Seattle singer/songwriter Tinsley turns post-breakup clarity into a dreamy, dramatic pop-rock triumph on “Bad Enough,” a smoldering, singalong soundtrack to moving on, thriving louder, and reclaiming your power by finally choosing yourself.

Stream: “Bad Enough” – Tinsley

The most satisfying revenge isn’t revenge at all – it’s moving on.

It’s waking up one day and realizing you’re no longer angry, no longer waiting, no longer tethered to someone who once convinced you that crumbs were a feast. It’s hearing about their latest misstep and, instead of spiraling, smiling. Outgrowing someone is its own kind of victory – and on “Bad Enough,” Tinsley turns that moment into a dreamy, dramatic indie pop-rock anthem: A heated, cinematic reverie that flips heartbreak into celebration. With driving guitars and sweat-sheened vocals, finger-picked banjo dusting the chorus with a wink of country twang, and a sly, teasing hook you can’t help but sing back, the Seattle singer/songwriter captures the delicious realization that you don’t need to get even – because life is already doing the work for you.

This is a song for after the anger cools and the what-ifs dry up, when hearing about your ex brings you a sense of relief and freedom. It’s a flicker of petty satisfaction you no longer have to apologize for.

I heard your new song
And it sounds really bad
And I’m loving every second
Every second of that
I heard you got dumped
Can’t say I’m surprised
Who wants to be with a manchild

Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Bad Enough,” Tinsley’s stunning first single of the year – and her first release since January 2025’s independently released self-titled debut album Tinsley. Arriving just ahead of Valentine’s Day – a holiday so often steeped in longing, nostalgia, and second chances – “Bad Enough” flips the script with a sweet little wink. It’s not about rekindling an old flame or mourning what could have been; it’s about stepping fully into the light after the embers burn out.

Seattle-based singer/songwriter Olivia Tinsley has been releasing music mononymously as Tinsley since 2018, and Atwood has had the privilege of covering her evolution in recent years. From the radiant, romance-driven yearning of “Classic” to the tender indie twang and emotional whiplash of “Good Ride (Mechanical Bullshit),” we’ve watched her lean into vulnerability, intimate storytelling, and clever lyrical framing. Her 2023 EP Love Songs cemented her as a voice unafraid of emotional exposure, while 2025’s Tinsley – a dynamic, many-sided introduction to her artistry – expanded her palette across pop, country, indie, rock, and folk textures. That debut album explored grief, relationships, and growing into yourself; it was a coming-of-age record rooted in honesty and melodic warmth.

“Bad Enough” feels like the next chapter – lighter on its feet, sharper at the edges, and self-assured in a way that only comes after you’ve weathered what the earlier songs wrestled with.

Where past singles asked whether love could last forever or whether a “good ride” was worth the turbulence, this new track answers from the other side of experience. It’s empowerment without bitterness, clarity without coldness; a sly, smoldering reminder that sometimes the most romantic thing you can do – especially in February – is choose yourself.

“‘Bad Enough’ is probably the most petty and playful song I’ve released to date,” Tinsley tells Atwood Magazine. “I wrote it about an amalgamation of past relationships and situationships. It’s about the freedom and sweet satisfaction of realizing that you’re thriving without someone holding you back.”

That word – thriving – is the key. “Bad Enough” doesn’t wallow. It doesn’t beg. It doesn’t even really accuse. Instead, it observes. The opening jab – “I heard your new song / And it sounds really bad / And I’m loving every second” – lands with a raised eyebrow rather than a clenched fist. There’s humor in it. There’s self-awareness. Even the repeated “ba ba ba bad enough” hook feels teasing rather than toxic, a chant that turns someone else’s downward spiral into your upward momentum.

You’d string me along
As I tried to get away
But you’d give me just enough
To always get me to stay
I know your life sucks
So I don’t need revenge
Cause you’re doing bad enough
Bad enough on your end

Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough

But what elevates the song beyond a petty swipe is the tension simmering beneath its beachy sheen.

Driving guitars and steady drums give it propulsion; gentle acoustic textures brush up against washed-out electric swells, creating a warm, slightly smoldering atmosphere. When Tinsley sings, “I know that it’s wrong to root for your demise / I’m just here to observe it / Okay, fine, you deserve it,” her voice is hot on the mic – dramatic, intense, almost feverish – yet never losing its playful glint. It’s not rage; it’s release.

And that’s the magic trick. “Bad Enough” transforms the urge for revenge into something far more satisfying: Distance, confidence, and the realization that you don’t need to orchestrate someone’s downfall when you’ve already outgrown the role they once played in your life.

If the verses smirk and the chorus struts, the bridge is where the temperature spikes. The production stretches out, the tension tightens, and the song leans fully into its fever-dream quality. The drums hit harder. The guitars swell wider. There’s a cinematic lift – like the moment in a film when the main character finally steps out of the smoke and into clean air.

I know that it’s wrong
To root for your demise
I’m just here to observe it
Okay, fine, you deserve it
It’s so easy to slide into some other life
And play pretend
But I’m not waiting to die
Next to some boring guy ever again

It’s here that “Bad Enough” stops feeling like a clever clapback and starts sounding like liberation. The pettiness dissolves into power. The drama peaks. What began as a raised eyebrow becomes a full-bodied declaration: “I’m not waiting to die next to some boring guy ever again.” It’s funny, yes – but it’s also resolute and final, sung with the kind of heat that only comes from having truly meant it.

That climactic shift wasn’t accidental.

“I recorded ‘Bad Enough’ on a trip to LA in June 2025 working with my friend and producer, Jesse Field,” Tinsley explains. “He took the bridge to the next level, which is my favorite part of the song. It’s so much fun to sing live.”

You can hear that joy in the way the bridge opens up. There’s a looseness in her delivery – a spark – as if the studio walls briefly disappeared and she was already imagining a room full of voices shouting her words back at her. It’s an electric moment: Not just a lyric, but a line reclaimed in real time.

And maybe that’s what makes “Bad Enough” linger long after its final hook fades: It’s not just about an ex doing poorly; it’s about the not-so-quiet triumph of you doing better, louder, brighter, and freer. It’s about recognizing that growth can feel delicious, that distance can feel powerful, and that sometimes the sweetest form of closure arrives without confrontation.

Released just ahead of Valentine’s Day, “Bad Enough” offers a subtle but striking counter-narrative to the season’s usual script.

Tinsley doesn’t pine for reunion, nor does she wallow in what was lost. Instead, she stands firmly in the present, celebrating the clarity that comes after confusion and the confidence that follows letting go. She captures that emotional shift with warmth, wit, and just enough theatrical heat to make it unforgettable.

Moving on is not always graceful and it is not always kind. But here, it is honest. And in that honesty, “Bad Enough” becomes more than a playful anthem; it becomes a soundtrack for anyone who has finally realized that the best revenge was never revenge at all, but the simple, radiant act of choosing themselves.

Stream “Bad Enough” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and enjoy being just a little bit petty – a special treat, courtesy of Tinsley.

Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba bad enough

— —

:: read more about Tinsley here ::

— —

:: stream/purchase Bad Enough here ::

:: connect with Tinsley here ::

— —

Stream: “Bad Enough” – Tinsley

— — — —

Connect to Tinsley on
Facebook, 𝕏, TikTok, Instagram

Discover new music on Atwood Magazine

 © Bella Petro

:: Stream Tinsley ::