Innovative singer-songwriter/producer/performer/provocateur Boyfriend has announced the release of In The Garden, a visionary new concept album reimagining the biblical story of Adam and Eve through a feminist and queer lens. A radical fusion of music, theater, and social commentary, the hugely ambitious project – which blends bold storytelling and an all-star cast of genre-expanding collaborators including Scissor Sisters’ frontman Jake Shears, Billy Porter, Peaches, and Big Freedia – arrives Friday, May 9 via Big Freedia’s Queen Diva Music (distributed by The Orchard). Pre-orders are available now. A fully realized artistic statement breathing new life into an ancient narrative, In The Garden is heralded by today’s premiere of the album’s second single, “FIGHT (Feat. Jake Shears)” available everywhere now. The track sees Shears – the iconic Scissor Sisters co-founder and Broadway/West End star (Kinky Boots, Cabaret) – bringing a spectacular theatricality to the role of Adam, here portrayed not as the first human but rather the brash foil to the saga’s leading lady, Eve (performed by Boyfriend). “FIGHT (Feat. Jake Shears)” follows In The Garden’s first single, “CURIOUS,” which was released last month.
“This song really showcases the way I’m re-interpreting these two characters,” Boyfriend explains. “Adam demonstrates his complacency, Eve demonstrates her defiance.”
Jake Shears says, “A queer, feminist reimagining of Genesis? Embodying the original man? Sign me up! I loved the idea of putting a new, rambunctious spin on the Adam character. Playing Adam has been such a blast because he’s this carefree, blissfully unaware hunk who’s never had to question anything—until Eve starts shaking things up. It’s cheeky, it’s thought-provoking, and it’s got that perfect mix of theater and pop.”
LISTEN TO “FIGHT (FEAT. JAKE SHEARS)”
LISTEN TO “CURIOUS”
PRE-ORDER IN THE GARDEN With In The Garden, Boyfriend does not merely retell the story of Adam and Eve – she rewrites it entirely. At its core, the project is a feminist reclamation of the Genesis narrative, with Eve now presented as the central protagonist embodying intellectual curiosity, autonomy, and rebellion. In Boyfriend’s retelling, Adam is blissfully content with the status quo, unquestioning of the structures imposed upon him, while The Serpent (voiced by Peaches) does not coerce or deceive but simply inquires – asking Eve questions that resonate with anyone who has ever sought to challenge oppressive structures. Meanwhile, God – portrayed by Big Freedia – is a braggadocious, hot-tempered, and highly entertaining diva. In The Garden is thus a direct confrontation to the foundational notion that women’s pursuit of knowledge is dangerous, a challenge that remains deeply relevant in contemporary conversation. Beyond its feminist critique, In The Garden is also a deeply queer project, both in its casting and in its thematic subversions. Traditional religious doctrine has often framed queerness as antithetical to divine creation, but Boyfriend’s retelling reclaims Eden as an inherently queer space. The flamboyance and performativity of Jake Shears’ Adam, the gender-subversive power of Peaches’ Serpent, the radical swag of Big Freedia’s God, and the omniscient authority of Billy Porter’s narration all serve to undermine the heteronormative assumptions embedded in the biblical text. Rather than existing as a site of rigid binaries – man and woman, good and evil, obedience and rebellion – Boyfriend’s Eden is fluid, dynamic, and expansive. Executive produced by composer/producer Alex Krispin (best known for his near decade-long creative partnership with Daniel Lanois), In The Garden is just as sonically subversive as its narrative. Described by Boyfriend as “show tunes disguised as songs for New Music Friday,” the album balances its experimental storytelling with an alternative pop accessibility thanks to an award-winning production team that includes Asa Taccone (Portugal. The Man, Electric Guest, The Lonely Island, Carly Rae Jepsen), Little Shalimar (Run the Jewels, Killer Mike), film composer Joseph Shirley (Creed II, Trolls, The Mandalorian), and Gold Glove (Slayyyter, Big Freedia). Long hailed for her riotously cheeky live show, Boyfriend will bring In The Garden to life onstage alongside a cast of background singers and performers who will embody the characters while the recorded voices of the featured artists remain. The show will premiere on April 26 at Esplanade Studios in New Orleans and more US dates will be announced soon, including an album release party at Joe’s Pub in New York City on May 6. In The Garden highlights the remarkable breadth of Boyfriend’s ambition and ingenuity, taking her from underground festival darling to the creator of a full-fledged theatrical production. Her previous work has always been steeped in a spirit of playful rebellion, using burlesque, drag, experimental pop, and theatrical performance to challenge societal norms. In The Garden now represents the culmination of this ethos. In doing so, Boyfriend challenges the structures that have long upheld patriarchal and heteronormative ideals, offering a new Edenic vision that centers on curiosity, agency, and rebellion. | 
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