The Record by Boygenius: A Cathartic Experience

by Bella Averett

Two years ago, the musical “supergroup” Boygenius, comprised of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers debuted their first full length album, titled The Record. Through genres like rock and folk, the three artists work together, taking listeners through a transcendent experience, carefully crafted through the use of all three of their individual musical styles. Despite the album’s release date in 2023, it continues to have an immense impact on listeners today. Containing styles from recent individual works such as Historian by Lucy Dacus, Little Oblivion by Julien Baker, and Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers, the album creates a stunning balance of each artist’s distinct voice. From hits off the album such as “Not Strong Enough” or “Cool About It”, to the less popular “Revolution 0” and “Leonard Cohen”, the unique voices of Baker, Dacus, and Bridgers blend beautifully to captivate the soul.

Beginning with beautiful acapella in “Without You Without Them”, Boygenius harmonizes blissfully creating a perfect intro to The Record. The simplicity of this track helps set the tone for the album and creates a contrast to the track which follows, “$20”.

Track three of The Record, “Emily I’m Sorry”, highlights Phoebe Bridgers’ indie-folk song writing style while exploring the entrapment of love often written about by Bridgers. The following track, “True Blue” encompasses the melancholy tone of Lucy Dacus, while later songs such as “Anti-Curse” bear resemblance to the rock-inspired of works of Julien Baker, highlighting her strong belt and unique tone. The combination of genres, styles, and lyricism of each artist of Boygenius included in The Record is truly amazing.

“Cool About It”, often regarded as the most emotional song on The Record includes breathtaking emotion and lyricism. The exploration of the vulnerability of internal turmoil of any complex relationship combined with the poignant opposite perspectives creates an incredibly emotional composition. The haunting themes of loss and metaphors to addiction puts an introspective view on several relationships, which has influenced many. Lyrics such as “Once, I took your medication to know what its like, and now I have to act like I can’t change your mind,” have burrowed deep into listeners’ souls, turning “Cool About It” into a viral phenomenon. The opportunities that The Record gives listeners to connect to their own lives and experiences is part of what makes it a standout album. The personal connection fans can make with it have furthered its worldwide impact and success.

As the album continues, there are songs representing loyalty and friendship like “True Blue”. “True Blue”, my personal favorite song in The Record, is a spectacular interpretation of deep platonic love and one of the most genuine songs in recent years of music. Being perceived by another is a daunting endeavor, but the pure love displayed in the lyricism of “True Blue” makes a true friendship appear as the most desirable form of love one could have. Listening to “True Blue” is like running on a beach, jumping into water, and feeling the warmth in the air, in its own unique way.

The deep-cut bloodbath of the Lucy Dacus-led “We’re in Love” is a song with the power to emotionally destroy listeners, while also alluding to the excruciating yet astonishing platonic love of “True Blue”. The melancholy quiet of “We’re in Love” is haunting, due to hushed instrumentals and soft vocals, but the pure unfiltered emotion in this fragmented ballad solidifies The Record as a trip through several different emotions.

The Record is an authentic story full of sentiment and intensity. With forty-two minutes of songs you simply cannot skip and astronomical instrumentals, The Record is an album everyone can connect with. With its completely deserved Grammy win at the 2024 Grammy Awards, the album has received much praise, but not enough to fully capture its brilliance. Although the style of it may differ from that of all music enjoyers, it is a truly engaging experience that I would recommend to anyone.

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Edited by Mara Bech