Why Are So Many Musicians Singing on Couches? An Investigation

If you’re a lamp or a bed, we have bad news for you. There’s a new kid in town, and it has four legs, a pair of armrests, and is a major supporter of vertical posture. That’s right: couches. These bad boys are the new in-demand stage prop at concerts, with more and more musicians incorporating the piece of furniture into their set — from Lily Allen to Charli XCX to Hilary Duff. We aren’t sure why, exactly, so allow us to investigate.

Couches have always had a strong presence in song lyrics — just think of Jeff Buckley’s “So Real,” Paramore’s “All I Wanted,” the Arctic Monkey’s “Do I Wanna Know?” and Snail Mail’s “c. et. al.” (in the case of most of these tracks, couches are good for sleeping or spilling drinks on, especially when you’re wasted). But appearing onstage so frequently is a new thing. We got used to seeing beds a lot: Sabrina Carpenter fittingly sang from a canopy one during the sensual “Bed Chem” on the Short n’ Sweet Tour, Taylor Swift brought a massive white metal bed to deliver “Fortnight” during the Eras run, and Usher is currently bringing his R&B magic to the mattress on tour during “Seduction.” But the couches have officially taken over. These days, if you’re a musician preparing to hit the road, it’s probably number three on the must-have list, behind “in-ear monitors” and “herbal tea.”

It’s easy to see why. Couches provide a cozy aesthetic, and a way for artists to change up their set and take a breather. Lucy Dacus has used couches all through her Forever Is a Feeling Tour, inviting special guests to join her for “Bullseye,” from Ani DiFranco to Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker. And for her set at All Things Go last year in New York, she brought out mayor-to-be Zohran Mamdani for a chat. Dacus first incorporated couches into her set several years ago, when she had two herniated discs in her back and was forced to perform entirely laying down (that was back in 2022, basically making her a Couch Pioneer).

Couches also allow for an intimate, almost therapeutic moment, particularly during personal songs. In Hilary Duff’s case, it’s for her performance of “We Don’t Talk,” a cut off her new album Luck …or Something that’s rumored to be about her estranged sister, Haylie. “Let’s have it out/I’ll hear you out/You hear me out/On the couch,” she sings. But eagle-eyed fans took this to another level, believing even the color of the couch was an easter egg. “That is absolute bullshit, and totally not true and crazy,” Duff told Rolling Stone earlier this year. “And I don’t have the time to make threads for people to catch on to about that. I have a full life and a busy family, and this was literally just a song about my truth, and that was it.” Sometimes, a couch is really just a couch.

But there are exceptions. Allen’s current tour — where she performs her devastating album West End Girl, widely perceived to be about her divorce from actor David Harbour — features actual pieces of furniture from the Brooklyn townhouse they once shared. She’s changed up the kind of couch a lot (her set at Radio City in New York featured a red velvet tufted sofa), but every performance features her perched on one for “Sleepwalking,” as she sings, “Who said romance isn’t dead?/Been no romance since we wed.” For this West End girl, the couch is everything.

And the trend appears to be just getting started. For Reneé Rapp’s brief Brooklyn set last year, celebrating the release of Bite Me? Couch. For Mitski’s “Circle” earlier this year, in support of Nothing’s About to Happen to Me? Couch. For several songs during Phoebe Bridgers’ phoneless tour, including her show at Madison Square Garden? Couch. And for a hot minute during Charli XCX’s intimate Brooklyn gig earlier this month? You guessed it: couch. We aren’t sure what’s next (if it’s vintage TV sets, Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman just did this on their recent joint tour). But for the time being, sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your favorite musician do the same thing.