Beabadoobee releases “Switchblade,” the second single from ‘Pylon.’
The track blends 90s radio‑rock and emo‑grunge with laidback vocals.
Themes of vulnerability, confusion and self‑discovery drive its unresolved fight‑or‑flight metaphor.
beabadoobee cuts straight to the bone with her new single “Switchblade,” the second track lifted from her upcoming album Pylon. The track builds on a 90s radio-rock, emo-grunge sound that evokes a mood of a wandering journey in the Midwest. The singer-songwriter’s signature laidback vocals gently chant, “Self-defense is to be brave / Do you start the fight / Or take the flight?” That unresolved question drives the track’s mood.
Thematically, “Switchblade” embodies the contradictions at the heart of Pylon. While the first single, “Sun Has Set” takes on more anger and defiance, the “Switchblade” slows down with a sense of vulnerability and confusion layered in a seemingly relaxed sonic arrangement. With “Switchblade,” she channels her insecurities into waves of distortion, framing confusion and negative emotions not as things to hide, but as necessary stepping stones to self-discovery.
