Madison Beer interview: Read our Q&A and watch the new video for her sultry track 'Home With You'

US artist has racked up millions of streams with her smoky, R&B influenced pop 

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Thursday 14 June 2018 14:08 BST
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US pop sensation Madison Beer has unveiled the video for her track "Home With You", which you can watch via The Independent along with an exclusive interview.

The 19-year-old was discovered after Justin Bieber tweeted a link to one of her videos where she covered "At Last" by Etta James.

Check out the video and read the interview where she speaks about her year so far, the reaction to her EP As She Pleases, and what she has lined up for the rest of 2018:

Hey Madison, how’s your 2018 going so far?

Hey! My 2018 has been amazing so far. I released my debut EP As She Pleases back in February, which felt like a HUGE milestone in my career. And then I went on my first headline worldwide tour which made me feel truly blessed - to be able to get on stage, sing and dance, see my fans, and do what I love every single night. I’m not kidding you, being on tour has been one of the most fulfilling honours of my life.

I’ve always had a passion for music – it’s a real part of me. It feels like I’ve been singing since I was born and I have so many great memories with my family and friends centred around music. So to be writing, sharing and performing music that will hopefully become the soundtrack to other people’s memories one day is incredible. I could literally cry just talking about it. I feel like I’m living in a dream right now.

What has the reaction been like to your 'As She Pleases' EP – do you feel like a particular song has really resonated with fans?

I’m so proud of As She Pleases, it’s a really personal record and I put so much of myself into it that it feels like I am sharing part of my soul with the world by releasing it. I’ve been so lucky with the reaction to the record. The fans’ reaction is everything to me. Knowing that they love the EP and seeing all of their comments and hearing them singing along to the songs at shows means more to me than anything else. My personal favorite is Tyler Durden - it’s the song I feel the closest to – but it’s difficult to pinpoint one particular fan favorite, as different people have connected with different songs for different reasons. I do feel there is a recurring theme on the EP that has resonated with my fans, though, which is empowerment.

Female pop artists are struggling to break though at the moment, with a few exceptions (yourself included) – what do you think the reason for this is?

Historically it’s always been harder for women to break into any industry, but thankfully I think we’re starting to see that change on a global level. We are progressing day by day. Whether the music business is more challenging than other businesses is difficult to say - though when you hear statistics like only 7% of music producers are women, it makes you wonder… Perhaps if there were more women producing music, more female singers/ songwriters would break through.

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The balance needs to be addressed. More women need to feel they can be respected, just like men. Women have stories to tell and music to make that the world needs to hear. I truly believe that diversity is so important, and I hope that I can use my platform to encourage and inspire other aspiring female artists. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love every day, and I want other young women to experience their dreams coming true as I have been lucky enough to do.

You’re now releasing music independently which is quite rare for a pop artist, what prompted that decision and what’s the experience been like?

Honestly, it’s been so incredible, so liberating. I’m now a part of every conversation concerning my music, which means that everything that’s out there with my name on it is an honest and true representation of what I want and who I am. It hasn’t always been like this – there have been times in my career where I felt people were pushing me to sing songs like this, or look like that, which didn’t feel right and didn’t feel true. To work like I am doing now has completely re-energised my passion and love for making music.

That’s what, in many ways, the As She Pleases EP was inspired by: I wanted to convey the message of how I do what I want and how I run my own business, and I’m a woman in charge. I want all of my fans to know that that’s possible, and feel empowered when they listen to my music.

Who are you enjoying listening to at the moment?

My music taste really varies depending on my mood, or what I’m doing. I love music from the 50s, and I love artists like Rex Orange County, Childish Gambino, Drake, Rihanna, Tame Impala and Khalid.

What are your plans for the rest of 2018?

I’ve just wrapped up my As She Pleases tour, so I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my family, friends, boyfriend and my dog before I head back into the studio to record more music for my upcoming debut album. I think this year is going to be one of the biggest years for me, career-wise. I can’t wait to enjoy every moment of what’s to come.

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