The all-female indie supergroup boygenius is back with the release of their new flawless album the record. Its incredible honesty leaves fans feeling closer than ever to the band. Debuting at #1 on the UK album charts, the record is receiving substantial traction from acclaimed sources like NME and Rolling Stone.
This is the first album from the trio consisting of individual indie artists Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. The three are very well-known and successful indie singers themselves, but when they come together in boygenius, they create something, well, genius.
Boygenius was formed in 2018 succeeding the release of the group’s self-titled EP boygenius. Dacus met Baker in 2016 after they played together during a Washington, D.C. gig and exchanged emails. Soon after, Baker met Bridgers while the former was already longtime friends with Dacus. Months later, the three found out they were touring together on a triple bill and decided to release a promotion song for the tour.
In a recent Rolling Stone article, Bridgers reports, “We set out to make one song, and made six… It was not ‘like’ falling in love. It was falling in love.” The three started a meaningful friendship and have remained close throughout the years.
The group created the name boygenius as an “irreverent nod to little boys who are taught to believe they’ll one day rule the world,” according to a Vogue interview. Consisting of three queer female singer-songwriters, boygenius often plays on the male-fronted bands that came before them.
For example, they recreated a Nirvana photoshoot for their Rolling Stone cover and imitated Crosby, Stills, and Nash for their EP cover, emphasizing how female artists can do the same things as their male counterparts but will not likely receive the same applause. The three even sing from the perspective of a man on some of their songs, including “Not Strong Enough” and “We’re in Love.”
The cover of the record consists of the trio’s hands reaching up to the sky, showing off their matching tooth tattoos that represent the first song off their EP titled “Bite The Hand.” Included in the album’s physical copy is a temporary tattoo of the same tooth so fans can join the band while they listen along to the album.
Promotions for the record started on Jan. 18, 2023, five years after their initial EP. On this day, they released three songs from the album including, “$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry,” and “True Blue.” They soon released “Not Strong Enough” two months later.
The album doesn’t just highlight each member’s individual talent, but it also demonstrates how well they work together. Each song is either sung by one member or all three. Throughout the record, you can note the close friendships between the writers. Each song to me feels like a moment taken out of my own life. It’s hard to even pick a favorite because all of them feel so relatable, allowing you to sense just how much of themselves they imbedded into this album.
The album closes with “Letter to an Old Poet,” a reference to the hit song off their 2018 EP “Me & My Dog.” While “Me & My Dog” states, “I wanna be emaciated / I wanna hear one song without thinking of you / I wish I was on a spaceship / Just me and my dog and an impossible view,” “Letter to an Old Poet’’ responds with their healing: “I wanna be happy / I’m ready to walk into my room without lookin’ for you / I’ll go up to the top of our building / And remember my dog when I see the full moon.” This song gives comfort at the idea that what is bad now won’t always be bad forever.
Following the album’s release, the trio announced an upcoming tour and performance at Coachella this year. Also, a short film was released on YouTube following the album and is directed by Kristen Stewart.
Boygenius is far from over. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker have already established themselves as songwriters, but now they are showing people they are more than just individual acts. While the three will still release solo music, they will always be bound by their love for music, friendship, and the teeth on their skin.
