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Madison Beer isn’t done sharing her story just yet. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter has been in the public eye for over a decade, after praise from Justin Bieber for her cover of Etta James’s “At Last” rocketed her to online fame. But over the past few years, with the release of her well-reviewed debut album, Life Support, in 2021 and its follow-up, Silence Between Songs, which was released last week, the musician has become increasingly unafraid to reveal her more vulnerable side. “I definitely think that with time, I’ve become more open,” she says over Zoom from her home in Los Angeles.
Part of that transformation came through the process of writing a memoir, The Half of It, which came out earlier this year and documented both her tumultuous teenage years and her mental health journey with unflinching candor. All of that fed into Silence Between Songs, which represents her most stylish and mature work yet, taking the deeply confessional lyrics that were the hallmark of her previous record and filtering them through a lush sonic landscape of retro strings, doo-wop layered vocals, and rock guitars—as well as the gorgeous psychedelic guitar licks of the Tame Impala-esque standout “Home to Another One.”
It was all part of Beer’s deliberate effort to make a record that reflected the deep dives she’d taken into the back catalogs of some of her favorite artists over the past few years, from the Beach Boys to the Beatles. (True to form, when we speak, she’s sitting in front of a wall of framed vinyl records, with albums by both clearly visible.) “I think music that really stands the test of time is what I’ve been drawn to most, and so I wanted to capture the essence of that,” she says. “I definitely did want someone to pick up the record and be like, What year is this from?”
Here, Beer speaks to Vogue about her diaristic songwriting, the curveball of “Home to Another One” earlier this year, and why it’s okay to take time off.
Vogue: I know you’ve been working on this album for a number of years—do you remember which were the first songs you wrote?
Madison Beer: You know, COVID messed me up so much timeline-wise, that I’m really confused all the time about when, exactly. But I want to say I started writing it right before COVID, in 2020. We did some sessions and we made some songs. And I would say around two or three of those songs ended up making it onto the album. There are songs from six months ago, mixed in with songs from around three years ago.
At what point in the songwriting process did you start identifying a throughline, or a running theme that could make all the songs work together as an album?
I knew we were making the album from the jump, but I didn’t have a clear vision of what, exactly, it was for a while. Which is funny, because “Silence Between Songs” is actually one of the very first songs I wrote, and it ended up being the title of the album. But I was also in a place where I was continuing to find music that I loved and drawing inspiration from that too. So I don’t think there was ever a moment where I was like, This is the tone of the album. It really just organically grew on its own, and I let it happen. I know if I get too intensely committed to one idea, I’ll end up just boxing myself in. And I think we did end up threading them all together somehow, one way or another.
I wanted to ask you about “Home to Another One,” which was released in June. Even though it’s not technically the first single off the album, what made it feel like a nice introduction to the project?
I think that song felt like a good one to jump back into everything, because it’s an exciting pop song, sure, but it also felt super different for me. I released it in June so that I could give people something to enjoy in the summer, and I knew I wanted something like “Spinnin” to be the final single before the album came out, which I feel is actually more representative of the project in general. “Home to Another One” isn’t necessarily the one that best reflects the overall tone of the album, but it’s a song I love dearly, and I did want it out there sooner rather than later.
“Home to Another One” definitely felt like an unexpected sound for you at first. Is it nice to be able to take people by surprise, or defy expectations in some way?
I mean, I think that people maybe have an idea of me, or of the music that I make... I’ve spoken to people, even in the industry, who assume that I make one type of music, and then they listen to it and realize it’s different from what they thought. I do like to do things that take people by surprise. And I think I’ve always gravitated towards songs that take you on a journey, that are intricate and a little weird and change things up as they go along. And that’s what I was really trying to do with the album as a whole.
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There are also some real retro production moments on the record—were you trying to create something that felt timeless, in a sense?
That was definitely a huge factor. To me, that was super important. I mean, as you can see from what’s behind me [she gestures at wall of records], I’m a very big fan of music from every decade. And I think music that really stands the test of time is what I’ve been drawn to most, and so I wanted to capture the essence of that. I definitely did want someone to pick up the record and be like, What year is this from? That was kind of the goal.
Many of the songs on the record touch on very personal subjects, whether romantic relationships or family—“Ryder” is about your brother. Did the act of writing your memoir change how you write songs at all?
I definitely think that with time, I’ve become more open. And there are so many songs on the album that I don’t think would have been written if it wasn’t for writing my book, because that was such a reflective time for me, and I really learned so much about myself. There were a lot of pivotal moments in the past couple of years, and opening those mental doors that I’d closed, and facing some truths that aren’t so pretty. It’s been a journey for me, for sure. And along the way, I’ve listened to a lot of music that has been so honest and raw, and that’s something I appreciate. Even the song about my brother, like, I love that song more than I can describe—I really feel like it was something that I had to say for myself, but hopefully, there are a lot of people out there who can relate to that feeling. It feels right for me to do that now.
Now that you’re sending the album out into the world, does it feel strange to be spending so much time with those songs you wrote years ago? How does it feel to relive or revisit them?
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. [Laughs.] It can be very overwhelming at times. Releasing music is always very surreal. I’m definitely at a place where I’m ready to share, but it can be hard. These are all real things that have happened throughout my life, so let’s say something happens the day that I’m performing a show that might be closely related to one of the songs I wrote, it can be hard for me to get through the song. I’ve definitely had those nights on tour. It’s an interesting experience, but it’s an experience that I love. I feel like even if I do break down and cry on stage or whatever, that’s a beautiful thing.
Is it more important to you now to take time out from the industry, in order to have material to write about?
I think growing up and being really young in this industry, I was sort of always taught... there’s a Melanie Martinez lyric that is like, “If you need a break, someone will take your place.” I had that instilled in me, that there’s always going to be an artist coming up right underneath you that could just knock you right out of the picture. That was always a fear of mine. And so I was kind of avoidant of rest or not working or not going 24/7, because I thought, You’re right. There’s someone who will work harder. There’s someone who will make better music, who has a better voice, all of those things. But then as I get older, I’ve learned to stop making myself feel guilty for taking breaks and time off and being a human and just swimming with my friends during the summer and not answering emails for a day. I remember hearing that Melanie Martinez lyric and being like, oh my God, someone else has been told that before. That’s crazy. I’m not the only one. And yeah, I mean, that’s bullshit. I would love for anyone who’s listening to this or reading this to know that comparison is the thief of joy. Because there are always going to be people who are technically better than you, there’s going to be someone who can do your job better, who looks better, who dresses better, that’s just life. I don’t compare myself to these artists because I’m proud of my journey. I’m proud of my story. Because I don’t want to look back one day and be like, yes, all my dreams came true, but I didn’t have a life. This industry can be very intense and cutthroat and you can be made to feel guilty for wanting to just be a human. And it’s pretty crazy. So I don’t subscribe to that. Now, I let myself do what I want, quite frankly.
That sounds like a sensible way of looking at it. Are you excited to take the album on tour and perform it live?
I’m beyond excited. I can’t even tell you. I have dreams about it like every night. I can’t wait to see my fans again, and hopefully do festivals next summer. I’ve been wanting to play Coachella forever, so hopefully this will be the year that I’m able to do that. I’m excited to get everything out there, but most of all I just hope that it reaches people and it touches people in the same way that making it has touched me.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.