BOYFRIEND: IN THE GARDEN | ALBUM REVIEW

Boyfriend's In The Garden Album Art - Photo Credit: Hunter Holder — **Boyfriend’s In The Garden Album Art – Photo Credit: Hunter Holder**

We may talk about the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival a bit too much around here. However, it’s yet again a great starting point for this album review. Flash back to the festival’s 2017 Superjam–a themed set that brings several artists together to do cover songs–and a performance by one artist who’s stage flair made everyone instantly remember the name “Boyfriend.”

In the years following that festival appearance, the name Boyfriend has become synonymous to me with theatrical art that is presented through music. Therefore it is fitting that her latest album, In The Garden isn’t just an album — it’s a music theatre conceptualized reinterpretation of the Genesis creation story, told through a queer, feminist lens and backed by a lineup of high-profile collaborators.

**Boyfriend Performing at 2017 Bonnaroo Superjam**

Released via Big Freedia’s Queen Diva Music and distributed by The Orchard, the album presents Eve not as a transgressor, but as a seeker of knowledge, autonomy, and agency — while Adam, the Serpent, and even God are reimagined through subversive casting and bold character work. Structured in a way that you can actually visualize stage production, In The Garden unfolds in acts and interludes, anchored by narration from Billy Porter and powered by voices like Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Peaches, and Big Freedia.

Concept and Characters

Rather than a simple retelling, In The Garden serves as a reimagining. Eve (Boyfriend) becomes the narrative’s central force — embodying rebellion and intellectual awakening. Adam (Jake Shears) is cast as a figure of passive contentment, resistant to change. The Serpent (Peaches) isn’t a deceiver, but a challenger of norms. And in one of the album’s most striking turns, God is played by Big Freedia — a larger-than-life presence who delivers divine declarations with the artist’s trademark flair and volume.

Billy Porter lends a commanding presence throughout the album as narrator, appearing across multiple interlude-style tracks like “Prologue,” “Enter Eve,” “Enter Adam,” “Protasis,” and more. His voice guides the listener through Boyfriend’s Eden — one that reclaims queerness, challenges binary thinking, and ultimately centers on the idea that curiosity is a radical act.

Production and Sound

Described by Boyfriend as “show tunes disguised as songs for New Music Friday,” the album draws from musical theater, but filters it through experimental pop and electronic stylings. The production lineup includes Alex Krispin (executive producer), Asa Taccone, Little Shalimar, Joseph Shirley, and Gold Glove — names associated with acts as varied as Run the Jewels, Carly Rae Jepsen, Slayyyter, and The Mandalorian.

Perhaps it is my own love for musical theatre that makes In The Garden come alive. For me, visions of the staging of Six kept running through my mind. Each character gets introduced and eventually woven into the final story.

Featured Tracks
On one hand it seems unfair to this album to highlight tracks. In The Garden is meant to be listened to as a whole. In fact, I implore you to take the relatively brief 42 minutes of album run time and…just listen.

However, in fairness to completing a review, there are several standout songs to highlight. “CURIOUS,” sets the stage by introducing Eve as a character driven by questions — someone who pushes back against the limits placed on her rather than blindly accepting them. “FIGHT” pairs Boyfriend’s Eve against Jake Shears’ Adam, who delivers a bold, theatrical performance as a figure clinging to the safety of the status quo. “BITE” reimagines the classic moment of temptation with sparkling electropop energy, presenting the choice to eat the fruit as a deliberate act of independence rather than a fall from grace.

While the aforementioned songs propel the story in notable fashion, three others deserve special recognition. In “SERPENT,” Peaches takes on the role of the question-asker, not the deceiver — a character who encourages Eve to look at her world with new eyes. Here, Peaches slinky vocal delivery adds to the ominous vibes. On “RULES,” Big Freedia voices God, delivering the character’s lines with commanding flair that toes the line between satire and authority. Before this album, I would never have thought of the New Orleans bounce artist being cast to play God. In this context, it was the perfect match.

Finally, album closer, “PARADISE LOST,” circles back to the consequences of Eve’s choice — though whether it marks an ending or a beginning is left open for interpretation. It’s big, full of lyrical hooks, and an intensity that you can’t escape. There’s enough dramatic moments that this track should be included as an ID in a bunch of EDM setlists this summer.

Final Notes

In The Garden is the culmination of Boyfriend’s decade-long vision — blending music, performance art, and social commentary into a single project. It builds on earlier experimental works like her Sugar & Spice album and multi-year Hag. musical, but this is arguably her most ambitious effort yet.

Rather than reinforce binaries of good/evil or obedience/rebellion, Boyfriend’s Eden blurs the lines entirely. The result is an album that doesn’t just ask questions — it dares listeners to find new answers.