In Conversation with Bea Miller
by Kate Lia
Bea Miller is entering a new chapter following the release of her latest album, Mr. Peaked in High School. Released on September 18, the project explores the messy transition into adulthood, pairing vulnerable and often self-deprecating lyrics with an energetic pop-rock sound.
Miller has spent much of her life in the public eye, beginning her music career as a teenager and growing alongside the audience that has followed her since. Now, Mr. Peaked in High School offers a more personal look at that journey and the strange experience of realizing that adulthood does not always look the way you imagined it would. During a recent press conference, Miller spoke with members of the media about the making of the album, the inspiration behind its tracks and what she hopes listeners take away from the project.
ECHO MAGAZINE: Your song “drunk enough” deals with the uncertainty of knowing there are feelings between two people but no one says anything. Why was that a story you wanted to tell?
BEA MILLER: I honestly didn’t necessarily want to tell this story because I don’t know if the person I'm talking about has any idea that these thoughts ever occurred to me at all. I was a little bit hesitant which is not like me I feel like a lot of the time when I'm writing a lyric I’m like ‘f*** It. I'll just tell the story. I don’t really care.’ This is one of the only moments where I was like ‘should I talk about this?’ Because of course it’s good for the music but maybe bad for my personal life if this person hears this? But then I was like ‘I don’t care, I don’t talk to this person anymore.’ And also the reason I also ultimately decided I don’t care is because it’s something I’ve experienced before the person I’m talking about in the song but it’s also something I feel like I’ve heard all my friends experienced and I think it’s something most people go through like ‘Oh we’re friends but are we… like I don’t know. I’ve thought about it, have you thought about it?’ And you don’t really want to say it because if the answer is no then it ruins the friendship but also if the answer is yes then it also ruins the friendship. And sometimes I don’t think I have actual real interest in somebody, I’m just kind of like: what would it be like? It's almost like a curiosity ‘I’m bored’ kind of thing more than an ‘actually I have feelings for you’ kind of thing. But it can be both. There have been times where I’m like ‘I can actually have feelings for you and I don’t know if we should explore that’ but there’s also been times where I’m like ‘I don’t think I have feelings for you but I don’t know, what do you look like naked?’ So I think the drunk enough plays more into ‘I’ve never thought about this before but now because of this one moment I am thinking about it and have you thought about it? Because if i’m thinking about it you better be too but also let’s never say it. Is it just because I’m drunk and I’m just kind of feeling whatever, let’s just go crazy? Or is there maybe something that’s been there all along that I haven’t wanted to face? I’ve experienced that with a few people throughout my life and sometimes with different intentions behind it. But I do know at least everyone in my personal circle has experienced that too so I figured It might be a little embarrassing for me if this person ever hears this song but it’s worth it because I think that other people will be like ‘Yeah girl, I’ve been there.’
The conversation also touched on the title of the project and the irony behind it, considering Miller had never attended a traditional high school. Miller said she “didn’t put much thought into the title.” She wanted it to be a lyric, and once she landed on that one, she never considered a second option because of how much Mr. Peaked in High School stuck with her.
Miller also spoke about growing up in the public eye and the pressure she felt to work from a young age, explaining how that pressure often left her spiraling.
BEA MILLER: It’s weird when your career is going so well and your personal life is not doing as well. I was peaking in my career but I felt miserable, I felt lonely, angry and I didn’t have anyone because I had moved away from my friends.
For Miller, the idea of “peaking” became something she could use to describe more than just being ‘in your prime’. It became a way of looking back at moments when her career was thriving while she was struggling personally.
When I’m spiraling I can compare and think I peaked.
The honesty behind those moments is ultimately what makes Mr. Peaked in High School feel so personal. While the album looks back at Miller’s younger years, it is less about wanting to return to the past and more about understanding how those experiences shaped who she is today.
The album gives listeners a glimpse into the complicated process of growing up and figuring out where you fit in. For Miller, “peaking” is not necessarily about having everything figured out. It can also mean recognizing where you have been, even when where you have been was not always as perfect as it looked from the outside.
With Mr. Peaked in High School now available, Miller is entering a new chapter. One that looks back at where she came from while leaving room for whatever comes next. The album ultimately shows that “peaking” does not have to mean your best days are behind you. Sometimes, it can simply mean recognizing how far you have come.
Comments