Born in California on August 17th, Phoebe Lucille Bridgers is based in LA, with already four Grammys nominations and over 4.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, she is promised to be the future of indie rock. Bridgers wrote her first song at age 11 and grew up going in open mics, she now has impeccable lyrics, adding haunting melodies, that many describe as melancholic and anxious, gathering fans all around the world, the so-called ‘pharbz’.
Her Career
In 2014, she released her EP Killer, and in January 2017, following her single “Smoke Signals”, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter first debuted after signing with the independent label Dead Oceans, with the studio album Stranger in the Alps, in June 2017. Bridgers’ hit song “Motions Sickness” has now over 84 million streams on Spotify. And later releasing her second album Punisher in June 2020, which led to four Grammys nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, that provided the hilarious and iconic moment in the music industry after Elton John said he will “hit someone” if Bridgers does not win a Grammy. Unfortunately, she did not, but I don’t believe Elton John hit anyone in the end.
Being guest on SNL, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Seth Colbert, CBS This Morning, and three times on NPR Tiny Desk, she has also collaborated with The 1975, Kid Cudi, Fiona Apple, Maggie Rogers, Lord Huron, released two Spotify Singles, and featured in numerous television shows, such as Lethal Weapon (2016), Castle, Trinkets, Switched at Birth, and Burden of Truth.
Her Sound
Emo folk, indie rock, or indie folk, either way you categorize it, Phoebe Bridgers’ music is special. It feels like a distant memory, happy or sad, throught beautiful acoustic guitar, that gives your spine chills, she talks about anxiety, depression, suicide, isolation, death, trauma, and therapy. In the song “Kyoto”, she delicately puts the relationship she has with her estranged father, and feeling homesick, her hit “Motion Sickness” and “The Moon Song” are about her ex partner Ryan Adams, who emotionally abused and traumatized Bridgers along with several other women.
Bridgers takes big inspiration from Elliot Smith, and even has a song dedicated to him, “Punisher”. In the lyrics, she explores what she imagined their meeting would be like if he was still alive today.
Personality and Activism
She is active on social media, and is always positioning politically, expressing and encouraging her fans to donate to charities that fight against racial injustices, in 2020 she performed at an event that benefits Planned Parenthood. Besides having a very specific sound, that is why she is growing so fast, gaining passionate fans. Bridgers talks about dark but commun situations and emotions, as she is our old friend that we know we can trust, her lyrics are absolutely genius yet simple, it doesn’t shine away from tabus, they are honest and touch everyone’s hearts, souls, and minds.
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The article above was edited by Larissa Mariano.
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