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After a six-year wait, Phoebe Bridgers has released her third solo studio album, “Lost Weekend,” delivering yet again with an intensely emotional and highly intentional piece of art.
Fans have eagerly awaited this album, which has been years in the making. This past spring, Bridgers began teasing the album with several intimate, no-phone concerts across the United States. Excitement for the album began to grow on social media, but little was known about these guarded shows until the album was announced June 24. Bridgers also announced the “Lost Tour,” a phone-free arena tour set to begin in September.
“Lost Weekend” is Bridgers’ follow-up to her two previous solo projects,”Stranger in the Alps,” which came out in 2017, and her 2020 album, “Punisher.”
It seems Bridgers may have once again outdone herself, creating an album that somehow lingers between Bridgers’ most individual, emotional work yet while still something listeners can connect deeply with.
Though this album was a solo project for Bridgers, the list of contributors is fairly long and decidedly notable for many fans. It includes Bridgers’ long-time collaborators Ethan Gruska and Tony Berg, Jack Antonoff, Alex G, Bridgers’ partner Bo Burnham, Geese frontman Cameron Winter and Bridgers’ Boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.
A key thematic focus of “Lost Weekend” is the loss of Bridgers’ father, whose passing she announced in January 2023. In past works, Bridgers has delved into their complex relationship, most notably in the song “Kyoto” on her album “Punisher.” However, in her new project, Bridgers dives deep into heavy emotions like grief, anxiety and the complexities of falling in love through it all.
Bridgers opens the album with “The Outside.” The vocal sounds are distorted and nearly unrecognizable, which is a new sound for Bridgers, who in the past has opted for a more stripped-down sound. “Lost Weekend” is more musically experimental than her earlier works but still feels authentic and true to Bridgers.
The second track, “Lost Boys,” is the lead single of the album. The song feels familiar, with similar trumpet backing to “Kyoto.” The song is undoubtedly catchy and singable, but stronger writing lies deeper in this album.
In track four, “The Governor’s Waltz,” Bridgers plays into the celebrity gossip mill, writing about her high-profile ex-relationship with actor Paul Mescal. She compares herself to another woman, presumably the one Mescal began dating after their split.
“Now let’s see how far I can run without stopping / And she can pretend to be me / Since she took my place in my bed on that stage / I have not lost any sleep / Being myself wasn’t easy / Do it for me,” Bridgers sings.
The song is sonically beautiful and explores the emotions that occur when a relationship is clinging to its last breaths.
Bridgers also references Mescal and the long-standing rumors about their relationship status in the titular track “Lost Weekend.”
“I’m supposed to be married, but I called it off,” Bridgers sings, unpacking the emotional experience of her rise to fame as well as what it was like for those relationships to be under such a microscope at the time.
Track five, “Bobby,” feels like a sharp contrast compared to the previous track, “The Governor’s Waltz.” It’s upbeat and details the early stages of a new relationship. The song feels optimistic — a rare sentiment when listening to Bridgers’ music.
Bridgers sings, “Now I don’t know if I can make it tonight / But what are you doing the rest of my life, Bobby?”
She goes on to describe a different stage of the relationship in track 15, “As Above.” She describes her anxieties and the experience of settling into a new love.
“You’re gonna take me for granted / But I can handle it,” Bridgers sings.
The anxieties and fear of mortality show in this piece as a subtle declaration of love. The song mirrors much of the rest of the album, describing the emotional intricacies tied to all of Bridgers’ relationships.
Bridgers continues to dissect complex emotions throughout the album. She focuses on the loss of her father in tracks like “Still Standing” and “Never Going Back!” This is also a focus in the track “Lost Weekend (Reprise).”
On the final track, “Lost Weekend (Reprise),” Bridgers sings, “I am my old man’s oldest son / I fought the wall and the wall won / But if I ever come out of hiding / You won’t have to know how to find me again.”
The song quietly and beautifully describes Bridgers’ grief over her father, despite her complicated memories attached to the relationship.
Once again, Bridgers masterly writes about the complexities of her emotions. “Lost Weekend” is without a doubt some of Bridgers’ most beautiful writing. The album feels like a peek into Bridgers’ brain. She doesn’t pander to any audience; instead, it feels like an album written for herself.
In a sea of sad singer-songwriters with guitars, Bridgers’ authenticity and poeticism continue to set her apart, reminding listeners again and again why she’s such a mainstay in the world of indie music.
Reach Gracie Douglas at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
