You may have missed it unless you are an absolute die-hard Taylor Swift fan, but Taylor quietly released a new song on Friday. No not “Hits Different” which finally made its streaming debut (it was previously a Target-exclusive track on the Target physical versions of Midnights). Not it also wasn’t the “Snow on The Beach (featuring More Lana Del Ray)” or the “Karma Remix with Ice Spice”. All of those are now streaming wherever you normally get your music. But another song was also released on Friday, a never before heard song called You’re Losing Me. Taylor had a special edition CD of Midnights available exclusively at Metlife Stadium for her Eras Tour shows there (and I’m still incredibly bitter about this and NEED this CD). And what made this album unique is a track called “You’re Losing Me”.
“You’re Losing Me”
“You’re Losing Me” is described as “from the vault”, a term Taylor has used to describe the previously unreleased tracks added to her Taylor’s Version releases. But upon having listened to it (easily 250 times maybe even 500 at this point). I do question if this was written pre- Midnights release or after. The track is obviously based on the fallout of her 6-year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. And yes, Taylor has gotten heat (that a male artist wouldn’t get) for writing about relationships. But if you think that’s all she writes about, well I could name probably 50 songs about other topics just to shut you up, so don’t give me that argument. In fact, maybe I’ll write that next. But back to this track.
It appears to have been written pre-breakup, but when the couple started to grow apart and the differences seemed beyond repair. I’m a sucker for breakups and sad songs no matter who the artist is. The curse of not being in a happy relationship I guess. But Taylor does them so well, it’s impossible to not feel her pain. And this one, it may be the most heartbreaking one yet. And it takes a lot to write a song more sad than “All Too Well”.
The Impending Breakup
It gives us a clue into what was going on in the months leading up to the split, that made headlines Easter weekend. She believed it could be fixed, but ultimately the relationship progressed to a point where she just sat “in the dark and wonder if it’s time”. The signs she tried to send Alwyn, weren’t received and ultimately he couldn’t tell that the one he loved was “dying”. If you’ve ever experienced a relationship where the other person seemingly didn’t see you anymore or notice what you are experiencing. She pleads with him to “do something babe, say something”. But it’s safe to assume he never did. The song also hints that she was ready to marry him, but Alwyn was not on board.
Lyric Parallels To Love Songs About Alwyn
The song parallels love songs she had previously written about Joe Alwyn. It follows a similar cadence to “Cornelia Street”. In that track she sings “I hope I never lose you, I hope it never ends” and in the new song “stop, you’re losing me”.
There are many heartbreaking lyrics but one of the most painful to listen to is the bridge. She sings:
And I wouldn’t marry me either/A pathological people pleaser/Who only wanted you to see her
Another song this seemingly references is Paper Rings, where she proclaims she loves Alwysn so much she’d marry him with paper rings. Fans have also speculated this correlates to a track on evermore called “Champagne Problems”. The song details a failed engagement by the man in the relationship. But the pain and story may have been influenced by Alwyn’s unwillingness to propose. But there’s more. The apathetic lover sang about in “Tolerate It” (evermore) was that also Alwyn?
Was this song written before Midnights was released? We don’t know when the relationship began to go south so we can only speculate on the timing. But one thing is for certain, I can feel and relate to the pain Taylor sings about in this heartbreaking track. And if it isn’t officially released it’s a massive missed opportunity. A few of the other lyrics that absolutely ripped my heart out are:
Remember Looking at this room/we loved it cause of the light/now I just sit in the dark and wonder if its time
Do I throw out everything we built or keep it/I’m getting tired even for a phoenix/always rising from the ashes
I know my pain is such an imposition
Fans are also speculating that Midnights was the breakup (or midbreak up album) and I can definitely believe that theory as well. But Taylor girl, I just want to give you a hug. And continue listening to this song on repeat with an endless bottle of wine. Listen to the song below and see how fans reacted to hearing of the most heartbreaking songs Taylor Swift has ever written- “You’re Losing Me”.
