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FYI

Billboard FYI Track of the Week: Boy Golden, "Aeroplane Song"

Each week, the Billboard FYI Digest spotlights one Canadian song on our radar. This week, a warm and easygoing tune from a Winnipeg singer-songwriter to cure the November blahs.

Boy Golden

Boy Golden

Courtesy Photo


As the dreary days of November take a toll, a new track from Boy Golden, a purveyor of musical sunshine, is to be welcomed with open ears.

This eclectic Americana-accented singer-songwriter from Winnipeg first shone on the 2021 debut album, Church Of Better Daze, and subsequent videos, new material, and extensive touring have seen critics and other listeners succumb to his good-natured charm. He released an EP, For Jimmy, back in July, and now comes back with a fresh cut in “Aeroplane Song” on Six Shooter Records.


A label press release explains the theme of the song this way: “There’s something really special about a reunion at the airport after being away, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been home. Tiredness and tension melt away when those loving arms wrap around you. Boy Golden’s 'Aeroplane Song' is that tender embrace, a lullaby for dreamy lovers and kindly travellers on their way to be with someone special.”

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That’s a situation most of us can relate to, and Boy Golden explores it with typical finesse. There’s a Western swing meets Hawaiian vibe to the sound, with the twin baritone guitars of Austy P and Ooly leading the way. Boy Golden’s easygoing and warm delivery perfectly suits the sentiment of the song, and the result would suit sipping on a pina colada. Or, given the Jimmy Buffett comparison this tune may elicit, a margarita.

Boy Golden plays a hometown Winnipeg show at The Burton Cummings Theatre on Nov. 24, the final night of a lengthy North American tour.

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Amber Still, executive director of the Polaris Music Prize
Johanna Stickland

Amber Still, executive director of the Polaris Music Prize

Awards

‘Protect the Prize’: The Polaris Music Prize Undergoes Its Biggest Period of Change

Now entering its third decade, the Canadian critic’s prize has expanded its voting pool, adjusted to financial constraints and expanded to award both albums and songs. After years defined by its refined focus, the changes mark a major expansion of the organization’s mission.

In 2025, the Polaris Music Prize celebrated its 20th anniversary. Entering its third decade, the award is undergoing what might be its biggest period of change. From funding to voting process, the organization is continuing to evolve.

The cultural not-for-profit organization has spent the better part of two decades creating a space in the industry for Canadian acts to be recognized based solely artistic merit, rather than sales, genre or support from a record label. Founded in the 2000s as Canada's answer to the Mercury Prize, the organization became a registered Canadian charity in 2017.

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