Thanks to an utterly magical convergence of events, a huge London concert on August 20 looks like it could be one half of an ultimate meeting between two of the world’s most iconic squads. Heading up proceedings at 11am sharp, the Lionesses will lead England into the country’s first World Cup final since 1966, and with the likes of Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, and Mary Earps all on blazing form, there’s a solid chance that the team could finally bring home football’s greatest trophy.
Then, it’s off to Gunnersbury Park, vuvuzelas tucked under arms, for a distinct mood-shift, and the equally all-star line-up of indie supergroup Boygenius, Taylor Swift-approved indie-pop trip MUNA, and the rapidly rising dream-pop singer Ethel Cain; responsible for one of the Standards’ standout records of last year with Preacher’s Daughter. It’s one hell of a seven-a-side line-up.
Headlining the whole thing, the three-piece indie band Boygenius (consisting of singer-songwriters Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) possess the rare quality of being fully equipt to soundtrack either outcome for the Lionesses. Their acclaimed debut album, with its no-frills title The Record, is music fit for both sobbing and celebration, rejoicing in the close bonds between the three women who created it, and poking fun at the enormous male egos that run rife through rock; players with delusions of greatness, but often achieving mediocre results (a little like the football, then?)
they should screen the world cup final at gunnersbury park before the boygenius gig.
— Alex Collinson (@Alex__Collinson) August 16, 2023
This coincidental piece of scheduling excellence has not been lost on Boygenius fans, who have already begun calling for a big screen airing of England’s World Cup final against Spain at Gunnersbury Park ahead of the gig. In case you weren’t already aware, the queer vibes are strong around the Lionesses; in stark contrast to men’s football, the women’s game is hugely inclusive, and there are so many international LGBTQ+ players in the World Cup tournament it’s very easy to lose count. Over at Gunnersbury Park, every single artist on the bill is LGBTQ+ – meaning that there have also been calls to cordon the day off as a national holiday for the queer community.
Sunday is also a big day in that it represents Boygenius’ first ever UK show after its members’ conflicting busy schedules (and the small matter of live music shutting down during the pandemic) kept fans here on tenterhooks.
I thought seeing kehlani, boygenius, muna and ethel cain this weekend was gay enough and then England had to go and make it to the women's world cup final
— vonnie | ia (@hellovonniehere) August 16, 2023
All three musicians in Boygenius have known each other for years. Lucy Dacus opened for Julien Baker early on in their careers; Baker was good friends with Phoebe Bridgers and introduced her to Dacus. When the group of mates ended up on a tour together, they decided to mark the occasion by recording a limited edition single together for fans to pick up at the merch desk, but things quickly spiralled into a self-titled debut EP. “It was kind of an accident,” Bridgers told Vogue. “It was just like, “Oh, we’ll do a cover song and maybe one original song for this thing.” And then it turned into like, “Oh shit, our dynamic is so sweet together.”
Though they’re a tight-knit trio, Boygenius’ wider universe also includes a whole host of other immensely talented collaborators; the actor Kristen Stewart has directed three of their music videos, while Wolf Alice and The Big Moon producer Catherine Marks co-produced their debut alongside the band. Melina Duterte, who releases music under her Jay Som moniker, plays bass on The Record alongside Carla Azar from LA art-rockers Autolux on drums. Sarah Tudzin, a member of punk group Illuminati Hotties, engineered it.
world cup final and boygenius all in one day pic.twitter.com/L7iwHWmIiJ
— ً (@hlivbb) August 16, 2023
A deliberate sending-up of creative men being hailed as prodigious maestros mounted on glimmering pedestals, while women in music are viewed as exceptions or oddities, Boygenius’ name parodies the male genius narratives that often run through rock history. “Men are taught to be entitled to space and that their ideas should be heard because they’re great ideas and women are taught the opposite,” Bridgers said. “That they should listen instead of speak and all that stuff. So a ‘boygenius’ is someone who their whole life has been told that their ideas are genius. I also think genius is a weird, toxic word to use for anybody because it’s unattainable or it comes with, a lot of the time, abusive tendencies.”
Frequently, Boygenius skewers this persona with devastating precision on their debut album. “Leonard Cohen once said there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in," Lucy Dacus sings on Leonard Cohen, her voice barely disguising a smirk. “And I am not an old man having an existential crisis at a Buddhist monastery writing horny poetry, but I agree.”
On Not Strong Enough, Baker subtly highlights the gender stereotypes that teach men and boys to repress open displays of emotion by evoking an equally self-aware song about societal pressures by The Cure. “Drag racing through the canyon, singing Boys Don’t Cry,” she sings, “Do you see us getting scraped up off the pavement?”
Above everything else, though, The Record is about the love that exists between the three women who made it; with a generous smattering of occasionally self-referential heartbreak songs for good measure.
No matter how things go for the Lionesses on Sunday, the tears are surely going to flow during I’m Sorry Emily – an incredibly sad letter of apology to somebody its protagonist used to love – or the plainly frank opening lines of We’re In Love. “You could absolutely break my heart,” Dacus sings. “That’s how I know that we’re in love.”
Factor in that this teetering-on-the-precipice lyric is addressed to her Boygenius bandmates, and you begin to get a feel for the intensity at play on the band’s stunner of a first record.
Expect this level of intensity, at the absolute bare minimum, up at Gunnersbury park come Sunday for the Boys’ first UK show. If you’re one of the brave souls undertaking the football to weepy singalong pipeline, pack a hanky. And a book – preferably a nice uplifting comedy – for the trek back home on the Piccadilly line.
