“Sidelines” by Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers’ “Sidelines” is based on the vocalist being someone who, by her admission, was previously living a fearless life. Usually when the likes of musicians put forth such an assertion, it is meant to point to the idea of being unafraid to pursue one’s dreams. But what Phoebe is more specifically putting forth is that fears which commonly exist amongst men – such as that of natural disasters, accidents, aging, loneliness and lack of accomplishment – do not shake her. She was “watch(ing) the world from the sidelines”, i.e. reveling in a state of non-goal oriented, anonymous bliss, if you will.

But then, something happened that took away that sense of carefreeness. And that something was falling in love with the addressee. So now, it’s like for the first time ever, the vocalist actually has “something to lose”.

So even though it can be taken that she was content beforehand, now Phoebe is celebrating being smitten. And that is because being in such a state, even if it does inherently carry emotional risks, makes life more edifying overall. 

Thesis Sentiment of “Sidelines”

All in all, whereas the verses may be based on this idea of the vocalist being the type of person who prefers to not give AF, the thesis sentiment revolves around her now having a new lease on life.

So yes, conclusively “Sidelines” is a love song. But to note, the nature of the vocalist’s relationship with the addressee is never specified. So for instance, this piece can also be theoretically taken as, say a mother addressing her firstborn child.

Release of “Sidelines”

This track was released on 15 April 2022. The release of this song is special since it marked the singer’s first release of the year. The label that put the track out is one called Dead Oceans.

Up until this point Phoebe, who hails from Pasadena, has been in the game for approximately a decade. The first entry in her discography being the 2014 EP entitled “Killer”.

Song Credits

Other than Phoebe Bridgers, Marshall Vore also receives both writing and production credit for “Sidelines”. The track’s other producers are Ethan Gruska and Tony Berg and its other writer, Ruby Henley.

Notable Appearance

This song was created specifically for a Hulu series entitled Conversations with Friends. This show is based on Sally Rooney’s famous 2017 novel (which also goes by the same title).