The indie rock supergroup boygenius, composed of well known solo artists Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, released their debut studio album “the record” on March 31. 

Bridgers, particularly known for heart-wrenching and powerful lyrics in popular songs “Moon Song” and “Scott Street,”  has experienced a rise in popularity over the past couple of years. She had a large presence on TikTok; many posts had her songs playing in the background or were videos of her live performances. 

“the record” is composed of 12 songs, some as short as a minute and some as long as five minutes.  The album’s total runtime is 42 minutes and 18 seconds. 

Boygenius was formed in 2018 and has released two EPs in the past, “boygenius” in 2018 and “boygenius demos” in 2020. 

For those who may have only heard of Bridgers, the most popular of the three, the album can be a nice introduction to Baker and Dacus. 

“the record” had multiple songs that stood out from the rest.

The opening song of the album, “Without you Without them,” has a choir-like intro that focuses on the a cappella vocals of all three singers, therefore relying on their voices to transcend and reach the audience. 

The band quickly shifted to an alternative and upbeat pace with their following song “$20,” adding instruments to the mix. The song reads like a classic 2000’s song that would be featured in a coming of age movie with an agreeable instrumental riff. 

In “Emily I’m Sorry,” Bridgers leads the song in an apologetic tone to a loved one, leaving the audience to assume that Bridgers has hurt this person’s feelings. The song stands strong with emotion portrayed by Bridgers throughout its runtime, seemingly reflecting a past relationship she had with Emily Bannon. 

The song “Not Strong Enough” has a nice balance, showcasing all three of the artists’ voices while also having a constant stream of instrumentals that make the song unique and stand out from the others. Its popularity can be seen in the fact that it’s currently the most popular track on boygenius’s Spotify page.

Some songs, including “Not strong enough,” “Anti-Curse” and others have similar tone and instrumentals as those in the TV band “Daisy Jones & the Six.” 

The last song on “the record,” “Letter to an old poet,” ends on a sad but also optimistic note. In this song, the group highlights the pain someone goes through when staying with someone because of the love they have for them. Powerful lyrics like “You think you’re a good person because you won’t punch me in the stomach” indicate that their loved one believes that they are good to them because they do not physically hurt them, but they do so in other ways.  

The individual ultimately realizes their worth and fights for a solution, as the group ends with “I’m ready to walk into my room without looking for you” followed by the lines “I can’t feel it yet, but I am waiting.” 

“the record” is a well-rounded and unique set of work that voices a range of emotions: sadness, heartbreak and sometimes joy.

Starting this month, boygenius will be touring worldwide through the end of August. They will be joined by Clairo, Carly Rae Jepsen and others.

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