Phoebe Bridgers spearheaded the recent reformation of Boygenius, her indie trio with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus set to release The Record at the end of this month, but Bridgers was honored for her individual poignancy as one of 12 selected as Time 2023 Women Of The Year.
The honorees are Bridgers, Cate Blanchett, Ayisha Siddiqa, Angela Bassett, Ramla Ali, Anielle Franco, Olena Shevchenko, Verónica Cruz Sánchez, Masih Alinejad, Megan Rapinoe, Makiko Ono, and Quinta Brunson.
.@phoebe_bridgers‘ songs speak to universal feelings—but they are also deeply personal. Her writing process involves mining the secrets she keeps from even herself.
“The more honest I am, the world just keeps opening up for me” https://t.co/acjxqHaZWC
— TIME (@TIME) March 2, 2023
TIME’s 2023 Women of the Year: These are the extraordinary leaders making change across generations, communities, and borders https://t.co/gP2GrN1uGM
— TIME (@TIME) March 2, 2023
In Bridgers’ accompanying Time capsule, she recounted a concert of hers in Florida last year where a kid and their parents left after she’d stopped mid-show to advocate for abortion rights. “I hope it makes a difference,” Bridgers told the publication of that moment. “I hope those parents are going to lose the battle with that kid’s opinions and belief systems.”
Around the time Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, Bridgers publicly shared she’d had an abortion in October 2021, adding, “Everyone deserves that kind of access.” She later elaborated on her experience and opinion with The Guardian.
And after Roe v. Wade was overturned in late June, Bridgers used her set at Glastonbury Festival to lead a “f*ck the Supreme Court” chant.
Bridgers will have plenty more opportunities to use her platform for more than just setlists while opening for a portion of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. “I try not to think about it that hard or I’ll freak out,” Bridgers told Time about opening for Swift.
The Eras Tour is slated to kick off March 17 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Bridgers will join on May 5 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium and stay on as an opener for 12 shows through May 28, finishing off with three-straight nights at MetLife Stadium.
The Record is out 3/31 via Interscope Records. Find more information here.