Singer, songwriter and the star of many of my favorite TikTok edits, Lucy Dacus released her fourth studio album on March 28. Titled “Forever Is a Feeling,” Dacus’ newest work explores major themes of romance, love and other stereotypical ideas that I would usually consider derivative and repetitive. However, Dacus’ unique position of falling in love with her “boygenius” bandmate Julien Baker creates a particular set of circumstances that I find absolutely enthralling to listen to. Dacus is one-third of the band boygenius, a supergroup formed by indie artists Phoebe Bridgers, Dacus and Baker. The group is not a band in the traditional sense but rather a group of artists all with their own successful solo careers that occasionally bless the masses with an album. While there has been speculation over Baker and Dacus’ romance for several years now—supported by their Halloween couples’ costumes, onstage kisses and many other similar incidents—confirmation of their relationship was posted online several weeks ago. Perhaps this development was not the biggest surprise to the average boygenius fan, but the confirmation still makes “Forever Is a Feeling” a unique type of love album that is mesmerizing to listen to.

In this latest release, Dacus emphasizes her confessional songwriting through wistful and thoughtful lyrics. These elements are bolstered by quiet instrumentals that help paint a picture with vivid storytelling. “Forever Is a Feeling” reflects on Dacus’ experience of falling in love with Baker and the trials and tribulations that came with it. Dacus’ songwriting style is extremely introspective, and she explicitly examines her emotions through varying thoughtful lenses. This habit of hers presents itself particularly in the second track, “Big Deal,” where Dacus reflects on the hypothetical future experience of Baker marrying someone else. Dacus sings, “You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her / And I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit / Sincerely happy for the both of you.” The background noise of soft drums further emphasizes Dacus’ strong but somehow quiet voice as she contemplates the heartbreaking possibility of losing Baker to someone else. Dacus continues to engage in these future scenarios in the track “Bullseye (with Hozier),” writing, “Whoever it is, I hope they’re proud,” regarding Baker’s potential future romantic interest’s celebration of Baker’s accomplishments. Sometimes when I read Dacus’ lyrics, I think she just wants to hurt herself! Dacus’ extreme contemplation and yearning in her songwriting support her ability to write heartbreaking and truthful lyrics about her unusual love story with Baker. 

Despite the unique circumstances of Dacus and Bakers’ relationship—they are both Grammy award-winning singers in a band together—Dacus still depicts her uncommon romance as relatable. The supergroup boygenius became extremely popular in a short period of time with the release of their album “The Record” in 2023. The group received seven Grammy nominations in 2024 and won three separate categories. I of course attribute Dacus’ success to her headlining performance at Studio-A-Rama held by WRUW FM 91.1 in 2018, but I digress. The rapid success of Dacus and Baker created an unusual set of circumstances particular to their love story. The two were forced to navigate their evolving feelings in the face of quick fame and loads of media attention. And that’s what “Forever Is a Feeling” is truly about. Dacus uses her introspective songwriting abilities to create an atmospheric reflection on this nuanced experience of hers. And despite the somewhat peculiar nature of this experience—how many of us can say that we have fallen in love with our bandmate in the face of developing fame?—she somehow has managed to make it relatable to her audience. Anyone can listen to “Forever Is a Feeling” and connect to some element of the album, whether that be the countless imaginative scenarios, metaphorical lyrics or wistful instrumentals. Anyone who has ever felt an emotion deeply can find something to relate to in this album, which is extremely impressive on Dacus’ part.