Pheobe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker are the three members of the band, Boygenius, that has completely taken the world by storm. The all-girl group has infiltrated the TikTok for-you pages for months, specifically since the release of their first album, “The Record”. However, “the boys” have been a group for much longer, having formed back in 2018.
The bands origin
The three met in 2016 when Julien Baker went on tour with her debut album, “Sprained Ankle”, Pheobe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus were her openings acts. Baker and Dacus stayed in touch mainly over e-mail where they would recommend books back and forth, sharing their opinions about each one along the way. While Baker was in contact with both of the soon-to-be members of the band, Bridgers and Dacus did not know each other. I
t was not until 2018 when the three had gotten sick of constantly being compared to each other. Dacus said in an interview with Vogue magazine in 2018, that she feels the three were only compared to each other because they were all women solo artists and she felt “that was the least interesting this about [them]”.
After performing together at a fundraiser in 2018, Bridgers, Dacus and Baker decided to join forces and form a queer, all-female indie rock band. They got together and wrote and self-published their self-titled EP in only four days. This EP consists of six songs, including “Salt in The Wound” and “Bite the Hand”, which are still frequently played at Boygenius shows. Speaking of “Salt in The Wound”, lets talk about boobgenius.
Boobgenius
Yes, you read that correctly. In August of this year, Bridgers and Dacus decided to end their show with a bang. After belting the final note of “Salt in The Wound”, Bridgers ripped her shirt off, exposing her bare chest. Dacus follows suit shortly after, ripping her shirt off and running around stage proudly. All the while Baker shreds on guitar, playing an insane guitar solo. It didn’t take long for the videos from the “boobgenius show” to take over the internet. Noticing how positively fans reacted to their brave stunt, this became a pretty regular thing. Fans wait in anticipation for the end of their shows, knowing “the boys” never fail to either flash the entire audience or make out with each other on stage, or both. Usually both.
PLATONIC pda
Now I’m sure if you have any form of social media, you’ve seen the videos of “the boys” all macking on each other after every performance. Rightfully so, many fans started to question if the group was possibly in a polyamorous relationship or, a “throuple”. However, all three band members have denied these allegations, stating that their on-stage PDA is nothing more than platonic intimacy and admiration for a great show.
Plus, Bridgers is publicly in a relationship with comedian, Bo Burnham and Baker is in a long-term relationship with the guitarist of the band Slider, Mariah Schneider. Dacus is not currently in a public relationship. Believe it or not, three way, queer and half-naked make-out sessions are not the only “rebellious” stunts that these three pull on stage.
Draggenius
In June, Tennessee’s governor introduced a bill that categorized drag as “adult Cabernet performances” and banned gender affirming healthcare for transgender youth. In protest, when “the boys” were touring in Tennessee, they jumped on stage in head-to-toe drag. Mid-show, Bridgers got the entire crowd to chant “F*** Bill lee!”. They performed their entire shows in these outfits and makeup and even held up pride flags as fans threw them on stage.
Shooting to fame
So, why did Boygenius shoot to fame so quickly after announcing their first album earlier this year? Bridgers, Dacus and Baker are all very successful solo artists. However, at the time of them releasing their ep in 2018, their solo careers had just started and they weren’t yet the global sensations that they are now. After the release of their EP, the band went their separate ways to focus their solo careers and grow as artists. It wasn’t until 2020, following the release of her sophomore album “Punisher”, Bridgers had written “Emily, Im Sorry”, which is featured on their first album. She sent this song to the other two and asked, “can we be a band again?”. They re-joined and wrote their first album, “The Record”. When the band announced the release of their album in January 2023, fans of each of their solo works were ecstatic.
They went on to be the cover of Rolling Stones magazine where they were interviewed about their reconnection and how they feel fans will like their new album. All of them said they were proud of what they had created and excited to see how fans will relate to their lyrics. In my opinion, Boygenius lyrics are the most attractive part of their music. The emotionally intelligent trio has the ability to put feelings into words like no other musical group can. “The Record” is full of raw anger, pain, sadness, longing, gratitude and healing. While most albums by other artists have a consistent theme of emotion, “the boys” have perfectly encapsulated raw feelings and how emotional the human experience is. Most fans of trio find comfort in the overt queerness in their lyrics. Unlike other artists, you don’t have to “decode” the trios lyrics or play the “Gay or Not gay” game on Twitter. They are blatantly and unapologetically queer lyrics.
Why the boys deserve everything, and then some
Everything about Boygenius is simply amazing and worth recognition. “The boys” never fear to use their platform to send a message, whether that be protesting transphobic bills by dressing in all drag or making out with each other on stage to combat the stigma of same-sex intimacy. The trio is currently one of the biggest faces of feminism and the LBGTQ+ community, they are changing the game for the girls, gays, and theys! If my apparent “fan-girling” hasn’t convinced you to listen to Boygenius yet, then I don’t know what will! And, of course check out each of their solo works as well, you won’t be disappointed.
