You may have already finished binging Heartstopper and already begun the wait for season three’s release next year, but if you are, then there’s a good chance you still have the soundtrack of the hit Netflix show as a delightful little earworm you can’t seem to get rid of. And tbh there’s no need to because the most prominent artist of the soundtrack is gearing up for her new album and live shows. Everyone say: “Thank you, Baby Queen!”
After the success of the first season of the adaption of Alice Oseman’s comic Heartstopper, Baby Queen’s prominent involvement in the soundtrack led to her rapidly growing fanbase, dubbed Baby Kingdom, which only continued to flourish after she headed on tour as a support act for Olivia Rodrigo across the UK and Europe (so it’s no surprise she made it to our Artists To Watch in 2023!) Now the South African anti-hero of pop is gearing up for the release of her debut album Quarter Life Crisis set to drop this fall.
Speaking of her highly anticipated record, Baby Queen – real name Bella Latham – shares in a press release:
“This album tells the story of my journey through my early 20s – leaving my childhood and my adolescence behind but never really losing my childlike wonder and never quite growing up. The songs are all facets of what early adulthood has been like for me while discovering new parts of myself, my sexuality, my past and my place in this world. It has been lonely, chaotic, beautiful, devastating and inspiring and I think these songs reflect that, creating a space in which innocence and experience can live side by side as two conflicting entities.“
Not only do we have a Baby Queen album to look forward to, but a tour is also taking place! The South African-born singer will be holding a 12-date Quarter Life Crisis tour across the UK, including live shows at iconic venues such as Birmingham O2 Academy, O2 Forum Kentish Town, and Nottingham Rescue Rooms, with the first date kickstarting on Halloween in Brighton and concluding in London on November 15th. She will then head to the US for two shows in New York and Los Angeles later that month.
We still have a little bit of a wait until the drop of the album and for the Quarter Life Crisis Tour to kick off, but worry not, as we have carefully curated the perfect Baby Queen playlist to bless your ears for the time being. Whether you’re new to her music or an original fan before she became an international name, check out our song recs below. You’re welcome.
‘All The Things’
Serving as the third single of Quarter Life Crisis, Baby Queen shares that this hazy alt-pop song was actually inspired by Heartstopper‘s Tao and Elle, and is one of the six songs that feature on season two’s soundtrack.
“It’s about being so enamoured with a person that the things that once brought you happiness don’t hit or affect you in quite the same way because all the things you used to want to do, you now want to do with that person by your side,” the singer-songwriter explains in a press release.
‘Internet Religion’
Serving as the lead single off of her 2020 EP Medicine, this big pop number entwines a bright and cheery melody with deep and dark lyrics that are critical of social media and the impacts it has on society. On the outside, ‘Internet Religion’ is a joyful and energetic bop that you can dance around your room to or belt out at the top of your lungs on a road trip, but take a closer look and Baby Queen is speaking to her generation about the flaws of a perfect-looking digital world.
‘We Can Be Anything’
A song that will definitely be familiar to Heartstopper fans, ‘We Can Be Anything’ premiered on the show’s Instagram back in July in the lead-up to the second season’s release date. This empowering philosophical single is a thrilling and eye-opening dance track inspired by a long-time state that Baby Queen has been in.
“I’ve been having a prolonged existential crisis for the better part of the past 5 years and would consider myself to be a nihilist in many ways, which has made being alive quite bleak at times. I think human beings really crave purpose but there is ultimately no clear-cut reason we’re here and if there is one, we’re just not intelligent enough to figure it out.”
“Despite it all, life is beautiful and I think our lack of purpose and our insignificance gives us the greatest level of freedom. Society, culture, rules, laws – these are all constructs. I like to believe that as long as you’re not hurting people, you do have the freedom and the prerogative to do with your life what you will. That’s what this song is about: non-confinement and non-conformity in the face of what is essentially absurdity. I just want people to listen to it and feel free – because they are free.”
‘Pretty Girl Lie’
Another track from Medicine we adore is ‘Pretty Girl Lie,’ a glittery synth-heavy track that focuses on unobtainable beauty standards that are created thanks to Facetune and Photoshop and the insecurities it creates, in particular for girls online. Another song that’s pretty and fun on the outside but truly hits hard when you focus on the lyrics. Baby Queen is truly a voice for our generation that needs to be heard.
‘Dover Beach’
This bright and breezy song dropped back in 2021 and was later included on The Yearbook EP that sings about struggling to escape the daydreams of someone no matter how hard you try. The song was inspired by a solo songwriting trip to Dover Beach that Baby Queen was eager to visit after a poem she read at school about the place.
“I actually wrote the melody and lyrics of this song while I was sitting on the beach. It’s about being infatuated with somebody and seeing them everywhere you look, ” she explains in a press release. “I was kind of pissed that I went to look at the beach, all I could think about was this person, hence the lyric ‘you stole the view of Dover Beach.’“
‘Colours Of You (Nick and Charlie Version)’
Let’s be honest: how could we not include ‘Colours Of You’ in this playlist? But we know that this is the one song that everyone reading this will know, so we thought we’d switch it up and suggest the Nick and Charlie version. The song was written by Baby Queen about the lead characters and their journeys of discovering and accepting who they are. This alternative version of the song is a more raw, stripped-back take of the hit song that has a more intimate feel and truly captures the pure love and adoration the teenage sweethearts have for one another.
‘Want Me’
‘Want Me’ is an energetic banger that dropped back in 2020 from the Medicine EP, and was also featured in the first season of Heartstopper (anyone else feel nostalgic listening to this?) This drum-heavy pop-rock song really captures that teenage lust of having feelings for someone.
“This song is about a childlike crush and an unrequited love. It’s also about my insecurities that seem to be exacerbated by those feelings… I think it’s probably the closest thing we’ll get to a Baby Queen love song anytime soon,” she shares back at the time of the single’s release. Oh, if you only knew, 2020 Bella!
‘Quarter Life Crisis’ is out October 6th and is available for pre-order. Tickets for the ‘Quarter Life Crisis Tour’ go on sale at 10 AM BST Friday, August 18th, with pre-sale at 10 AM BST Wednesday, August 16th.
Are you excited that we’re finally getting a Baby Queen album? What’s your favorite song from her discography? Let us know down in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP!
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