New Tegan and Sara Song: “I Was A Fool” Premiere

Tegan and Sara have been teasing us with singles from their new album Heartthrob for months now and I’m getting impatient. It’s a good thing that “Closer” and “I’m Not Your Hero” are incredible songs in themselves. Isn’t the video for “Closer” the cutest ever? Maybe you’ve been a lucky human who has seen Tegan and Sara play songs from Heartthrob live and you can attest to it’s brilliance. I’m already thinking Heartthrob is going to be my favorite yet. I got a feeling in my waters, kids. You know why? Because Tegan and Sara have released a new Tegan song, “I Was A Fool” on Glamour.com this morning and it is so good.

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Tegan and Sara – giving the world alternative lifestyle haircut inspiration since 1995.

“I Was A Fool” is a little slower than the previous two singles, but the beat is super catchy and the vocals are angelic and beautiful. Tegan’s signature one-line chorus is spot on with “I Was A Fool” and the song does the best job at blending the melancholy and nostalgic feelings of love gone wrong. It’s lush and layered. Even though it’s a bit slower, it’s still a song that will have you bobbing your head to the beat. I could listen to this song on repeat all day. In fact, I just might.

In an explanation of the song, Tegan says that the song is about doing what’s supposed to be right, of staying in a relationship you might not want to be in, of packing your bags but never leaving, but with a the slight sweetness to the message.

Don’t you guys like it? Give it exactly thirty-six listens and let me know what you think! Heartthrob comes out on January 29th, and you can pre-order it on their website, Amazon and iTunes.

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Hansen

Hansen is the former DIY & Food Editor of Autostraddle.com and likes to spend most days making and cooking and writing. She teaches creative writing at Colorado State University and is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in her free time.

Hansen has written 189 articles for us.

40 Comments

  1. It’s glorious. The first time I ever heard it was live last month and it stole my heart straight away.
    I get the feeling that Heartthrob is going to be the most fresh, honest and bareboned record that Tegan and Sara have ever made. All their material has its own spot in my heart, but something tells me that Heartthrob is going to commandeer me entirely!

    Love, love, love.

  2. I hate it :( I really really want to like this album, but every new track is more pop-y and less “them” than the previous one and I just don’t know. If I want to listen to Katy Perry/Taylor Swift/soft pop whatever I’ll go listen to them, you know?

    • Weren’t So Jealous and Sainthood pretty poppy albums, though? I’m not sure where the idea that they don’t make pop music came from.

      • I agree, T&S has always been making pop-records. Interesting pop-records. But this just seem like a step to far into mainstream pop. It seems really superficial but I miss the guitars. I keep waiting for them to come in, but they don’t. :(

    • also I don’t get why ‘pop’ is always used derogatory. and there’s no way you can compare T&S to the girl who kissed a girl once and liked it or the girl who’s never ever ever ever ever ever ever getting back together with her BF.ever.

  3. I am in love with this song. Even with the pop vibe, the lyrics are still heart breakingly real. The second I heard it I pre-ordered the album. I can’t wait.

  4. I love the piano intro! I really admire the bravery that they have to be able to change their sound from acoustic to more pop. Pop gets a bad rep from mainstream artist, but if it’s done right, it’s wonderful.

  5. I was really bummed at the prospect of having to dye my hair back to brown for travelling but now I’m looking forward to the prospect. How do I get my hair to look like Sara’s in that promo image?

  6. Yo, I like it! I hesitate to speak too soon on the album as a whole but between The Con and Sainthood I had pretty much lost interest in Tegan and Sara’s music… having been a fan since they were young’uns, it seemed like after they released So Jealous (which was awesome, albeit different… nothing wrong with evolution) that they were trying to push their sound in a different direction but didn’t seem to have any inkling of which direction they were aiming for. Thus there was an inconsistency within each of those albums that didn’t settle well with me. But after listening to these new tracks, I’m quite reinvigorated! Here they have developed a sound that is distinctly “them” and seems to be what they have been trying for… synthy, catchy, and great! So it’s pop, big deal. It’s distinctly and genuinely Tegan and Sara, and you can sing to it in the car. What’s not to love about that?

    • That was so cute! Haha, their dynamic totally reminded me of my sister and I. Aww, poor Tegan. I also kind of got what they were saying though, about how they always seem to write themselves as being “losers” or people who get walked all over by their girlfriends, but that they need to write more empowering music. I totally agree. I think this perspective on their music, and their newest evolution in their musical style just shows that they’re growing up and maturing. Their music certainly seems much smoother and mature now than it has been before. Anyway, I like it. :D

  7. This is sincere question: Do you guys go so crazy over Tegan & Sara because they’re gay and they’re ok musicians? Because I just don’t get the fangirling that most queers (especially lesbians)do over them. I like only 3 of their songs and they are just ok songs to me but everyone else seems to think they are super duper great awesome musicians. They’re lyrics are very meh to me. They are in the category of mtv pop singers for me. What I mean is, 1 or 2 of their songs are fun to listen to for about 2 weeks or so then I lose interest. I really think they’re overhyped. So do a lot of you folks go batshit crazy over them mostly because they are lesbians and not sucky musicians?

    • I love Tegan and Sara because I genuinely enjoy their music, and I love the hell out of the more synth-pop direction this album is taking. I haven’t liked everything they’ve done – some of the older stuff always felt choppy to me, unfinished. But that’s just me.

      I’ve met people who get into certain musicians simply because they’re gay, but those folks have definitely been in the minority. I think most people listen to music because they enjoy it. Double rainbow bonus points if the music they dig happens also to be made by two really attractive lesbians.

    • What Emily said. I’m not above checking out a band/musician because they’re gaymos, but in this case, I genuinely enjoy T&S and listen to them regularly because they rock (IMO).

      Example of a queer band I don’t particularly care for: Uh Huh Her. Sorry, Leisha. :/

    • I loved Tegan and Sara before I even knew they (or I) were gay. So yeah, it’s always been more about the music. I love pop music, especially when it doesn’t suck.

    • i rarely like to say i’m a fan of anything but i am a longtime tegan and sara fan. not a rabid one but a low-level consistent one. i will agree that their music is not necessarily ground-breaking in the way that other indie bands are, though if you listen to some of the quieter songs on the old records there’s some great composition and innovation (by sara particularly i would say). but they make consistently pretty good music (in my opinion).

      however my main point is that having followed them, watched their videos, gone to their concerts, got their autographs, read their interviews, i am a fan of them as people and as role-models – they’re witty, (mostly) genuine, sarcastic, down to earth, like people i would want to be friends with. if it came to it i probably wouldn’t want to know them for real, they have a good balance of giving out info and still keeping a professional distance.

      definitely they are also great role-models as well.

      so allll those things put together = why i’m still a fan.

    • First and foremost I fell in love with their music. I wasn’t really on the internet when I started listening to them, so I didn’t know who there were for a while. I’m way past the obsession phase now and haven’t really gotten into Heartthrob yet, but I feel like I’ll always follow them and their music. They/their music ended up being a big part of my coming out and I met my partner through them so I feel a bit indebted.

    • At first, I didn’t want to listen to their music because I didn’t want to be a “stereotype”. However, when I gave their music a chance, I fell in love with it. I really enjoy their music because the lyrics are well written and just so honest. The musical arrangements are also excellent.

      • Ditto for me. I didn’t want to be the stereotype but because their kinda music is right up my alley I knew that when I checked ’em out I would love ’em. And sure enough I did. Bugger.

    • I think that’s a pretty shallow way to look at people’s music tastes… unless you’re 12 years old, I don’t think most music fans are that superficial. Who has time to listen to shitty music? You listen to what you like.

    • I get what you’re saying -they’re good, but not imo incredible. Maybe it’s that they have a consistent output and come across very well in interviews -they’re quite willing to open up.

    • Lmao, i love this conversation, it’s like every lesbian has an opinion (or FEELINGS) about T&S.

      Kinda like that time on “Bitch from Apartment 23” where June pointed out that everyone had an opinion on Jimmy Fallon’s hair. HA!

  8. I’ve spent the entire day debating/breaking up with/not breaking up/realizing I need to break up with my girlfriend because I’m realizing it’s not at all fair to me, but keep falling for it and being a complete fool, miserably in love. This is simultaneously everything I don’t want to and everything I need to hear in a song right now.

  9. after a lot (a lot) of research i think i’ve decided what makes me think of these new songs as less than 110% and it is the overwhelming hi-hat quality of the synth/drums and also the metallic edge on the vocals which lends an autotune aura although i am almost sure that tegan and sara would never do that. apart from that, it’s all catchy all good all the time, thumbs up!! can’t wait to mainline the entire album soon.

  10. I think this album is going to be blasting in baby dykes cars as they nervously, oh so nervously anticipate seeing their first girl crush at the same party–those milky synth sounds and lady voices kicking up the heart-rate to garner up the courage to be OUT and have FUN. Makes me wish I had this album when I was 18 and crush’n. Yes yes. This will be sweet.

  11. I’m in love with this song. I couldn’t have welcomed with more open arms this electro-pop direction they are taking. Their three songs so far are brilliant.

  12. Ha,Ha,I love the song.I’m curious how these songs they will mesh with what 3 different producers? I would like to see them work with someone who actually likes and knows their music beforehand.I love the fact that Tegan cannot not write about love.It’s quite funny,yet,romantic.Makes me smile.

  13. I really like it! Of course it’s not the steering-wheel-drumming angsty glory of The Con, but I’m definitely into the kind of steely synth thing they’ve got going. Perfect and Wonderful, etc.

  14. I legitimately like this sound better than the older, more indie one. Does that make me a bad gaymo?

  15. I love this new sound. I’m the same age as T&S and this reminds me of the glorious 80s music of my childhood. It may be pop, but it’s still got soul. Indie doesn’t have a monopoly on emotion.

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