Jazmin Bean’s Traumatic Livelihood Tour at Irving Plaza
Dressed to the nines in lacy, coquette outfits, fans lined up around the block at Irving Plaza to see English alt-pop singer Jazmin Bean on October 7th, the final U.S. night of their Traumatic Livelihood world tour.
Jazmin Bean is a relative newcomer to the scene, releasing their first EP independently about five years ago at only 16 years old. However, they have also cultivated a strong social media presence through makeup art, showcasing their uniquely intricate pastel-goth looks. The striking, brightly-colored yet horror-inspired visuals of the music videos for singles “Hello Kitty” and “Saccharine” garnered millions of views before Bean even had a full record to their name. Now at 21 and backed by Interscope and Island Records, Bean has made their highly anticipated full-length debut with the Traumatic Livelihood album. Their songwriting exhibits that same flair for the experimental and dramatic, drawing inspiration from a wide range of genres, from goth and grunge to metal and hyperpop.
With the punk-rock sensibilities inherited from their musician parents and the alternative aesthetics reminiscent of acts like Poppy and Melanie Martinez, Bean creates a sound distinctly their own. Released earlier this year, the fourteen-track record explores toxic relationships and overcoming trauma through raw, authentic lyricism and hard-hitting instrumentals. Following traumatic experiences with grooming and drug addiction throughout their teenage years, this album is a triumph. In fact, after going to rehab, Bean scrapped an album’s worth of material to go for a more optimistic approach.
Before Jazmin Bean took the stage, local alt-rock singer Comet opened the show, featuring songs off of her most recent EP “Two-Winged”. The dark atmosphere of Comet’s heavy, shoegaze-y sound was the perfect precedent to Jazmin’s performance.
The excitement was tangible in the air when it finally came time for Jazmin Bean; the crowd of teenage fans filled Irving Plaza with elated screams as Bean started the show with “Piggie”, the pop-punk banger from the new album. They played every song from Traumatic Livelihood, showcasing their versatility by transitioning through its various genres seamlessly. They lit up the stage with the soaring orchestral instruments of “Is This It” and “Shit Show”, and let out cathartic anger in the hyperpop beats of older fan-favorites “Yandere” and “Puppy Pound”. Bean said in an interview that having fans who relate to their songs is “surreal”; “People really relate to the songs, which is something that I didn’t expect. I wrote those songs initially coming from a place of maybe not feeling like a relatable person or feeling like I couldn’t find stories. So it’s really nice to see that people really do relate.” There’s no doubt that energy was felt this night, as they wrapped up a month of performing to fans who sing back every word. The feelings of independence, rage, surpassing those who have wronged you, feeling unstoppable, are all present in the album, and anyone can find something to identify with, even those who may not share Bean’s experiences directly.
Despite this being the last show of the American run, there is much more to come from Jazmin Bean; they’re heading straight to Europe for the next leg of the tour, and just released an extended version of Traumatic Livelihood featuring four Strawberry House Sessions, ethereal acoustic versions of songs from the album, as well as a new single “It’s not my fault (it’s yours)”.
Stream Traumatic Livelihood by Jazmin Bean on Spotify and Apple Music.