THE ECHO

by Isa Roberts

Technically, no. But with 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Boygenius has taken the world by storm. After the 2023 release of their debut album, the record, their popularity surged to the mainstream. Composed of three members (Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers), the group uses their love of music to collaborate on intricate songs about love, friendship, and even dead poets.

In 2020, Bridgers released her sophomore album, Punisher, which started her personal rise to mainstream stardom. Soon after its release, she began writing songs for Boygenius’ second coming (their original EP being released in 2017).

Consequently, Baker and Dacus followed suit. After 3 years of quiet writing and preparation, the record was released on March 31, 2023. With Bridgers’ newfound popularity and fanbase, as well as fans of Baker and Dacus, the record was met with public approval.

Through public appearances on Naurdwaur and CBS Saturday Mornings’ Saturday Sessions, their very own short film directed by Kristen Stewart (see here: https://youtu.be/XbOQMaJ1r-0), and their overall persona, Boygenius brought their music into the public eye. So far into the public eye that it has even reached the town of Avon, Indiana. Students include songs from the record on their playlists and buy Boygenius merchandise online. Some students are even so dedicated as to travel to neighboring states to see the band in person, two of them being senior Sadie Wittkamper and sophomore Marshall Ogawa.

Leaving before the sun rose, Wittkamper drove to Chicago. She waited in line for nearly seven hours. Once she was inside the venue, there were almost five more hours of other acts before Boygenius came out. As the sun began to set, Boygenius graced the stage.

“I dissociated for the first five seconds,” Wittkamper said, “and then I was like, wow, they’re really in front of me.”

In contrast, Ogawa traveled to Cincinnati. He waited in a merch line for around two hours and stood through the other sets before, finally, Boygenius began their set.

“We ended the night with Boygenius, so it was a good adrenaline rush,” Ogawa said.

But when it comes to the music itself, concert or not, both Wittkamper and Ogawa agree that the message in the songs is what matters most.

“[The music] makes me happy even though their songs are really gut wrenching,” Ogawa said, “but I like how they write about their own feelings and put them together as one.”

With a total of just 18 songs in their discography, Boygenius has managed to find a way to connect with such a large, diverse fanbase and entice emotion from its audience that is often lost in modern music.

“I like their lyrics. I like the emotion that they display in their music and the way they sing it,” Wittkamper said.

Photo Credits: Sadie Wittkamper