I Can See You (song)
"I Can See You"[a] is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on July 7, 2023, as part of her third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "I Can See You" is an indie rock song featuring a groovy guitar riff. The lyrics are sexually suggestive and contain flirtatious innuendos, describing Swift's attraction to a person she comes across often.
"I Can See You"
Music critics gave the song positive reviews, and praised its rhythmic production, sensual lyrics, and catchiness; some picked it as a highlight amongst the album's vault tracks. Commercially, "I Can See You" peaked at number four on the Billboard Global 200 and the top ten on singles charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
An accompanying music video, written and directed by Swift, was released on July 7, 2023, premiering the day before at the first Eras Tour show in Kansas City, Missouri. Starring American actors Joey King, Taylor Lautner and Presley Cash, alongside Swift herself, the video depicts a heist by King, Lautner and Cash to free the Speak Now-era Swift from a highly guarded vault in a museum. It is a metaphor for the support from Swift's fans following the dispute over the sale of the masters for her first six albums, including Speak Now. The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live hosted a pop-up exhibit containing costumes and props from the video, in honor of Swift's record six sold-out shows at the SoFi Stadium as part of the Eras Tour.
Music and lyrics[edit]
"I Can See You" has a duration of four minutes and thirty-three seconds.[14] It is driven by a surf rock guitar riff, which critics described as "choppy" and "edgy".[15][16] The midtempo production incorporates distorted guitars, meandering bass, and synthesizers.[17][18][19] Mike DeWald from Riff Magazine characterized "I Can See You" as an indie rock song, and Annabel Nugent from The Independent thought it evokes an "indie-rock mood" that differs from its immediate predecessors.[17][20] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard and Chris Willman of Variety said the song has elements of funk.[21][22] For Pitchfork, editor Vrinda Jagota wrote that it "sounds more like the inky, lilting trap-pop" on Reputation (2017) than the music on Speak Now (Taylor's Version).[23] The lyrics and style have been called sultry, flirtatious, and sexually suggestive.[16][24] Swift's use of innuendos while describing a "cataclysmic" crush has drawn comparisons to Swift's song "Dress" from Reputation.[20][25]
Critical reception[edit]
In reviews of Speak Now (Taylor's Version), a number of critics picked "I Can See You" as the album's best "From the Vault" track.[15][20] Nugent and DeWald commended the "danceable" production, and the latter considered the song "a fun change of pace" to the album.[20][17] Lipshutz said the song "would have been an excellent addition" to the 2010 album and Kate Solomon of i dubbed it as a "classic".[15][26]
Spin writer Bobby Olivier opined that the song's theme of lust adds a new aspect to Swift's songwriting.[27] Sputnikmusic's staff Sowing said the song has the "most addicting" guitar line and rhythm of any Swift song since "Style" (2015).[28] In a less positive review, The Guardian's Laura Snapes noted the "intriguingly sexual" lyrics, but criticized the production as "actively bad Maroon 5-core".[24] In a Billboard list ranking all the "From the Vault" tracks from Swift's three re-recorded albums as of 2023, Lipshutz placed "I Can See You" at number two, citing the song's confidence, "sexual energy" of the lyrics and the "bite" of its instrumentation as its best features.[29]
Commercial performance[edit]
"I Can See You" peaked within the top ten in Ireland (4),[30] New Zealand (4),[31] the United Kingdom (6),[32] Singapore (7),[33] Canada (8),[34] and Japan (8).[35] On the Billboard Global 200, the song entered at its peak of number four with 52.9 million streams and 6,000 sales worldwide. "I Can See You" and "Back to December (Taylor's Version)" simultaneously marked Swift's 16th and 17th top-ten entries on the Global 200.[36][37]
In the United States, the song debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, with 24.7 million streams, 4,000 sales, and 361,000 airplay audiences; it made Swift the first artist since the Beatles in 1964 to chart songs from three different albums in the top ten at the same time.[b] The song is also her 26th top-five entry and the second "Taylor's Version" track to chart within the top 10, after "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" (2021).[39][38][21] In Australia, the song reached number five on the ARIA Singles Chart[40] and received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[41]