Looking down at her shoulder, Madison Beer holds a gold heart-shaped locket close to her chest. Her third studio album, “locket,” explores themes of heartbreak, self-growth and reflection. (Image from Sony Music Entertainment)

In an era where pop music has a reputation for being inherently inauthentic, Madison Beer is doing the exact opposite. Beer’s newest album, “locket,” released Jan. 16, combines genuine vulnerability and emotional precision with production that works.

Beer began posting song covers to her YouTube channel in 2012. At just 13 years old, singer Justin Bieber endorsed her by posting a link to her cover of Etta James’ “At Last” on Twitter (now X), calling her a “#futurestar” and praising her vocals. From there, Beer grew her music career, releasing “Life Support” in 2021 and “Silence Between Songs” in 2023. She has cowritten and coproduced all of the tracks on her three albums, taking artistic and creative control over her work.

As a die-hard pop fan, I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t pay much attention to Beer before this album. I’d hear her catchy TikTok hits such as “Reckless“ and “make you mine,” but in a world where an overwhelming quantity of music is being produced, she didn’t feel worth my time.

It’s safe to say I was proven wrong.

I first stumbled upon a clip of Beer performing “bad enough” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Liking what I heard, I decided to give the album a listen.

The first track, “locket theme,” is by far my favorite. Beer does exactly what the song title suggests, setting the tone for the album. She reflects on memories of a past relationship, keeping them “safe in [her] locket,” until she realizes that setting down her necklace helps her let go of her pain. Beer’s ethereal vocals sent me straight into the clouds, leaving me wishing the song lasted a little longer.

After one minute and 28 seconds of pure pop perfection, the music slowly transitions into an electronic, synth-inspired beat. “Yes baby,” is centered on themes of flirtation, intense attraction and confidence. While I enjoyed the track’s high-energy sound, it felt out of place and a bit unexpected compared to the dreamy sound of “locket theme.”

“Angel wings” is Beer’s playful farewell to an ex. As a coping mechanism, she pretends her former lover is dead and has “angel wings” rather than confronting the pain of the breakup head-on. I adored this track’s R&B-inspired sound and diary-like lyrics.

From there, Beer moves into “for the night.” This track is the most sonically relaxing on the album. The production leans into gentle guitar and mellow piano with bossa nova elements — a music style reminiscent of artists like Billie Eilish.

A standout from this album for me is “bad enough.” The lyrics focus on the hesitation of leaving a relationship, where Beer acknowledges that a relationship is toxic, but it isn’t toxic enough to reach a breaking point. She faces external criticism from friends, singing “my friends all say my standards are too low, but it’s not bad enough to let my baby go.” I loved this track’s diversion from the delicate, breathy vocal style of the rest of the album, with Beer belting the lyrics of the chorus.

Beer explores similar themes on “healthy habit,” where she knows something (or someone) isn’t good for her, yet she continues going back because there’s familiarity and comfort associated with them. Still, the song didn’t leave the same impact on me. The production was a bit too minimal and underwhelming. One could argue that’s the point: understating the instrumental to emphasize the meaning of the lyrics. However, I’m a person pleased (at least in pop music) by innovative composition, and I believe that can be done with both sad and upbeat tracks. The same goes for “you’re still everything,” a song with an autotune-driven, almost eerie sound.

In “Bittersweet,” one of the singles, Beer discusses the emotional conflict that comes with a breakup. The title of the track itself represents that mix of feelings: part pain, part relief. “I know I should be bitter,” Beer sings, “but baby, right now I’m bittersweet,” reflecting the ambiguity of letting herself heal while still feeling attached to the memories of what once was.

Beer realizes the impossibility of seeking a connection with a partner who is emotionally unavailable and lacks self-esteem on “complexity.” Although I didn’t have any particular issues with the song, it definitely did not stick out to me compared to the rest of the tracks. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either.

I have the same issue with “make you mine” as I do with “yes baby.” It’s not that I don’t like the songs themselves; they just felt somewhat abrupt. A mix of dance-pop and EDM elements, the lead single of the album was, in some measure, misleading in terms of how it was supposed to tease the tone of the album.

“Locket” closes with “nothing at all,” which explores the anxiety that comes when feeling joy. The lyric, “The higher you rise, the further that you fall, and soon, you’re left with nothin’ at all,” highlights the fear of a seemingly inevitable fall from happiness. I personally thought this was the perfect ending to the album, slightly differing from its central themes of relationship exploration and love to a track calling attention to Beer’s private emotional state.

There’s been widespread debate over whether Beer can find her place in the pop music industry. Some speculate that Beer faces challenges with finding her artistic identity, even suggesting that she needs a “rebrand” for chart-topping success. What some may not consider is that Beer is okay with her current level of fame because changing her look or sound would result in a lack of authenticity.

She’s an artist who is fine with doing things her own way and staying true to herself. “Locket” represents this message perfectly, as Beer crafts a work of art that serves as an introspective reflection on love and personal experiences.