Lucy Dacus has released her fourth solo album, “Forever Is a Feeling.” The album explores themes of love, heartache, and personal growth. Dacus says creating the album required destroying parts of her life to make room for something new. “There’s no growth without decay,” Dacus explains.
“Everything comes at a cost. I’m happy to report I’m in a life that I really love and cherish, but I had to shed another life that I loved and cherished to get here.”
The album reflects moments of falling in and out of love. Dacus recently moved from her hometown of Richmond, Virginia to Los Angeles.
She says the move forced her to separate her identity from the place she had always known. “Forever Is a Feeling” features a lush sound with strings, harps, and even a harpsichord. Dacus says she wanted to evoke a sense of antiquity to match the heartful nature of the songs.
The lead single, “Ankles,” is about wanting someone you can’t have. Dacus describes it as more lusty than her usual style. The music video, shot in Paris, features Dacus as a wild party girl being taken back to where she belongs by a straitlaced friend.
Themes of love and growth
Another standout track, “Best Guess,” includes the lyrics: “I love your body. I love your mind.
They will change. So will mine. But you’re my best guess at the future.” Dacus attributes her lyrical insights to being an avid reader and consuming many different perspectives.
Dacus recently achieved major success as part of the indie supergroup Boygenius with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. However, she says she doesn’t feel pressure to replicate that with her solo work. “It felt like a one-of-one, fluke experience—a happy fluke,” Dacus says of Boygenius’s Grammy wins.
“I do think we did a good job, but personally, I don’t have those goals. You can’t let other people’s goals matter to you that much.”
With “Forever Is a Feeling,” Lucy Dacus continues to establish herself as a compelling solo artist. The album showcases her gift for capturing complex emotions with striking lyrics and lush instrumentation.
It’s a deeply personal work reflecting her own experiences of love, change, and growth.
