Boy Jr. reclaims their narrative on new experimental indie rock single “I’m Breaking Up With You”

With a title about as blunt as it gets, experimental singer-songwriter and influencer Boy Jr. speaks their truth through unpredictable twists and turns with their recent single off of their upcoming album, I Love Getting Dumped, “I’m Breaking Up With You.” Ariel Allen-Lubman, the singer-songwriter behind Boy Jr., first got their start learning how to produce in college and soon latched onto 2000s garage rock as a source of inspiration.

However, to define or even attempt to pin down Allen-Lubman’s genre would prove ineffective when they always try for something new, whether it be doing a hyperpop cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” or allowing contemporaries to remix their last album, Pay Attention To Meee. Channeling all the anger and frustration that comes when someone breaks up with you, “I’m Breaking Up With You” carries the same energy as those early garage rock inspirations but never abides by the conventions of any genre. The final result is a narrative-changing shapeshifter of a track where Allen-Lubman shows off their skills as a songwriter and as a producer.

“I realized I was still harping on how I GOT broken up with and so I wrote this song to let myself get angry and do my share of the breaking up,” said Allen-Lubman. “And ya know what, making this song really helped me put those feelings in the past. And now I’ve got a headbanger to show for it.”

The combination of electronic production and straight rock instruments makes for a song that constantly keeps you on your toes. Although the anger driving the track forward is consistent throughout, the levels at which Allen-Lubman expresses the many things they hate about their ex vary from tired satisfaction to burning passion reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails. Depending on where they are emotionally, the production amplifies what’s said in the lyrics, whether it be coming to a synthetic calm or bursting out once again during a roaring, climactic guitar solo.

Aside from the fact that the song’s title coincides so well with I Love Getting Dumped, being a part of the overarching themes shared by singles “I Hope You Feel Terrible” and “Still Be Friends,” it also serves as an excellent entry point for anyone new to Allen-Lubman’s brand of ever-evolving indie rock that can soothe one moment and explode like a thousand fireworks in another. And considering that Allen-Lubman worked independently on I Love Getting Dumped and every release leading up to the album, much of what makes Boy Jr. work goes directly back to the dedication that Allen-Lubman shows through the music and in their TikTok videos.

Words: David Sosa

“I’m Breaking Up With You” by Boy Jr. is out now on streaming services. For more on their upcoming album and potential shows, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and Bandcamp.