Reintroducing Bea Miller, who's embracing her “lonely bitch” era

Open up TikTok and it’s likely you’ll hear Bea Miller’s voice singing “feel something.” The soft-spoken, confident musician released her debut EP, Young Blood, in 2014, followed by two albums. Since then, Miller left Hollywood Records and became an independent artist, with the opportunity to finally make the music she wants to make (and listen to). Over the years, the New Jersey native’s poppier sound has evolved into darker indie pop reminiscent of Gracie Abrams or Maggie Lindemann.

Read more: How TikTok allows artists to take direct control of their own narratives

On Jan. 13, the Los Angeles-based musician released the edgier single “lonely bitch,” giving her 1.4 million Instagram fans a much-anticipated peek at what’s to come.

AltPress caught up with Miller over Zoom, where she talked about the Paramore concert that changed her life, how TikTok unexpectedly embraced her (with a little help from Euphoria) and what it’s like striking out on her own. 

Tell us about your new single “lonely bitch” and what inspired it.

I was with a label literally the entirety of my career — which has been 10 years, which is pretty wild. Most artists probably reach a point where you don’t always agree with the label or other people on your team and start to have different visions for what everyone wants. 

I always performed my live music with more of a rock sound and a band. I’ve loved the way that sounds and feels. I struggled to convince the people I had been working with that it was a sound I was able to explore. But now I’m an independent artist for the first time in my entire career. 

I’ve always written honest and truthful lyrics. I’ve been passionate about communicating a genuine message. I just wasn’t able to be fully in control. This is the first song I’ve ever put out that was entirely my call. It was up to me what I wanted the message to be, what I wanted it to sound like and how I wanted it to be communicated to my fans and anybody else who felt like listening. I’ve always been my most authentic self in my writing, but now in my onstage performances, I can be my most authentic artist in every possible way.

How did you decide on the theme for the music video?

There was an image I found that spoke to me — a painting of a clown, or jester, sitting at a restaurant and looking sad and alone. I wanted to get the point across of feeling alone when you’re with somebody else. The lyrics are talking about how I’m used to being alone. But I was put in a position where I had someone around that I didn’t want to go, which I found comfort in, because normally I do want people to leave me alone. 

What has the reaction been like?

My fans who have been with me for years have been waiting for this because they’ve come to live shows and followed me since I was 14 and would reblog angry stuff on my Tumblr. They know deep down, I’ve leaned more into the rock/alternative direction and haven’t been given the freedom to make music that sounds that way. 

Have a lot of these fans been with you for the last 10 years?

A lot of my fans have grown with me. We’ve been going through life together [for] the past 10 years, which is beautiful — and something that is specific to artists who do start at a younger age — probably too young, to be honest. There’s a beauty in people discovering you who are the same age when you’re all young, confused and not sure what you’re doing, and then you all figure it out together.

Have you found that a lot of people discovered you through TikTok?

Someone made a mashup of “feels something” and a Labrinth song in 2020, which broadcast me to a lot of people who weren’t already aware of me.

A lot of the comments were, “I remember you. I didn’t realize you’re still making music.” Of course, the majority of people said, “I’ve never heard of you, but this is cool.” All my fans started tweeting one day and saying, “You gotta get on TikTok.” That definitely produced a massive amount of exposure for me. 

It’s obvious [the] production was different from “feel something,” but if you put them side by side, “lonely bitch” makes sense. It’s the next logical step for the direction of my sound.

Who are some of the artists who inspire this next direction?

My mom raised me in a house full of all kinds of music. She was a vinyl DJ, before I was born. Vinyl DJs had to have an extensive collection of music because they had to physically arrive with it. She would play the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Alanis Morissette and I eventually found Avril Lavigne and Paramore. I’ve collected so many genres over my life, and I have my mom to thank for instilling that love for music in me.

Are you showing your mom new music now?

I play all my own songs for her in the car. She has lost her hearing a bit and wears hearing aids. I owe it to her to show her new artists. Every time I’m with my mom, and we’re in the car, I play a bunch of stuff. She has this little notebook, and every time she hears a song I’m playing, she has me write it down. 

I saw one of your first concerts with her was Paramore.

I didn’t go to a lot of concerts when I was younger. My first concert ever was Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Paramore might have been my second. That changed my life. I liked to sing, but I didn’t necessarily think I was good at it. I also knew I couldn’t dance. I was 10, so I had only seen people entertaining on Disney. 

I remember seeing Paramore — who were one of my favorite bands at the time and still are — they didn’t have backup dancers or singers. There wasn’t a lot of crazy imagery behind them. It was one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen to this day. Hayley Williams’ ability to capture the attention of a crowd made me feel like I have to figure out a way I can do that.

You have your new single out. What else do you have coming up?

We’re planning on releasing another song in February. 

Did working on new music as an independent artist feel different?

It makes me laugh whenever someone reminds me I can do what I want, which has been obviously amazing, but difficult for me to remember. The process of making music is a lot less stressful, and feels more genuine because I’m not trying to fit into some specific box musically because I don’t think that matters. Now that streaming has surpassed purchases, there’s all kinds of ways people discover music. 

To me, it doesn’t matter if you fit in a box. But sometimes for people in suits, that’s still something they want to focus on. Being able to create music where I can be my most authentic self and trust the people who will appreciate that and enjoy it will find it via the internet is freeing. 

I can actually feel my passion for music again. A couple of years ago, I was asking myself how I’m already exhausted. Just because I wasn’t able to make exactly what felt good to me. Now I feel excited to wake up every day again, which is a nice change of pace.

And you’ve seen the industry change, from albums to TikTok — how people discover music.

Being able to tap into that transition was interesting. Now I can make what I want, and knowing that there are people who like it — who seek me out and find it — that’s special.