, and while my top three tracks will likely change over time, I am sure this one will stay up there for a while.
Track 4: “Switchblade”
On the second single from “Pylon”, released on July 14, 2026, Beabadoobee asks the listener: “Do you start the fight / Or take the flight?”
An instant shoulder-swayer, the lyrics embrace self-defensive behaviours in times of uncertainty. By questioning “Is it wrong or right / To try do / Either, seether / With this anger / Can’t control this fever / That just takes it out of me”, Bea acknowledges that it is not always easy to figure out your own emotions right away.
Underneath the grunge track full of fuzzy guitars and heavy backing vocals is a song that embraces the chaos which inevitably comes with growing up and being away. I am a huge fan of the co-producer and guitarist Jason Vance Harris’ guitar riff towards the end, and as expected, its live version really does it justice!
Track 5: “Write Me A Letter”
Produced by George Daniel and Matty Healy from The 1975, I was the most excited for this track when the tracklist was revealed. There is something so pure about the title alone, and upon hearing the song, I immediately recognised the many snippets that Bea had previously teased on her social media.
Accompanied with a beautifully shot music video directed by Bea’s partner and collaborator, Jake Erland, “Write Me A Letter” is a powerful confession depicting feelings so overwhelming that one could only put them in writing rather than saying them out loud – “Need you to stay / You make me better / Harder to say / But I’ll write you a letter”.
Subtle electronic parts in the verses build steadily to the final, more explosive chorus, concluding the emotionally weighted song.
Track 6: “It’s Alright”
Weaving into the midpoint of the record, “It’s Alright” balances a slower pre-chorus with a more upbeat chorus that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. It is a more romantic track, delving into themes of learning to trust someone after being hurt in the past. I particularly like the electronic riffs in the chorus, with backing vocals adding emphasis.
In lines like “Oh, take the wheel / And drive me out to somewhere I’ve never been / Kiss me like somebody you’ve never been with”, the singer-songwriter effectively gives up the control she chases on earlier tracks like “Switchblade”.
Track 7: “In Motion”
Those who have kept a close eye on Bea throughout this era will know that we have heard “In Motion” before – perhaps not in full, but in the background of her Instagram stories. From this, I thought this would be a heavier rock track, and from the midpoint onwards, it truly lives up to the expectation.
Bea’s vocals are harsher at times to express the emotionally charged lyrics, while interesting synth additions build towards the fiery final chorus that we have heard parts of before.
Track 8: “Memories”
The third single from “Pylon”, released on August 20, 2026, is a heartfelt love letter to the times spent surrounded by people who make your life feel just a little fuller. On this light and mainly acoustic track, Bea pays tribute to the good experiences she has shared with another person, in an attempt to keep the “memories alive”. The song feels exceptionally warm and gentle from start to finish, making it one of my favourites among the tracklist.
An interesting detail I noticed in the lyrics is that, in the second verse, Bea sings, “Just stay a little while / The sun is always here,” directly contrasting the earlier “Sun Has Set,” where she shuts down negative experiences with someone who betrayed her.
On “Memories”, the experiences she describes are instead positive and worth remembering, reflected in the sun literally shining down on her. If that doesn’t add to how sweet the track is, I don’t know what will.
Track 9: “Nothing To Prove” feat. Hayley Williams
Right off the back of the sweet “Memories” is a high contender for my favourite song from the LP. Immediately upon hearing it at the Banquet Records album release show days before the album’s release, with Bea teaching us to sing the chorus, I knew it would be up there.
From the fun and bouncy “La la la”s in the chorus to Hayley Williams’ signature vocal additions, this is a lyrically self-aware anthem with a message similar to that of “Sun Has Set”. Think of a mantra along the lines of ‘If you’re not listening to what I’m saying, I will no longer keep asking you to do so’ – this song embodies that exact feeling.
The only thing I would change about this tune is to make it just a little longer; I think it would have done incredibly well with a chaotic drum-and-synth combination in a bridge or interlude!
Track 10: “Radio”
Arguably one of the catchiest tracks on “Pylon”, “Radio” maintains rapid consistency throughout while lyrically holding back from confrontation.
Lines like “Not gonna call you out this time / Not gonna make you out to be / Someone who gets to get to me”, followed by a grunge-fuelled guitar and drum bridge, let the music do the talking. The person who the song is about will sense it is about them when they hear it, without Bea having to say their name.
At its surface, “Radio” is a fun song that I can imagine making its way across radio stations – pun intended. At its core, it seeks to withstand confrontation in an arguably more powerful act.
Track 11: “Powerlines” feat. Brendan Yates
Speaking of electricity again is “Powerlines”; a track seeking to go back to what is familiar when facing uncertainty – “Powerlines / Help me feel I’m close to you / Despite it all / I finally found the point of view”.
I am a big fan of Bea’s faded-out, almost echoing vocals, which contrast exceptionally well with the feature of Brendan Yates of Turnstile. Their voices create a contrast that fits the song’s eerie atmosphere and gloomy lyrics, followed by a uniquely executed guitar outro.
Track 12: “Spark”
Written and produced in collaboration with Pinegrove’s Evan Stephens Hall, whom Bea herself is a big fan of, “Spark” lingers almost like an interlude among the record's previous themes.
Underneath its gentler sound, the song delves into finding acceptance within yourself and moving forward even after times of struggle. The lyric “It’s nothing much but it’s a start” being the final chorus line captures this perfectly.
Track 13: “Despite That”
Heading into the closing of the album, “Despite That” is one of the quieter moments on the tracklist. Almost entirely acoustic in production, the track reminisces on coming back home and realising that the person you wanted to get back to was no longer there.
It is an encapsulation of vulnerable attachment and though only one and a half minutes in duration, “Despite That” is a successfully placed quiet pause before the final track.
Track 14: “Satellite”
Featuring Chino Moreno of Deftones on guitar and backing vocals, I knew “Satellite” would be one of the strongest tracks on “Pylon” from the moment Bea teased the collaboration on her Instagram last October.
While the song opens with a slower pace and calmer vocals, make no mistake: both rapidly pick up in intensity as soon as it hits the chorus. The edgier influences that appeared throughout the record come together in full force, with distorted guitars and Bea’s increasingly powerful vocals creating one of the album’s most explosive moments.
After spending the majority of the record looking backwards, this song finally looks ahead. There is a sense of movement throughout it, accepting what has happened and moving on. The guitar outro makes for the perfect release and wrap-up of the themes discussed: memories, anger, conflict, and being away.
Each detail of this release is a tribute to Bea’s journey as an artist, even down to a selection of trinkets from her tour bag that form the album cover. Featuring a line-up of lifelong musical inspirations and icons from the industry, “Pylon” is a true all-rounder: from tried and tested core Beabadoobee sound to some of Bea Laus’ most elevated and personal songwriting.
Beabadoobee’s Powerlines Tour is ongoing, with a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on October 5. The record debuted at number 1 on the UK Official Charts, Beabadoobee's second record in a row to do so.
Follow Beabadoobee here!
Listen to “Pylon” here!
Magda’s top three, in no particular order:
"Estranged"
"Nothing To Prove"
"Radio"
