BEEA – “Ride Or Die”
BEEA – “Ride Or Die” – Single Review
You know, if I’m being honest, based on the artwork that came along with this single, I’m not entirely sure if the tender melody that ended up coming through the speakers matched the impression I had. I mean…you can see it right here on the page…I suppose I was thinking probably Rap? From the looks of things, BEEA could maybe be like, a Minaj or a Cardi B. type personality about to spit hot bars & rhymes. A classic case of why you should never judge a book, album, or otherwise, by its cover – don’t let the loaded weapon, scantily clad bodies, balaclava mask, and graffiti fool you – this is a sweet song. Or at least…on the surface level it certainly is. From the gentle guitar melody & beat combination, as you dig further into the depths of “Ride Or Die,” you follow the melody into some pretty raw & real emotions. I felt like the contrast between the beautiful sound & graceful tempo of this song and the insightfully personal glimpse of life, love, relationships – & most importantly, what it truly takes to be “Ride Or Die” – it all worked out really well for BEEA, she sounds great on this new single and has clearly put a lot of thought into her words. Taking cues from her own influences like Leona Lewis, Joss Stone, Toni Braxton – there’s no hint of Minaj or Cardi B. here, no rap…BEEA’s got a classic style of R&B going on for herself that drifts sweetly in between the modern day era and roots of the genre’s past.
For you greybeards like me out there – the phrase “Ride Or Die” is pretty much synonymous with commitment. A quick read into BEEA’s life spent in music at her pages online will immediately tell you that this is something she knows quite a bit about; talk about commitment, she’s been performing onstage since she was only five years old! “Ride Or Die” is written about love for the most part – but true commitment is something that translates to all aspects of the lives that contain it…she loves hard, she falls hard, she lives hard – she puts everything she’s got into everything that she does. As far as I can tell, both from what I’m reading online and what I’m hearing in her new single, that’s gotta be the case.
The timeless sound & style of the guitar that opens this song up is purely gorgeous – BEEA just happens to make a good thing even better by adding her voice to it – but make no mistake, even on a musical-level, this track comes out sounding perfect right from the drop of note one. The production is sparkling & remarkable…the sparest moments musically sound magical with the space surrounding the guitar and BEEA’s stunning vocals, and the more full the song becomes, the more melody seems to come out of her. A solid demonstration of professionalism and real balance in the songwriting & structure – “Ride Or Die” has no weak points…the verse is completely strong and the chorus lifts the song up even further. Lyrically, you want to think of this as something comparable to like, “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders from back in the day…only phrased now here in a modern-day style that’ll connect for the people today, but the sentiment & message of the songs are largely similar. It’s about finding that unwavering commitment and dedication for the person you love and letting absolutely NOTHING get in the way of that…to be “Ride Or Die” is about accepting faults, understanding needs, what it takes to be inseparable…and what it means to love unconditionally. I think BEEA does a great job of connecting her emotions and energy to the words, she obviously has a great voice full of beautiful, powerful, and melodic tones, and as far as modern-day love-songs are concerned, she’s got a real gentle winner here.
Clearly confident & capable, even in the midst of this fragile examination of what it takes to make a relationship last, BEEA sounds bold, empowered, and ready for whatever the future may hold for her. “Ride Or Die” puts the core of her commitment right there on display for all to see & hear – and ultimately, I think the perspective in this song speaks volumes about the heart of the person singing it. She’s written a song that’ll sincerely connect to the people out there…one that expresses her own thoughts & emotions in an inviting & comfortable sound while still keeping it incredibly real & relatable; while it might be a personal tale of her own, the insight she shares about life & love on “Ride Or Die” will certainly find many ears out there that will benefit from the experience & heartfelt wisdom she shares. And someone should definitely say it, so I will – that final twist in the sound of the ending of “Ride Or Die” was a perfect last move. There’s no doubt that the tender sway of the rhythm & melody of this song should have already moved you in one way or the other – but just in case, BEEA transitions one last time to make sure she’s delivered that memorable impact her commitment & effort deserve…powerfully executed all-around and a bold final choice create a real highlight of an ending on “Ride Or Die” and leaves you with a more than favorable impression of what this artist brings to her music.
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