Madison Beer Says 'Yes Baby'

“Obviously the phrase is sexual,” she tells PAPER. “But I also picture people snapping for their friends and going, ‘Yes, baby!’ I imagine my fans doing that back at me.” For Beer, the lyric isn’t just a come-on, it’s an affirmation — the kind of rallying cry she’s watched transform her concerts into makeshift raves. Each night on tour, when the intro for “Make You Mine” hit, the reaction was seismic. “With songs like ‘Make You Mine’ or ‘yes baby,’ it’s more about performing, jumping, running around,” she says. “On tour, those moments felt like the club.”

That rush is what inspired her to make “yes baby,” which she calls the closing bracket in an unintentional trilogy: “Make You Mine,” “15 Minutes,” and now this. All three lean into euphoric EDM textures, and together they form a bridge between the past few years of experimentation and what she calls “album world.” The yet-unannounced project, long speculated by her fanbase, won’t be a straightforward dance record. “My album isn’t really a dance album,” she says. “It’s a straightforward pop record.”

The decision to lead with a club banger was hers alone, part of a broader recalibration in how she approaches her artistry. Earlier this year, Beer deleted Twitter, a platform she had been glued to since the start of her career. “It was negatively impacting my ability to see my own artistic direction clearly,” she admits. “Deleting Twitter has actually helped me feel more connected, not less.” Rather than sifting through thousands of conflicting fan opinions, she now interacts with listeners in more focused ways: Twitch streams, Instagram Lives, and most importantly, on tour, where the feedback is visceral and immediate.

That confidence also extends to her voice. Once weighed down by people who questioned her vocal chops, she’s no longer concerned with proving herself. “If you don’t think I’m a singer, come to a show. The mic will be on,” she says with a smirk. It’s a statement that lands as both playful clapback and mission statement: Beer is less interested in winning over skeptics than in doubling down on the people already screaming her lyrics back at her.

“‘yes baby’ felt like the right way to start this all,” she says, positioning the track as a glittering bookend to her EDM phase and a prelude to the fuller creative universe waiting just around the corner.

We sat down with Madison to discuss carving her own lane in pop, why she isn’t chasing trends, and how “yes baby” bottles the chaos of her live shows.

How are you? You're doing your press run right now, or just interviews?

You are literally the second, so you're right at the very beginning of it. But yes, I guess this is technically the start of what will be many months.

Last time I talked to you was last year when you released "15 Minutes." Take me through the timeline of what you've been up to since then, and what led to this new song coming up?

Obviously there's a lot that I would love to talk about regarding the album, because it is all tethered to the project. I know I haven't announced it yet, but my fans know that this is part of an album, and this is the first song kicking it off. From touring, I've learned a lot about which songs feel good to perform, what I like, what I don't like. "yes Baby" felt like the right way to start this all. In my head, it looked like closing out a little bit of the EDM dance stuff — not that I'll never do more, maybe even on the deluxe — but I wanted there to be a new dance song people could connect to. It's not a representation of the whole project, but I felt like it tied in with "Make You Mine" and "15 Minutes" before moving into album world.

I love that idea of a trio: "Make You Mine," "15 Minutes," and now "Yes Baby." What's your relationship with your fans nowadays?

I got off Twitter a couple months ago, which I'd never done since I started. It was negatively impacting my ability to see my artistic direction clearly. I really value their opinions, but when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, I get overwhelmed. I was second-guessing myself constantly. Deleting Twitter has actually helped me feel more connected, not less. I do IG Lives on my mbhq account and it feels like the same old — we just talk, and it feels like family. Honestly, I feel closest to them on tour, but not reading the constant discourse has made my decisions for this project really my own.

Tell me about the making of "yes baby." I feel like I'm in Ibiza listening to it. Where did you pull inspo from?

We made it right after I got off tour. I was so geeked up on performing "Make You Mine." Every night when that intro came on, people would lose their minds. It tapped into a different part of my performing brain. I'm a singer first, but with songs like "Make You Mine" or "Yes Baby," it's more about performing, jumping, running around. On tour, those moments felt like the club. With "Yes Baby," obviously the phrase is sexual, but I also picture people snapping for their friends and going, "Yes, baby!" I imagine my fans doing that back at me. It's just a fun, affirmational song inspired by the tour energy.

Do you ever feel like people disregard how good a singer you are?

I'm at a really good place with that now. I don't feel the need to prove myself to people who aren't paying attention. I know that when people come to my shows, they leave knowing I'm a singer. I used to get upset about it, but it's a personal opinion. People can think I'm a bad singer all they want — I'd rather that than them not think I'm a singer at all. I know I'm a singer, my fans know it. If you don't, come to a show. The mic will be on.

A lot of pop girls are coming back with dance and club vibes. Were you conscious of that when releasing this song?

Not really. With "Make You Mine," it was completely organic. With "Yes Baby," it wasn't about following a trend. My album isn't really a dance album — it's a straightforward pop record. If I were chasing the trend, I'd make a full dance album, but that would feel alienating. I like too many different genres. I just love making fun songs you can play while getting ready, feeling sexy, and having fun.

If "yes baby" was a dessert, what would it be?

Chocolate cake.

Photography: Morgan Maher