ALBUM REVIEW | Bea Miller – Not An Apology

Let’s talk good music, shall we?

This album has been one that I’ve been waiting for for a while, and when I say a while, I mean since the moment Beatrice Miller, who came ninth on Season 2 of The X Factor USA, released her first EP early 2014. Now don’t get me wrong, she totally made an impression on me back in 2012 too, her raspy vocal tone immediately placing her at the top of my favourites of the season list, but I was waiting to see what she would put out on her own to raise my hopes and expectations.

And she raised them high with her debut single “Young Blood,” which also happens to be the first track of her debut album,  ‘Not An Apology,’ released through Syco and Hollywood Records on July 24. With over 7 million views on Youtube already, “Young Blood” made wave on pop radio late 2014, setting the start of a promising career for Miller. Her second single “Fire N Gold” -which is also the second track of the album- has a slightly upper beat, while remaining just as powerful as the first track. Showcasing Miller’s ability to belt both deep throaty vocals in the verses and high notes in the chorus, her ability to be quiet and loud, “Fire N Gold” is a perfect illustration of Miller’s vocal capabilities and of her undeniable maturity. But then again, Miller remains only 16-year-old and as every teenager, she sings and writes —because yes, Miller co-wrote almost the whole album— about finding strength and courage to stand up (like in “I Dare You” and “Paper Doll,” my personal favourite) and about finding love (like in “Picture Perfect” and “Force Of Nature,” that were both re-recorded and feature Miller’s newest vocals). This album also features the two other tracks from the EP, “Enemy Fire” and “Dracula,” and the title track “This Is Not An Apology,” that I’ll let you discover when you go buy the album. Lastly, out of the few songs that were not written by Miller, we find the last two tracks of the album, “We’re Taking Over,” co-written by Miller’s former X Factor mentor, Demi Lovato and “Rich Kids,” written by no-one else than The Madden Brothers. And though those songs are not Miller’s, she manages to make them her own with very authentic and powerful performances.

With such a significant vocal power, there are so many challenging roads that Miller could have gone with, but instead, she went with the risky one of mainstream pop and familiar themes. And yet, she manages to difference herself from her fellow charismatic pop artists with the uniqueness of her voice and her personality. For a debut album, ‘Not An Apology’ showcases said talent and personality in an astonishing way. And the best part is the fact that the hype around the 16-year-old is much deserved. Miller is not yet another teen artist who’ll release only one album and that we’ll never hear from ever again. I can assure you that we’ll hear from Bea Miller again, and again. Seeing as Miller already has the voice and commitment to the art of someone much older and more experienced, I honestly cannot wait to see what her music will sound like when she’ll be older.

Let me just leave you with this awesome mashup of Bea’s album!