What at first glance seems destined to be a conventional love song, in the hands of Boygenius, the supergroup formed of singers Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, “We’re In Love” instead forms a devastating ballad on the pain and beauty of truly being seen. Written by Lucy Dacus on the trio’s friendship, the first performance reportedly resulted in the three holding each other’s faces whilst Dacus wept. It’s inarguably one of the most personal and self-referential tracks on their album The Record mainly due to its unflinching honesty. Dacus pleads to be understood and remembered with lines like “if you re-write your life, may I still play a part”, all the while knowing the answer – “I could go on and on and on […] until it all comes back”.
“We’re In Love” forms a devastating ballad on the pain and beauty of truly being seen.
Despite being one of the trio’s most powerful songs, it nearly didn’t make its way onto The Record, with Julien Baker initially struggling with allowing something so personal and honest to be shared so widely, later admitting she was still learning the difference “between being scrutinized and being seen.” It’s an admission which underpins one of the recurring messages throughout the song that the friendship between the three is one of the most powerful forms of love any of them have experienced. For anybody who has ever felt truly known and loved by their closest friends, flaws and all, it hits deeper than any conventional love song could.
