Beabadoobee released today, June 24, her new EP Our Extended Play, written and produced with Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975.
The pair spent early lockdown with Bea and her band in the Oxfordshire countryside last summer, the first time Bea has closely collaborated with others, stepping back from her typical process to experiment with new musical styles and sounds.
To celebrate the release, Beabadoobee shares the video for new single ‘Cologne’, a self proclaimed ‘sexy love song’, which explores the contradictory and complex feelings of insecurity, self confidence and breaking away from seeking validation of self worth in others.
Of the video, Bea adds “Making the music video for Cologne was so much fun, I worked with The Rest who I knew from their work with Slowthai. We wanted to make an action movie with a load of my friends, so that's what we did!”
Featuring lead single ‘Last Day On Earth’, released earlier this year, Our Extended Play captures a period of artistic growth and personal discovery for Beabadoobee; both the bookend to her debut album Fake It Flowers, and the bridge bringing her to the next step in a truly unique and exciting journey. “This EP was made in a really collaborative way during a time where it was really difficult to do that and I feel so lucky to have gotten to make it with my band and Matty and George. I hope it can bring people together in some way, that's really what these songs are about, that feeling of togetherness that's been missing a lot in the last year. It feels like a bridge to what's coming next too,” Bea says.
Our Extended Play speaks to growing up, producing a feeling of togetherness and a sense that even if everyone’s path looks different, we’re all joined in this journey as one. An anthem that alludes to appreciating every moment and blends her trademark 90’s-era guitar with indie atmospherics and an infectious, lighthearted chorus, ‘Last Day On Earth’ reflects on what Bea would have done with her last day of normality if she had known how dramatically the world was about to change.
‘Cologne’, written just after Fake It Flowers, explores confidently standing in your own identity, and with its airy, soaring chorus, ‘Animal Noises’ wrestles with the fear of growing up, wistfully capturing the emotions surrounding shedding the comfort of immaturity and learning to be by yourself. Originally started by The 1975 with Bea adding the finishing touches, ‘He Gets Me So High’ is deceptively upbeat, giving way to a glittering bleakness that details a dependency on unhealthy vices and not knowing how to live without them; a cliffhanger and a hopeful reassurance that self-improvement is a never-ending process.
This week beabadoobee has also announced her North American headline tour for November & December 2021 featuring support from Christian Leave & BLACKSTARKIDS. Fans can get a taste of Bea’s live show this Friday when she is due to appear on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
Beabadoobee is set to play a run of headline shows later this year. Her debut headline run will take place across the UK and Ireland in September and October, taking in 14 dates across the country, including a hometown show at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. Tickets are on sale now.
2021 UK, IE & North America Tour Dates
Fri 23 Jul - SUFFOLK - Latitude Festival
Sat 28 Aug - READING - Reading Festival
Sun 29 Aug - LEEDS - Leeds Festival
Tue 07 Sep - MANCHESTER - O2 Ritz
Thu 09 Sep - LEEDS - Beckett University
Fri 10 Sep - NOTTINGHAM - Rescue Rooms
Sat 11 Sep - BIRMINGHAM - O2 Institute
Mon 13 Sep - CAMBRIDGE - Junction
Tue 14 Sep - LEICESTER - O2 Academy
Thu 23 Sep - LONDON - O2 Forum Kentish Town
Fri 24 Sep - BRISTOL - SWX
Sat 25 Sep - OXFORD - O2 Academy
Tue 28 Sep - DUBLIN - The Academy
Wed 29 Sep - BELFAST - Oh Yeah Music Centre
Sat 02 Oct - NEWCASTLE - University Students Union
Sun 03 Oct - EDINBURGH - The Liquid Room
Mon 04 Oct - GLASGOW - SWG3
Mon 01 Nov - WASHINGTON, DC - 9:30 Club
Tue 02 Nov - PHILADELPHIA, PA - Union Transfer
Thu 04 Nov - NEW YORK, NY - Webster Hall
Fri 05 Nov - BOSTON, MA - Royale
Tue 09 Nov - CARRBORO, NC - Cat’s Cradle
Wed 10 Nov - CHARLOTTE, NC - The Underground
Thu 11 Nov - ATLANTA, GA - Buckhead Theatre
Sat 13 Nov - BIRMINGHAM, AL - Saturn
Mon 15 Nov - HOUSTON, TX - White Oak Music Hall
Tue 16 Nov - AUSTIN, TX - Emo’s
Fri 19 Nov - PHOENIX, AZ - The Van Buren
Sat 20 Nov - SAN DIEGO, CA - The Observatory North Park
Sun 21 Nov - LOS ANGELES, CA - The Fonda Theatre
Mon 22 Nov - LOS ANGELES, CA - The Fonda Theatre
Tue 23 Nov - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Fillmore
Fri 26 Nov - PORTLAND, OR - Crystal Ballroom
Sat 27 Nov - SEATTLE, WA - Neptune Theatre
Sun 28 Nov - VANCOUVER, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Tue 30 Nov - SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Depot
Wed 01 Dec - DENVER, CO - The Summit Music Hall
Sat 04 Dec - KANSAS CITY, MO - The Truman
Mon 06 Dec - CHICAGO, IL - Metro
Wed 08 Dec - DETROIT, MI - Majestic Theatre
Thu 09 Dec - TORONTO, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Fri 10 Dec - COLUMBUS, OH - Newport Music Hall
Sat 11 Dec - PITTSBURGH, PA - Stage AE