Boygenius’s latest album release is by far my favorite album I have ever listened to. The band is composed of popular individual musicians Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker. Together, they are a powerhouse that creates dark, confessional, and actively touching lyrics. The alternative indie band is nothing less than a musical sensation with their deep and heartbreaking songs.
The Record by Boygenius is nothing less than an amazing, passionate masterpiece that displays complex emotions with beautiful vocals from the trio, and the band itself has an amazing dynamic that truly adds to their performances and songs, as well. The band fueled by strong queer friendships has become a beacon of representation for queer people all over.
“$20”
The song $20 is one that Julien Baker seemed to be in charge of, implementing Baker’s guitar riffs and lyrics, all while including her usual “self-destructive” and “sense of hitting a breaking point” feeling. While Baker was the main singer in this track, Bridgers and Dacus add perfect harmonies in the back, enhancing Baker’s delivery. Throughout the song, the individual’s strengths are meshed together, creating a wonderful and chaotic feeling that mimics seeing multiple points of view at once. The song itself is about what seems like a desire to leave everything behind and experience a more fulfilling journey elsewhere, a sort of longing and need to escape that you’re willing to do anything to fulfill.
“True Blue”
True Blue is a song about intense loyalty and love. The love expressed in this song could be platonic or romantic, and while it is really up to the listener’s interpretation, I view it to hold more of a sense of friendship. Other than loyalty and love, the main theme in the song comes across as experiencing the struggles of finding one’s true self, and always having a friend close by to support them. True Blue makes it clear that the speaker finds a sort of comfort in their friend and the unconditional love that is implied gives the track a very sentimental and warm feel.
“Not Strong Enough”
Not Strong Enough is definitely my favorite song on the album and my favorite song in general. This song covers thoughts of internal conflict and feeling as if the narrator and listener are stuck in a cycle. Specifically, the cycle of toxic relationships and fear of commitment due to mental health. Phoebe Bridgers covers the song in an interview with Genius, expressing: “[The song is] like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too messed up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most messed-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.” While this song is very popular and has many possible implications, this is just the story that the band itself said it is about. I personally view the track as more about never being enough no matter how hard you try, and never meeting others expectations or “causing problems” because of mental health. Despite the sad confliction within the song, it is still absolutely amazing and I think everyone should give it a listen.
The Record by Boygenius is an amazing heart-wrenching album that tackles friendship, love, mental health, and everything in between. The singers’ talents all thrown together to form Boygenius has created nothing less than a sensational band creating deep, confessional, and complex music that I think everyone should listen to.
