Eliza McLamb’s Relatability Shines in New Single “Like the Boys”
by Zarah Donnelly | August 1st, 2025
Photo credits: Nick Clemens
Eliza McLamb is a name that may be unfamiliar to many readers, but she has proven with her new single “Like the Boys” that, upon listening to her music, any lack of familiarity with her artistry will be replaced with a deep fondness for her ability to combine poppy, upbeat melodies with melancholic, angsty lyrics that were seemingly plucked deep from the hearts of the women she sings to and for.
“Like the Boys”, the lead single from McLamb’s upcoming album Good Story, sings a tale of the experience of desiring an equal form of acceptance and respect in spaces dominated by men. The imposter syndrome of being part of an environment like this, and wanting not romantic validation, but platonic validation and respect from male peers, is shown by lines like “I like the boys like the boys like to shoot their guns / something I can hold in my hand / pretending to be someone,” and “I thought I was one of them, but I was just standing there.”
This cynicism is nothing new when it comes to McLamb’s music, nor is her willingness to touch base on unequal dynamics between men and women, as there’s a sense of familiarity when listening to “Like the Boys” that causes me to look back on her debut album, Going Through It. The debut inserted an almost facetious form of longing and nostalgia into the lyrics hidden behind upbeat music that you can’t help but dance to, especially in songs like “Mythologize Me” and “Modern Woman”, both of which also touched on McLamb’s experience as a woman in a man’s world, though they came from an equally relatable place of romance-induced upset as opposed to a desire for platonic respect and understanding. “Like the Boys” follows in its predecessor’s footsteps of speaking on unequal gender dynamics, in a way that ultimately doesn’t feel repetitive.
McLamb’s simultaneously wistful and sardonic lyricism are traits that have become trademarks of her music, but there is a clear marker that distinguishes her debut album and the singles that led up to it, and the singles leading up to her incoming sophomore album, including “Like the Boys”. Her previous singles showed deep influences from musicians like Taylor Swift, both melodically and production-wise, while her post-debut releases have shown her grow into her own vocal and lyrical style, and as a long-time listener, I am thrilled to see her growth in real time.
“Like the Boys” is the first single from Good Story by Eliza McLamb, which releases on October 24th, 2025.
