Boygenius had an extremely successful year, so it surprised fans when they announced they were going on a hiatus for the foreseeable future. The trio, composed of Pheobe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, announced the indefinite hiatus at a secret show, and days later, they received three awards at this year's Grammy Awards.
The group received awards for their album "The Record." The band won Best Rock Song for "Not Strong Enough," Best Rock Performance for "Not Strong Enough“ and Best Alternative Music Album for "The Record." This was the band's first Grammy win. On the red carpet, they briefly explained what the hiatus meant for the band's future.
"It has been a question since our first week of promoting the album," Bridgers said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "'What are you guys doing next?' And we're like, 'What do you mean?!'"
The trio plans to continue hanging out long after they split up. They have already made plans to watch "Paddington 2." The group has a pattern of releasing an EP or album, taking a hiatus and then getting back together to create new music. They released their EP, "Boygenius," in 2018, but due to releasing and touring solo projects, they extended their hiatus until 2022. From 2018 to 2022, Bridgers released one album, Dacus released two and Baker released one.
Bridgers had an especially successful solo career with her album "Punisher," which was released in 2020. She performed sold-out shows worldwide during her "Reunion Tour," and maintains over 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify. She has since been featured on "Nothing New" by Taylor Swift, appeared on "SNL" and was a guest on "Tiny Desk Concert."
Many popular songs like "I Know the End," "Moon Song" and "Kyoto" came from the album and would be great to check out while mourning the temporary loss of boygenius.
Besides "Punisher," Bridgers also released "Stranger in the Alps" in 2017. The album also contains songs readers may have heard, such as "Scott Street" and "Motion Sickness." Bridger's fellow singers also put out some excellent songs.
Bridgers is known for her anti-love songs and breakup-themed albums. Like Swifties, fans often speculate about who the songs are written about.
Dacus's two albums brought her 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The two albums are "Historian" (2018) and "Home Video" (2021). Both albums contain stand-out songs that are great listens. She is known for creating concept albums that tell a story or follow similar themes. "Home Video" is a look into Dacus's adolescence, and in "Historian," she explored themes such as mortality.
From her album "Historian," Dacus released some phenomenal songs like "Night Shift," "Addictions" and "Timefighter." However, the whole album is worth listening to for its dynamic sound and mellow vibes.
"Home Video," released in 2021, is a hidden gem and needs to receive more appreciation. Some songs worth checking out from this album include "Hot & Heavy," "Brando" and "Please Stay."
Baker only put out one album during Boygenius's last hiatus, but it should not be overlooked. The album is titled "Little Oblivians" (2021), and it brings an indie rock sound to her usual alternative genre. The album dissects some of Baker's personal experiences and delves into some of the struggles she has faced.
Some songs off of the album that are worth checking out include "Faith Healer“ "Favor" and "Hardline." These songs show off Baker's vocal talents in all the right ways. There is great passion in her singing, making fans want more music from her.
Though the future of Boygenius is undetermined, there is no doubt this is not the last fans will hear from the group. Dacus released a statement on her page regarding the band's hiatus that gave people more insight and theories about what this means for the future.
"I'll love Phoebe and Julien til the end of time," said Dacus in an Instagram post. "We'll be missing you. Long live boygenius."
