“Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers, is an album about the feelings of melancholy, derealization, and experiencing the purest form of emotion. Its lighthearted candor displays vivid depictions of true unbridled anxiety, shame, and despair, all tied together with Bridger’s stunningly haunting vocals. While the entire album is amazing, and definitely worth listening to, here are the top five songs that stood out from “Punisher”. 

1. Punisher- The song “Punisher” is about being hyper-aware of one’s self, and hyper-afraid of how they are perceived. A “punisher”, defined by Bridgers herself would be someone who is just painful to talk to, who “doesn’t know where to start, doesn’t know where to stop”, as defined by the song itself. A fear that Bridgers shared is the thought of being the person that people want to find an “out” to a conversation with, a person that can see that when they speak to others their eyes glaze over, and they actively look for a way to leave that conversation. 
2. Chinese Satellite- The song “Chinese Satellite” is about Bridgers’ agnosticism and the skepticality she feels about religion. Bridgers describes in several interviews how the song is about wishing for the childlike belief that someday, some force would take her away from her ordinary life, telling her that the world is more special than what she thought, and so was she. 
3. Savior Complex- The song “Savior Complex”, the sequel to the song “Moon Song”, describes Bridgers’ need to “fix” the person she is in a relationship with, describing herself as having “Savior Complex”, and feeling the need to burden herself with the issue and problems of her partner. In the song, she describes how they “drift off on the floor” and how she “drags” them “to the shore”, a metaphor for her constant effort to fix and protect the person she loves from both the world, and themself. 
4. I Know The End- The song “I Know the End” describes the end of the world as visualized by Phoebe, specifically in America. It was written to cross out a genre of song she had always wanted to try, a medley of rock and pop, including a prolonged scream at the end of the song. 
5. Moon Song- The song “Moon Song” reflects Phoebe’s internal longing for someone, and her willingness to do anything for them, including “giving them the moon”, as described in the song. Phoebe describes that the person described in the song was so hyper-aware of their own faults and insecurities that they pushed her away, and she describes the feeling as longing to be “stepped on”. 

Overall, all the songs on “Punisher” are amazing songs, and there is truly no bad song on the album, however these 5 stick out for their beautiful melodies, and deeply complex meanings.