Two years after her sophomore album, “Punisher”, Phoebe Bridgers released a new single Friday, April 15, 2022.  It resembles the arrangements off of her EP “Copycat Killer” which are renditions of four songs from her album “Punisher” but reworked in a higher key than the originals. “Sidelines,” is the perfect addition to Bridgers’ repertoire and I can gladly say it did not disappoint!

Co-written and originally released by Marshall Vore (Bridgers’ Drummer) and Ruby Rain Henley, the two formed a band in 2020 and released this song on SoundCloud. The song, “Sidelines,” is featured on the new Hulu original, “Conversations with Friends,” the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel. Set to release on May 15, 2022, the new show features actors such as Sasha Lane, Joe Alwyn,  and Jemima Kirke. 

One can tell from the hauntingly beautiful first line “I’m not afraid of anything at all,” that this is unmistakably a ‘Phoebe Bridgers song’. The song, although having a similar sound to previous songs of hers, was refreshing and introduced a new side to Bridgers. Her earlier songs about being inside and “feeling alone in a crowded room”, “Sidelines,” is about a lover coming into her life and giving her “something to lose.”

When I heard Bridgers was going to release a new song, I was immediately excited. From albums to covers of original songs, she never misses hitting the mark and constantly one-ups herself. After listening to it for the past few weeks I have to say it quickly became one of my favorite songs. I think the slow and melodic introduction and the clever and eloquent lyrics made for the perfect pairing. The catchy chorus although low and a bit quiet was easily the best part of the song. I would highly recommend this song to anyone who enjoys calm but upbeat music.