I think we can all agree that junior year is one of the most difficult years of high school, whether it be academically or socially. And if there was one thing that sums up my junior year, it would be “the record.”

The supergroup boygenius – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus – recently released their debut album “the record” on Friday, March 31. The album follows the theme of friendship: how people become friends, why people make friends and what makes these friendships so valuable. With this, each member of the trio is able to embrace their identities through their beautiful songwriting.

“Give me everything you’ve got, I’ll take what I can get. I want to hear your story and be a part of it” is how boygenius begins their album in the first track, “Without You Without Them.” Unlike others, this one-minute-and-21-second song is a melodious acapella piece, making the piece stand out and in my opinion, make a great opener for the album. Even though the three sound in unison, you are still able to distinguish each of the three individuals’ unique vocals.

As the opener falls into silence, guitar riffs flow in and the second track, “$20” begins. “$20” was dropped near the beginning of January when the group officially announced the release of the album. The first few lines of the song are a parallel to Bakers’s “Crying Wolf.” The song also has an unbelievable amount of energy and its upbeat melody gives off an angsty teenage vibe, which ties perfectly to the song’s theme of destruction.

My favorite song on the album would be “Revolution 0.” A classic Phoebe Bridgers song, the melody of this song is slower and much more melodramatic. In the song, Bridgers mention an imaginary friend, emphasizing how much she values the meaning of friendship as her thoughts consume her. The vibe of the song is very much like Bridgers’s song “Punisher,” where she references dead artist Elliot Smith as her imaginary friend.

The album concludes with “Letter To An Old Poet,” an emotional piece about self-confliction. Bridgers, Baker and Dacus discuss the journey of a toxic relationship, as well as self-doubt about one’s sexuality. As the song progresses, the three began harmonizing, which creates this echoing effect in their voices. The chorus continues on the theme of a controlling relationship, as Bridgers express how she’s ready to move on, yet holds regret for this action. The outro of the song and the conclusion of the entire album illustrates the challenges of full closure, whether it be in a relationship, friendship or even a “situationship.”

Despite all the sad lyrics, in my opinion, “the record” is a great start for the supergroup’s career. Even if you may not love the album on your first listen, it begins to become much more meaningful after repeating it a few times, which is what makes boygenius’s songwriting so special. The trio plans on touring the US this summer and we can expect much more coming from them in the future.