Madison Beer locket
Madison Beer's locket arrives as a furtive, sonically varied statement that balances heartbreak and sensual swagger, and critics largely agree it marks tangible artistic growth. Across four professional reviews the record earned a 79.5/100 consensus score, with reviewers singling out tracks that pair emotional clarity with glossy electropop production. The best songs on locket repeatedly named by critics include “Bittersweet”, “angel wings” and “yes baby”, with additional praise for “you’re still everything” and “bad enough” as moments of vocal ambition and emotional center.
Critics consistently highlight a tension between dance-floor gloss and post-breakup vulnerability. Reviewers for Rolling Stone and Clash Music call “Bittersweet” the album's plush centerpiece, praising its clear chorus and post-breakup focus, while Clash and The Independent point to “angel wings” as an infectious bedroom-pop highlight. The A.V. Club and The Independent emphasize Beer’s growing vocal confidence - from the stratospheric chorus of “bad enough” to the intimate power of “you’re still everything” - even as some note occasional moments of over-polish in production.
Taken together the professional reviews frame locket as a keepsake of memory and youthful sensuality where unpredictable songwriting and sonic diversity pay off more often than not. The critical consensus suggests that locket is worth listening to for those seeking pop that marries vulnerability with ambition, and it positions Beer as an artist consolidating her voice rather than chasing trends.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
you're still everything
1 mention
"A centerpiece of the album is ‘you’re still everything’, where Madison finds power in the pain"— Clash Music
angel wings
3 mentions
"electropop confections like the sumptuous piece of pillow talk "angel's wings""— Rolling Stone
bittersweet
3 mentions
"a plush, post-breakup cut that whipsaws through the stages of post-relationship grief with a generous clarity"— Rolling Stone
A centerpiece of the album is ‘you’re still everything’, where Madison finds power in the pain
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
locket theme
yes baby
angel wings
for the night
bad enough
healthy habit
you're still everything
bittersweet
complexity
make you mine
nothing at all
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Madison Beer presents locket as a sultry, emotionally candid record whose best songs are those that pair yearning lyrics with sly production. The reviewist lingers on “Bittersweet” as the album's melancholy centrepiece and on “Yes, Baby” and “Make You Mine” for their urgent, sexual propulsion, arguing that these are the best tracks on locket because they fuse vulnerability with memorable hooks. The tone is admiring but measured, praising the record's sheen while noting moments that feel slightly mass-produced - yet the album repeatedly reveals deeper emotional skin beneath the gloss.
Key Points
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“Bittersweet” is best because its low, liquid vocals and fluttering pulse make it the album's emotional centrepiece.
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The album's core strengths are sultry production, candid vulnerability, and unpredictable songwriting that reveal deeper emotional layers beneath glossy pop.
Themes
Critic's Take
In his measured, admiring tone Melvin Boateng frames Madison Beer's locket as a keepsake of memory and growth, singling out “angel wings” and “you’re still everything” as the album's emotional centres. He praises “angel wings” for its infectious hook and daring bedroom-pop production, and calls “you’re still everything” a centerpiece where Beer "finds power in the pain". He further identifies lead singles “bittersweet” and “yes baby” as tracks that map the far edges of her sonic palette, the former heartfelt and silky, the latter playful and sultry. The narrative keeps to Boateng's analytical but warm voice, explaining why these are the best songs on locket while noting Beer's confident authorship and vocal prowess.
Key Points
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“angel wings” is the best song due to its infectious hook, vocal performance, and experimental outro.
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The album’s core strengths are confident authorship, vocal prowess, and a blend of upbeat and introspective pop production.
Themes
Critic's Take
Madison Beer's locket feels like a creative breakthrough, with the best songs staking emotional ground rather than chasing trends. The album's standout is “Bittersweet”, a plush post-breakup cut whose clarity and chorus make it one of the best tracks on locket. Equally memorable are “angel wings” for its sumptuous pillow-talk production and “complexity” for its glitchy call-out energy, both showcasing why these are the best songs on the record. The closing “nothing at all” seals the album with dazzling vocal runs and a cathartic dissolve that underscores Beer’s vocal growth.
Key Points
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The best song, "Bittersweet", is the album’s emotional centerpiece for its clear, plush portrayal of post-breakup grief.
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The album’s strengths are strong electropop production and notable vocal and lyrical growth across compact tracks.
Themes
Critic's Take
In her knackily playful way Lydia Wei shows that Madison Beer finally cuts loose on locket, and the best songs - notably “yes baby” and “angel wings” - prove it. Wei revels in the album's sonically diverse pop confectionery, describing dark synth-pop bangers and twinkly 90s R&B with relish. The reviewer praises Beer’s vocal growth, singling out the chorus to “bad enough” as a moment where her voice "slams through the stratosphere." Overall the tone is admiring and focused, framing the best tracks as evidence that Beer is having fun and getting more rigorous at the same time.
Key Points
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The best song highlights Beer’s vocal power and emotional reach, with "bad enough" showcasing her strongest chorus.
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The album’s core strengths are its playfulness, sonic diversity, and newfound focus that lets ideas become fully formed songs.