Seeking to counteract the misogynistic messages in mainstream pop songs, Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis started making her own subversively catchy music as Sad13 (pronounced "sad thirteen"). The project's roots began when Dupuis met rapper Lizzo while on tour with Speedy Ortiz; a fan of Lizzo's music, Dupuis collaborated with her on "Basement Queens," a song about women making music on their own that became Sad13's debut single in January 2016. Inspired, Dupuis wrote and recorded more Sad13 songs early that year in a Philadelphia bedroom she sublet from a friend. The results became the full-length debut Slugger, which Carpark released in November 2016. ~ Heather Phares