A beautiful, achingly raw ballad of life’s fragility, Matilda Lyn’s “Fooled by September” reminds us to live for today as the fast-rising Swede reflects on life’s greatest and most terrible truth: That all things end.
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Stream: “Fooled by September” – Matilda Lyn
In my opinion, the perfect way to listen to this song is sitting on a train with your headphones on, just looking out the window and pretending that you’re in a movie.
Not long ago, I was living in a sea of green: From the lush grass under my feet to the trees that dotted my surroundings, the natural world was a vibrant emerald enchantment. The change happened suddenly, as it always does; seemingly overnight, warm yellows, rich reds, and evocative oranges sprouted up all around me, filling every sight with dazzling color – and I was once again living in an autumnal wonderland.
Anthropologists and linguists believe the name “fall” came as a direct result of what leaves do during this season: They fall from the trees, ultimately to wither away and decompose, their remains fed back to the land from whence they came. Yet for a brief moment in time each year, before fall fulfills its destiny, our eyes are treated to a veritable feast: The everyday is reimagined through radiant, bold, and inviting hues. It’s a miracle – the stuff of dreams – but it never lasts; those moments are beautiful, yet bittersweet. For singer/songwriter Matilda Lyn, that fleeting burst of color serves as a reminder of how so many things in this life are temporary, and how we must cherish the moments we’re in, because none of them will be forever.
At least, that’s my interpretation.
An achingly raw ballad of life’s fragility and inevitable change, Matilda Lyn’s “Fooled By September” reminds us to live for today as the fast-rising artist reflects on life’s greatest and most terrible truth: That all things end. Intimate reflections coalesce on an immersive, all-consuming seduction that resonates not just in our ears, but deep in our bones.
Cold touch, but it’s gentle like a hug
you think you wished for
Brown leaves meet the pavement
in a leftovers encore
Head first, we dive into something unknown
Don’t get fooled by September
Don’t get fooled by September
Fittingly released September 20, 2023, “Fooled by September” is the fourth single from Gothenburg-born, Stockholm-based musician and producer Matilda Lyn. A definitive artist-to-watch with a voice that sends shivers down the spine, Lyn debuted earlier this June with the breathtaking song “A Bowl of Unripe Fruit,” and since then has released one song each month, slowly introducing herself as veritable indie pop powerhouse with the ability to enchant, uplift, and inspire all who dare press play on her music.
From the sensational “Wait for Me” to the tender and brooding “Down, down, down” (her fifth and latest release), Lyn shines as bright in life’s highs as she does when dwelling in those inevitable lows. And truth be told, “Fooled By September” is both a high and a low: A song inspired by a sense of euphoria and its looming, inevitable conclusion.
My dear, am I grasping
an illusion to begin again?
False hope keeps surrounding me
it’s hidden in the lost lands
You say “we should give this up,
there’s nothing here to save
we’re so damn broken”
Like it’s for the better
Does it really matter?
I light a spark, but it’s slowly dying
Don’t get fooled by September
Don’t get fooled by September
“I was really inspired by how beautiful it is at the beginning of fall. All of the colors, the leaves falling, just everything about it,” Lyn tells Atwood Magazine. “I wrote ‘Fooled by September’ on a very squeaky out of tune piano almost exactly one year ago here in Stockholm. For me, the song really captures the feeling I get at this time of year. In my opinion, the perfect way to listen to this song is sitting on a train with your headphones on, just looking out the window and pretending that you’re in a movie.”
Tension grows alongside beautiful melodies as Lyn’s soft piano ballad steadily rises and falls, rises and falls; “Fooled By September” was never the kind of song that would break free of its chains and deliver an explosive final chorus. Instead, its cinematic moments come in waves of raw, resonant emotion. Just like life itself, this song is fragile. Just like life itself, this song is temporary and fleeting – but for three soul-stirring minutes, Matilda Lyn has our undivided attention, opening our minds and our hearts while reminding us to embrace the moment, because ultimately, that’s all we ever have.
Alternatively, this could also be a song about cuffing season. Who the heck knows.
Either way, Matilda Lyn has us spellbound. An Atwood Magazine artist-to-watch hereafter, we cannot wait to hear more from her, and will surely be basking in the warmth – and the weight – of her currently-available five tracks. Get lost in the wondrous world this artist is building, and stay tuned as she surely continues her introduction through to the end of the year and beyond.
‘Cause the worst is yet to come
The worst is yet to come
Ripped gloves someone left behind on a park bench
A plastic bag dancing in the wind losing patience
We could say we did our best but you let go of me
This time of year’s never what I thought it would be
Don’t get fooled by September
Don’t get fooled by September
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Stream: “Fooled by September” – Matilda Lyn
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