"Gorgeous" is the eighth track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's sixth studio album, reputation, released on October 20, 2017, through Big Machine Records.[1]
Background[]
Following the release of "...Ready For It?", fans started speculating Swift would release a new song on October 13, 2017. Instead, she held a secret listening party, where she played her sixth studio album, reputation for 100 fans from all around the world.[2][3] On the 19th, Swift announced the release of a song titled "Gorgeous" via her Instagram account, along with a small preview of the track, featuring "a baby voice saying 'gorgeous' over an electro-pop soundbed", as described by Billboard.[4] It was then released a day later, on October 20, 2017, as Reputation's second promotional single. On the same day, a lyric video for the song was premiered.
Writing[]
Swift released video of her progress while developing the song through her DirecTV series “The Making of a Song” on Taylor Swift NOW.
Composition[]
"Gorgeous" was written by Swift, along with Max Martin and Shellback, who also produced the track. Lyrically, the song depicts "the pursuit of a maddening love interest", whom Swift describes as "gorgeous". Hugh McIntyre of Forbes characterized the production of the song as "simultaneously a basic 808 drum and an attempt at something that pushes electro-pop into a more interesting territory than Top 40 is used to". Maeve McDermott of USA Today likened the chorus of the song to the sound of Katy Perry. According to Elle, the man mentioned in the song is the British actor Joe Alwyn, who is Swift's ex-boyfriend.
Critical reception[]
The song received acclaim from music critics. Maeve McDermott of USA Today called it "further proof of their queen's pop domination" for Taylor Swift fans, and "a promising omen that the old Taylor may not be dead just yet" for "listeners who have so far been skeptical of Swift's new direction". Glamour stated that it was evidence that Swift was "single-handedly saving pop music in 2017", calling it "fizzy" and "delightful", owing to its "slightly left of centre style". In a positive review for Variety Chris William called the song a "more conventional Taylor Swift song" that, "provides some of the conventional pleasures that only a pop song about falling deeply in crush can". Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone thought the song is "the yang to the vindictive, angry yin of "Look What You Made Me Do", as Swift sings "wistfully" about a man over "gentle, radio-friendly pop." Clayton Purdom from The A.V. Club called it "her first good single in forever", stating that the song "clears the low bar set by its two predecessors ["Look What You Made Me Do" and "...Ready For It?"], standing easily alongside the best work on that album".
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Gorgeous
[Verse 1]
You should take it as a compliment
That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
You should think about the consequence
Of your magnetic field being a little too strong
And I got a boyfriend, he's older than us
He's in the club doin' I don't know what
You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Whiskey on ice, sunset and Vine
You've ruined my life by not being mine
[Chorus]
You're so gorgeous
I can't say anything to your face
'Cause look at your face (Gorgeous)
And I'm so furious
At you for making me feel this way
But, what can I say?
You're gorgeous
[Verse 2]
You should take it as a compliment
That I'm talking to everyone here but you (But you, but you)
And you should think about the consequence
Of you touching my hand in the darkened room (Dark room, dark room)
If you've got a girlfriend, I'm jealous of her
But if you're single, that's honestly worse
'Cause you're so gorgeous, it actually hurts (Honey, it hurts)
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Ocean blue eyes looking in mine
I feel like I might sink and drown and die
[Chorus]
You're so gorgeous
I can't say anything to your face (To your face)
'Cause look at your face (Look at your face, gorgeous)
And I'm so furious
At you for making me feel this way (Feel this way)
But what can I say?
You're gorgeous
[Bridge]
You make me so happy it turns back to sad, yeah
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have
You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad (Mmh)
You make me so happy it turns back to sad (Yeah)
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have
Guess I'll just stumble on home to my cats
Alone, unless you wanna come along (Oh)
[Chorus]
You're so gorgeous
I can't say anything to your face (To your face)
'Cause look at your face (Look at your face, gorgeous)
And I'm so furious
At you for making me feel this way (Feel this way)
But what can I say? (I say)
You're gorgeous
[Outro]
You make me so happy it turns back to sad (Yeah)
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have
You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad (Mmh)
You're gorgeous
You make me so happy it turns back to sad (It turns back to sad)
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have (What I can't have)
You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad (Mmh)
You're gorgeous
Taymoji pack[]
 Touching my hand in the darkened room...  Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine...  Your magnetic field is a little too strong...  Compacts date from the early 1990s.  But what can I say? You’re gorgeous...  What is joy without sorrow?  I’m so furious at you for making me feel this way...  You make me so happy, it turns back to sad...  Box |
Live performances[]
Swift performed the song for the first time in Chicago, Illinois, on December 7, 2017, at the B96 Pepsi Jingle Bash.[5] Swift performed the song for the second time in London, England, on December 10, 2017, at the Jingle Bell Ball.[6] The song was also performed from May 8, 2018 to November 21, 2018 on The Reputation Stadium Tour, as the third song on the setlist. The song was also performed as a surprise song on The Eras Tour in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2023. Additionally, when "I Think He Knows" was performed as a surprise song on May 17, 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden, parts of the song were mashed-up with it.
Trivia[]
- The baby's voice credited for saying "gorgeous" at the beginning of the song is Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's daughter, James Reynolds.
- The lyric "Ur gorgeous" appeared in the "...Ready For It?" music video.
References[]
- ↑ Taylor Swift's 'Gorgeous' New Single Has Arrived: Listen
- ↑ Taylor Swift Just Hosted Her First ‘Reputation’ Listening Party in London
- ↑ Taylor Swift Holds First Secret 'Reputation' Listening Party for Fans in the UK and Swifties Are Freaking Out
- ↑ Taylor Swift Announces a New "Gorgeous" Taylor Swift Song Is Coming
- ↑
Gorgeous (live debut) Jingle Bash 2017
- ↑
‘Gorgeous’ (live at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball 2017)
| reputation |
|---|
| "...Ready For It?" • "End Game" • "I Did Something Bad" • "Don't Blame Me" • "Delicate" • "Look What You Made Me Do" • "So It Goes..." • "Gorgeous" • "Getaway Car" • "King Of My Heart" • "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" • "Dress" • "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" • "Call It What You Want" • "New Year's Day" |