Popular music artist Beabadoobee recently came to Portland on April 9th. You might know her from her hit songs “Glue,” “Take a Bite,” and “The Way Things Go.” Above all else, her soft voice and unique style make her stand out compared to other run-of-the-mill pop stars. Her opener, “Pretty Sick,” lived up to its name and left some audience members wondering what the small band is all about.
Pretty Sick is a semi-large indie-rock band that boasts roughly 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. So why do they matter? Recently, it seems like many opening artists have been making it big, as can be seen with Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, and even Beabadoobee herself. Though you’ve likely never heard of Pretty Sick, this could be a great time to expand your music taste and start listening.
The band’s main singer, Sabrina Fuentes, is only 25 years old and started the band at 13 with her friend and fellow band member Eva Kaufman. After winning a Battle of the Bands competition, they recorded and released their first-ever album titled “Pretty Sick” in 2016. Since then, the band has been growing and releasing new songs every couple of years, with their biggest hit song being “Dumb,” with around 16 million streams. Other than that, here are my top five songs by Pretty Sick.
Angel Landing
From the album “Deep Divine,” this was the first song I heard from Pretty Sick. I love the song’s indie-rock vibes, and the instrumentals and lyrics are my favorite parts. “Angel Landing” was one of the first original songs that I had heard in a while. Fuentes and her crew created a brand-new, unique sound that hadn’t been seen before in mainstream music.
Medium
This song is from their first-ever album, “Pretty Sick.” It gives off a punk-rock vibe, as the instrumentals, vocals and lyrics stray from their usual sounds. “Medium” is the type of song that would be played in a coming-of-age movie, and the lyrics try to portray what it feels like after an intense break-up.
Superstar
Featured on the same album as “Angle Landing,” “Superstar” is a fan favorite. Along with half of the songs on “Deep Divine”, “Superstar” is in Pretty Sick’s top ten most popular songs. It’s a close second to the popularity of their other song, “Dumb,” but “Superstar” is more mellow and melancholic compared to other hits. As a love song, “Superstar” is a rare find from Pretty Sick.
Miami
This is another calm song and comes from a newer album called “Streetwise.” “Miami” reminds me of Lola Young’s “Messy,” as the lyrics tell the story of being self-critical and losing yourself. The album art is also very creative, and reminds me of a middle school collage.
Dumb
There’s a reason why this is Pretty Sick’s most-streamed song. For many artists, their biggest hit is one of their best songs. This is the case for “Dumb.” The song has an awesome bass and echo-like vocals. The instrumentals and lyrics perfectly fit the indie rock genre, making it one of their most rock-esque songs.
Keep on looking out for more “Pretty Sick” and opening artists, as many popular artists’ openers become the next biggest hit.
