BEA1991 – Tummy Bug

BEA1991 tackles healthcare inequality on “Tummy Bug,” a track that channels frustration with how women’s reproductive health gets dismissed by medical professionals. Beatriz de Rijke is a Dutch-British audiovisual artist, has been releasing music sporadically as BEA1991. “Tummy Bug” represents her willingness to address heavy subjects through personal songwriting. The track’s title works both as medical terminology and a metaphor for deeper systemic problems.

The production stays stripped down — soft echo and tired-sounding jazzy drums that feel ready to collapse. Howe’s production approach gives de Rijke’s voice room to move between different emotional registers.

Written by de Rijke and Howe, the song captures the isolating experience of having pain dismissed or minimized. De Rijke describes feeling like a number rather than a person, dealing with what she calls “bullshit” from medical professionals. Tom Ruijg handled mastering, with cover art by Rhys Mitchell.