How Boygenius is Dominating the World of Indie Music

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If you’ve been through any kind of heartbreak in the past few years, then you’ve definitely heard of the indie-rock trio, Boygenius. But if you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. Composed of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker, the queer feminist group of artists create tragically beautiful music together about relationships of all kinds, even that of the relationship with oneself. The rawness of their lyrics combined with the intimacy of their voices, both individually and when harmonizing, make their music feel all the more personal. Because of their diversity in sound, from a more folky vibe to a punk-electric guitar feel, their range makes their first full-length album that came out this past spring, The Record, all the more incredible.

All three of the members of Boygenius had been creating solo music on their own before collaborating, having similar styles in their respective careers. The three, being fans of each other's work, decided to collaborate for the first time in 2018, creating their debut self-titled EP in only four days. Collaborating instead of competing with each other makes their music all the more beautiful and serves as a reminder that art should never be a competition, it should be about expression. The music industry has a tendency to put women against each other through comparison. In forming an all-female band together, they have had a huge influence on the rejection of that idea and have been empowering figures of feminism in doing so as well. They have spoken about how the absence of the prominent dominating male figure in this industry has allowed them to express themselves more freely, and it is clearly shown in the genuineness of their works.

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After a small tour of their EP, the three continued to develop their solo careers and went on a small hiatus until this past spring, when they released The Record, a 12-track studio album of self-doubt and separations. The album has a combination of harmonies and the three switching off on lead vocals accompanied by melodies that give you that “good hurt” feeling. Their lyrics are almost poetry, mixing confessions with fantasy, they sing lyrics that feel like you’re reading their diary. Their music reminds us that we are all connected as humans, the shared experience of love in all its forms, and the absence of it as well. All listeners can connect to their music for many personal reasons, and it reminds us that we are never alone in our feelings of despair and heartache, or love and self-doubt. In their song “Cool About It,” the three each sing a verse of the song and harmonize in the chorus. The song talks about seeing an ex and pretending to feel “cool about it” although it hurts. The song ends with the lyrics “Telling you it’s nice to see how good you’re doing, even though we know it isn’t true.” This lyric encapsulates a feeling people can relate to with not only a romantic ex but even an ex-best friend or someone you used to know who has now become a stranger to you.

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Their music speaks their truth, their ideas transformed into words and different musical elements that allow them to express themselves while simultaneously allowing the audience to express themselves through listening. Their name, “Boygenius,” speaks of how boys and men are typically told that their ideas are worth being listened to their whole lives. So when collaborating, they decided to call themselves Boygenius, putting every thought and idea they wanted to express in their music, breaking the constraints of femininity through their music. They maintain a playfulness and relatability to them on social media, dressing up in suits and posting goofy content. Their genuine closeness with each other, along with their approachable online presence, makes their music feel much more authentic. If you are already a fan of Boygenius, or if you weren’t familiar with them but are now intrigued to listen, good news for you: they just released their EP, The Rest, on October 13th. Composed of 4 songs that were not quite ready to be released at the time of the album, they are now available on all streaming platforms. 

Strike Out,

Writer: Daniella Garcia- Novas

Editor: Blake N. Fiadino

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