Misplaced Pages

The Record
Studio album by Boygenius
Released	March 31, 2023
Studio	Shangri-La (Malibu), Sound City Studios (Van Nuys)
Genre	Indie rock indie folk
Length	42:13
Label	Interscope
Producer	Boygenius Catherine Marks
Boygenius chronology
Boygenius (2018) The Record (2023) The Rest (2023)
Julien Baker chronology
Little Oblivions (2021) The Record (2023) The Rest (2023)
Phoebe Bridgers chronology
Copycat Killer (2020) The Record (2023) The Rest (2023)
Lucy Dacus chronology
Home Video (2021) The Record (2023) The Rest (2023)
Singles from The Record
"$20" / "Emily I'm Sorry" / "True Blue" Released: January 18, 2023 "Not Strong Enough" Released: March 1, 2023 "Cool About It" Released: September 20, 2023

The Record is the only studio album by American indie rock supergroup Boygenius, consisting of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. It was released on March 31, 2023, through Interscope Records.

The Record received critical acclaim, and was awarded perfect scores by the likes of DIY, NME and Rolling Stone. It went on to top the charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, marking the first number-one album for all band members, and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.

The Record and its tracks received a total of seven nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. It received three awards, including Best Alternative Music Album.

Background

After releasing their debut self-titled EP Boygenius in 2018, the trio had since been working on their solo projects and had all released their respective albums—Little Oblivions by Julien Baker, Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers, and Home Video by Lucy Dacus—before performing as a group for the first time in 3 years on November 19, 2021. Rumours about a debut album from Boygenius began spreading in late 2022 to 2023, after the trio was spotted in a photoshoot together in November 2022 and after Boygenius was announced to be on the 2023 Coachella lineup on January 10, 2023.

Release

On January 18, 2023, Boygenius announced the album, along with the release of three lead singles, "$20", "Emily I'm Sorry", and "True Blue".

On March 1, 2023, Boygenius released the album's fourth single "Not Strong Enough", along with an accompanying music video edited by Bridgers' brother Jackson Bridgers. The song was sent to adult album alternative and alternative radio in the United States on March 13 and 28, 2023, respectively.

The B-side of the vinyl version of the record ends with a locked groove at the end of "Letter to an Old Poet," resulting in the group repeating the phrase "waiting" until the listener lifts the needle.

The Film

On March 30, 2023, Boygenius released "The Film", a promotional short film for the album, featuring the videos for all three singles, "$20", "Emily I'm Sorry", and "True Blue". The videos are interconnected with visual details.

"The Film" was directed by Kristen Stewart, and was launched with a proper film premiere at the El Rey Theatre, a live music venue in Los Angeles. The premiere was followed by a live Q&A with the band, for the press and fans.

Touring and promotion

The group embarked on two tours to support the album, the Re:SET Concert Series in June 2023, and their own The Tour from April to October 2023. The Tour saw the band notably play Coachella, Pukkelpop in Belgium, Connect Music Festival in the UK and Rock en Seine in France.

The band also performed "Not Strong Enough" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and during Bridgers' opening set for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in Nashville.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.5/10
Metacritic	90/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Clash	7/10
DIY
Exclaim!	8/10
The Line of Best Fit	8/10
NME
Mojo
Pitchfork	8.2/10
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine

On review aggregator website Metacritic, The Record holds a score of 90 out of 100, based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". A five-star review by NME raved that The Record was an "instant classic" as a result of each Boygenius member "getting to know each other artistically and collaboratively". Rolling Stone wrote that Boygenius were able to "transcend any kind of 'supergroup' cliché" through "recombining their individual styles into a different kind of chemistry for each song". Matthew Neale of Clash praised Lucy Dacus' contributions to the album in particular with tracks "True Blue" and "We're in Love". John Amen of PopMatters wrote, "Democratically curated and effusing a palpable enthusiasm, stands as a testimony to the power of aesthetic commonality, enduring friendship, and the magic of teamwork, something we could all use more of these days." Kyle Lemmon of Flood Magazine stated that The Record "just plain rips as an indie-rock record".

Year-end lists

Numerous critics and publications listed The Record in their year-end ranking of the best albums of 2023, often inside the top-ten.

Accolades

Track listing

All tracks are written by Boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus), except "Leonard Cohen" (written by Boygenius, HoJun Yu and Leonard Cohen) and "Cool About It" (written by Boygenius and Paul Simon).

Notes

• "Leonard Cohen" contains portions of "Anthem" written and performed by Leonard Cohen.
• "Letter to an Old Poet" contains interpolations of "Me & My Dog" written and performed by Boygenius.
• In the liner notes of the album, songwriter Paul Simon is thanked for inspiration on "Cool About It".

Personnel

• Boygenius – production, performance
  • Julien Baker
  • Phoebe Bridgers
  • Lucy Dacus
• Catherine Marks – co-production, recording, performance
• Tony Berg – additional production
• Ethan Gruska – additional production, performance
• Melina Duterte – additional production, performance
• Sarah Tudzin – additional production, performance
• Kaushlesh "Garry" Purohit – engineering
• Bobby Mota – engineering
• Owen Lantz – engineering
• Will Maclellan – engineering
• Mike Mogis – mixing
• Pat Sullivan – mastering
• Carla Azar – performance
• Jacob Blizard – performance
• Anna Butterss – performance
• Barbara Gruska – performance
• Rob Moose – performance
• Sebastian Steinberg – performance
• Marshall Vore – performance
• Matt Grubb – album artwork

The Tour

The Tour is the second concert tour by American indie rock supergroup Boygenius, in support of their debut album The Record. The tour was announced on March 28, 2023, and began on April 13, 2023.

Background

In 2018, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus booked a co-headlining tour together, and, after booking the tour, decided to record a six-song EP to help promote the tour. The three ended up forming a band called boygenius, coming on stage together at the end of each show and playing the entire EP. In 2023, the group returned with the announcement of their debut album, The Record. That same month, the group also announced they would be heading out on the Re:SET Concert Series. With the Re:SET Concert Series only hitting select cities, the group announced a proper headlining tour to hit markets not part of the concert series. In February, they announced their first concerts in the United Kingdom and Europe. A final fall US leg of the tour was announced in July including shows at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl.

Reception

Reviewing the opening show in Pomona, Chris Willman of Variety described it as a "galvanizing gig", further commended Boygenius as they "managed to find the ideal balance and blend of voices, personalities and musical sensibilities".

Set list

This set list is representative of the show on September 28, 2023, in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It does not represent all dates throughout the tour.

1. "Without You Without Them" (from backstage)
2. "$20"
3. "Satanist"
4. "Emily I'm Sorry"
5. "True Blue"
6. "Cool About It"
7. "Souvenir"
8. "Bite the Hand"
9. "Revolution 0"
10. "Stay Down"
11. "Leonard Cohen"
12. "Please Stay" (Lucy Dacus song)
13. "Favor" (Julien Baker song)
14. "Graceland Too" (Phoebe Bridgers song)
15. "Voyager" (live debut)
16. "We're in Love"
17. "Anti-Curse"
18. "Letter to an Old Poet"
19. "Not Strong Enough"
20. "Salt in the Wound"

Encore

1. "Ketchum, ID"
2. "Salt in the Wound"

Charts

Certifications

References

1. ^ "boygenius Announce New Album 'The Record': Hear Three Songs". Stereogum. January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
2. Lejarde, Arielle Lana (September 20, 2023). "Watch boygenius' animated music video for "Cool About It"". The Fader. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
3. Lavin, Will (November 21, 2021). "Watch Boygenius play first show in three years for San Francisco charity event". NME. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
4. Cox, Lauren (January 9, 2023). "7 Of The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2023". Gigwise. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
5. O'Connor, Siobhain (January 10, 2023). "Signs are pointing to boygenius being back and doing... something". Dork. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
6. Paul, Larisha; Mier, Tomás (January 10, 2023). "Bad Bunny and Blackpink Make History as 2023 Coachella Headliners, Frank Ocean Makes Grand Return". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
7. Martoccio, Angie (January 18, 2023). "Boygenius Are Back in Town to Save 2023". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
8. Strauss, Matthew (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius Share Video for New Song 'Not Strong Enough'". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
9. "Triple A Future Releases". All Access. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
10. "Alternative Future Releases". All Access. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
11. "Kristen Stewart and Boygenius Celebrate Their Bloody, Monster Truck-Filled Short Film at Premiere: 'It Felt Like a Fever Dream'". All Access. March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
12. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (January 31, 2023). "Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, and Steve Lacy to Headline New Re:Set Concert Series". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
13. Rowley, Glenn (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Announces North American Headlining Tour in Support of 'The Record': See the Dates". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
14. Shutler, Ali (April 22, 2023). "Watch Boygenius perform 'Not Strong Enough' on 'Jimmy Kimmel'". NME. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
15. Lane, Lexi (May 5, 2023). "Phoebe Bridgers Brought Out The Rest Of Boygenius During Her First Time Opening For Taylor Swift's Tour". Uproxx. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
16. "The Record by boygenius Reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
17. ^ the record by boygenius, Metacritic, retrieved March 27, 2023
18. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, "boygenius - the record Album Reviews, Songs & More", AllMusic, retrieved April 15, 2023
19. ^ Neale, Matthew (March 29, 2023). "boygenius - the record | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
20. Tipple, Ben (March 30, 2023). "boygenius - the record". DIY. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
21. Feibel, Adam (March 27, 2023). "boygenius Are Together for the Hell of It on the record". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
22. Crudgington, Kate (March 27, 2023). "boygenius: the record review - the result of three artists working in perfect harmony". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
23. ^ Campbell, Erica (March 27, 2023). "Boygenius - The Record review: the instant classic we were hoping for". NME. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
24. Segal, Victoria (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Reviewed!". Mojo. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
25. Zhang, Cat (March 31, 2023). "Boygenius: The Record". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
26. ^ Sheffield, Rob (March 27, 2023). "The Debut Album From Boygenius Is Even Better Than Everyone Had Hoped". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
27. Lyons-Burt, Charles (March 27, 2023). "Boygenius The Record Review: An Amorphous Musical Statement". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
28. Amen, John (April 3, 2023). "Boygenius Celebrate Creative Chemistry on 'The Record'". PopMatters. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
29. Lemmon, Kyle (March 29, 2023). "boygenius, the record". Flood Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
30. Aniftos, Rania (December 6, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List". Billboard.
31. "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Dazed. December 14, 2023.
32. Travis, Emlyn (December 14, 2023). "The 10 Best Albums of 2023". Entertainment Weekly.
33. "The best albums of 2023". NME. December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
34. Nelson, Jeff (December 15, 2023). "PEOPLE Picks the Top 10 Albums of 2023, from Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey to Miley Cyrus". People.
35. Phillips, Amy (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
36. "The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023". Lists. PopMatters. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
37. Hyun Kim, Michelle (November 30, 2023). "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone.
38. "The 30 Best Albums of 2023". The Independent. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
39. Willman, Chris (December 11, 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023". Variety. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
40. Bloom, Madison (February 4, 2024). "Grammy Winners 2024: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
41. https://repertoire.bmi.com/Search/Search?Main_Search_Text=cool%20about%20it&Main_Search=Title&Sub_Search=Please%20Select&Search_Type=all&View_Count=0&Page_Number=0
42. Wilson, Carl (March 30, 2023). "The New Album From Rock's Greatest Supergroup Shows It Finding a Style All Its Own". Slate. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
43. Wang, Steffanee (March 31, 2023). "About That "Me & My Dog" Sample on Boygenius' "Letter to an Old Poet"". Nylon. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
44. Golsen, Tyler (April 5, 2023). "The Boygenius song inspired by Paul Simon". Far Out.
45. Mier, Tomás (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Announce 2023 Summer Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
46. Hussey, Allison (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Announce 2023 North American Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
47. Willman, Chris (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius Sets Summer Tour Dates, With Carly Rae Jepsen Among Openers". Variety. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
48. Coscarelli, Joe (September 11, 2018). "Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus Formed an Indie-Rock Supergroup". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
49. Bernstein, Jonathan (October 23, 2018). "The Collaborative Magic of Boygenius". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
50. Read, Bridget (October 31, 2018). "A Brief Oral History of Boygenius". Vogue. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
51. Monroe, Jazz (January 18, 2023). "Boygenius Announce New Album The Record, Share Three Songs: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
52. Anderson, Carys (January 18, 2023). "boygenius Announce Debut Album the record, Share Three New Songs: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
53. Dailey, Hannah (January 31, 2023). "Boygenius, Steve Lacy & LCD Soundsystem to Headline New Re:SET Outdoor Concert Series". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
54. Richards, Will (March 28, 2023). "Boygenius share North American 2023 headline tour dates". NME. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
55. Richards, Will (February 24, 2023). "Boygenius announce debut UK shows – including huge outdoor London gig". NME. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
56. Aswad, Jem (July 11, 2023). "Boygenius Announces Fall Tour Dates". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
57. Willman, Chris (April 14, 2023). "Boygenius Previews Coachella by Starting Tour With Galvanizing Warmup Gig: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
58. "Boygenius setlist at Westville Music Bowl". setlist.fm. September 28, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
59. "Australiancharts.com – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
60. "Austriancharts.at – Boygenius – The Record" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
61. "Ultratop.be – Boygenius – The Record" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
62. "Ultratop.be – Boygenius – The Record" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
63. "Boygenius Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
64. "Danishcharts.dk – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
65. "Dutchcharts.nl – Boygenius – The Record" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
66. "Lescharts.com – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
67. "Offiziellecharts.de – Boygenius – The Record" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
68. "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
69. "Charts.nz – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
70. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
71. "Spanishcharts.com – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
72. "Swedishcharts.com – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
73. "Swisscharts.com – Boygenius – The Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
74. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
75. "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
76. Caulfield, Keith (April 9, 2023). "Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Notches Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
77. "Boygenius Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
78. "Boygenius Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
79. "Boygenius Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
80. "Boygenius Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
81. "Jaaroverzichten 2023" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
82. Ainsley, Helen (January 4, 2024). "The Official best-selling vinyl albums and singles of 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
83. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
84. "British album certifications – Boygenius – The Record". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 6, 2024.

External links

• The Record at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
• "We Three Kings: boygenius On Their Breakout Year" at Stereogum

• 2023 debut albums
• Boygenius albums
• Interscope Records albums
• Albums produced by Catherine Marks
• Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album