"Real Man" by beabadoobee // Song Review

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Beabadoobee's "Real Man" is a charming and effortlessly catchy track that beautifully showcases her evolving sound. Featured as a single from her third album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, released in 2024, the song is produced by her longtime collaborator Jacob Bugden alongside the legendary Rick Rubin.

It balances playfulness with vulnerability as she explores the frustrating reality of men letting her down, in a way that is equally playful as it is sincere. The sharp lyricism paired with an irresistibly clever chorus makes "Real Man" such a standout moment from the album. "And I already told you I'm not part of the band, please forgive mе just for thinkin' it's a fleetin' romance, I guess no one еver taught you how to be a real man," she sings in the second chorus. 

"I just wanted to write, like, a sexy song. Like I wanted to write a cheeky, flirtatious song," Bea said in an interview with Stereogum breaking down the song. "And the whole idea of it is just finding men constantly disappointing. I think that's a very relatable feeling a lot of people have. So I tried making the sound of it and the melody of it match the vibe of what I was singing about."

While she was making This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Bea rediscovered an old unreleased track by Lana Del Rey called "Wayamaya", which she originally recorded sometime around 2007 and leaked online in 2015. That deep cut by Lana ended up serving as the main inspiration behind "Real Man" when Bea was writing her album. "I remember I found that song on YouTube years and years ago, and I rediscovered it again when I was writing this record, and I was like, oh my god, I want a sort of bluesy, sexy song. So that's how 'Real Man' was born," she said in her interview with Stereogum. 

Listening back to "Wayamaya", the sonic influences on "Real Man" are clear, the energy of Lana's song really carries into Bea's reinterpretation of it. "Wayamaya" is one of my favorite unreleased tracks from Lana's early very career, and its charm and intimacy shine through Bea's songwriting here. It also strikes a really cool balance of playfulness and vulnerability in a way that is so true to her signature style.

The outro delivers some of the song's most cutting lines: "Would you hold it down and take it if I gave you a chance? Need the reassurance, baby, not a silly romance," she repeats. "Guess I'm used to bein' disappointed, falling too fast, if you want it, go and get it, and I hope you last." The sharp honesty in those lyrics cements "Real Man" as a standout moment on the album.

With this song and the rest of This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Bea continues to showcase her evolution as an artist and songwriter, while keeping the raw honesty that's always been at the core of her music. "Real Man" is bold, infectious, and effortlessly cool - an undeniable highlight of her growth artistically.

Check out more from my song of the week series here. ☆ Thanks for reading!




Photo Credit: beabadoobee, Dirty Hit



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