"Not Strong Enough"
Single by Boygenius
from the album The Record
ReleasedMarch 1, 2023 (2023-03-01)
Genre
Length3:54
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Boygenius singles chronology
"$20" / "Emily I'm Sorry" / "True Blue"
(2023)		 "Not Strong Enough"
(2023)		 "Cool About It"
(2023)
Music video
"Not Strong Enough" on YouTube

"Not Strong Enough" is a song by American supergroup Boygenius (stylized in all lowercase). It was released on March 1, 2023, as the second single from their debut studio album The Record, where it appears as the sixth track. Written by all three members of the band—Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus—"Not Strong Enough" is an indie rock, folk rock, and country pop song about mental illness and resultant relationship dysfunction. Commercially, the song was a moderate hit; much of its success was focused on Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart, where it spent seven weeks at number one and was ranked as the biggest hit of 2023. The song enjoyed widespread acclaim from music critics, many of whom lauded the lyrics and the band's synergy. It earned placings on multiple year-end lists and was named the best song of the year by Spin and the Los Angeles Times. The song's music video depicts the band spending a day together in various locations around Los Angeles County; critics and commenters complimentarily noted the contrast between the song's dark lyrics and the video's uplifting atmosphere.

At the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards, "Not Strong Enough" received nominations for Record of the Year, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance.

Writing and composition

Sheryl Crow wearing a silver leather jacket, black shirt with white text, and blue jeans. She is standing in front of a microphone and singing while playing guitar
Sheryl Crow (pictured in 2018) was a source of inspiration for "Not Strong Enough".

"Not Strong Enough" has been primarily classified as an indie rock song,[1][2][3][4] though it has also been described as folk rock[2] and country pop.[5] Built on basic rock instrumentation of guitars, bass, and percussion,[1] the song makes extensive use of vocal harmonies.[6] It also incorporates synthesizers, which were compared to music of the 1980s by Kyle Petersen of No Depression and the American rock band the War on Drugs by John Vettese of WXPN;[7][8] Jon Pareles of The New York Times detected new wave influences in the recording.[1] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Music Publishing, the song is set in common time at a tempo of 126 beats per minute and composed in the key of D♭ major. It opens with a suspended G♭ chord before following a chord progression of D♭–A♭sus4–E♭m7–B♭m in the verses, switching to a frequently modulating basic progression of G♭sus2–D♭–A♭–B♭m7 for the chorus.[9]

All three members take lead vocal duties at varying points in the song: Bridgers leads the first verse and chorus; Baker leads the second verse and chorus; and Dacus leads the bridge and final chorus.[6][10] The song touches on issues like mental illness and relationship dysfunction caused by mental illness.[11]

Phoebe [Bridgers] has expressed it as self-hatred plus having a God complex – like, sometimes, you feel like you’re the best thing ever – and both of these states can be happening at the same time.

— Lucy Dacus[11]

The song's chorus alludes to the Sheryl Crow song "Strong Enough". Bridgers had thought of the referential lyric, "Not strong enough to be your man", long before the song was written and had been waiting for the right opportunity to include it.[12] Though the song details feelings of depression, Bridgers told Newsweek that those emotions were absent during the song's composition, likening the discrepancy to "talking to your friends about the things you struggle with mentally, like you're not actually emotionally activated in the moment when sharing or talking about it." She further stated that "the lightness is weirdly also thematic in the lyrics, just because you can only feel so bad when you're sharing something with your friends."[13]

Response

Commercial performance

"Not Strong Enough" was sent to adult album alternative and alternative radio in the United States on March 13 and March 28, 2023, respectively.[14][15] It debuted at number seventeen on Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart on the week ending March 25;[16] it reached number one on the week ending June 3, becoming the first song by any member of Boygenius to reach the top of a Billboard airplay chart.[17][18] It remained at number one for seven weeks and spent a total of twenty-four weeks on the chart;[19] Billboard would ultimately rank the song as the biggest adult alternative hit of 2023.[20] On Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, the song debuted at number forty on the week ending April 8,[21] peaking at number eleven on the week ending September 2 and charting for a total of twenty-three weeks.[22] On Billboard's overall Rock Airplay chart, which measures audience impressions across mainstream rock, alternative, and adult album alternative radio stations, the song debuted at number thirty-nine on the week ending March 25[23] and peaked at number twelve on the week ending June 17, charting for a total of twenty-four weeks.[24] Billboard would later rank the song at numbers twenty-seven and twenty-six on the 2023 year-end tallies for Alternative Airplay and Rock Airplay, respectively.[25][26] On the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, which ranks songs based on streaming figures and digital sales in addition to radio airplay, it debuted at number forty-three on the week ending March 18[27] and peaked at number twenty-six on the week ending June 10, spending twenty-two weeks on the chart;[28] it was ranked at number seventy-four on that chart's year-end listing.[29]

Outside of the United States, "Not Strong Enough" peaked at number seventy-eight in Ireland[30] and number nine on Billboard Japan's Hot Overseas chart.[31]

Critical reception

"Not Strong Enough" was met with critical acclaim. Multiple publications named it a highlight of The Record in their reviews of the album, including NME,[32] DIY,[33] PopMatters,[34] and Exclaim!.[35] Tyler Golsen of Far Out Magazine gave the song four out of five stars, writing "It’s just fun and that’s all it needs to be. If you make songs as good as this, you don’t need anything more."[2] Writing for Consequence, which selected "Not Strong Enough" as its Song of the Week, Spencer Dukoff described it as a "worship song for non-believers" and praised the vocals and lyrics.[36] Lola J. DeAscentiis of The Harvard Crimson was extremely positive, hailing the song as "a stunning masterpiece that manages to turn the most gruesome mental breakdown into a work of art, yet still avoids the romanticization of these struggles."[6] In a track review for The Indiependent, Ben Carpenter praised the song's "honest introspection" and compared its production favorably to Taylor Swift.[37] Atwood Magazine's collaborative review of The Record saw five of the review's seven contributors cite "Not Strong Enough" as one of the album's best songs, complimenting its "colorful instrumentation", "spunky admission of inadequacy", and the synergy between Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus.[38] Ben Tipple of DIY referred to the song as "a shining moment in a sound of friendship that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but comes built on an unshakable admiration for every facet of their beings."[33] Adam Feibel of Exclaim! stated that it "showcases each of them equally and sounds like them, all at once."[35] Nashville Scene's Hannah Cron remarked on each member's individual strengths and praised the song as being "somehow even greater than the sum of the three artists' contributions."[39] In December, Spin and the Los Angeles Times crowned the song as the best of 2023.[40][41] The Guardian and Pitchfork ranked it at numbers nineteen and thirty-two on their respective lists of the best songs of 2023.[42][43]

In July 2023, Barack Obama included "Not Strong Enough" on his annual Summer Playlist,[44][45] to which Dacus tweeted, "war criminal :(".[46]

Music video

Lucy Dacus wearing a beige baseball cap, denim jacket, and black shirt; Phoebe Bridgers wearing sunglasses and a black shirt with a logo of the metal band Coroner; Julien Baker wearing sunglasses and a pink t-shirt with a black-and-white logo in the center, and a gray long-sleeve shirt underneath
Boygenius (pictured) riding a Ferris wheel in the music video. From left to right: Dacus, Bridgers, Baker.

The single and its accompanying music video were released on March 1, 2023. The video documents Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus spending a day together in various locations around Los Angeles. It starts with images of roadside scenery, interspersed with a clip of members headbanging while driving,[47][48] before the band arrives at the Santa Monica Pier.[49][50] At the pier, the band prances along the boardwalk, plays arcade games—where Baker tests her strength at a high striker and Bridgers plays a virtual reality game—and rides a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and a roller coaster. After this, the band goes to the Getty Villa, where they explore the area and observe multiple statues and art displays. In one sequence, the screen continually moves to the right as Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus stand erect in between several busts, attempting to mimic their stoic facial expressions. Next, the band practices softball in a batting cage before visiting a miniature golf course, where Baker and Bridgers climb a small castle used as a prop. The band then goes for a hike, where they descend a long staircase and traverse a dark tunnel. During the second half of the song's bridge, the video progresses through clips at a dramatically increased rate; these clips include a monster truck rally, Bridgers viewing tarot cards, Dacus in a bookstore, rehearsal in the studio, and the band preparing and eating meals. The video finishes with the band having a beachside bonfire, where in one scene, they are running around while waving brightly colored smoke bombs through the air.

Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus expressed to i-D that their intention had been to create a video that represented their friendship; they recorded the video themselves so that the result would be more authentic. It was edited by Bridgers' brother Jackson.[50][51] Will Schube of uDiscover Music and DeAscentiis opined that the presentation of the video resembled that of a home movie.[52][6] DeAscentiis felt that the carefree aura of the video contradicted the dark themes of the lyrics, adding more depth to the song.[6] Cron wrote: "It's as fun as it is endearing, and it underlines why [B]oygenius' members work so well together. From the joy on their faces, it's clear that the music – vital as it is – is not the most important part of [B]oygenius."[39] Derrick Rossignol of Uproxx commented that the video made apparent the strength of the band's bond, further stating that it "echo[ed] the album's mission statement, which was described in previous press materials as being 'about recapturing joy.'"[48]

Live performances

A brightly lit concert stage at sunset with puffs of smoke, television screens on the backdrop, and an audience watching.
Boygenius performing live in George, Washington in July 2023

Boygenius first performed "Not Strong Enough" at Carnegie Hall as part of a benefit concert for Tibet House US on March 1, 2023, coinciding with the release of the single. The band's inclusion was arranged shortly before the concert; the only other song in their setlist was fellow The Record track "Cool About It", which was also performed live for the first time.[53] It became a regular part of their setlist during the Tour in support of The Record, usually near or at the end of the main set. In a four-star review of an August 20 performance at Gunnersbury Park, Kitty Empire of The Guardian described the song as a "theme tune" for the band.[54] Reviewing a June 13 concert for Asheville Stages, Brian Postelle described a visceral crowd reaction to the song:

In front of me, there was a sea of flailing hands, bodies bouncing, and ecstatic, hair-flinging joy. Behind me, in the balcony seats lit by the glow of stage lights turned on the audience, there were tears, people dancing, and others frozen in place, hands folded over hearts, and the kind of open-mouth smiles you see on people who are being transformed. The floor trembled, the music rushed out in tectonic waves, and the dazzle of lighting and illuminated phones scrambled in the air like television static made of fireflies. If we had all been suddenly lifted into the air and spirited away, it would not have seemed so out of place.

— Brian Postelle, Asheville Stages[55]

When the Tour concluded with a concert on Halloween at the Hollywood Bowl, the band dressed as the Trinity to perform "Not Strong Enough" in a move which Variety compared to the lyric of the song's bridge. Dacus' costume represented the Father with a white jacket and a halo; Baker referenced the Son with a white robe, a red cloth extending from her left shoulder to her right hip, a crown of thorns, and tears painted onto her cheeks; and Bridgers, resembling the Holy Spirit, wore a headband and a cross, both of which were pearled, with the latter being worn across her torso under a transparent white dress.[56]

Concurrently with the first several weeks of the Tour, Bridgers opened for Swift at ten dates on the Eras Tour;[57] at the first of these, a May 5 show in Nashville, Baker and Dacus joined Bridgers onstage to perform "Not Strong Enough".[11][58] The band has also played the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (April 21)[59] and Saturday Night Live (November 11).[60] For the latter performance, the band donned black suits in an homage to the Beatles' February 9, 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show; Boygenius' kick drum design mimicked the one the Beatles used that night, using the latter band's iconic typeface.[61][62] In the same episode, the band appeared in a skit alongside Timothée Chalamet as four likenesses of Troye Sivan—all of them approximating Sivan's own fashion style and choreography—which were sleep paralysis demons hallucinated by a character played by Sarah Sherman.[63]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Not Strong Enough"
Award Year[lower-alpha 1] Category Result Ref.
Grammy Awards 2024 Record of the Year Pending [64]
Best Rock Song Pending
Best Rock Performance Pending

Charts

Notes

  1. ↑ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pareles, Jon (March 30, 2023). "The Indie-Rock Trio boygenius Returns, Confident and Connected". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Golsen, Tyler (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius share new single 'Not Strong Enough'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ Lovito, Michael (May 1, 2023). "boygenius and Wednesday Represent Indie Rock's Stale Past and Exciting Future". The Postrider. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fu, Eddie (March 1, 2023). "boygenius Soar on New Song "Not Strong Enough": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  5. ↑ Zhang, Cat (March 31, 2023). "Boygenius: The Record Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 DeAscentiis, Lola J. (March 23, 2023). "'Not Strong Enough' Single Review: The Return of boygenius With Their Latest Album". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ Petersen, Kyle (March 29, 2023). "Album Review: boygenius Deepens Their Connection With 'the record'". No Depression. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  8. ↑ Vettese, John (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius takes the best road trip ever in the "Not Strong Enough" video". WXPN. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Digital Sheet Music – Boygenius – Not Strong Enough". Musicnotes.com. Kobalt Music Publishing. May 4, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ Harris, Alex (October 5, 2023). "Interpreting Boygenius Not Strong Enough: Unpacking the Meaning and Significance of the Lyrics". Neon Music. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Gunn, Charlotte (May 8, 2023). ""This song is fuckboy-genius" – Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker explain 'Not Strong Enough'". The Forty-Five. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ Martoccio, Angie (January 19, 2023). "How boygenius Became the World's Most Exciting Supergroup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ Chiu, David (April 4, 2023). "Boygenius is a Super Band of Friends". Newsweek. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Triple A Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Alternative Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Triple A: March 25, 2023 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Triple A : June 3, 2023 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (May 26, 2023). "Boygenius Scores First No. 1 Song With 'Not Strong Enough'". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Boygenius Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Adult Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Alternative Airplay: April 8, 2023 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. April 8, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Boygenius Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Rock Airplay : March 25, 2023 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Boygenius Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  26. 1 2 "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs : March 18, 2023 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "Boygenius Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  30. 1 2 "Discography Boygenius". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of May 1, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  32. ↑ Campbell, Erica (March 27, 2023). "Boygenius – 'The Record' review: the instant classic we were hoping for". NME. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  33. 1 2 Tipple, Ben (March 31, 2023). "Album review: Boygenius – The Record". DIY. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  34. ↑ Amen, John (April 3, 2023). "Boygenius Celebrate Creative Chemistry on 'The Record'". PopMatters. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  35. 1 2 Feibel, Adam (March 27, 2023). "boygenius Are Together for the Hell of It on 'the record'". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  36. ↑ Dukoff, Spencer (March 3, 2023). "Song of the Week: boygenius Unveil a Worship Song for Non-Believers on 'Not Strong Enough'". Consequence. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  37. ↑ Carpenter, Ben (March 11, 2023). "Track Review: Not Strong Enough // boygenius". The Indiependent. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  38. ↑ Severs, Sophie; Nichols, Nic; Krein, Kevin; Weiner, Josh; Gurewitz, Kylie; Hayhoe, Beau; Crook, Oliver (March 31, 2023). "Roundtable Discussion: A Review of boygenius' 'the record'". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  39. 1 2 Cron, Hannah (March 6, 2023). "Watch boygenius Recharge on a Day Out in 'Not Strong Enough'". Nashville Scene. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  40. ↑ Kohn, Daniel (December 22, 2023). "Song of the Year: boygenius, 'Not Strong Enough'". Spin. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  41. ↑ Wood, Mikael (December 6, 2023). "The 100 best songs of 2023". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  42. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (December 4, 2023). "The 20 best songs of 2023". The Guardian. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  43. ↑ Haile, Heven (December 4, 2023). "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  44. ↑ Hussey, Allison (July 20, 2023). "Barack Obama Shares 2023 Summer Playlist: SZA, Boygenius, Janelle Monáe, Bob Dylan, and More". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  45. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (July 21, 2023). "Barack Obama Includes Ice Spice, Luke Combs, Spicy Janelle Monáe Track on 2023 Summer Playlist". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  46. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (July 21, 2023). "Lucy Dacus Calls Barack Obama a 'War Criminal' After Boygenius Made His Playlist". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  47. ↑ Hardman, Neville (March 1, 2023). "Watch boygenius have the best day ever in the new video for "Not Strong Enough"". Alternative Press. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  48. 1 2 Rossignol, Derrick (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius Have The Most Fun Day Together In Their Endearing And Candid 'Not Strong Enough' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  49. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius Take Fans on a Road Trip in Video for New Single 'Not Strong Enough'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  50. 1 2 Greenwood, Douglas (March 1, 2023). "An exclusive BTS look at the new boygenius video". i-D. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  51. ↑ Wilkes, Emma (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius debut new song 'Not Strong Enough'". NME. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  52. ↑ Schube, Will (March 1, 2023). "Boygenius Returns With New Single 'Not Strong Enough'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  53. ↑ Bernstein, Scott (March 2, 2023). "Watch boygenius Perform New Song 'Not Strong Enough' At Carnegie Hall". JamBase. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  54. ↑ Empire, Kitty (August 26, 2023). "Boygenius review – emotional sucker-punches and superb harmonies". The Guardian. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  55. ↑ Postelle, Brian (June 22, 2023). "Review: boygenius at Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville". Asheville Stages. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  56. ↑ Willman, Chris (November 1, 2023). "For Boygenius' Halloween Show at Hollywood Bowl, the Cloak of Rock Greatness Is No Costume: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  57. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (May 29, 2023). "Taylor Swift Tells Phoebe Bridgers She'll Miss Their 'Dressing Room Heart to Hearts' After New Jersey Dates". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  58. ↑ Lane, Lexi (May 5, 2023). "Phoebe Bridgers Brought Out The Rest Of Boygenius During Her First Time Opening For Taylor Swift's Tour". Uproxx. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  59. ↑ Shutler, Ali (April 22, 2023). "Watch Boygenius perform 'Not Strong Enough' on 'Jimmy Kimmel'". NME. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  60. ↑ Lindert, Hattie (November 12, 2023). "Watch Boygenius Perform "Not Strong Enough" and "Satanist" on Saturday Night Live". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  61. ↑ Harrison, Scoop (November 12, 2023). "boygenius on SNL: Trio Performs "Not Strong Enough" and "Satanist," Spoofs Troye Sivan". Consequence. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  62. ↑ Aubrey, Elizabeth (November 12, 2023). "Watch Boygenius channel The Beatles during 'Saturday Night Live' performance". NME. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  63. ↑ Lindert, Hattie (November 12, 2023). "Boygenius and Timothée Chalamet Play Troye Sivan in Saturday Night Live Sketch: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  64. ↑ Enos, Morgan (November 10, 2023). "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List". GRAMMY Awards. The Recording Academy. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
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