Madison Beer - Locket (2026)
Locket feels carefully held together, almost to a fault. It’s an album that wants to be intimate and reflective, but often keeps me at arm’s length through its polish and restraint. Madison’s voice is still the centerpiece—controlled, pretty, emotionally legible—but the songs rarely let that emotion spill over into something messy or truly urgent.
I hear the intention clearly: memory, relationships, self-examination, all framed through sleek contemporary pop. And in isolation, many of the tracks work just fine. The problem is momentum. Too often the album settles into a comfortable mid-tempo zone where the mood is consistent but the emotional stakes don’t rise. I’m listening, but I’m not being pulled forward.
What’s missing for me is risk. The production plays it safe, the writing circles familiar territory, and the concept never quite sharpens into something that demands attention. Locket isn’t bad—it’s competent, tasteful, and occasionally touching—but it feels more like an artist consolidating her sound than challenging it. By the end, I respect it more than I crave it.
Genre:
Country: US
Final Verdict: 61% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 32th / 43
Highlight: make you mine
Made me think of:
Charli XCX
Lorde
Billie Eilish
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