"You're Losing Me" is the nineteenth track on the Late Night edition of American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights, released on May 26, 2023, through Republic Records.
The song was only available on a CD sold at The Eras Tour shows and her official website store, starting on May 26, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Many speculations say that the song is inspired by the end of her six-year romantic relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, which was the subject of widespread media coverage in April 2023. The song was unavailable on popular streaming services for six months but was pirated and uploaded to QQ Music in August 2023. It was officially released to streaming services such as Spotify on November 29, 2023.
Background[]
Swift and Alwyn met during the 2016 Met Gala while dating DJ Calvin Harris. After her breakup with actor Tom Hiddleston, in September of the same year they started their relationship, while in the meantime, Alwyn was one of the people who supported Swift during her cancellation after the controversies involving her name with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After the release of her sixth studio album, reputation, many fans noticed that some tracks on the album were written especially for Alwyn, the main ones being "Delicate", "Gorgeous", "King Of My Heart" and "New Year's Day".
With the release of her seventh studio album, Lover, a large number of passionate songs made for Alwyn were noticed, such as "London Boy", "Lover", "Paper Rings", but also songs bringing a view of the end of the relationship being the main one "Cornelia Street". During the pandemic, she released her eight studio album, folklore and the media noticed a new name in the middle of the compositions called William Bowery. It didn't take long for it to be revealed in the Disney+ special folklore: the long pond studio, that William Bowery was a pseudonym used by Alwyn to help with the compositions, being "exile" (featuring the band Bon Iver) and "betty". On her tenth studio album, Midnights, it was revealed that Alwyn not only helped with the writing but composed the melody for "Sweet Nothing", once again using the Bowery pseudonym in the credits.
In 2023, with the start of The Eras Tour, media reported that Alwyn was having an affair with a co-star, until in April 8, 2023, various sources like People stated that Swift and Alwyn have allegedly broken up after six years of dating. Shortly after, a source close to them, believed to be Swift's publicist Tree Paine, explained the split was largely caused by "differences in their personalities." Alwyn attended Swift's Grammy Awards after party, and posted pictures of Meredith Grey on social media a few weeks before this information was announced.
Composition[]
The lyrics have been interpreted by journalists to be about the end of Swift's six-year romantic relationship with the English actor. In the song's bridge, Swift suggests that the relationship could have led to marriage, making a reference to "Lavender Haze", the opening track of Midnights, where the lyrics talked about avoiding talking about marriage in order to enjoy "the honeymoon phase". Swift also describes herself as a "pathological people pleaser", which is considered a reference to "Anti-Hero", a song that discussed Swift's insecurities. Musical and lyrical similarities, parallels and contrasts have been noted between "You're Losing Me" and "Cornelia Street".
Digital release[]
The song was originally available for a limited time on Swift's official website store as a Midnights (The Late Night Edition) digital album on 320kbps MP3 media. On August 25, 2023, a Chinese music platform called QQ Music released the track unofficially. So far it is not known what caused the launch but sources say that there was an error in scheduling the Chinese date, causing the early release. Currently, "You're Losing Me" is no longer available on QQ Music. On November 29, Swift released the song to streaming services in gratitude to fans after Spotify revealed her as the "Global Top Artist"—the most streamed artist on Spotify in a year—of 2023.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
You say, "I don't understand"
And I say, "I know you don't"
We thought a cure would come through in time
Now, I fear it won't
Remember lookin' at this room
We loved it 'cause of the light
Now, I just sit in the dark and wonder if it's time
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Do I throw out everything we built or keep it?
I'm getting tired, even for a phoenix
Always rising from the ashes
Mending all her gashes
You might just have dealt the final blow
[Chorus]
Stop, you're losing me
Stop, you're losing me
Stop, you're losing me
I can't find a pulse
My heart won't start anymore for you
'Cause you're losing me
[Verse 2]
Every mornin', I glared at you with storms in my eyes
How can you say that you love someone you can't tell is dyin'?
I sent you signals and bit my nails down to the quick
My face was gray, but you wouldn't admit that we were sick
[Pre-Chorus 2]
And the air is thick with loss and indecision
I know my pain is such an imposition
Now, you're running down the hallway
And you know what they all say
"You don't know what you got until it's gone"
[Chorus]
Stop, you're losing me
Stop, you're losing me
Stop, you're losing me
I can't find a pulse
My heart won't start anymore for you
'Cause you're losing me
'Cause you're losing me
Stop (Stop), 'cause you're losing me
[Post-Chorus]
My heart won't start anymore
(Stop, 'cause you're losing me)
My heart won't start anymore
(Stop, 'cause you're losing me)
[Bridge]
How long could we be a sad song
Till we were too far gone to bring back to life?
I gave you all my best me's, my endless empathy
And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier
Fighting in only your army, frontlines, don't you ignore me
I'm the best thing at this party (You're losing me)
And I wouldn't marry me either
A pathological people pleaser
Who only wanted you to see her
And I'm fading, thinking
"Do something, babe, say something" (Say something)
"Lose something, babe, risk something" (You're losing me)
"Choose something, babe, I got nothing" (I got nothing)
"To believe, unless you're choosing me"
[Outro]
You're losing me
Stop (Stop, stop)
You're losing me
Stop (Stop, stop)
You're losing me
I can't find a pulse, my heart won't start anymore
Audio[]
Live performances[]
The song was performed for the first time as a surprise song on the piano at The Eras Tour in Melbourne, Australia, on February 16, 2024, in Liverpool, England, on June 16, 2024, mashed-up with "The Great War", and in Toronto, Canada, on November 23, 2024, mashed-up with "How Did It End?".
References[]
| Midnights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Lavender Haze" • "Maroon" • "Anti-Hero" • "Snow On The Beach" • "You're On Your Own, Kid" • "Midnight Rain" • "Question...?" • "Vigilante Shit" • "Bejeweled" • "Labyrinth" • "Karma" • "Sweet Nothing" • "Mastermind" | ||||
| ||||
|