Cruz Beckham, aged 20, may soon find himself offering explanations to his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, following the release of his explicit new single titled Optics.
The celebrity couple—popularly known as “Posh and Becks”—may have to overlook the mature themes in their youngest son’s forthcoming album, which he previewed through a double single release on Friday.
In an unexpected artistic turn, Optics features lyrics that prominently reference substance use and sexual acts, marking a notable departure from Cruz’s earlier, more restrained musical ventures. The release coincides with his relationship with 30-year-old Jackie Apostel—who not only collaborated with him on the album and its visual direction but is also ten years his senior.
Among the more provocative lines, Cruz sings: “Take a thousand selfies in your bed while I trip in mine / I love me some mushrooms and good head and an erotic 69.” The chorus continues: “Stay high fashion, no comedown, no crashing but you wanna know how it looks, I wanna know how it feels.”
His accompanying single, Lick the Toad, adopts comparatively milder imagery, centering on “Mother Nature,” with lyrics including: “Let me take a lick of you, Mother Nature, imma take a lick. Let me take a hit of you, Mother Nature, imma take a hit.”
Having progressed from performing in modest venues, Cruz appears to be pursuing an authentic musical identity, enlisting industry support from Luke Pritchard, frontman of The Kooks, who contributed to the songwriting process.
The forthcoming album reportedly features tracks titled Waste Your Pain, Optics, John Lennon, Tie Don’t Fit, For Your Love, Yeah Yeah Yeah, and Lick the Toad.
Cruz’s musical journey began in 2016 with the charity single If Every Day Was Christmas and continued with For Ya Love in December last year, a song that drew favorable comparisons to the Britpop era.
In anticipation of his album release, Cruz has staged a series of intimate performances, including a set at East London’s George Tavern, where he performed several original compositions such as Optics, Caroline, For Your Love, and Lick the Toad. Addressing his audience, he remarked, “This is really special for me. I just want to thank everyone for being here tonight.”
An industry insider described his performance as initially tentative but increasingly confident, noting: “He’s clearly spent the summer listening to Oasis. He’s got a decent voice, can play the guitar, and his songs are certainly catchy.”
Comparing his sound to early-2000s indie acts like The Kooks and Kaiser Chiefs, the source characterized his style as “catchy indie rock.”
Although no members of the Beckham family attended the debut, sources close to the singer emphasized that Cruz intends to progress in the industry on his own merit rather than through familial influence.
His partner, Jackie Apostel, however, was seen in attendance and later shared her emotional reaction online, writing: “Safe to say I did not keep it together.”
In a subsequent Instagram post, she praised his dedication, stating: “Unannounced, just working on his craft, doing his little thing, having fun, learning, preparing—all HIS songs made by HIM, played by HIM, sung by HIM. Absolutely smashing it. I love you.”#newsafro_
