Who is Jensen McRae? Justin Bieber is a fan, Phoebe Bridgers reposted the singer’s video
In 2021, a viral ‘cover’ song parodying Phoebe Bridgers led to McRae’s debut album and tour. Today, people love her deeply personal songs
As the Covid-19 vaccine began spreading more widely in early 2021, singer-songwriter Jensen McRae joked in a tweet that fellow US singer Phoebe Bridgers would release a song in two years about “hooking up in the car while waiting in line to get vaccinated at Dodger Stadium”, a ballpark in Los Angeles in the US state of California.
Bridgers did not release the song, but McRae did. As the tweet took off, she threaded a video of herself singing “a pre-emptive cover”. “Immune”, penned by McRae in Bridgers’ contemplative style, was released in full within two weeks.
Bridgers reposted the video, writing simply: “oh my god”.
The song preluded McRae’s debut EP, released in 2021, and album, in 2022, which led to touring gigs with indie pop band Muna and singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. Last year, she signed with Dead Oceans, the same record label that represents Bridgers. McRae’s second album, the folk-pop I Don’t Know How, But They Found Me!, is out this week.