If there’s anything new we’ve learned about Phoebe Bridgers from Lost Weekend, it’s that she’s deeply in love. It’s been five years since her split with Irish actor Paul Mescal, who is now dating American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, so songs like “Kill Me” and “Bobby” couldn’t possibly be about him. Fans speculate that the Bobby she addresses throughout the record could, instead, refer to filmmaker, comedian, and album co-writer Bo Burnham.
There are many reasons to believe that. For one, Burnham’s first name is Robert, from which the nicknames Bob or Bobby are derived. He and Bridgers have also been spotted together countless times since 2022, hanging out with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, attending Taylor Swift’s Eras show in Philadelphia in May 2023, and holding hands on the way to a Saturday Night Live after-party. Neither of them has confirmed the relationship, but do they really have to?
Outside of their romance, Bridgers and Burnham have kept their personal lives private and low-key. Burnham, also a musician, sings about being in the public eye in “All Eyes On Me,” a song from his 2021 musical comedy special Inside. At the 2022 Grammys, the track earned him Best Song Written for Visual Media.
You probably also know Burnham from other comedy films, like Clare Kilner’s American Virgin (2009), Michael Showalter’s The Big Sick (2017), and Emerald Fennell’s 2020 directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, where he starred opposite Carey Mulligan. Before writing, directing, starring in, and editing Inside all by himself in 2021, Burnham also directed and produced comedy specials for the likes of Jerrod Carmichael and Kate Berlant between 2017 and 2022.
He also directed the 2018 coming-of-age comedy-drama film Eighth Grade, which won him Breakthrough Director at the Gotham Awards, Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, and Best Original Screenplay at the 2019 Writers Guild of America Awards.
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Neither has spoken publicly to confirm a relationship, but outlets covering the album’s release, including NPR and Slate, now refer to Burnham as Bridgers’ “reputed partner.” His writing and vocal presence throughout Lost Weekend has fueled that reporting.
Burnham holds seven co-writing credits on the album and sings on multiple tracks, including the title track. He’s also credited with helping shape some of its electronic and vocoder-driven textures, a sound he’s known for on his own recordings.
The album is anchored in grief, following the 2023 death of Bridgers’ father, alongside themes of fame, disillusionment, dissociation, and love. It also marks Bridgers’ return after a six-year gap in solo output since 2020’s Punisher, a stretch shaped by loss, a broken engagement, and stepping back from public life.
Speculation began in 2022, when the two were spotted together on multiple occasions, including hanging out with The 1975’s Matty Healy, attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Philadelphia in May 2023, and holding hands en route to an SNL after-party.
“Bobby” is the track most explicitly built around the nickname, with lyrics detailing domestic, lived-in details of the relationship, lines like sleeping in his shirts and singing in the shower. “Kill Me” is another track fans point to as being aimed at him.
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