Superfriends: Blimpy Boy - Single Review

Hey there, blimpy boy...

Breakups suck. It’s an universal adage that’s almost become cliché, but it’s true. Breakups are also a fountain of inspiration for music, as anyone can attest. Something rarer, though, is a breakup song that feels genuinely happy to listen to. These kinds of songs don’t necessarily need to be celebratory - after all, most breakups feel universally shit, right? - but they don’t have to feel shit to listen to. Some of the best examples include Boy Problems by Carly Rae Jepsen, a delightful declaration of indifference, or How You Move On by Fightmilk, a bittersweet yet glorious banger. These two songs make up a glorious holy trinity of breakup songs that make me smile, and they’re joined by Blimpy Boy by Superfriends.

Superfriends are a ragtag gang of Brightonian punks who last struck gold with How To Live Life, a stunning track that took on life, death, and everything in between. It was the type of track that you could fall in love with upon first listen. The follow-up that is Blimpy Boy is no exception. I mean, just try not to smile as the opening lyric of “Hey there, blimpy boy, you don’t have to cry anymore” hits you right out the gate. I’m definitely not the only person out there who’s immediately won over by a good Simpsons reference in a song, so I know I’m not the only person who’s going to be grinning from the get-go here.

The track is short but ridiculously sweet, breezing through it’s hooky structure and cannonballing into a shredding solo like a lost Buzzcocks classic. While Superfriends are firmly a part of the UK emo scene, Blimpy Boy feels more like a blend of 60s pop and 2010’s slacker, a-la Kurt Vile. Regardless of genre, though, it absolutely shreds. Superfriends are seasoned veterans at turning big feelings into bigger songs, and Blimpy Boy is proof of that. So yes, breakups are terrible - but at least there's a perfect song to help you through.

---

AC is the Head of Written Content at QSO Media. Follow them on Twitter.

Enjoy QSO Media’s content? Support alternative LGBTQ+ journalism by buying us a Ko-Fi.