The Record (Boygenius album)

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The Record
Three hands in front of a pale blue sky, light shining from the bottom right corner
Studio album by
Boygenius
ReleasedMarch 31, 2023
StudioShangri-La (Malibu), Sound City Studios (Van Nuys)[1]
Genre
Length42:13
LabelInterscope
Producer
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
  1. "$20" / "Emily I'm Sorry" / "True Blue"
    Released: January 18, 2023
  2. "Not Strong Enough"
    Released: March 1, 2023
  3. "Cool About It"
    Released: September 20, 2023[2]

The Record (stylized in all lowercase) is the debut 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[edit]

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.[3] 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.[4][5][6]

Release[edit]

On January 18, 2023, Boygenius announced the album, along with the release of three lead singles, "$20", "Emily I'm Sorry", and "True Blue".[7][1]

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.[8] The song was sent to adult album alternative and alternative radio in the United States on March 13 and March 28, 2023, respectively.[9][10]

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[edit]

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.[11]

Touring and promotion[edit]

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.[12][13]

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.[14][15]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.5/10[16]
Metacritic90/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Clash7/10[19]
DIY[20]
Exclaim!8/10[21]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[22]
NME[23]
Mojo[24]
Pitchfork8.2/10[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Slant Magazine[27]

On review aggregator website Metacritic, The Record holds a score of 90 out of 100, based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[17] 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".[23] 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".[26] Matthew Neale of Clash praised Lucy Dacus' contributions to the album in particular with tracks "True Blue" and "We're in Love".[19] John Amen of PopMatters wrote, "Democratically curated and effusing a palpable enthusiasm, [The Record] 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."[28] Kyle Lemmon of Flood Magazine stated that The Record "just plain rips as an indie-rock record".[29]

Year-end lists[edit]

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

Select year-end rankings of The Record
Publication/critic Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2023 2 [30]
Dazed The 20 Best Albums of 2023 5 [31]
Entertainment Weekly The 10 Best Albums of 2023 3 [32]
NME The Best Albums of 2023
1
[33]
People Top 10 Albums of 2023
9
[34]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2023
16
[35]
PopMatters The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023
2
[36]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2023 2 [37]
The Independent The 30 Best Albums of 2023
1
[38]
Variety The Best Albums of 2023 1 [39]

Accolades[edit]

Accolades for The Record
Association Year Nominated Work Category Result
Grammy Award 2024[40] The Record Album of the Year Nominated
Best Alternative Music Album Won
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Nominated
"Not Strong Enough" Record of the Year Nominated
Best Rock Song Won
Best Rock Performance Won
"Cool About It" Best Alternative Music Performance Nominated

Track listing[edit]

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).[41]

The Record track listing
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Without You Without Them"
  • Dacus
  • Bridgers
  • Baker
1:21
2."$20"Baker3:20
3."Emily I'm Sorry"Bridgers3:34
4."True Blue"Dacus4:56
5."Cool About It"
  • Baker
  • Dacus
  • Bridgers
3:00
6."Not Strong Enough"
  • Bridgers
  • Baker
  • Dacus
3:54
7."Revolution 0"Bridgers4:17
8."Leonard Cohen"Dacus1:42
9."Satanist"
  • Baker
  • Bridgers
  • Dacus
4:50
10."We're in Love"Dacus4:54
11."Anti-Curse"Baker3:18
12."Letter to an Old Poet"Bridgers3:07
Total length:42:13

Notes

  • "Leonard Cohen" contains portions of "Anthem" written and performed by Leonard Cohen.[42]
  • "Letter to an Old Poet" contains interpolations of "Me & My Dog" written and performed by Boygenius.[43]
  • In the liner notes of the album, songwriter Paul Simon is thanked for inspiration on "Cool About It".[44]

Personnel[edit]

The Tour[edit]

The Tour
Tour by Boygenius
LocationNorth America and Europe
Associated albumThe Record
Start dateApril 13, 2023 (2023-04-13)
End dateOctober 31, 2023 (2023-10-31)
Legs3
No. of shows36
Websitexboygeniusx.com/tour
Boygenius concert chronology

The Tour is the second concert tour[45] by American indie rock supergroup Boygenius, in support of their debut album The Record.[46] The tour was announced on March 28, 2023, and began on April 13, 2023.[47]

Background[edit]

In 2018, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus booked a co-headlining tour together,[48] and, after booking the tour, decided to record a six-song EP to help promote the tour.[49] The three ended up forming a band called boygenius, coming on stage together at the end of each show and playing the entire EP.[50] In 2023, the group returned with the announcement of their debut album, The Record.[51][52] That same month, the group also announced they would be heading out on the Re:SET Concert Series.[53] 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.[54] In February, they announced their first concerts in the United Kingdom and Europe.[55] A final fall US leg of the tour was announced in July including shows at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl.[56]

Reception[edit]

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".[57]

Set list[edit]

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.[58]

  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[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for The Record
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[84] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "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.
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  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.
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External links[edit]


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