The Beaches Just Made the Queer Breakup Album of the Year
The Beaches’ album No Hard Feelings, released on August 29th, is a deeply personal telling of their relationship lore. The Beaches is the clever name of a band that originated in Toronto in 2009, originally composed of sisters Jordan Miller (lead vocals & bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar & backing vocals), along with Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums). Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar & backing vocals) joined later in 2013. Jordan, Kylie, and Eliza became friends at ages 5 and 6, and they met Leandra in high school. With half of the band identifying within the LGBTQ+ community, they often write from both hetero and queer perspectives, which makes their sound and relatability feel natural and powerful.
This album is not something you’d want to hear if you’re one of their exes, that’s for sure. It lets listeners into the messy realities of their breakups in a way that’s too good not to hear. It covers all sides of relationships — the highs and the lows.
Lyrics from one of the album's debut singles, “Did I Say Too Much?”, capture the rawness of the experience:
“Was our whole relationship just your boyfriend’s kink?”
This line reflects Leandra Earl’s tendency to fall for girls who end up going back to their boyfriends, leaving her feeling like a stepping stone. She continues:
“Was I just a change of view?
’Cause he could never please you.
So maybe break up with your boyfriend, ah.
I let my guard down, yeah, trusted you.”
She’s telling her story while also voicing an experience many queer women can relate to: short relationships with women who are “experimenting.”
Throughout the album, the band shares tales of breakups, sexuality, and self-discovery. As an all-female band, it’s refreshing to see them confront women’s sexuality directly, a subject often criticized or overlooked. The Beaches tackle it in a way that avoids taboos and stereotypes, creating something relatable for women and men alike.
“Lesbian of the Year” tells the story of coming out later in life and navigating those feelings:
“Wish I knew my younger self / She could’ve used my help.”
The song reveals the impact of feeling socially unaccepted or harboring internalized doubts while growing up. Still, they add hope with lines like:
“Better late than never, Tegan told me not to worry.
Heavy on the pressure, they all know my story.”
One of the most out-of-pocket songs on the album, “Touch Myself”, is simultaneously hilarious, heartbreaking, and catchy:
“I’m so scared to even touch myself,
’Cause when I do, oh, I think of you.
Hid my bullet,
’Cause everything waist-down is broken.
Don’t need no batteries,
’Cause the strap’s in the trash with my self-esteem.”
It’s a perfect example of how they touch on so-called “sensitive” topics without losing the raw emotion.
Other standouts include “Takes One to Know One”, a back-and-forth portrait of constant turmoil in a relationship:
“Then you cried through a tantrum,
Anti-social, maladjusted,
Noncommittal, can’t be trusted.”
They make it clear that it isn’t one-sided, but a toxic cycle:
“That’s so us and everything you do that’s shitty,
Count on me ’cause I’ll one-up it.
God, you’re a piece of work,
Oh, it takes one to know one.”
Finally, “Sorry for Your Loss” stands as an empowering anthem of moving forward with confidence and knowing your worth:
“Send my deepest sympathies,
Really shit the bed with me.
Had to cut you off,
I’m so sorry for your loss.”
As an all-female band writing openly about sexuality and relationships, The Beaches push back against the way women’s voices are often dismissed or over-simplified in music. No Hard Feelings doesn’t shy away from the ugly truths of love and loss — but instead turns them into anthems full of power, humor, and relatability.
The result is more than just another breakup album. It’s catchy, unflinching, and unapologetically queer — giving listeners permission to sit in the mess while also dancing through it.
Song Meaning Quick Guide:
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Indecisive, stuck in the same cycle. Unsure on how to proceed in the relationship but don’t necessarily want to.
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Being used as a rebound by a girl who goes back to her boyfriend: Queer frustrations.
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Self love and empowerment post breakup
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Not being able to move on emotionally or sexually post breakup. (written in homosexual tense)
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Staying with someone because of boredom, looking past there many red flags just because you don’t want to leave. (written in heterosexual tense)
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Constant turmoil and shitty behaviors on both sides.
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The victim of blind bi-curiousity and being used as an experiment when you thought it was a genuine connection.
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The all too familiar tale of the cheating partner, who was overall just shitty- going as far to kiss your best friend. This is the REAL tea.
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Coming out late in life and the impacts of being closeted during your young adult years has on someone and the liberation of coming out.
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Being made to not feel worthy and having low esteem which was further instilled by your shitty partner.
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An overall energetic and light hearted tale of bi-curiousity, and the fun of it all (with both parties complete consent and knowledge of intent, duh).
Written by Rylea Anacleto | September 9 2025