Four years after the release of his sophomore album, Zeros, alternative/indie artist Declan McKenna released his 2024 album, What Happened to the Beach?. While touching on themes of change and self-reflection, What Happened to the Beach? simultaneously amplifies McKenna’s new composition style and overall sound. After paying close attention to each song, here are my top three favorites from the album:

1. “Nothing Works”: Disguised by a seemingly happy pop beat, McKenna sings about how he has lost sight of the importance of and meaning in what he does. Through lyrics such as, “I feel wrong, I feel rehearsed / I try to fix myself, but nothing works,” McKenna expresses his frustration in trying to change himself to better appeal to those around him. As speculated by listeners on Genius, the alternating chorus of, “I sing the song and you didn’t like the verse” and “I sing the song and you didn’t like the words” seems to discuss McKenna’s struggles with his label’s opinions of his newer song styles and his need to please them, while staying true to his composition styles at the same time. The combination of thought-provoking lyrics and a newly introduced production style make this my favorite song on the album. 
2. “Honest Test”: With a contrasting overall tone compared to “Nothing Works”, “Honest Test” approaches the theme of love with a calm and earnest attitude. As the chorus repeats the lyrics, “My honest testimony I leave for you,” McKenna highlights his sincere feelings toward the person he is singing about. Although some of the other lyrics in the song can be considered “nonsensical” when discussing the idea of love, McKenna backs these lyrics up in an interview with Consequence by stating that, “Love doesn’t really have to make sense or be defined”. The genuine lyrics and calm overall tone easily put “Honest Test” in my top three songs on the album. 
3. “It’s an Act”: While seemingly singing to a specific person, “It’s an Act” explores McKenna’s complex relationship with his career and personal life. Although he camouflages the performative aspect of his life as a “show,” this track dives into the false confidence he displays in this sense, as seen in lyrics such as, “So you can call it a show, it’s an act”. By maintaining the vocalized inner dialogue, McKenna highlights his tendency to keep his emotions inside when discussing vulnerable topics in the lines, “So breathe it in and see what’s real / It’s not like you to mention how you feel.” As a deeply personal and self-criticized track, I believe that “It’s an Act” is the perfect final full-length track to end the album, though it is followed by the 48-second song, “4 More Years”. 

After listening to the album in full several times, I have grown to like nearly every track due to their unique tones and lyrics. Although I prefer McKenna’s previous style on songs such as “The Key to Life on Earth” and “Brazil,” I am pleased with the new direction that he has chosen to go in with this new album, and I am excited to hear what his future works will sound like in comparison.