Bea Miller is so back and ready to reintroduce herself with her third studio album Mr. Peaked In High School.
Following an unintentional break from a very depressive period in her life, the “Fire and Gold” singer reflects on teen stardom and mental health struggles. “I think that [break] was needed because when I did find inspiration again, I wrote this record that I think is the best thing I’ve ever done,” the pop star says during a press conference. The now 27-year-old explains that the “biggest inspiration for this album is thinking that I had no inspiration.”
Described as “time capsule of how I feel of my own life,” Miller describes the album as “telling a clear story. It’s self-reflection, introspection, but it’s also me talking about my own life and past. Things that are dark and should be hard to talk about, but I am making fun of myself a lot of the time.”
Despite never attending high school, the album’s title, Mr. Peaked In High School, tells a clear story. The “Born to Lose” singer explains, “The story and overarching theme I was getting is it’s so funny that I am talking about how I reached the peak of my success when I was 18, when I should’ve been in high school.” Instead of letting hate comments get to her, Miller jokes, “2016 called and they want Bea Miller back,” and by doing so, she is reclaiming this joke by poking fun at herself. The “Depressed on the Internet” singer explains, “I want to be in on the joke instead of being the joke.”
What made being vulnerable and humorous on the record come easy for her was the circle of collaborators she was surrounded by. One of those collaborators is her friend, songwriter Justin Tranter.
“I feel like our bond as people helps us in the creative process. As long as Tranter’s in the room, I’m a better writer.”
One of the producers on the album, Dan Crean, was once in a band with Tranter, which made him another familiar presence in the room. Crean’s “edgy” vibe compliments co-producer OAK’s “pop R&B” influence on the record. The ability of creating with those familiar and comfortable brought a sense of ease and trust. It allowed Miller to be herself. Having people she felt comfortable with helped her translate that same feeling into a record. While many albums sometimes go through hundreds of songs before being narrowed down, only 20 were written for this 13-track record.
Miller and Tranter’s ability to transform their conversations into music is illustrated in the track “Bad Person.” The idea for the chorus came from her asking Tranter, “Do my bad choices make me a bad person?”
While Miller thought the idea may be too “glaringly obvious,” Tranter reassured her that’s what makes it special. “Hottest Girls” explores the feeling of having a crush on a girl, which is not reciprocated because she wants to be with a “hotter” girl. Miller is particularly proud of the “choir moment” in the bridge of the track.
“It is one of my favorite moments by far on the entire album,” she admits. It may not be the loudest, but she hopes that listeners are able to catch onto a key detail: “We did multiple rounds of mixing the song and every single time I had received back a new mix of the song I was like ‘bring up the choir!’”
Miller thinks the fan favorite will be “Summer of 16,” which is the only ballad on the album. She teased, “You bitches love a sad song.” On a more serious note, she explains, “I think it’s been more impactful to the longtime fans to have a more delicate, personal, sad, emotional song.”
Mr. Peaked in Highschool by Bea Miller is out now.
