Album Review: Baby Queen Spreads ‘Medicine” And Crowns
Listening to Baby Queen’s Medicine, out November 13, I kept on thinking of that Debbie Gibson hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” and Lily Allen. Baby Queen feels like a combination of both: formulating Lily Gibson. Her ability to create synth dreams and ebb and flow her feelings between soft coos and casual “rap-talking” makes her sound observant. Thus, Medicine feels like an appropriate title for a young woman using her music to heal her relationship with the internet.
Yes, forget about boys. We have to deal with another toxic member of our lives: social media. Yes, social media can spark governmental protests and revolutions but it can also ignite panic attacks and low self-esteem to teens across the land. Thus, what to do? Do we laugh at our obsession with likes or try to acknowledge that if clicks give you validity, you got low standards, kiddo!? This is what Baby Queen cheekily approaches in tracks like “Buzzkill” and “Online Dating.” While 2020, may have cut us off socially, it amplified us virtually, and Baby Queen sings/speaks us through the need to keep your vibes in check while you post another food pic.
From “Internet Religion” to “Want Me,” Baby Queen is humorous and heartfelt in how she lyrically embraces our obsession with wanting to be an obsession as much as wanting to obsess. With rhythms that swift and swish through electro-synth landscapes, ultimately, Medicine feels like a smart take on feeling really dumb because of the internet. Ugh! Damn you IG! We both want views and want to be hidden!
