Cruz Beckham’s debut EP, Wear & Tear, is seemingly filled with references to his famous family.
The extended play, which was released on Friday, August 21, features what appears to be several nods to Cruz’s mom, Victoria Beckham, and dad, David Beckham, as well as brother Brooklyn Beckham and their estrangement. The most apparent reference comes in Cruz’s track “Wannabe,” which shares a name with the Spice Girls’ 1996 hit that launched Victoria, 52, into stardom.
“Same old question everyday / Go ahead keep asking me / Who I am and what I’ll say / Like it matters anyway,” he sings in the opening verse.
Meanwhile, in the music video for “Seeing Red,” Cruz, 21, plays soccer with his bandmates — an apparent homage to David’s soccer career. The players begin fighting on the pitch, resulting in Cruz being bloodied and bruised.
The song’s lyrics may reference the family’s ongoing feud with Brooklyn, 27, who called out his parents in a scathing Instagram post earlier this year.
“Been seeing red for as long as I remember / Yeah, I said I’m already there / The moment I drop this s***, the whole thing’s over,” Cruz sings.
Cruz told Discover Music of the song, “Seeing red is a comedic take on a totally unserious moment of frustration, in this case in sports. Everyone’s competitive nature likes to take over now and then, but it’s all fun and games. Seeing red is a nod to that exact turning point.”
Fans have also speculated that Cruz’s track “Loneliest Boy” contains references to his family’s drama with his oldest sibling.
“Loneliest boy / Mama don’t talk too much / It’s breaking hеr heart,” Cruz sings before adding in another verse, “Loneliest boy, place all your bets on him / To find something bad in somebody good / He always does / Loneliest boy, I hope that you’re listening / Don’t push all your friends away, when we’re tryna show you love.”
At one point in the music video, Cruz can be seen playing a guitar in front of a green screen as a bandmate snaps a photograph of him with a camera, which could be a reference to Brooklyn’s brief photography career. (Victoria and David’s eldest child released his photography book, What I See, and enrolled in a photography course at Parsons School of Design in New York in 2017. He dropped out soon after.)
Cruz explained in June that his EP, which he recorded with his band The Breakers, captures “a life lived,” including the good, the bad and all the “learning curves.”
While speaking to 1883 magazine on Friday, Cruz gushed about his parents being his “role models.”
“I’m so lucky to have two success stories as role models who let nothing stop their dreams,” he told the outlet. “Their work ethic was always instilled in me so when I began doing this I wanted to do it the right way, I wanted to put in the work and learn and play live and f*** up and learn from it all. Any creative industry is scary, but seeing them navigate it and having the support around me that I do is the biggest inspiration.”
In his January statement, Brooklyn accused David, 51, and Victoria of lifelong manipulation and control.
“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private,” he wrote at the time. “Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.”
Brooklyn added, “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”
