Following a five-year hiatus, three-piece supergroup “boygenius” has made an unexpected, explosive return. After releasing their debut album this year, boygenius toured with countless sold-out dates, performed at Coachella and have upcoming performances at Madison Square Garden and The Hollywood Bowl. The supergroup has also reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart, according to Wall Street Journal.
The trio is comprised of indie singer/songwriters Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. They formed boygenius in 2018 to promote an upcoming shared tour; they released six songs on a self-titled EP and had several small and online performances. Their songs were a clear collaboration between each member’s writing styles and supporting vocal harmonies. After the tour, Baker, Dacus and Bridgers continued their solo careers.
In January, boygenius released three singles, each featuring a different member on lead vocals: “$20” (Baker), “Emily I’m Sorry” (Bridgers) and “True Blue” (Dacus). Their debut album, “the record,” was released on March 31, and is 42 minutes/12 songs long. The release was widely received by indie rock lovers and fans of Bridgers, Dacus and Baker. Throughout “the record,” boygenius further develops their indie rock sound through heavier, upbeat songs such as “Not Strong Enough” and “Satanist,” while also delivering slow, heartfelt tunes like “Cool About It” and “We’re In Love.” The supergroup also further progresses their use of intricate supporting vocal harmonies.
Throughout their careers, each member has been an advocate for social and political activism. Before their concerts, boygenius invites a representative[s] from indigenous groups to do a land acknowledgment, a tradition Dacus has maintained for years. The purpose of the acknowledgment is to honor the land that each concert venue is built on and recognize the indigenous groups native to it.
In June, boygenius performed in Nashville, TN, in full drag hair, makeup and outfits. The performance was a response to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s attempts to pass a bill that would restrict drag performances. Bridgers started an audience chant in protest of these policies as the group addressed their appearance on stage.
In a Vogue article from 2018, Dacus explains that the name “boygenius” stems from the notion that since men are young boys, they are praised in society. Boygenius has emulated this concept by uniformly wearing suits on stage, as well as recreating Nirvana’s 1994 Rolling Stone photoshoot.
Since reuniting, boygenius rapidly grew their fanbase and success. After releasing their debut album and touring all summer, only time will tell what is next for the supergroup.