Phoebe Bridgers has been named one of Time‘s 2023 Women of the Year alongside Quinta Brunson, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and more.
The list of 12 total honorees was announced Thursday morning (March 2), with individual interviews celebrating each woman’s distinctive accomplishments posted on the publication’s website. In hers, Bridgers’ advocacy for women’s reproductive healthcare was highlighted, with the 28-year-old indie rock star recalling a moment she spotted a young fan being ushered out of a venue by her parents after she condemned the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade during a concert last year.
“I hope it makes a difference,” Bridgers said. “I hope those parents are going to lose the battle with that kid’s opinions and belief systems.”
The “Motion Sickness” singer’s work as owner of Saddest Factory Records and one-third of supergroup Boygenius — whose debut album arrives later this month — was also spotlighted by Time, along with Bridgers’ upcoming stint of shows as an opener on Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster-crashing Eras Tour. “I try not to think about it that hard or I’ll freak out,” she confessed.
Speaking on the songwriting that earned her four Grammy nominations in 2021, Bridgers said that some of the most life-changing advice given to her came from a surprising source: Ryan Adams. In 2019, Bridgers accused the 48-year-old rock musician and label owner of being emotionally abusive and controlling, alleging instances of inappropriate sexual encounters in a New York Times exposé (details of which Adams called “misrepresented,” “exaggerated” and “outright false”).
“Strangely, well, not strangely—life is complex—Ryan Adams sent me a really long email once about how I needed to write the truth, because it’s the only thing that’s interesting about me,” Bridgers said. “The more honest I am, the world just keeps opening up for me.”