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The self-proclaimed "boy band" taking teenage girls by storm is none other than the supergroup Boygenius.
Comprised of Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers, the boys, as fans coined, are stealing teenagers' hearts from left to right with their soul-crushing lyrics and adorable, quirky friendships that display the heart of the genuine female connection.
Photo by Ralph_PH
With their first-ever release in 2018, there was little buzz about the group then. Instead, their solo projects were the main pieces of the puzzle before the launch of their band. At that point, their projects at the time were Phoebe Bridger's critically praised album, 'Stranger's in the Alps' (2017), Lucy Dacus' gut-wrenching record, The Historian' (2018), and the melancholic sound of Julien Baker's notable albums at the time such as 'Sprained Ankle' (2015) and 'Turn Out the Lights' (2017).
Funny enough, the three met after being on tour for Julien's album 'Sprained Ankle'. It was then that Julien introduced Phoebe and Lucy to each other as they were both her openers, and then decided on the first day of ever playing together that they would be a band. That was when the supergroup was formed, and audiences anticipated their worlds would be forever rocked.
The Origins
As stated above, Boygenius dropped their self-titled EP in 2018 with six songs, making the run time 21 minutes. A fan favorite track includes 'Me and My Dog', Phoebe Bridger's isolated track, which talks about her relationship with anxiety.
Bridgers' sings about wanting to be a different person because her anxiety has a way of taking over her, to the point where she sings about wanting to escape on a rocketship with her dog, hence the song title. "I wanna be emaciated // I wanna hear one song without thinking of you // I wish I was on a spaceship, with me and my dog and an impossible view." Fans have made this track notable with the group because of its relatability when discussing anxiety, a topic the band is not afraid of discussing along with other mental health matters, which is a recurring factor behind the popularity of Boygenius. Their EP became an underground gem amongst the three women's fan bases, launching a tour for their music and performing their collaborations.
The individual fanbases of the members were really the only ones who knew about Boygenius and listened to their music at the time. They wouldn't hit mainstream success until 2023 with the release of their full-length record, even performing their song 'Not Strong Enough' on Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiering their single on TVs all across America. Prior to this feat, they performed at small venues in select cities where audiences were lucky to experience intimate performances of Boygenius' songs before they hit the mainstream wave.
The Record That's Breaking Everyone's Hearts
On January 18th of this year, Boygenius announced their first full-length album titled, 'the record'. Fans of the group were quick to express support for the announcement, having it be the first release coming from the band since their debut in 2018.
After its release on March 31st, the album skyrocketed practically overnight. With just 12 tracks that reign in at around 42 minutes, fans and critics immediately praised the talents of the three women. Popular tracks such as 'Not Strong Enough' depict the struggle of the familiar phrase, "I don't know why I am the way I am", a constant lyric all three members sing during the song.
Since their fanbase happens to be young adolescents, it's easy to picture why they've had so much success with each of their releases. As a teenager growing up in our society, we crave to find like-minded individuals in a world that wants to divide us. Boygenius has invited the idea that fans can feel heard and seen when listening to their songs, regardless of gender expression, sexuality, who you are, or where you came from.
It doesn't matter. They know music brings people together; that's why they became a band in the first place. This theme echoes throughout the record as it discusses the powerful nature behind friendship, being seen by like-minded people, and how important that is to have in life. The question I find most relevant when listening to any song on the record is, where would we be in life without these connections? At the root of it all, the record is about your love for the relationships in your life and celebrating the graciousness of it all.
Even though the record sheds light on the highs of friendship, it also discusses the ultimate lows. 'Cool About It', another fan-favorite, brings up the harsh reality of having someone in your life who is struggling with their mental health and wanting to help them badly but failing to do so all because they're stuck in the idea of trying to be cool about it. During Phoebe's verse, she talks about going so far as to understand the other by taking their medication to feel how the other is feeling. Though the lyrics are pretty somber, it's a truth many people face when caring about another person so deeply.
It's no question that it's difficult to talk about mental health, and this song dives into the lengths the group will go to dance around discussing what's really wrong. The pensive empathy behind the lyrics of this song adds to the relatability factor the band brings to the table, making it no question why Boygenius has the record of the summer.
Love Blooms Amongst The Boys
It isn't just their soul-crushing lyrics at the forefront of their success. Fans like myself could argue that it's due to Boygenius' unique friendship that's stealing people's hearts. Since Dacus, Baker, and Bridgers were all close friends before the launch of their collaboration, they were able to develop a solid connection before embarking further to make music together. Similar success is seen in bands such as Her's, the late two-person band formed in Liverpool, England, who were friends for a few years before ever playing together.
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Photo by David Lee
At the core of it all, 'the record' is a pure commentary of true friendship, where you can hear each member has love for one another when hearing their songs. Notably, one of Dacus' solo tracks, 'True Blue', sheds light on the appreciation of her connections with Bridgers and Baker. "And it feels good to be known so well // I can't hide from you like I hide from myself // I remember who I am when I'm with you". This is just one example of Lucy Dacus' enchanting lyrics; she sings so eloquently to express the nature surrounding the trio's relationship, which is beautiful to witness for anyone that appreciates music with thoughtful meaning.
Anyone lucky enough to catch the boys on tour will look forward to witnessing how much love is on stage between the three members and the rest of the band. One of the factors that not only leads to the group's success but is almost a spectacle is how they treat each other with so much passion and love. It's almost overflowing on stage.
You can find numerous concert videos on Tik Tok that display the Boygenius connection, and get lost watching Phoebe Bridgers chase Lucy Dacus in an almost child-like tag manor during Julien Baker's 'Salt in the Wound' guitar solo, ending in the three of them collapsing on each other into a dog-pile as the song closes out. It's pretty entertaining, honestly. It goes to show the amount of fun they have while together, something almost everyone searches for with friendships like theirs.
The Up and Coming Road Ahead
On May 1st, Boygenius announced on their Instagram the dates of the North America Tour. Before this announcement, they also addressed tour dates with a company called RE:SET that launched this year. Boygenius will be accompanied by other artists such as Clairo, Steve Lacy, and Bartees Strange, to name a few.
You can catch the boys on tour through RE:SET or their solo shows. Either way, you'll enjoy seeing the world's next boyband live on stage before everyone and their mom knows their names.
At the heart of it all, Boygenius is all about friendship-love. They're more than just a band; they're three best friends who happen to make music together, which is a genuine way to discuss their art in its purest form. Their album is a love letter, an ode to friendship, and, as an audience, we are lucky that Boygenius has shared this side of their lives with people who adore them and their relationship.
Artists express their feelings in a vulnerable way by creating and writing music, sharing it with others, and creating a spectacle of their life. Not every day, you hear love songs about friendships rather than romantic relationships; it's what makes Boygenius unique. Their story and the portrayal of their connections are indeed an inspiring and relatable tale of female friendship and how lucky we are to consume it all. Stream 'the record' on streaming platforms everywhere.
What's your favorite Boygenius song? Comment below!
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