beabadoobee has built a reputation for seamlessly combining genres within the indie music scene. Nothing is ‘indie,’ however, about her success, as the singer now boasts 25.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and will be going on tour with the release of her new album “Pylon” in some of the largest venues in the U.S.

Each record beabadoobee released has been a recalibration of her style. Her fourth studio album, “Pylon,” was released on Sept. 18. It was largely crafted between shows and in hotel rooms during her 2024 “This Is How Tomorrow Moves” tour, which in turn accompanied her album of the same name. “Pylon” draws its emotion from the frustration one feels when homesick and constantly feeling uncertain about being away from home.

Even the name “Pylon” is telling of the record’s meaning. “Pylon” is named after the steel electricity towers that remind beabadoobee of the people back where she grew up in West London. “Pylon” uses this infrastructure, the pylon, as the ultimate metaphor for love and connection. Like pylon electricity towers, love is something that travels invisibly between fixed points.

“Pylon” has a much more grunge, Midwest emo, and 1990s radio rock-esque sound compared to its predecessors. The guitar presence throughout the album brings the intimacy of a live show to the listener, and is reminiscent of hearing a small band play in their garage.

The tracks featuring collaborations have some of the album’s most striking moments. On “Nothing to Prove,” Paramore’s Hayley Williams joins beabadoobee, where they harmonize over both spending years navigating the modern pressures of being women in rock music. “Dress it loud, sell it true, want the world to look at you / But I’m done,” they sing together. These lyrics read a quiet manifesto, a rejection of fake performance for something more genuine.

“Powerlines,” featuring Brendan Yates of the hardcore punk band Turnstile, pushes deeper. The two sing, “Crystal clear for us to see, living in a fantasy / Through my pain, you’re ecstasy, let the rain fall.” The lyrics are torn between clarity and surrender. The song’s message of knowing a relationship is destructive, yet choosing to pursue it anyway, is the album’s most visceral admission, reminiscent of many of beabadobee’s former songs like 2026’s “All I Did Was Dream Of You.”

“Pylon” is loud and direct. Most tracks hover around 3 minutes or less, which sometimes leaves listeners wanting more room to breathe or indulge in the sound of the song. Still, the brevity only adds to the honesty, given that beabadoobee wrote the album while travelling between shows on tour. The album was created on the move, and feels as though it is always in quick motion. The last song, “Satellite,” however, at four minutes and 45 seconds, is the exception.

“I’m split in two, sing to the moon, orbiting you / Like a satellite,” beabadoobee sings, and the imagery crystallizes the feeling of circling someone from a distance, pulled by their gravity but never quite landing. The slow ambience of “Satellite” comes as a deep exhale after everything that preceded it. Overall, “Pylon” is an electric and unfiltered statement from the singer.

—Staff writer Lucy An-Lee can be reached at [email protected].