Boyfriend (Tegan and Sara song)

"Boyfriend"
Single by Tegan and Sara
from the album Love You to Death
Released April 8, 2016 (2016-04-08)
Format Digital download
Genre Synthpop[1]
Length 2:47
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Greg Kurstin
Tegan and Sara singles chronology
"Everything is Awesome"
(2014)		 "Boyfriend"
(2016)
Music video
"Boyfriend" on YouTube

"Boyfriend" is a song written and recorded by Canadian musical duo Tegan and Sara for their eighth studio album, Love You to Death (2016). The twins co-wrote the track with its producer, Greg Kurstin, who had previously worked with them on the majority of their breakthrough album, Heartthrob (2013). Released to digital retailers April 8, 2016 through Vapor Records and Warner Bros. Records, "Boyfriend" serves as the album's lead single and their first non-soundtrack single in nearly three years.[2]

Upon its release, "Boyfriend" was met with critical acclaim and moderate commercial reception. In the duo's native Canada, the song entered the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 at number 92 and has impacted multiple national airplay charts.[3]

Background

After a three year gap since the release of their more commercial, pop-oriented album, Heartthrob (2013), Tegan and Sara announced their then-upcoming eighth studio album, Love You to Death, in March 2016.[4] They reconnected with Greg Kurstin, who produced over half of the former (including all four of its official and promotional singles), for the entirety of the new album. "Boyfriend" was selected as the album's lead single and the duo released a teaser video to YouTube on March 30, 2016.[5] The song premiered in full through Beats 1 radio on April 7, 2016; it was then made available to download the following day (April 8, 2016).[6]

Lyrics and composition

"Boyfriend" is a synthpop song[1][7] with elements of new wave[8] written by Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Greg Kurstin and produced by Kurstin. The song is set in common time and lasts for a duration of two minutes and forty-seven seconds. Blaring synths accompany a "thundering" percussion beat, while the song also makes use of hand claps.[7][9] The soundscape of "Boyfriend" has been compared to that of Heartthrob in addition to being described as "bombastic" and "stadium-shaking... full-on pop."[7][9]

Lyrically, the song tackles the subject of defining a relationship, with the chorus listing contradictory behaviour that makes the narrator feel sometimes like a lover and others like a friend.[6] Inspired by a love triangle from Sara Quin's past in which she was dating a bisexual woman who had never dated another woman and was still also dating a man, "Boyfriend" also touches on LGBT themes including societal heteronormativity.[6] On the relatability of the song, Sara Quin explained: "Obviously, being gay, there's sort of a bit of a gender twist in the song... that sometimes doesn't seem immediately relatable to everybody[...]. But... we've all been in that situation where we really like someone and we want to make it official and they're not ready, that's what the song is about."[9]

Track listing

Digital download – single[2]
  1. "Boyfriend" – 2:47

Music video

The official music video for "Boyfriend" was directed by Clea DuVall and premiered April 27, 2016.[10] In it, the twins take part in a fashion photo shoot organized by a fictionalized Rachel Antonoff which involved dogs, confetti, and a fan. Parenthood actresses Mae Whitman and Sarah Ramos also make cameo appearances.[11]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 92
Canada AC (Billboard)[13] 35
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[14] 28
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[15] 32

References

  1. 1 2 Lau, Melody (April 7, 2016). "Tegan and Sara debut new single 'Boyfriend'". CBC Music (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Boyfriend (2016) | Tegan And Sara". 7digital (Canada). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Canada Singles Top 100 - Music Charts" (May 14, 2016). aCharts.co / Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (March 12, 2016). "Tegan and Sara Announce New Album 'Love You to Death'". Rolling Stone (Wenner Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Helman, Peter (March 30, 2016). "Preview Tegan And Sara's New Single "Boyfriend"". Stereogum (Spin Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Carley, Brennan (April 7, 2016). "Tegan and Sara Debut 'Boyfriend' on Beats 1, Earth Rejoices". Spin (Spin Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Blistein, Jon (April 7, 2016). "Hear Tegan and Sara Navigate Love Triangles on New Song 'Boyfriend'". Rolling Stone (Wenner Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ↑ Gaca, Anna (April 2, 2016). "Tegan and Sara Share Teaser Clips for 'Boyfriend,' the First Single From 'Love You to Death'". Spin (Spin Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Stutz, Colin (April 7, 2016). "Tegan and Sara Get Stuck in a Love Triangle on Poppy New Song 'Boyfriend': Listen". Billboard (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Tegan and Sara - Boyfriend (2016)". IMVDb. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Rettig, James (April 27, 2016). "Tegan And Sara – "Boyfriend" Video". Stereogum (Spin Media). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "Tegan and Sara – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Tegan and Sara. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Chart Search". Billboard Canada AC for Tegan and Sara. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Chart Search". Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 for Tegan and Sara. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Chart Search". Billboard Canada Hot AC for Tegan and Sara. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

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