"Is It Over Now?" is a song by the American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
. Written by Swift and
Jack Antonoff, the song was intended for but ultimately left out of Swift's fifth studio album, ''
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
'' (2014), but was released as part of the 2023
re-recording, ''
1989 (Taylor's Version)
''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' is the fourth re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is a re-recording of Swift's fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014), and was released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records. The al ...
''. "Is It Over Now?" is an
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
composed of dense
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
,
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s, and an echoing
drum machine.
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
released the song to US
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
on October 31, 2023.
The song depicts Swift's complex emotions in the aftermath of a failed romance, discussing feelings of disappointment and resentment that ensue. The lyricism features
rhetorical question
A rhetorical question is one for which the questioner does not expect a direct answer: in many cases it may be intended to start a discourse, or as a means of displaying or emphasize the speaker's or author's opinion on a topic.
A common example ...
s and tight
internal rhymes. Critics drew several parallels between "Is It Over Now?" and "
Out of the Woods
"Out of the Woods" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With lyrics inspired by a failed relationship and the ensuing anxi ...
" (2016), a single from ''1989''. They praised "Is It Over Now?" for its enlivening composition and storytelling lyrics; many deemed the song an album highlight and one of Swift's best works. Multiple publications included it in their lists of the best songs of 2023.
Commercially, "Is It Over Now?" debuted atop the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, marking Swift's 11th number-one single in the US; also her sixth number-one debut, the song replacing her own "
Cruel Summer" (2023) from the top spot, making Swift the first female soloist to replace herself atop the chart twice. Elsewhere, "Is It Over Now?" topped the singles charts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as well as the
''Billboard'' Global 200 and the US
Pop Airplay chart. Swift performed "Is It Over Now?" four times as part of
mashups with her other songs on
the Eras Tour
The Eras Tour (stylized as Taylor Swift The Eras Tour) is the upcoming sixth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Having not toured for her studio albums '' Lover'' (2019), ''Folklore'' (2020), and '' Evermore'' ...
(2023–2024).
Background and production
After signing a new contract with
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
, the singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. The decision followed a
public dispute in 2019 between Swift and talent manager
Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the
masters of Swift's albums which the label had released. By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for
commercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters. From April 2021 to July 2023, Swift released three re-recorded albums of her earlier releases: ''
Fearless (Taylor's Version)
''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' is the first re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records. It is a re-recording of Swift's second studio album, ''Fearless'' (2008), and the f ...
'', ''
Red (Taylor's Version)'', and ''
Speak Now (Taylor's Version)''; each album also featured several unreleased "From the Vault" tracks that she had written but left out of the original albums' track listings.
Republic Records released Swift's fourth re-recorded album, ''
1989 (Taylor's Version)
''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' is the fourth re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is a re-recording of Swift's fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014), and was released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records. The al ...
'', on October 27, 2023, on the ninth anniversary of her fifth original studio album, ''
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
'' (2014)''.'' The original album was Swift's first "official pop" album after she had marketed her first four albums to
country radio Country radio refers to radio stations that play country music. Most country radio stations are commercial radio stations. Most country radio stations usually play only music which has been officially released to country radio by record labels. The ...
, and it transformed her artistry and image from
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
to pop.
As with her other re-recorded projects, ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' features five newly-recorded "From the Vault" tracks that Swift had written but left out of the original track listing.''
'' "Is It Over Now?" is one of the vault tracks Swift had written in 2014 but excluded from the track-list of ''1989''. She wrote and produced the track with
Jack Antonoff for ''1989 (Taylor's Version)''.
Antonoff and the
engineers
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
Laura Sisk and David Hart, assisted by Jack Manning, Megan Searl, and Jon Sher, recorded the track at four studios:
Conway Recording Studios, Sharp Sonics (Los Angeles),
Electric Lady Studios, and Rough Customer (New York). Antonoff also
programmed the song, played
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s, and provided background vocals.
Zem Audu played additional synthesizers and recorded his part at Audu Studio (Brooklyn).
Sean Hutchinson and Micchael Riddleberger played and recorded
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
at Hutchinson Sound Studio (Brooklyn).
Mikey Freedom Hart
Mikey Freedom Hart is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He has worked with Bleachers, Taylor Swift, Empress Of, Dev Hynes a.k.a. Blood Orange, ASAP Rocky, Lana Del Rey, Tei Shi, and T ...
played synthesizer which he recorded at Big Mercy Studio (Brooklyn).
Evan Smith played
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
and recorded his part at Pleasure Hill (
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
). The track was
mixed by
Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
) and
mastered by
Randy Merrill
Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...
at
Sterling Sound
George Marino (April 15, 1947 – June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s.
Biography
Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He at ...
(
Edgewater, New Jersey).
Lyrics and composition
A song based on storytelling,
"Is It Over Now?" depicts Swift's experience with rumors and disappointment in the aftermath of a romantic relationship.
The narrator memorizes the details ("Red blood, white snow/ Blue dress on a boat")
and clings onto the relationship ("Let's fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later/ I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters/ You dream of my mouth before it called you a 'lying traitor").
She accuses him of cheating with resentment and anger ("You search in every model's bed for something greater", "At least I had the decency to keep my nights out of sight"),
but, at one point, admits that she too has cheated on him.
She later confesses to having fantasized about "jumping off of very tall somethings" to win his attention again.
The on-again-off-again relationship leaves her wondering, "Is it over now?",
but she ultimately accepts that it has ended.
The lines consist of
internal rhymes in strict
meter ("I think about jumping/ Off of very tall somethings/ Just to see you come running/ And say the one thing/ I've been wanting").
Music critics likened "Is It Over Now?" to some of Swift's past songs; several connected the song to or described it as a thematic continuation of "
Out of the Woods
"Out of the Woods" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With lyrics inspired by a failed relationship and the ensuing anxi ...
", a single from ''1989'',
because both songs address the uneasy situation of a past relationship and feature details regarding an accident. Bobby Olivier from
NJ.com wrote that the feelings of "sorrow, fragility and rage" resembled the sentiments of "
All Too Well
"All Too Well" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Its five-minute version is part of her fourth studio album, ''Red'' (2012), whereas its re-recording and uncut 10-minute version is part of her second re-recorded album, ''R ...
" (2012),
while Ed Power from the
''i'' felt the song was a "spiritual sequel" to "
I Knew You Were Trouble" (2012).
For
''Insider'' journalist Callie Ahlgrim, the question "Is it over now?" is
rhetorical and represents an existential crisis.
Meanwhile, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
s Lauren Huff opined that the answer to that question was a definite yes, albeit "not the good kind".
Some media outlets speculated that the song addressed Swift's relationship with the English singer
Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor''. Following hi ...
, which ended in 2013.
Musically, "Is It Over Now?" is a
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
.
It has an
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
production that incorporates dense
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
,
synths
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
, and echoing
drum machine beats.
Antonoff used
analog synthesizers including
Moog and
Juno-6. The final
verse
Verse may refer to:
Poetry
* Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry
* Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza
* Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme
* Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...
features stuttering drums.
The song is written in the key of C major in common time with a tempo of 100 bpm. Swift's vocals span G
3 to D
5. The
hook has a vocal sample; ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
wrote that it was "an odd squawking sample",
while ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
s Rachel described it as "era-specific alien-like".
Huff said that the sound was "vaguely reminiscent of a birdcall echoing in a forest", which leaves the impression that the couple in the lyrics "never did make it out of the woods".
Antonoff addressed the sound and said that he used
Moog and
Juno 6 synthesizers to create it. According to Ahlgrim, Swift sings with breathless vocals, which makes the song "sound essential, urgent, as though it's literally gushing out of her".
Shaad D'Souza from
''Pitchfork'' commented that although most parts of "Is It Over Now?" sonically aligned with ''1989'', some felt as if they were developed later and could fit into Swift's 2022 album ''
Midnights
''Midnights'' is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 21, 2022, via Republic Records. Announced at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, the album marks Swift's first body of new work since her 2020 ...
''.
''Variety'' critic Chris Willman wrote that the production had a "mid-tempo throb" that keeps the song from coming off as a "total
ragedy.
For
Rob Sheffield of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', the "spooky synth-drone" in the
intro
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...
and the build-up into a "brooding powerhouse mediation on love and loss" made the track comparable to Swift's songs "
The Archer" (from
''Lover'', 2019) and "
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...
" (from ''Midnights'', 2022).
The ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney opined that the synths and drums were in line with the 1980s-inspired sound of the album,
whereas
''People'''s Jeff Nelson said they evoked both "Out of the Woods" and "Labyrinth".
Release and commercial performance
"Is It Over Now?" was released as part of ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' on October 27, 2023.
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
released the song to US
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
as a single on October 31.
Swift performed "Is It Over Now?" in a
mashup
Mashup may refer to:
* Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture
* Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting
* Mashup (mus ...
with "Out of the Woods" at the
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
and
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
stops of her
Eras Tour (2023–2024), and included "
Clean" (2014) as part of the mashup during the
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
stop of the tour. She also sang the song in a mashup with her track "
I Wish You Would" (2014) at the tour's
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
stop.
In the United States, "Is It Over Now?" debuted atop the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, marking Swift's 11th number-one song on the chart and making her the first female artist and solo artist to have three different number ones from three different albums in a calendar year. The single succeeded Swift's single "
Cruel Summer" at the number-one position, making Swift the first woman to succeed herself a second time, a feat she first achieved with "
Shake It Off
"Shake It Off" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. Swift wrote the lyrics and composed the melody with producers Max Martin and Shellback. An uptempo dance-pop song featuring a saxop ...
" and "
Blank Space
"Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. The song was released to US radio stations as the second single from ''1989'' on November 10, 2014, by Republic Records in partners ...
" in 2014.
After being promoted to US radio, "Is It Over Now?" debuted at number 38 on the
Pop Airplay chart. It subsequently topped the chart in March 2024, marking Swift's record-extending 13th number-one song in the US pop radio format.
For markets outside the United States, "Is It Over Now?" peaked at number five on the
''Billboard'' Global Excl. US chart.
The single debuted at number one on the singles charts of Australia, Canada,
New Zealand,
and the United Kingdom. On the
''Billboard'' Global 200, the single became Swift's fourth number-one song, extending her record for the most chart toppers among female artists.
It peaked in the top 10 of singles charts in Ireland (number 2),
Singapore (number 4),
the Philippines (number 6),
Latvia (number 8),
and the United Arab Emirates (number 10).
The single also reached the top 20 on the charts of several European territories, peaking at number 11 in Norway,
number 15 in Sweden,
number 16 in Portugal,
number 18 in Austria,
and number 20 in Lithuania.
Critical reception
Music critics acclaimed "Is It Over Now?" for its production and Swift's narrative songwriting. In reviews of ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'', a multitude of critics selected it as the best vault track; ''Rolling Stone'' critic Angie Martoccio picked it as an album highlight.
Rob Sheffield, also of ''Rolling Stone'', deemed the track "
wift'sgreatest vault stunner yet".
''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' journalist Melissa Ruggieri lauded the song for featuring "an ethereal melody and the sting of a Swift scorned". ''
The Line of Best Fit
''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music.
It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
'' Kelsey Barnes and ''
Clash'' Alex Berry commented that the track not only had a catchy and engaging production but also displayed intricate songwriting; the former said it showcased Swift's "knack for narrative building"
and the latter deemed it one of Swift's "most introspective pieces".
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' critic Jason Lipshutz summed up that the song excelled in storytelling: "the characters and their circumstances feel instantly relatable, and the ending feels earned."
Olivier and Ahlgrim also lauded the production,
and the former particularly highlighted the "top-tier" bridge.
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' wrote of the song: "It's the kind of dazzling songcraft and pointed delivery that reminds us that, when it comes to Swift, we should accept no substitutes."
A few critics were similarly favorable but to a lesser extent. In the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', Mikael Wood ranked "Is It Over Now?" fourth out of the five vault tracks and said that the song displayed Swift's accountability but "without enough of the self-flagellating wit" of her previous single "
Anti-Hero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
" (2022).
D'Souza remarked that the track was one of the vault songs that "can be encumbered by their wordiness" but succeeded in producing "the kind of bittersweet gems that are Swift's specialty".
Adam White of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' considered "Is It Over Now?" one of the vault tracks that were "mid-tier Swift" but still turned out to be "some nuggets of gold".
A number of publications included "Is It Over Now?" on their lists of the best songs of 2023. Callie Ahlgrim of ''
Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
'' placed the track at number three and deemed it a "sublime distillation of Swift's ideology". ''Rolling Stone'' Rob Sheffield and Angie Martoccio ranked the song at number 5 and number 19 respectively; Martoccio said that it condensed more imagery into a few minutes than an entire book a prestigious novelist could have made. ''Billboard'' Hannah Dailey listed the song at number 33 and viewed it as the highlight of ''1989 (Taylor's Version)''. ''
i-D
''i-D'' is a British bimonthly magazine published by Vice Media, dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. ''i-D'' was founded by designer and former ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' art director Terry Jones (i-D), Terry Jones in 1980. The ...
'' placed "Is It Over Now?" at number 75, and ''
GQ'' included it in their unranked list—the latter thought the song was "undeniable" and emblematic of a "Swift mega-smash".
Awards and nominations
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desce ...
of ''1989 (Taylor's Version)''.
* Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
*
Jack Antonoff – producer, songwriter, recording
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
,
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
,
programming, background vocals
*
Zem Audu – synthesizer, synthesizer recording
* Bryce Bordon – mix engineer
*
Serban Ghenea –
mixing
*
Mikey Freedom Hart
Mikey Freedom Hart is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He has worked with Bleachers, Taylor Swift, Empress Of, Dev Hynes a.k.a. Blood Orange, ASAP Rocky, Lana Del Rey, Tei Shi, and T ...
– synthesizer
* David Hart – recording
*
Sean Hutchinson –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
, drum recording
* Jack Manning – assistant recording engineer
*
Randy Merrill
Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...
–
mastering
* Michael Riddleberger – drums, drum recording
* Megan Searl – assistant recording engineer
* Laura Sisk – recording
* Jon Sher – assistant recording engineer
*
Evan Smith –
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
Charts
Certifications
Release history
Notes
References
{{Taylor Swift songs
Single chart usages for Billboardpopsongs
2023 songs
Billboard Global 200 number-one singles
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles
Number-one singles in Australia
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Republic Records singles
Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
Songs written by Jack Antonoff
Songs written by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift songs
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Electropop ballads
2020s ballads
2023 singles
Breakup songs