Phoebe Bridgers is back with Lost Boys, her first solo single from the newly announced album Lost Weekend and buried inside the song is a dark inversion of one of the most famous slogans in protest music.
Woody Guthrie wrote: “This Machine Kills Fascists.”
Phoebe Bridgers sings: “This machine is killing me.”
In this video essay, I explore what Lost Boys tells us about smartphones, social media, loneliness, toxic masculinity and generations who no longer simply use technology but have grown up inside it.
From the reckless young men haunting the song’s lyrics, to Bridgers’ phone-free Madison Square Garden show and upcoming Lost Tour, this is a story about the machines built to connect us… the people getting lost inside them… and what happens when we decide to leave the machine at the door.
I also trace the line from Woody Guthrie’s protest music to Phoebe Bridgers’ digital-age anxiety, asking whether music can still create something increasingly rare:
A room full of people actually present with one another.
Featuring discussion of Lost Boys, Lost Weekend, the Lost Tour, Woody Guthrie, smartphone culture, social media, male loneliness, toxic masculinity, memory and the attention economy.
If you enjoy cultural video essays exploring the intersection of music, politics and modern life, subscribe to The Last Mixed Tape.
The Last Mixed Tape is hosted by Stephen White, and is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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