A little history: Bea Miller has been around for a little while now. She got her start on a talent competition reality show (The Voice? The X Factor? I didn't watch and I'm not sure which one but feel free to put it in the comments below for me.) The first time I was made aware of her presence int eh up-and-coming music artist world was when she performed with Boyce Avenue for a video on their Youtube channel. Together, they performed Miley Cyrus's "We Can't Stop" and Katy Perry's "Roar." I was instantly in adoration of her unique sound. Seriously-- just go listen to her voice. It's hard not to fall in love with this talented young lady. I'm listening to her on repeat as I type.
Of course, with hundreds of YouTube videos in my Subscription queue, I went on with life and while the memory of the songs was somewhere in the back of my mind, Bea didn't have an album I heard a song on the radio that was so awesome, I pulled the car over and looked it up immediately. Typing in the lyrics, google produced one fitting hit and told me the title and artist: "Young Blood" by Bea Miller. My next step was to hit up Spotify and see if there was anything else by Bea out yet. Because yes, despite Taylor Swift's feelings towards Spotify, it's a service I use often. I like to get a good feel for music before I buy it, and I love their New Music Tuesday playlist for discovering new artists or new music by old favorites. (Additionally, and totally off-topic more so than I've already gotten, I've also been really digging their Your Coffeehouse Favorites list recently, especially for use in my After-school programs. It's chill enough to help calm the kids and is CLEAN, which means no objections from parents.)
To get back on track, I listened to Bea's Young Blood EP. And then I listened to it again. And again. Over and over. And then I ran to iTunes and bought it and listened to it again and again and again. Basically, I loved it.
Here's why I Love It: First of all, her VOICE. It's stunning. It reminds me slightly of Ella Fitzgerald; something about that edge of raspiness, the way her voice sounds like it belongs on an older, more mature woman rather than a young girl. It's charming and edgy and both wakes you up and calms you at the same time. It's unique, which grabs your attention, and is so consistently on point it nearly turns the upbeat tunes on her EP into easy listening. But the beat goes on and it's not quite enough to fool you into just kicking back and relaxing. Each track on this EP makes me want to bounce along, sing along, and kick it into gear with a hairbrush while jumping on my bed like a teenager rather than a responsible, 26 year-old adult.
The whole EP is such an anthem for youth. They're fun, playful, and exciting. Bea has done an excellent job of setting an image for herself as a fun and rebellious, but not crazy or irresponsible, young artist who's MO is to enjoy herself and her music career. The song Young Blood is a perfect title and completely sums up the EP. It's both dark and uplifting: she sings early on, "But in dark times when we close our eyes / It's a nightmare, it's a nightmare / When the sun don't shine we lose our minds" immediately followed by the hopeful, "But I swear, we can get there / We've got young blood / Can't destroy us / We make our own luck in this world."
The EP also contains the songs Enemy Fire, Fire & Gold, and Dracula. It's impossible to pick a favorite on this incredibly wonderful EP. I think it's one song until the next come on, and then my mind is changed-- the entire thing is a perfect example of what an EP should be: a brilliant teaser for a full album, and I'll be snatching it up as quickly as I can.
Be sure to check out the Spotify link above to check out the songs, and then go purchase at the links below:
iTunes: Young Blood EP
Amazon: Young Blood EP
You can also find her covers with Boyce Avenue on iTunes here.
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