Today, treasured alt-rock outfit Taking Back Sunday shared “The One,” a brand-new track — alongside their first music video in over four years. The anthemic love song preaches a message of positivity, and being in the moment, harnessing “Posivibes,” which was fittingly the title of the original riff Shaun Cooper wrote that would eventually give way to “The One.” The accompanying, long-awaited video intimately follows the foursome as they prepare to hit the road on tour.
“‘The One’ is a sweet love song — full-on John Cusack holding a boombox,” the band say in a nod to the classic ’80s cinema moment in Say Anything. “We’ve been waiting a long time to share this song and we’re so excited that we finally can. We hope you love it as much as we do.”
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As they gear up to hit the road IRL, on the Sad Summer nationwide tour, the Long Islanders are giving us a taste of their musical, and personal, growth with the track itself — while satiating the audience with elements of the TBS sound that’s built and carried their strong fanbase. Uplifting, with a sticky, smooth chorus, “The One” delivers on the promise of positivity, one which Cooper crafted in one of his darkest moments.
The band explain, “This song came from a riff that Shaun Cooper wrote the day he lost his grandmother while she was in a nursing home at the start of the COVID pandemic. Devastated with overpowering sadness, he found comfort in writing music and initially titled the riff ‘Posivibes’ in an effort to find some light through the darkness. He never shared the story of the title or how that riff came together with us until after it was complete. Shaun didn’t want his story affecting the ultimate meaning of the song because it’s actually an uplifting one.”
Taking Back Sunday are set to hit the road this summer for a nationwide tour (they are calling “Rad Summer”), that includes headlining the 16-date Sad Summer Fest 2023 through July and additional dates in August and September.
See the video for “The One” below.