Suzannah Powell—Boyfriend—will retire after 15 years and finish her career on a farewell tour. [Boyfriend will also be featured in OffBeat‘s upcoming Jazz Fest Bible™].
Powell, the multidisciplinary performer, writer, and producer known for her sharp lyricism, bold theatricality, and socially charged storytelling has announced that 2026 will mark the final year of “Boyfriend” as a full-time performance persona. She said, “Boyfriend began as an alter ego — a way to say the unsayable, to try on bolder silhouettes, to build a world that felt bigger than myself,” Powell shares. “Somewhere along the way, she became my full‑time identity. And now, I feel that chapter has reached its natural conclusion.”
Boyfriend. Photo: Kathleen FItzgerald
After 15 years of touring, recording, and boundary-pushing collaboration, Boyfriend will take a final bow with a farewell tour, closing this chapter before returning the character to its original form as an alter ego.
Since emerging in 2012, Boyfriend has carved out a persona as both a solo artist and in‑demand collaborator. She has contributed songwriting and production to music for Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, Rebecca Black, Slayyyter, and Mala Rodríguez, while appearing on recordings with Lil Wayne, Pussy Riot and Big Freedia.
Her music has been featured across networks like HBO, Netflix, and Hulu, and soundtracked global campaigns for brands like Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and Red Bull.
Renowned for her live performances, she has been named a Top act at Outside Lands by Rolling Stone, with Consequence praising her standout appearance in Bonnaroo’s “SuperJam.” She is also featured in the Grammy‑winning documentary Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story.
Beyond music, Boyfriend’s theatrical work includes premieres on Playbill, a BroadwayCon performance alongside Tony Award winner Laura Osnes, and her long-running original immersive musical, Hag.
Her latest release is the musical concept album In the Garden (2025), a reimagining of the creation story. Boyfriend stars as Eve, with other characters voiced by Billy Porter, Jake Shears, Big Freedia, and Peaches.
The retirement of “Boyfriend” as a day‑to‑day identity isn’t the end to Powell’s creative work. She will continue writing and producing music for artists she admires, developing and producing new theater projects, and deepening her sustainability and community work in New Orleans — with Boyfriend available as
Boyfriend. Photo: Katie Sikora
an alter ego whenever the work calls for it. Says Powell: “I am profoundly proud of what Boyfriend has created and who she has stood beside,” Powell says. “Those rooms, those faces, those shared moments will stay with me forever. Boyfriend said everything she needed to say; now it’s time to carry that energy into new work.”
Boyfriend will hit the road for a 15 Year Celebration and Farewell Tour, running from April through December 2026. The run will include headline shows, festival appearances, special stagings of Hag and In the Garden, and a final performance in her home city of New Orleans.
April 17-18 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box*
April 24 – New Orleans, LA – Le Petit Théâtre Du Vieux Carré*
April 26 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
July 31 – Los Angeles, CA – The Broadwater*
October 30 – New Orleans, LA – Preservation Hall**
November 3-6 – At Sea – Revivalists Cruise
November 7 – Miami, FL – Sweat Records
November 13 – San Francisco, CA – Roar Shack*
November 13 – San Francisco, CA – Roar Shack
November 20 – Chicago, IL – Shubas Tavern
November 21 – New York, NY – The Sultan Room
November 27 – Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
November 28 – Houston, TX – Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston [MATCH]*
December 04 – New Orleans, LA – Siberia
More dates to be added.
Special Stagings:
*In the Garden
** Hag.
Tickets and additional information are available at imyourboyfriend.com.
