TRACK BY TRACK: Madison Beer's 'Life Support'

Madison Beer has spent nearly a decade in the spotlight, but it took her nine years to feel confident enough to release her triumphant debut album, Life Support. The record touches on her experiences with mental health issues, unhealthy relationships, and loneliness, meaning there’s something for everyone to relate to. 

Great for fans of Ariana Grande and Chloe x Halle, the record is filled with beautiful vocals and fun beats, making it an album you can’t miss this year. Let’s delve into the world of Life Support!

1. “The Beginning”

The album opens with the aptly-named “The Beginning”, a non-lyrical track that features Madison showing off her fluttering vocals. It’s the perfect way to draw listeners into the album and gets you ready to hear some amazing high notes later on!

2. “Good in Goodbye”

“Good in Goodbye” is a sassy farewell to a partner filled with clever wordplay. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, painting Madison as a strong young woman who won’t tolerate mistreatment. Aside from being a breakup song, you can also interpret it as a goodbye to the controlling executives at her old labels -- since signing with Epic Records in 2019, she has had much more creative control. 

Favorite lyrics: “You put the ‘over’ in ‘lover’, put the ‘ex’ in ‘next’ / Ain’t no ‘I’ in ‘trouble’, just the ‘U’ since we met...”

3. “Default”

A sharp contrast from the confidence of “Good in Goodbye”, “Default” describes hopelessness and feeling underappreciated. Once again, you can find a double meaning -- some fans believe this is Madison’s letter to herself, apologizing for not fighting for herself and her vision in the past. 

Favorite lyrics: “I swear, I will be the end of me...”

4. “Follow the White Rabbit”

“Follow the White Rabbit” is chilling and ominous, with both electronic elements and the grounding buzz of a bass guitar. The title draws from the 1999 movie The Matrix, one of Madison’s favorite films, but it also relates to the white rabbit that draws Alice into Wonderland. 

Favorite lyrics: “Devil in a dress, I’mma love you like I do...”

5. “Effortlessly”

“Effortlessly” is a heartbreaking account of what it’s like to struggle with mental illness, inspired by Madison’s own experiences with depression and borderline personality disorder. Even with medication, she still felt lost and alone. Her soft vocals stand out against the minor chords and spiraling guitar notes, mirroring the contrast between her younger, more hopeful self and her current, dismal mindset. 

Favorite lyrics: “Sadness isn’t real, then why does it feel so physical?”

6. “Stay Numb and Carry On”

Madison explains how an unhealthy relationship dampened her view of the world on “Stay Numb and Carry On”, which sounds ironically hopeful at times. Sonically, it’s reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s “All The Good Girls Go To Hell”, combining airy vocals with a dark instrumental that lightens up for the chorus.

Favorite lyrics: “I just stay numb and carry on / Too young to hate someone...”

7. “Blue”

“Blue” describes an ill-fated relationship with quick-witted contrasts like a beautiful sunset dying and comparing a romantic encounter to a crime scene. There’s something effortlessly elegant about the song, which would fit perfectly on a Lana Del Rey album, and the imagery makes it so immersive!

Favorite lyrics: “We were like a California sunset, fated to die any minute...” / “I know when to run, when my makeup does...”

8. “Interlude”

“Interlude” discusses a relationship crumbling as Madison ponders her identity and who she wants to be in the future. The vocoder-adjusted vocals make the track stand out from the other songs, helping it feel like a divider between halves of the album -- the second half feels even more honest and genuine than the earlier songs, highlighting how Madison decided to focus on herself and her goals rather than an indifferent lover.

Favorite lyrics: “I just wanna be someone, but I don’t wanna just be someone to you...”

9. “Homesick”

Reminiscent of Kesha’s “Spaceship”, “Homesick” sees Madison longing to find a place in the universe where she feels like she belongs. It opens with non-lyrical vocals that harken back to “The Beginning”, cementing the idea that the second half of the album is like a second act to the story.  The song closes with a clip from the sci-fi cartoon "Rick & Morty", one of Madison’s favorite shows, that helps lift the mood before transitioning to the melancholy “Selfish”.

Favorite lyrics: “Countin’ the stars, they all felt so far / But it’s always felt like home to me...”

10. “Selfish”

Even as one of the slower songs on the album, “Selfish” has an undeniable energy complemented by its strings and guitar riffs. It goes into further detail about the relationship Madison describes on “Interlude”, explaining how their love weighed her down even on celebratory occasions like New Year’s Eve and nightclub outings. Madison goes back and forth between blaming herself for not seeing the relationship’s red flags and realizing it’s not entirely her fault things went wrong.

Favorite lyrics: “I’m not responsible for your self-made obstacles / Put my heart in the hospital...”

11. “Sour Times”

“Sour Times” sees Madison denouncing a potential “rebound” relationship and refusing to lead someone on after she had her own heartbreak. She took inspiration from Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, which is clear in the buzzing instrumental and drum-heavy chorus. 

Favorite lyrics: “I don’t know what song of mine you heard that made you think I’d want to spend the night with you...”

12. “BOYSHIT”

One of the most fun songs on Life Support, “BOYSHIT” is a playful callout of a boy who was too immature to take his relationship with Madison seriously. The title is a spin on “bullsh-t”, of course, making it a cheeky way to confront someone’s lies and lack of seriousness.

Favorite lyrics: “You might seem like a man, but you’re not one in your mind...”

13. “Baby”

“Baby” is a sultry track that builds on the confidence from “BOYSHIT” with more R&B influence. While some lyrics are clearly PG-13, there’s also a double meaning to certain lines that shows Madison growing from her relationship insecurities and realizing her self-worth. 

Favorite lyrics: “I got that love you can’t handle but maybe you can try...”

14. “Stained Glass”

Madison uses the imagery of stained glass to describe how comments from social media and those around her affect her well-being. Inspired by the likes of Radiohead and Tame Impala, it combines angelic strings with rougher guitar and drums that mimic the back-and-forth of her emotions over the years. There’s also some clever wordplay, playing on the pronunciation of “pain” vs. the “pane” of a window.

Favorite lyrics: “You notice all the cracks but can’t look inside my pain...”

15. “Emotional Bruises”

Framed as a bitter love letter, “Emotional Bruises” sees Madison refusing to give a disrespectful partner another chance to hurt her. The pre-chorus is also the source of the album’s title, explaining that the on-and-off relationship brought her enough pain to need life support.

Favorite lyrics: “This is the fifth time I’ve taken you back / It’s the fourth time that we’ve relapsed / It’s the third second chance that I’ve given you / For the first time, let this be the last...”

16. “Everything Happens for a Reason”

On “Everything Happens for a Reason”, Madison rejects the idea that all experiences have a purpose and wonders why she’s faced so much mistreatment in her relationships. The intro ironically sounds like something out of a fairytale movie, opening with birds chirping and transitioning into a mellow guitar. Despite everything she’s dealt with, she finds herself holding onto her feelings for her disrespectful lover, leaving the album on a dismal note… until we move on to the final track!

Favorite lyrics: “What in the world did I do to deserve such a pain in my heart?”

17. “Channel Surfing / The End”

“Channel Surfing / The End” is the culmination of everything Madison has fought for in her career, even sampling her older song “Dear Society” to illustrate her growth. The second half highlights her excitement about finally releasing her debut album and closes with a “thank you so much” to the fans who stuck with her throughout the years. Even if you just started listening to Madison with this album, you’re bound to get emotional!

Favorite lyrics: “I can’t wait to sing this, I’m so excited / Oh, God, I’m gonna cry...”