Social media personality and singer Madison Beer released her third studio album “Locket” on Jan. 16.
Beer’s album opens with the first track “locket theme.” The song begins with an intro of short vocalizations, preparing listeners for higher ones coming in later verses and the chorus. The simple yet soothing “ah’s” set the tone for the rest of the song.
The lyrics and musical instruments make strong emotions clear throughout the different verses.
“Did you miss me?” starts the verse and “Had to get this off my chest” ends it.
Both the beginning and ending include a piano playing in the background. The locket being worn may represent the painful memories that Beer carries with her as well. Toward the end of the chorus, she makes it clear that for her, this beautiful piece of jewelry is anything but, describing the locket as being “pain on a necklace.” When she ends the chorus, the heavy, overpowering strings and piano become louder.
Despite the locket being a physical reminder of painful emotions, the song is not necessarily a sad one; rather, it’s more of a confession.
The lyrics in “locket theme” read more like a tender diary entry or a letter, not a song for a scorned ex-lover. “All our memories safe in my locket, I carry it,” she sings.
As painful as the memories may be, Beer wants to preserve them and store them away.
The album has universal appeal as there are always times when beautiful memories age into painful reminders. In those times, it’s easier to put them in a box and only take them out when needed.
Memories and the past are also common themes in the modern art scene. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ collaboration in “Die with a Smile” features them in 1970s-inspired clothing.
Teddy Swims also hopped on the 1970s era of home decor, complete with an artsy orange background and a coffee table.
Gracie Abrams and others have been recently trying to invoke memories through their songs. Beer is no exception to this trend. Her placement of “locket theme” as her opening song is somewhat random, even though it’s similar to the songs and albums released by her musical peers that focus on memories and feature the past in some way.
On iHeartRadio, Beer said that she creates albums and keeps them on a shelf. This current album may reflect past emotions and distant relationships.
She was originally going to name the album “jar” since it’s about containing and keeping memories, like a jar contains and keeps the items someone puts in it. However, she felt “jar” wasn’t the best for an album title. She settled on “Locket” as she wandered around her house looking for something that felt truer to her. Beer collects vintage and antique lockets and had also played with the idea of “Heart Locket” as the title.
Although Beer’s release of the album might not be congruent with her current emotional state due to her habit of storing songs she has recorded for later releases, she offers her listeners a constructive way to deal with the past by remembering it and then locking it away.
Everyone has a past they remember, but not everyone has a locket. Beer shares how she treats memories and how her listeners can do the same. Listeners can remember Beer’s last words on that first track, “Everything that I could ever need is within me,” as a reminder of how to deal with the past and its painful reminders.
