Album Review: Betty Who - Betty
That Betty Who is about the farthest one can get from a recognized name is not surprising. Even ignoring that she hails from Australia (not exactly a nexus for rising talent), her style leaves something to be desired no matter what angle one approaches her from. Too lacking in flair to be a pop star, too uninventive to call herself indie, and too formless to attract much attention in general. What she does possess (to some extent) is vocal talent, though that is obviously far from a necessary or even desired quality for mainstream success.
Her newest effort, eponymous as if to imply either a reinvention or a return to one's roots (neither of which occurs here), features a number of tracks which premiered on her EP from last year, Betty, Pt. 1. That project did show some promise within, yet even as short as it was had its share of regrettable tracks. Indeed, this album shares most of its best moments with that project, while tacking on almost a half hour of mostly unremarkable filler.
Taste is easily the highest point of the album, and possibly of her career as a whole. Betty's singing is delightfully slick, maintaining a veneer of seduction despite a wry smile clearly audible in her voice as she croons "Should be drinking 'em down/But he poisoned my mind any time that I'm on one". The instrumental is full of soulful backing vocals, yet has the sense to pull back to just a bass guitar and snappy percussion in order to shift the focus at critical moments, creating an effective contrast between the reserved, subtle verses and a bombastic, synth-driven chorus topped off by an impressively high falsetto.
Songs like Stop Thinking About You or Between You & Me, while featuring production more interesting than the more drab cuts on here, are still held back by forgettable lyrics and a hesitance to push the vocals far past the realm of convention. In lieu of a unique style, Betty Who spends much of this album bouncing between sounding like a poor man's version of Britney Spears (The One), Katy Perry (Marry Me), or Halsey (Ignore Me), to mention only a few pop stars she shamelessly borrows from at points. On top of not being original, these formulaic cuts are merely pale imitations of mostly outdated sounds whose best moments are far beyond what Betty Who is capable of replicating.
Still, most of the songs here are not nearly as bad as the ironically clumsy Language or the awkwardly repetitive All This Woman. When Betty pairs a skilled vocal performance with more modern production, she ends up with something as fun as Old Me, a cut that in its enjoyment almost lends credence to its lyrical notion of rekindling her sound. While Do With It or I Remember may not exactly be transforming the genre, as dance-pop joyrides they work well enough.
The crime of Betty Who's self-titled record is not one of poor quality, but simply the all-too-common ailment of pop music lacking any flair or individuality. There is certainly potential here, but a mix of bland songwriting, uninteresting production, and a general lack of identity prevents this record from distinguishing itself from the myriad of dance-pop albums this decade has been flooded with. Betty offers a few forward-thinking highlights, for sure, but largely feels stuck in the past without possessing the novelty or the talent to progress to anything noteworthy.
5.5/10
Favourite Tracks: Taste, Old Me, Just Thought You Should Know
https://open.spotify.com/album/78LBmUOdg2KeGk0mSQ1lTs?si=Rb5hhIhITYuPY8UNOr4epA