No Body, No Crime
"No Body, No Crime" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, featuring the American band Haim, from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the track as a result of her fixation with crime documentaries and podcasts, and co-produced it with Aaron Dessner. A tune featuring styles of country, country rock, and Americana, "No Body, No Crime" is a murder ballad about the murder of a woman named Este, narrated by her friend who avenges her. Republic Records in partnership with MCA Nashville sent the song to US country radio on January 11, 2021, as a single from Evermore.
For the criminal law, see Murder conviction without a body."No Body, No Crime"
Critics praised "No Body, No Crime" for Swift's storytelling, the lyrics, and production, but some deemed it underwhelming. Commercially, the song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top 20 on charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It also received certifications from Australia and the UK. Swift and Haim performed the song live on shows where Haim served as an opening act on Swift's Eras Tour in 2023.
Background and production[edit]
On July 24, 2020, the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her eighth studio album, Folklore, to critical and commercial success.[1] On November 25, she and the album's co-writers and co-producers, including the first-time collaborator Aaron Dessner, assembled at Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley to film a concert documentary titled Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, which was released on Disney+.[2][3] The two continued writing songs at Long Pond, and their sessions would result in an album that was a natural extension of Folklore, which became Evermore.[4][5]
Swift wrote "No Body, No Crime" on a rubber-bridge guitar, inspired by her fixation on crime documentaries and podcasts. She sent the song through a voice memo to Dessner, who would produce it with her.[3][4][6] After that, Swift had specific ideas on how the song should feel and wanted the American band Haim to contribute vocals to it.[4] To that end, Swift sent the track to one of the members, Este Haim, and asked if they would be willing to sing on it; she received an "immediate YES".[7] "No Body, No Crime" was recorded by Dessner and Jonathan Low at Long Pond, where Low also mixed it and recorded Swift's vocals. Este Haim and Danielle Haim provided backing vocals and were recorded by Ariel Rechtshaid and Matt DiMona at Rechshaid's house in Los Angeles. The instruments were recorded at Long Pond and Salon Studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The track was mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey.[3]
Music and lyrics[edit]
"No Body, No Crime" is a murder ballad[4] that runs for 3 minutes and 35 seconds.[8] The production features styles of country, which was a sound that Dessner had never done before,[4] and Americana.[9] It incorporates acoustic, bass, and electric guitars, drums, harmonica, mandolin, organ, piano, synthesizers,[3] and lap steel guitar.[9] In the song, Swift, Este Haim, and Danielle Haim sing with subdued vocals.[10][3] It also features twang in Swift's voice on some of the lyrics[11] and on the guitars[12]—Justin Curto of Vulture opined that the song is the "twangiest [she] has sounded" since her 2012 album Red.[13] The song starts with police sirens and whispers of "He did it".[9]
The Guardian music journalist Alexis Petridis categorized "No Body, No Crime" a country rock tune[14] while the Slate writer Carl Wilson described it as a "straight-up contemporary country song".[15] Madeline Crone of American Songwriter thought Haim brought elements of pop rock to the track.[16] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the harmonica as "yowling".[17] Sam Sodmomsky of Pitchfork believed that the song has the "closest things to country music she has written in years"[18] while Chris Willman of Variety wrote that the song has the only "country-sounding" production on Evermore.[19]
"No Body, No Crime" tells a macabre story[20] of a woman named Este, who confronts her cheating husband. She goes missing and the song's narrator suspects she was murdered by him in favor of his mistress. Without the body of the victim, the husband cannot be tried for homicide. Este's friend takes justice into her own hands and kills the husband, dumping his body in a lake. Este's sister becomes an alibi who testifies they were together ("she was with me, dude") and frames the mistress who took out a large life insurance policy.[21] Este is named after Este Haim.[22][23] The song drew comparisons to the Chicks' "Goodbye Earl" (2000) and Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (2006) among others.[13]
Critical reception[edit]
Brodie Lancaster of The Sydney Morning Herald opined that "No Body, No Crime" sees Swift and the Haim sisters "stomp through a saloon-style remake of Chicago's "He Had it Comin'" as they tell of a mad woman who covers up the murder of her cheating husband".[45] Bobby Olivier of Spin thought the song follows Carrie Underwood's model of taking "down a cheater with a catchy refrain and a sprinkle of … what's that? … murder?!".[46] Chris Willman of Variety found the song to be the album's "pure spirit of fun" moment, away from the ruminating themes of other tracks. He characterized "No Body, No Crime" as a dark "spirited double-murder ballad" inspired by The Chicks' 2000 single "Goodbye, Earl".[19]
Stereogum critic Tom Breihan defined the song as the "willfully silly murder narrative" that works as a take on "Goodbye Earl", and commended it as "the most country thing that Swift has done in years".[47] USA Today writer Patrick Ryan dubbed the song a "scorching" track that makes Swift's "mischievous return" to her country roots.[48] Describing the placement "No Body, No Crime" in Evermore, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that the "delicious" song provides "hope and levity" amidst of the album's emotional "wreckage".[49] NME critic Hannah Mylrea noted the song's sonic direction, and described it as a "full-blown country revenge song that ends in the murder of a philandering husband", condensing a David Fincher film in a matter of few minutes.[50]
On a less positive side, Robert Christgau said although "No Body, No Crime" was the first track he paid attention to on Evermore thanks to a strong hook, it became his least favorite after repeated listens; Christgau described it as "super-hooky but pat police procedural".[51] In Vulture, Justin Curto complimented Haim's backing vocals for livening up Evermore's "static pacing", but found the narrative rather dull and Swift's songwriting not as strong as on her past songs about revenge: "It's better suited to soundtrack an episode of a soapy TV show than any heartbreak."[13] Nate Jones, also from Vulture, found the track "more like a musical costume party than a genuine attempt at embodying darkness".[52]