Ali Fernand – Features Editor
Supergroup boygenius has just released an EP teasing some of the songs that will appear on their first album coming out later this month. This group is comprised of singer-songwriters Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. They released their first EP together in 2018, which featured passionate and sad songs. This immediately became a staple in sad queer girl music. I personally always find myself coming back to Salt in the Wound. This is a powerful emotional song that captures the painful parts of love. It contains a satisfying growth into powerful guitars and vocals.
Since that release, Phoebe Bridgers has become a highly praised singer-songwriter act. The release of Punisher in 2020 made her an artist to watch. She was nominated for Grammys and gained tons of new fans. Julien Baker has also released an album within the time between boygenius releases. One of my favorite singles from that release is Hardline, another sad love song. Julien has gained a more niche following, gaining more of a cult following. Lucy Dacus has also grown quite a lot since the first boygenius release. She has over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify with a lot of indie hits.
These friends have regrouped after 5 years. New fans quickly discovered this side project, pressuring the three artists to band back together. In January this year, they released a few teaser songs and announced their full-length album. This was huge news for fans who love the artists and the small collection of songs they collaborated on.
The EP they released is called ‘the record’ teasing the soon to be released full-length project. The album art features three hands in the sky, presumed to be each of the members’ hands. This release does a great job at showing each artist have their moment to shine. I was afraid that a new boygenius release would be Phoebe Bridgers heavy because she has become such a popular artist. Though this is not the case. The artists once again found a way to beautifully blend in with each other and make each other shine.
The first song is called ‘Not Strong Enough’ and features Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker as the main vocalists. This song is incredibly beautiful. I would describe the song as the type of song you would listen to in the summer with the car windows rolled down. There is an acoustic guitar keeping the main heartbeat of the song with a humming electric guitar soloing over the rest of the instruments. By the last chorus, all three artists harmonize. Their voices really do blend well with each other.
The next song is called ‘$20’ and features Julien Baker as the main vocalist. This is the most rock of all songs on this release. This one is my least favorite because I like this group best when they slow it down and get emotional. It still contains a lot of emotion, but not devastation. Julien Baker takes the reigns on this one. It does sound like a song she would release on her own solo project.
The third song is called ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ and is led by Phoebe Bridgers. This song is about apologizing for being lost in yourself. The main line that sticks out to me is “I’m 27 and I don’t know what I want.” It feels like I am witnessing an identity crisis. This is the slowest out of all the songs on this release, but it is a song I am saving for when I need a good cry.
The last song is called ‘True Blue’ and is led by Lucy Dacus. Her style of vocals is really unique, and I love how it shines in boygenius projects. This one is also a bit slow, but not as emotional as the song before. The chorus feels satisfying, as if all the emotion of heartbreak and self-doubt is being released. Bridgers and Baker layer in harmonies for the chorus, but I love that Dacus gets her time to shine.
This small release of songs is amazing. They found a way to make each other shine and you can tell that these three really are good friends. Their dynamic is wonderful, and they blend in as a group so well. I am beyond excited to hear the full release of this project later this month.