Better Mistakes in Bloomington, MN

Three years after her much-anticipated debut, pop singer/songwriter
Bebe Rexha
returned with her sophomore effort, 2021's
Better Mistakes
. Keeping with her usual style, the set features plenty of big bass, dance-friendly anthems that pepper electronic, '90s club bounce, hardened hip-hop, and even a little pop-punk energy into the mix. Although the bulk of
sounds party-appropriate, the depressing lyrics hint at a world of hurt for the artist, laid bare on the introspective,
Sia
-esque "Sabotage" and the sad "My Dear Love," where
Rexha
sings "I've got no friends left right now." The highlight title track turns that same pain into a devil-may-care free-for-all as
wonders if she should make her bad choices a little more worthwhile. Guests
Travis Barker
,
Ty Dolla $ign
Trevor Daniel
Lil Uzi Vert
Rick Ross
Pink Sweat$
, and
Lunay
also join the fray, but it's
Doja Cat
who delivers the biggest standout on the album with the radio hit "Baby, I'm Jealous." There's enough here to warrant a listen, even if the pacing and track arrangement could use some help. The self-deprecation and confessional spirit of
make it an immensely relatable and honest point of view from a pop star, which longtime fans should appreciate. ~ Neil Z. Yeung