the rest Proves boygenius Really Are Geniuses

We’re trying really hard to be ‘Cool About It,’ but boygenius released the rest. It was the most life-changing 12 minutes and 8 seconds of our lives! We barely survived the record, so we weren’t all that surprised when boygenius presented us with yet another painful lyrical masterpiece.

The trio decided they did “have to talk about it” and discussed their newest project with Zane Lowe. From the recording process to finalizing the track list, they told us everything we wanted to know about the EP. Despite it being titled the rest, Phoebe said this in a recent conversation with Zane Lowe.

Also, these songs don’t belong on the record To me, the record couldn’t be another way. I think these four, I have no idea where any of them would go in the sequence. They make no sense, But they make so much sense together. It’s really exciting.

Phoebe Bridgers for Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1

It really is exciting, isn’t it? Let’s take this track by track and have our own discussion about the rest.

‘Black Hole’

Is it the same one from the kitchen? We can’t be sure. Anyways, starting with a soft piano and Julien’s vocals, we really couldn’t ask for a better beginning to a track.

Even though it’s the shortest track on the EP, the lyrics, such as “You can see the stars, the ones the headlines said this morning were being spat out by what we thought was just destroyin’ everything for good.” Will make sure it’s unforgettable.

‘Afraid of Heights’

Lucy shines in this acoustic track! Between us, this may just be our favorite song. We can’t even pick just one lyric to highlight cause they’re all just that good.

“I don’t wanna live forever, but I don’t wanna die tonight,” and “I wanna live a vibrant life, but I wanna die a boring death” both perfectly capture what this song is about. The two people in this song are on opposite sides of the same scale; Lucy is careful about her actions, whilst the other person believes the future is entropy and isn’t so careful.

‘Voyager’

As we’ve seen in her previous songs, we know Phoebe loves to hurt our feelings with her lyrics, so… be prepared. This track explores the feelings of loss and confusion in what may be the end of a relationship. “You thought I’d never leave, and I let you believe you were right.”

This kind of raw feeling is something we’re familiar with in boygenius’ work. In a recent conversation on Apple Music 1, Julien said this, which made us think of this track.

I think on the record also, we had never had the experience of allowing ourselves a wealth of time to be ambitious, to fully maximize a track and then edit it down. And so this is slightly adorned scaffolding. It’s really bare…

Julien Baker for Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1

‘Powers’

Julien started this EP, and she’s here to end it, too. If you thought ‘Voyager’ was emotional… this will ruin you, but it’s okay, it ruined us too. Lucy and Phoebe harmonize as Julien leads on this heart-aching track… it’s a lot.

“How did it start? Did I fall into a nuclear reactor? Crawl out with acid skin or somethin’ worse, a hostile alien ambassador? Or am I simply another of the universe’s failed experiments?” In the most poetic way possible, Julien wonders about how she came to be.

If you haven’t listened to the rest yet, what are you waiting for? If you have, tweet us @TheHoneyPop and let us know you’re favorite track! You can also find us buzzing on Instagram and Facebook.

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