Bebe Rexha “Bebe” Album Review

Ebuka NwachukwuApril 29, 2023

Bebe

Bebe

Bebe Rexha

Genre: Pop
Date: 27 Apr, 2023
Content: cleaned
Track(s): 12
℗ 2023 Warner Records Inc., except Track 6 ℗2022 What A DJ Ltd. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc.

“Bebe” is the New York City-born, Albanian-American singer’s third studio album and follows up on her pandemic-released “Better Mistakes” from 2021. Since the release of that album, she has put out a few singles and joint projects, such as “It’s You, Not Me (Sabotage)” with Masked Wolf and “Chain My Heart” with Topic. In addition, with David Guetta, she had a hit with “I’m Good (Blue)” last year. On this project, Bebe decides to go retro, and what a journey she takes her listeners on.

Rexha channeled the energy and musicality of the ’70s for her self-titled project and glam and vibrant album art. The majority of the production was handled by Ido Zmishlany (Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato), with assistance from Joe Janiak (Britney Spears, Ellie Goulding) and Jussifer (Kelly Clarkson, Kim Petras).

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Album Art

The album cover is a vintage portrait of Bebe Rexha in what appears to be a 1970s photograph, evoking the glory days of pop music and the likes of Madonna and Dolly Parton. The album’s 12 tracks take the listener on a “wild journey” where the fusion of the old school and the new offers a balance of the feeling, and the artwork gives them a glimpse of what to expect from those songs.

Tracks And Features

Bebe Rexha makes a comeback with 12 tracks of disco dance pop from the 1970s on her self-titled album. The project’s peppy tunes describe Rexha’s ideal of self-love and happiness, but the narration is sacrificed in favor of catchy choruses. It features Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, and Dolly Parton. The song “Heart Wants What It Wants,” released last month, is supposedly Bebe’s debut single. However, Rexha highlighted her aim to create a more joyful song when it was first released, even though it deals with a complex subject. “Heart Wants What It Wants” is a song about the point in a relationship when you start to lose love for your partner, according to the singer. “It’s a song about wanting what you want and not apologizing for it,” the singer said.

The album’s opening tune and lead single, “Heart Wants What It Wants,” has a riff eerily evocative of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” It is one of the better songs on the record. Likewise, the chorus of Rexha’s song “My Heart Only Wants What It Wants” (including the catchy line “My heart only wants what it wants / What it wants, what it wants ’til it doesn’t”) tells an ex that she has happily moved on.

Rexha’s raspier, whispered vocals beg for a “Miracle Man” who can restore her faith in love on the first of several songs with overtly offensive religious undertones. Fuzy lines like “Drink your holy water, savor slow / I can feel you drippin’ down my soul” cannot be obscured by groovy but repetitive sounds. Despite sharing similar religious overtones, the second half of the album, “Born Again,” is less cliché. Rexha passionately describes a romance in which “two lost souls searchin’ for a light” are “born again” together with soaring vocals over a spare instrumental, with choir backup vocals in the chorus emphasizing lyrical components.

Snoop Dogg asks, “Is the smoke fuckin’ with your ear?” before “Satellite,” the first of three tracks with three stars. The floundering ABBA rip-off cannabis anthem, aptly released on 20 Apr, soars “higher than a satellite” with its catchy string part and refrain.

After the momentarily unheralded “When It Rains,” the next single, “Call On Me,” tries to update the ’70s vibe with post-chorus 2000s-style beat drops. The contrast between the two sounds is ultimately more surprising than pleasing, although the following song is significantly better due to its hard lyrics.

The album’s middle track, “I’m Good (Blue),” is not “perfect,” but it does the job nevertheless. Although it peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart and No. 1 on Pop Airplay, the viral TikTok single, which was released in 2022 with Guetta, may be little more than a sample of “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65, according to some. The single episode highlights the album’s less apparent but noticeable lack of distinctiveness. Instead, it features laughably commonplace gems such as, “I’ma have the best fuckin’ night of my life,” with a bass drop to match.

The classic electro-pop chorus of “Visions (Don’t Go)” refocuses the listener’s attention before a seamless transition to the orchestral string introduction of “I’m Not High, I’m In Love.” Rexha’s catchy vocal progression and instrumental selection, which sings of a lover who brought “colors dancing all around the room,” are reminiscent of the ’70s classic “I Will Survive.” As part of the ongoing theme of influences, Rexha echoes Blondie’s rock vocal style while aggressively belting “Tell Me” on “Blue Moon.”

The Dolly Parton collaboration “Seasons,” which had the potential to be the album’s standout track and was allegedly influenced by Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” falls short. Rexha confesses that she runs from herself and is still “the same old me” over a gentle acoustic guitar. The dynamic track highlights Rexha’s vocal prowess, but the harmony between the two vocalists isn’t awe-inspiring due to the similarity of the tones and Rexha’s dominance in volume.

Tracklist / Songs

NO	TITLE	ARTIST
1	Heart Wants What It Wants	Bebe Rexha
2	Miracle Man	Bebe Rexha
3	Satellite	Bebe Rexha & Snoop Dogg
4	When It Rains	Bebe Rexha
5	Call on Me	Bebe Rexha
6	I’m Good (Blue)	Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
7	Visions (Don’t Go)	Bebe Rexha
8	I’m Not High, I’m In Love	Bebe Rexha
9	Blue Moon	Bebe Rexha
10	Born Again	Bebe Rexha
11	I Am	Bebe Rexha
12	Seasons	Bebe Rexha & Dolly Parton

Album Summary

Even though “Bebe” is Rexha’s most well-rounded album, some tracks sound alike. According to Bebe, cannabis was a mojo during the creation of this album; hence the hints of themes of Freedom and audacity, a feature of the 1970s, is one of the album’s contemporary themes. Rexha, who has never been shy about speaking her thoughts, claims that authenticity is something she strives for in her music and daily life. There is much to dance to, delivering soaring voices and captivating basslines. But Rexha falls short of fair comparison because of her lofty retro aspirations and the overabundance of related pop styles.

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