A similar status to Zara Larsson’s in today’s pop and social media-dominated world is held by funky singer-songwriter and producer Bebe Rexha.
On October 1st this year, Bebe Rexha successfully teamed up with Doja Cat for her new single and accompanying video clip “Baby, I’m Jealous“. It deals with the uncertainties of life in the digital age. Floating synths, as well as a banging bassline, provide the foundation for an exhilarating pop song broaching the perils of endlessly scrolling through social media as it is common nowadays.
BEBE’sAND DOJA’s MESSAGE
In “Baby, I’m Jealous” Rexha wrote about the negativity that modernity thrusts upon us humans: envy, anger, self-doubt. But the single itself is not dark and brooding. “Baby, I’m Jealous” is funky, playful and self-aware. Doja Cat’s cheesy lines about society’s expectations for women boost it even more: “Waist trainer for a tinier waist / But I can’t help if I like the way food tastes.”. According to Rexha, it’s about embracing these complex emotions:
“‘Baby, I’m Jealous’ is a song I wrote about accepting my insecurities.“, Bebe Rexha describes. “It’s about the way social media has amplified my jealousy, which in turn has a real impact on how I feel about myself. We are constantly flooded with highlights of others’ lives. And sometimes I find myself comparing my worth or appearance to others. Feelings of jealousy are only human – this anthem is about embracing those feelings as a form of empowerment.”
A technicolor video directed by award-winning Hannah Lux Davis accompanied the release of the single in early October. With her, Bebe Rexha has already collaborated on several occasions before. The clip features actors and TikTok-influencers Charli D’Amelio, Nikita Dragun, and Avani Gregg. Rexha’s siren red hair literally bursts off the screen. Moreover, the colorful, fantastical clip brings to life the musical wonder woman’s playful lyrics very well.
STARTING OFF AS A WRITER
Following that early success, Bebe Rexha also conquered #1 on the Billboard Pop and Rap Charts and the Official German Singles Charts with her striking worldwide-known single “Me, Myself & I” featuring rapper G-Eazy.
In 2017 her very first and critically acclaimed EPs aired. Their names were “All Your Fault: Part 1”, featuring the hit “I Got You“ and “All Your Fault: Part 2”, containing chart-topper “Meant To Be”. The latter ran up and down in basically every single radio show worldwide.
BEBE REXHA’s POP-CAREER
It is genuinely hard to imagine today’s music world without the Diamond Award-winning musician who is now rocking a vibrant red hair color. Bebe Rexha boasts over 12 million singles sold and more than 6 billion global streams on several platforms. Furthermore, she reaches a radio listenership of more than 10 billion people.
„Expectations”, her debut album, came out in June 2018 and featured the platinum single “I’m a Mess”. It also contained the worldwide chart-topper “Meant To Be” (feat. Florida Georgia Line). This song occupied #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Song Charts for a historic 50 consecutive weeks – longer than any artist before. Consequently, it won “Top Country Song” at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. The Grammys also nominated it for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” in 2019. Today, Bebe Rexha boasts over 2.7 billion YouTube views. In collaboration with Grammy Week, Bebe introduced the Grammy Music Education Coalition’s (GMEC) 2019 campaign. It is part of a new all-star ambassador program whose other members include Luis Fonsi, Rita Ora, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, and more.
WHAT’S UP NEXT, BEBE REXHA?
“Baby, I’m Jealous” was Bebe Rexha’s first and only release of 2020. But the siren-haired singer has been making headlines lately anyway, as her #1 hit “Meant to Be” with Florida Georgia Line has now officially reached Diamond status.
This year’s collaboration with internet-phenomenon Doja Cat and other famous TikTok-stars is just the first taste of the exciting new music Rexha has got in the works. A new album is expected in early 2021, and it was also recently announced that Rexha will now be managed by SAL&CO Management. So you can remain excited, as it seems that Bebe’s best is yet to come!
If you want to follow her on this journey of ever-developing pop-history, you should take a look at Bebe Rexha’s official YouTube channel!
© Warner Music
Text: Ronja Buchin