Pollyanna delivers Trans joy with their newest single “Boygirl”
xKickass queer pop-punk band Pollyanna released their newest single “Boygirl” featuring NOAHFINNCE on July 9. Consisting of four punk rockers from New Jersey — Jill Beckett (lead vocals, guitar), Jack Rose (lead guitar), Brandon Bolton (bass guitar) and Dan McCool (drums) — music has always been an important part of the members of Polyanna’s lives. Beckett and McCool met back in elementary school where their shared passion for music grew and ultimately led to the creation of Pollyanna when they were 13 years old. The addition of Rose and Bolton came around 2018 and from that moment on, the band has been the same quirky, outspoken punk band that rocks every single stage they step onto.
Graphic by Paige Firsten (Crave Music Magazine)
The song starts off with an enticing guitar riff which is then matched with Beckett's opening vocals, “I like being one of the dudes / I like breakin' all of the rules / Some days I feel like dying / But other times I'm on top of the world.” McCool and Bolton then come in with punching drums and a mesmerizing bass to introduce us to the captivating hooks in the song.
“Too Feminine to be a boy / Too masculine to be a girl / It’s all a fucking hoax to fit the comfort of a cishet world,” Beckett sings.
Beckett explores how society dictates gender expression based on biological sex throughout the lines of “Boygirl.” We are taught that we are only meant to be female or male and there are accepted gender markers signifying each, but these “molds” do not define us and this song represents that and gives an anthem to those who don’t fit the “taught” binary. It gives those a part of non-binary and transgender communities a chance to scream to the world that they refuse to be erased and that they matter just as much as everybody else.
“[The song is] a message for people that refuse to respect transgender people, gender nonconforming people, and queer people who challenge the cisgender heteronormative patriarchal agenda that has been shoved down our throats since birth,” Beckett wrote in a recent Instagram post.
UK-artist Noah Finn Adams, better known as NOAHFINNCE, takes over for the second verse, expressing how he is unapologetically himself regardless of what anyone has to say about it. The pop-punk artist started his career by posting covers and videos on YouTube, including the video of his coming out as transgender and his documentation of his transitioning journey. Adams' decision to share his story online gained him a lot of supporters who felt seen and understood. NOAHFINNCE has created a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community who are looking to express themselves, especially in the form of music. As Adams sings in his verse he isn't “in the mood for saving” and he will never back down from that.
The chorus comes in with an angsty punch both lyrically and instrumentally. The song screams rebellion and represents the true purpose of punk rock, which is to go against the grain and the societal normalities we have all been told growing up. Beckett and NOAHFINNCE sing in unison,
“I'm a fucking boygirl / Won't conform to your world / You don't have to tell me /
I do what I want (Do what I want) / I'm a fucking boygirl, freakshow of my own world
You can try to take (Take!) away (Away!) my say but I will live anyway.”
This headbanging track is impossible to listen to without moving your body in some form.
Boygirl is an anthem for the LGBTQIA+ community through and through. The band debuted their new track during a pop-up performance at New York City Pride. The band played their hearts out, sharing their words with a community of people who live the struggles of the lyrics in “Boygirl” every single day. Pollyanna has always been outspoken when it comes to queer liberation and social justice, never backing down from the obstacles the world tries to put on our communities.
Stream “BoyGirl” and keep up with Pollyanna:
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