Raw, real and fun – this is what I am promised, a new song from BEX will be. “crybaby” is her first single of 2025 and its release couldn’t come at a better time. Just last week, somebody at NME finally woke up, and noticed that BEX has been a leading force on the punk/alt metal scene for nearly 3 years now. This sudden journalistic awakening, from industry plant induced coma no less, resulted in BEX being added to NME’s 100 Essential Emerging Artists for 2025. I hope that other mainstream music magazines editors will notice, or experience some sort of a satori as this sheer ignorance must end. We have many organic, incredibly hard working female artists on the indie scene and somehow nobody wants to support them despite the girls breaking all sorts of molds, taboos and glass ceilings. I will light a candle for those poor lost souls next time I’m at the shinto shrine at Tatton Park, but for now, let’s get loud. “crybaby” is one tasty track and I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you.
“crybaby” single cover made by BEX
“crybaby” is a Valentine’s Day gift you never knew you needed. The song premiered at midnight today and quickly debuted at the top of all major new music playlists at streaming services: Spotify’s misfits 2.0, as well as New Music Friday, Apple Music’s New In Rock & Amazon’s Breakthrough Rock. Before I sat down to review it, I looked online to see if somebody else has published anything about it, but it seems we are ahead of everybody. “crybaby” is our single of the day and I hope you will play it once or twice to celebrate all the brilliant women in your lives.
I’m not sure but track is probably the shortest single Bex released so far. It stands at just 2 minutes and 19 seconds. I guess BEX wanted to convey her “crybaby” message in a ultra fast way: short, sweet with a punch worthy of a heavyweight champion. It was co-written by her usual collaborators: Sam Matlock of WARGASM and Sam Cramer of Future Humans.
“crybaby” starts with a scream and a strange distorted noise that serves as a background for semi-spoken, semi-sung vocals, a BEX trademark. The noise is composed of muted drumming, banging, clapping, distorted guitars and maybe even a synthesizer – whatever it is, creates a droning soundscape that is quite overwhelming. The beginning is slow, but the song picks up at the 19 seconds mark and by the time we reach chorus, BEX is shouting, shrieking and singing at the top of her lungs. I keep saying this, but I absolutely love how she can use her voice. She can scream like a banshee in one second and then change into a classical, crystal clear way of singing – almost like somebody flicked a switch. Such dramatic changes in tone, intensity and timbre are not easy to accomplish. Try doing it without proper training and you will seriously damage your vocal chords. BEX is a very versatile singer, a very skilled one too, it’s a real joy to hear her experiment with different intonations and expressions. Her tracks are constructed to showcase the differences in delivery : the music changes with the voice, tempo goes fast or slow, up and then dramatically falls down. It’s a very intense and crazy ride, but I like it.
“crybaby” is a song about female rage at the social injustice, gender based oppression and lack of opportunities we face. We sadly live in a world that is designed by men for other men, at the expense of the vulnerable, minorities, women and children. The patriarchy leaves half the world’s population without access to proper health care, resources, job market or wealth. Young girls like BEX are fighting back, they do not agree and will no longer be silent. I’m very proud of every woman that speaks up about the ills of capitalistic set up. Well done BEX, you keep on talking. Many are listening.
The song comes with a music video that shows BEX taking off her white fluffy, comfortable eye blinders, and refusing to follow the routines other, older women next to her are performing automatically. She refuses to get up, dress up, obediently eat her breakfast, put a nice conservative makeup on – while still being blinded. We see BEX jump on the kitchen table trying to disrupt the routine and wake other women up. Her clothes are colourful, make up is abstract, rebellion is an act of true fashion here. At the end, she lights a candle – maybe she wants to leave a light for others to follow her, maybe she wants to burn the whole house down. We may not know, but the video sends a clear message: whatever you do, do not give up.
If you want to see BEX live, catch her at:
15th of Feb – The Craufurd Arms in Milton Keyes (headline show)
Tickets: https://www.thecraufurdarms.com/events/2025-02-15-bex-the-craufurd-arms
19th of March – Roughtrade Bristol (headline show alongside Witch Hook, GorZ )
Tickets: https://dice.fm/event/8epdnv-bex-witch-hook-gorz-19th-mar-rough-trade-bristol-bristol-tickets?lng=en
13th -15th June – Download Festival
Follow BEX on socials:
https://www.bexofficial.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/bex.b.e.x/
https://www.tiktok.com/@bex.b.e.x
https://www.facebook.com/bexbexmusic
https://soundcloud.com/bexbexmusic
https://www.patreon.com/BEXBEX
https://www.youtube.com/@BEXBEXMUSIC
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3uqAKGSytLJJuLy4BPlY38
So, is the “crybaby” raw, real and fun? You bet it is.
Happy Valentines, punks.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 
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