The past year has been one of Boygenius’ best with their performance at Coachella, their 2023 tour, and the three wins that they took home during the 2024 Grammys: Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song for “Not Strong Enough,” and Best Alternative Music Album for The Record.
The band consists of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker who came onto the music scene in 2018 when they released their self-titled EP. Some of their most popular songs include “Cool About It,” “Not Strong Enough” and “Emily I’m Sorry.”
On Feb. 1, at a secret show in Los Angeles, the band announced their hiatus and said that they would be “going away for the foreseeable future.”
Although this devastated the hearts of many fans, there’s still a ton of Boygenius music out there to listen to There’s no doubt the band will be working on their individual music in the meantime and there are plenty of other wonderful artists out there that have a similar sound you can vibe out to.
1. Phoebe Bridgers
Out of all of the members of Boygenius, Phoebe is probably the one most people are familiar with. She released her debut album, Stranger in the Alps, in 2017 and her sophomore album, Punisher, in 2020. Just like Boygenius, she writes indie music. Some of her most popular songs are “Motion Sickness,” “Waiting Room” and “Funeral.”
Along with her solo music, Bridgers has also collaborated with several well-known artists including MUNA on “Silk Chiffon” and Taylor Swift on “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” Along with being featured on Swift’s melancholy song, Bridgers also opened for the popstar on her history-making Eras Tour. Bridgers’ vocals on her solo music will make you experience the same feelings you get when listening to a Boygenius song.
2. Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus was named one of “the greatest guitarists of all time” by Rolling Stone in 2023. In 2015, she released her debut album, No Burden, at the request of her hometown friend for a school project. The album was re-released in 2016 with the record label, Matador Records. Her second album, Historian, was released in 2018 and her third album, Home Video, came out in 2021.
Dacus has performed at Lollapalooza, CBS This Morning, The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert, and even did a tiny desk concert with NPR. In 2022, she took her music on tour in Europe, Australia, and America. Some of her most popular songs include “Night Shift,” “Hot & Heavy,” “VBS,” and “Kissing Lessons.”
3. Julien Baker
Julien Baker’s music focuses on Christianity, addiction, mental health, and human nature. Her debut album, Sprained Ankle, was originally released on Bandcamp before it was released to the public in 2015. In 2017, Baker was signed to Matador Records and released her second album, Turn Out the Lights, that same year.
In 2020, Baker released her third album, Little Oblivions. Some of her most popular songs are “Funeral Pyre,” “Turn Out the Lights,” “Tokyo,” “Faith Healer,” “Hardline,” and “Favor.” In addition to her solo music, Baker was also featured on Paramore’s 2023 song “Thick Skull” off of their album, RE: This is Why.
4. MUNA
Like Boygenius, MUNA is an indie pop band that consists of Katie Galvin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson who formed the group in 2013 after they met at USC. They were signed by RCA Records and released their first album, About U, in 2017. That same year, the band, opened for Harry Styles during the European and North American legs of his Harry Styles: Live On Tour tour.
MUNA released their second album, Saves the World, in 2019. In 2020, the band was dropped from RCA and signed with Phoebe Bridgers’ record label, Saddest Factory, a year later. From January 2021 to February 2022, they joined Kacey Musgraves on her Star-Crossed: Unveiled tour. In 2022, they released their third album, Muna. Just like Boygenius, the band opened for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023.
5. Chappell Roan
Unlike Boygenius, Chappell Roan makes synth-pop music. Despite the difference in production, the themes in music between these artists are similar. Roan’s career as a musician began when she released her EP, School Nights, with Atlantic Records in 2017. That same year, she joined Vance Joy’s Lay It On Me Tour. In 2018, Roan toured with Declan McKenna.
In 2020, she was dropped from Atlantic Records but got a publishing deal with Sony in 2022. In September 2023, the singer released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Roan will also be opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour in 2024. Some of her most popular songs are “Pink Pony Club,” “Naked in Manhattan,” “My Kink is Karma,” “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!”
Boygenius may be going on hiatus, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on listening to your favorite melancholy and queer music. There are plenty of songs and albums you can add to your playlists, some even by the members of the band themselves. Enjoy listening to these artists and make sure to keep a look out on Boygenius’ social media accounts to see if they decide to end their hiatus.