A few lyrics from Phoebe Bridgers‘ upcoming album, Lost Weekend, have caused a bit of a stir online, as some fans believe that the singer shades ex Paul Mescal and his girlfriend, pop star Gracie Abrams, on a song called “The Governor’s Waltz.”
As Billboard can confirm amid a wide range of reactions to The Guardian including the eyebrow-raising lyrics in its pre-release review of the album, the boygenius artist indeed sings toward the end of the melancholy track, “And she can pretend to be me/ Since she took my place in my bed on that stage/ I have not lost any sleep.”
It’s also worth noting that this is the only part of the song where a former partner’s new love interest is referenced, as Bridgers spends the majority of it doing a post mortem on the decline of her own relationship with the ex in question, which fans are certain is Mescal. “You deserved better, you wanted me,” the Grammy winner sings elsewhere on “The Governor’s Waltz.” “So, let’s see how long we can go without talking/ Watch me pretending to sleep.”
So, what’s the big deal? Have a seat — there’s a lot to unpack here.
To begin, Bridgers and the Irish actor were in a relationship from about 2020 to 2022, reportedly getting engaged at some point before the breakup (something the musician seems to confirm on Lost Weekend‘s title track, on which she sings, “I’m supposed to be married, but I called it off”). In 2024, Mescal and Abrams were spotted in public together for the first time following months of rumors that they were hanging out.
The “That’s So True” singer and Normal People star now share a home in London, and Abrams has openly gushed about their “secure and stable” romance in interviews surrounding the release of her Billboard 200-topping new album, Daughter From Hell. Bridgers is also reportedly in a long-term relationship — with musical comedian Bo Burnham, who just so happens to be credited as a cowriter on “The Governor’s Waltz” — but before all of that, she and Abrams were friendly with each other online and in person at events where their paths overlapped, such as award shows where they posed for photos together or on tour as joint openers for Taylor Swift’s billion-dollar Eras trek.
Abrams has also been a vocal superfan of Bridgers for years, and she’s only continued to praise the “Motion Sickness” artist — whom Abrams called “the writer of our generation” in a June appearance on the The New York Times’ Popcast — in 2026. That’s where the line “she can pretend to be me” seemingly comes into play, while “she took my place in my bed on that stage” appears to refer to the rocket-ship patterned sheets owned by both singers, who in 2017 bonded over having them in common via Instagram comments, according to screenshots. Years later, on her Secret of Us Tour, Abrams included the same sheets in her stage design, which recreated her bedroom setup for the intimate B-stage portion of her set.
“omg wait it definitely is [about Abrams],” one person wrote of the “Governor’s Waltz” lyrics on X, sharing side-by-side comparison photos of the two artists. “This was gracie’s b stage set up last tour. LITERALLY PHOEBES BED SHEETS.”
“Gracie Abrams shade on the Phoebe Bridgers album… I’ve prayed for days like these,” a fan of Bridgers posted, while an Abrams fan wrote, “it sucks to hear what phoebe had to say about gracie considering gracie has been a fan for years and has had nothing but kind words to say about phoebe.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Bridgers, Mescal and Abrams for comment.
Arriving in full on Aug. 14, Lost Weekend will mark Bridgers’ first solo album since 2020’s Punisher. To celebrate its release, the “Kyoto” artist recently announced that the LP will debut in planetariums all over the world starting Aug. 10, pairing the music with a visual experience designed by photographer Babak Tafreshi or an immersive laser show from by Laser Fantasy.
And though “The Governor’s Waltz” might be turning the most heads, it’s not the first song to seemingly reference Mescal’s history with both Bridgers and Abrams. On “Out of Nowhere,” which Abrams released exclusively on iTunes in July as bonus Daughter From Hell tracks, she sings, “Favorite thing to fantasize/ You and me and her collide/ Kinda hot but then kinda terrifying/ Just my luck, everyone’s watching us.”
The “Hit the Wall” artist is currently gearing up to go on tour starting in December. Bridgers will also hit the road soon, launching her Lost Tour in September.
