“Silence Between Songs” Review

Madison Beer's debut novel "The Half of It" is pictured to the left, and her latest album Silence Between Songs, is pictured to the right on spotify. Hanna Zabski '25

2023 has been quite the year for singer-songwriter Madison Beer.

Earlier this year, Beer came out with her debut book, “The Half of It,” a memoir detailing her early childhood and rise to fame after Justin Bieber retweeted one of her covers on YouTube. A few months after the release of her book, Beer released her sophomore album, “Silence Between Songs.”

“Silence Between Songs” is a 14-track album that is led by singles such as “Home to Another One” and “Spinnin,” which were released earlier this year. Beer’s lyrical and storytelling abilities shine through in this record. Many songs featured on this album represent certain people or memories throughout Beer’s childhood and early career.

When talking to the Sturniolo Triplets on their podcast “Cut the Camera,” Beer stated that the title for the album was inspired by a challenging time she was going through. Beer described that “in between the silence and the noise” is where she learned who she was and that things in life can get better.

“Silence Between Songs” is an album that is best listened to in chronological order. The placement of each song is crucial to the story that Beer is telling. While this album mainly consists of more slow and relaxed records, the few upbeat songs sprinkled in the tracklist truly bring the album to life. Standout songs from the album include “17,” Ryder” and “King of Everything.”

“17” is a song about how much stress Beer was under when she was younger and how that deeply affected her. Beer mentions how, since she began her career, her life has moved at lightning speed, and she has never had an opportunity to sit down and fully absorb everything she has gone through. Lyrics such as “All my life, I’ve never had the chance to stop and smell the flowers, all this time, I never got to sit, and dream away the hours” showcase how much of life Beer feels she has lost out on. “17” is a beautiful story that proves that the glamorous Hollywood life is not always as fun as it seems.

“Ryder” is a song that Beer wrote for her brother, Ryder Beer. Beer’s parents went through a divorce when she was younger, and in the song, she apologizes for not being able to help her brother through the difficult time and for all of the constraints her career has put on her brother. Growing up with a sister as a celebrity is not easy, and Beer recognizes that in this track. “Just two kids caught in the crossfire, close your eyes. I know you’re so tired,” sings Beer, emphasizing how their parent’s divorce and the strain of her career affected her relationship with her brother.

“King of Everything” is the album’s final song and has caused much discussion by Beer’s fans. For context, Madison Beer was signed in 2012 by Island Records and, at the time, was managed by Scooter Braun. In 2015, Beer was let go by Island Records and Scooter Braun. “King of Everything” is highly speculated to be a song written about Braun, as the song talks about a man with heavy influence in the music industry who has slowly started to crumble down from his pedestal. “Building a home made up of gold, of people you hurt, bridges to Hollywood you took then burned, I hope it was worth it,” sings Beer, supporting the theory that this song is about a man who took advantage of Beer and others throughout their careers.

“Silence Between Songs” is an album that illustrates Beer’s strength as a young woman who has endured much stress at the hands of the music industry.