Madison Beer, an American pop singer and songwriter, recently released her third studio album on January 16th, 2026, titled Locket. She gained attention in the early 2010s and has shaped her career centered around her great storytelling, vocal performances, and pop production. She excels in mainstream pop and R&B,and she developed an identity surrounding vulnerability and strong emotions. Locket arrived after a long-drawn rollout, with its first single, “make you mine” being released almost two years before the album. Locket is mainly a pop record with themes of longing and anxiety from a past relationship, creating an album that fans have been eagerly waiting to hear.
The album opens up with the track, “locket theme,” a slow, short introduction to the album. The song establishes the theme and the aesthethics of the album, showcasing an emotional and melancholic tone. As the first and shortest song of the album, it functions as more of an introduction and mood setter to the album rather than a narrative. Beer’s high vocals in the song showcase the despair and yearning that she has in her heart, giving a great start to this album.
The beginning is abruptly distrupted by “yes baby,” the album’s second single, released on September 19th, 2025. With a bold electropop production, heavy synths, and repetitive lyrics, the track leans toward a hyperpop sound that feels disconnected from the image that the album was trying to create. On its own, it is a great upbeat song, but its placement on the album makes it feel lacking in cohesion, disrupting the flow. This issue is further amplified by the release strategy, with “yes baby” being the second single released after “make you mine,” another upbeat song, cementing the idea of a loud, electronically produced album, which Locket ultimately isn’t.
“angel wings” stands out as the albums’ strongest moment. As the longest track, it allows space for a powerful production, emotional and heartfelt lyrics, and effective adlibs. The song has heavy R&B and 2010s pop influence, reminiscent of Ariana Grande, making the song feel very polished. The familiar melody works in its advantage, making it memorable, positioning it as one of the best songs of this album.
“for the night” introduces a calm and more experimental sound, including whisper-style vocals. These vocals are extremely soft and it is clear that it draws inspiration from Billie Eilish. The song includes a bossa-nova type instrumental, showing a side of Locket that wasn’t anticipated.
“bad enough,” the fourth single released alongside the album on January 16th, 2026, is a mid-tempo pop track that includes lyrics that show vulnerability and discusses how hard it is to let someone go, even if they treat you horribly. It is driven by a beat drop in the chorus, which adds energy without overwhelming the song. Beer’s vocal performance in this song stands out, particulary with her use of high notes, highlighting her technical control and emotional delivery. The combination of the dynamic production and impressive vocals allows this track to be very dramatic, while fitting in with the theme of the album.
“healthy habit” builds on the emotional honesty of “bad enough,” with the repetition of the lyric, “And I wonder if it’s worth doing it again,” creating the image of anxiety and obbsessive thinking. This reinforces the song’s theme throughout the structure and lyrics, rather than just lyrics on its own. For one of the shortest songs of the album, it develops the message that the album is trying to get out.
“you’re still everything” serves as a genuine ballad that seamlessly fits in the song. The use of autotune doesn’t change her voice drastically, but is used in a subtle way to enhance the deeply emotional lyrics. Beer herself says that she used the autotune to sound like a “sad robot.” Its’ sincerity reinforces the albums’ themes of attachment and loss.
“bittersweet,” the third single released on October 10th, 2025, captures the emotional duality suggested by its title. The song blends together heartfelt deep lyrics with an upbeat pop and R&B type instrumental, creating a contrast between sadness and energy. This song draws clear inspiration from Ariana Grande, specifically her song from eternal sunshine, “we can’t be friends,” as it features a similar melody and theme. The hard-hitting lyrics and production make “bittersweet” one of the more effective singles, as it contributes to the tone of the album, creating an image that Madison Beer was aiming for.
“complexity” has emotional contridiction and internal conflict, which relates to many themes that Locket tries to create. The song blends together thoughtful lyrics with a bold pop production, unlike “yes baby” or “make you mine,” making it fit well in the album. Although it isn’t the most bold sonically, “complexity” deepens the emotional narritive of the album.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the album remains “make you mine.” Released almost two years before Locket was, it shaped expectations that the album would be an upbeat, dance-driven, hyperpop album, when in turn, it isn’t. On its own though, it is a remarkable song, with a Grammy nomination for “Best Dance Pop Recording,” However,with Locket, it just doesn’t fit with the theme and contributes to the misleading narrative of the identity of the album.
The closing track, “nothing at all,” brings the album back to emotional clarity. The calm harmonies serve as a perfect conclusion as it relates back to the sensitivity of the first track. It reinforces that Locket, at its core, is a quiet and genuine album.
Overall, Locket is an emotionally compelling album that highlights Madison Beer’s growth as a vocalist and a storyteller. However, its inconsistent genre switching and single rollout prevent it from feeling fully cohesive. Locket is a career milestone for Madison Beer though, especially considering that it includes a Grammy nominated song, “make you mine.” Altogether, Locket is a special album, featuring many notable songs, that shape Madison Beers’ career.
