Baby

"It’s a very empowering song. I definitely feel like I want to be sexy and embrace my sexuality and just dance. Everyone’s asking me: ‘What do you want people to take from this?’ And I’m like, ‘I want you to twerk and have fun. I want you to play this while you’re getting ready with your friends and just feel good about yourself."

"Baby" (originally called "Prescription Love") is the third single and thirteen track of Madison Beer's debut studio album, Life Support. It was released on August 21, 2020 through Epic Records.

Theme

Beer explained in an interview that the song revolves around female impowerment.^[1]

"When I wrote ‘Baby’ I was not only reminding myself that I can have what I deserve but also warning the next person that comes into my life that being with me is conditional. ‘If you wanna be my baby’ then know I’m going to be loud, quiet, wild, sexy, shy, high, low. I’m not going to apologize for who I am or shrink myself down anymore so if you can’t deal, then keep walking."

Background

On March 5, 2020, during Madison’s 21st birthday party, she had played the song during her party.

On August 6, 2020 a fan asked Beer when she'll make the next announcement^[2], to which she replied with "gimme a few days"^[3] and "speak to u friday".^[4] A day later Madison confirmed in a tweet that “Baby” would be released as the next official single off of her upcoming debut album, Life Support. The same day she shared pictures of her from the music video and revealed the release date of the song and music video.^[5][6][7] Later she also announced merchandise.^[8]

On August 14, 2020 she shared the beginning of the music video with the caption "BABY / ONE WEEK" on Twitter.^[9] The same day Beer went live on Instagram and teased her upcoming song with a friend. She revealed the song length, message and vibe and later also sung lyrics of the song by singing "I can turn you on on on".^[10]

On August 17, 2020 Beer tweeted "BABY. 4 DAYS." with a teaser of the music video.^[11] On August 18, 2020 Madison tweeted more lyrics by saying "i look too good to b in this bedroom without someone to touch me like u doooooo”".^[12]

The music video and the song were released on August 21, 2020. After its release Beer went live on Instagram and was talking about 'Baby'.

In 2021, an early concept of the song titled "Prescription Love" was leaked to the public. This version of the song features a different, softer chorus than the released version and it's much shorter than the final product, only lasting one minute. Madison once spoke about it in an interview explaining that they changed the whole chorus from Baby because they weren't satisfied with the way it sounded.^[13]

On November 8, 2021 as a result of the Dropbox Hack the second and fourth demo leaked and an alternative remix.

Promotion

On September 29, 2020 Beer dropped merchandise of the song.^[14]

On October 2, 2020 the Baby (Syn Cole Remix) was released and the same day a behind the scenes video of Baby was shared on Youtube. On October 6, 2020 Beer shared a fun facts video about Baby. The Baby (Jonas Blue Remix) was released alongside a visualizer of the remix on October 16, 2020.^[15]

On February 17, 2021 posted a snippet of the song on her Twitter revealing that it would be a part of the Life Support album.^[16]

Official versions

• Released version - 3:28
• Syn Cole Remix - 3:04
• Jonas Blue Remix - 3:13
• "Prescription Love" version - 1:05
• Demo 1 - 3:26
• Demo 2 - 3:27
• Demo 4 - 3:28

Music video

Madison clarified that the video was reshot. In May of 2019, they shot one, and it just wasn't right. She said that she apologized and told everyone that they need to reshoot this entire video. ^[17]

The director of the music video was Drew Kirsch. The video shows being excessively scrutinized whereas within the highlight, the thought of observation, and the voyeuristic angle of our lives.

Live performances

The first time the song was performed live was on September 2, 2020 on late show.^[18] On October 10, 2020 Madison performed a slowed down version. On October 27, 2020 Madison made a home performance of Baby on Genius. A few months later the song was performed live from the MTV EMA 2020 in November.

The song was also part of the Life Support Tour, Life Support In Concert, the Spinnin Tour and the Encore Tour.

Critical Reception

NME claims the single as a "sex-positive, R&B belter. Filled with twinkling harp licks and hand-clapped beats that accompany lyrics oozing with confidence, it’s the sort of song you’ll listen to and feel bold enough to send that risky text to your latest Tinder crush."^[19]

Trivia

• Madison has a tattoo of the song on her neck, which was shown in the Baby fun facts video on YouTube.
• Beer spend more than 6 hours on her hair and make-up for the music video (mentioned in the fun facts video)
  • Madison wears five different outfits in the music video.^[10]
• The word 'Baby' is mentioned 12 times in the song.
• Madison revealed that she wrote this song while she was beeing in a dark place and it helped her to gain her confidence and self-worth back.^[20]
  • With the lyrics "i’m a handful but that’s what hands are for” Beer indicates to take her the way she is.^[21]
  • In an interview Beer explained that she had trouble making the chorus ofthe song and that it was originally a more musical like song called "Prescription Love" which leaked sometime in 2021.^[13]
• In the video Madison is only surrounded by females.
• The song leaked before its release on Madison's birthday.^[10]
• Beer originally wanted to direct the music video alone, but for her idea she needed help by a professional.^[10]
• The song was made on the same day as "Photosynthetic Baby".^[22]
• Beer explained "[the song] was originally called ‘Prescription Love’. It was kind of this whole concept, about prescription love and refilling your prescription and how it could be unhealthy to be dependent on love. [Later], I felt like it should be more straightforward, and so we went into the studio and I was just like: ‘give me the mic and let me freestyle’. I have voice memos of the first time I sang [the chorus] ‘if you wanna be my baby / know I’m gonna drive you mad’. And everyone was like, ‘Woo!"
• The difference between "Baby" and the other songs on the album is that "Baby" doesn't hold a storyline.^[1]
• Madison's favorite part of the song is the bridge.^[23]

Lyrics

Gallery

Music Video

Photo shoot

Merchandise

Videos

Navigation

EPIC RECORDS • FEBRUARY 26, 2021 • 46:30
SONGS
Released Tracks	The Beginning • Good In Goodbye • Default • Follow The White Rabbit • Effortlessly • Stay Numb and Carry On • Blue • Interlude • Homesick • Selfish • Sour Times • BOYSHIT • Baby • Stained Glass • Emotional Bruises • Everything Happens For A Reason • Channel Surfing / The End
Singles	Good In Goodbye • Selfish • Baby • BOYSHIT • Stained Glass
Scrapped Tracks	Barbie • Confession • Dear Society • Don't Have a Choice • Famous Friends • Ferrari Drive • Forgive • Ghost Boy • Hurts Like Hell • Hush Your Lips • Impossible • Just A Girl • Lovely • Nice • On Me, In Me • On My Bed • Photosynthetic Baby • Pour One Out • Proof • Play Dirty • Remember Me • Roller-Coaster Of Life • Ryder's Song • Shady • Things We Do For Love • What's A Girl To Do • Whenever It Goes / Like We Did In January
GENERAL INFORMATION
Producers	1993 • Bart Schoudel • Leroy Clampitt • Madison Beer • One Love • Pete Nappi • Smoke
Writers	1993 • E. Kidd Bogart • Isiah Sominique Libeau • Jake Banfield • JRM • Kinetics • Leroy Clampitt • Lowell • Madison Beer • One Love • Paul Shelton • Pete Nappi • RAYE • UPSAHL
Label(s)	Access Records • Sing It Loud Records, LCC • Epic Records
CHRONOLOGY
← Previous As She Pleases	Current Life Support	Next → Silence Between Songs