If you scroll on your TikTok For You Page, I can guarantee that you’ve stumbled across a Beach Bunny song or two. Some popular songs include “Sports,” “Cloud 9,” and “Prom Queen.” Currently, Beach Bunny has 6.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and their song “Cloud 9” has reached 23 million views on YouTube.
What’s Made Them so popular?
Lead singer and songwriter for the band, Lili Trifilio is a Chicago native. She started making music as a way to kill time and satisfy her boredom. However, she found songwriting to be a therapeutic and healthy outlet used to express her emotions.
Her lyrics are pieces of poetry, and they’ve connected to millions of people. Thanks to bandmates Jon Alvarado, Matt Henkels and Anthony Vaccaro, her art has come to life. Some lyrics that stand out include a verse from their song “Painkiller,” (After all this time/I start asking why I’m staying/Were you ever mine?/Are we something that’s worth saving). This song is about the heartbreak of losing a partner. After it’s all over, you question and over-analyze every part of the relationship. You realize that you had formed codependency with this person and wonder if you could repair the relationship you once had. I just dealt with a breakup, and it’s like I could hear my inner thoughts in this song. It’s helped me heal and feel less alone.
Other lyrics that I relate to come from their hit song, “Prom Queen,” (If I’m pretty, will you like me?/They say Beauty makes boys happy/I’ve been starving myself/Carving skin until my bones are showing). Almost every woman can describe an unrealistic beauty standard that society has expected them to live up to. All this pressure we place on the way we look causes a constant battle with insecurity, which is a highlighted message in the song.
I think that’s why Beach Bunny has become so popular and resonated with the younger side of Gen Z. I think I would have gotten through middle school and high school a lot easier if I knew about their music. I wish I knew that my worth didn’t come from the boys I dated or from the way my body looked. Trifilio writes about situations we all go through, but we are too afraid to talk about. She captures what it’s like to grow up (which helped heal my inner child). Most of Beach Bunny’s songs grapple with themes of self-worth, mental health, and relationships. It’s the perfect balance of teenage angst and indie pop. They’ll be on the top of my playlist for a while!
Referenced Link: https://www.papermag.com/beach-bunny-interview-prom-queen-2645238127.html