In 2018, Phoebe Bridgers joined with fellow singer-songwriters Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form the supergroup Boygenius. Their first EP, self-titled, has a cover photo modeled after the debut of another supergroup, Crosby, Stills & Nash.
It’s funny to think of a “supergroup” comprised of three people 95% of music fans haven’t heard of, but if you’re into queer indie folk rock women, Boygenius is the Avengers.
This first EP runs six songs, with each member contributing two tracks. All three women have songwriting credits, however, as the songs were tweaked and polished by the trio in the studio.
Bridgers’ contributions — ‘Me & My Dog’ and ‘Ketchum, ID’ — are the highlights for me, though the three women have similar enough sounds and sensibilities (on this EP, at least) that it all feels of a piece.
Bridgers wrote this song about having a panic attack and wanting to escape by holing up in her apartment with her dog, a pug named Max she’d had since age 8. Max has since died, and received a dedication on her second album.
We had a great day
Even though we forgot to eat
And you had a bad dream
And we got no sleep
‘Cause we were kissing
[Verse 2: Phoebe Bridgers]
I had a fever
Until I met you
Now you make me cool
But sometimes I still do
Somethin’ embarrassing
[Chorus: All]
I never said I’d be alright
Just thought I could hold myself together
When I couldn’t breathe, I went outside
Don’t know why I thought it’d be any better
I’m fine now, it doesn’t matter
I didn’t wanna be this guy
I cried at your show with the teenagers
Tell your friend I’ll be alright
In the morning, it won’t matter
I wanna be emaciated
I wanna hear one song without thinkin’ of you
I wish I was on a spaceship
Just me and my dog and an impossible view
[Outro: All]
I dream about it
And I wake up falling
Meet Me In Montauk 
calling boygenius a “supergroup” is WAY overstating it. They are at best an Indie or musical collective.
A supergroup is simply a band formed by artists who have separate solo careers. There is no prerequisite for how famous they are individually to earn the label.
Google AI begs to differ:
A group of lesser-known individual artists who join forces is typically called a collaborative project, an ensemble, or a collective. The term supergroup is specifically reserved for bands comprised of already famous musicians who have achieved success either as solo artists or with other bands.
Google AI also says this:
Famous Examples: Well-known supergroups span multiple genres and eras, including Cream (featuring Eric Clapton), Audioslave (members of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine), and Boygenius (indie stars Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus).
Okay, but AI Google ALSO says this:
arguments exist that boygenius does not fit the traditional definition of a supergroup due to their level and timing of fame. Critics and music purists sometimes debate the label, pointing to several key distinctions between the trio and historical classic rock supergroups:
The Arguments Against the Label
* Pre-existing Fame Level: Traditional supergroups (like Cream, Velvet Revolver, or The Highwaymen feature members who are already household names or mainstream stars. When boygenius formed in 2018, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus were highly respected critical darlings but primarily known within niche indie-rock circles rather than global pop culture.
* Origin vs. Peak Stardom: Classic supergroups are usually formed by veterans after achieving peak stardom or after their primary bands break up. For boygenius, the collaborative project actually accelerated their individual fame, particularly for Phoebe Bridgers, rather than serving as a side project for already established megastars.
* A Scale of Power Dynamics: Critics point out that “supergroup” implies an equal alignment of massive commercial forces. Some argue that Bridgers’ solo mainstream crossover (such as stadium tours and high-profile collaborations) vastly outpaced the commercial reach of Baker and Dacus, making it feel more like a high-profile collaboration than a balanced union of titans.
I see you left out the arguments for calling them that!
Personally, I define “supergroup” as any band formed by members who have independent careers, regardless of how big or small.
This is the correct take. 🙂
”This” = solo artists with their own career joining to create an album together. It needs to be an album, not just a single (that’s a collaboration or a feature), and there must be at least three of them.
Hope that settles it for you both. 😉
I love the dog story ❤️❤️