"You're Not Sorry" is a song written and recorded by 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 ...
for her second studio album, ''
Fearless
Fearless or The Fearless may refer to:
Psychology
* Lack of fear
* Courage or bravery
Film, television and audio Film
* ''Fearless'' (1978 film), an Italian film directed by Stelvio Massi
* ''Fearless'' (1993 film), an American drama directed ...
''. It was released for
download via the
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
as a promotional from the album on October 28, 2008, by
Big Machine Records. Swift was inspired to write "You're Not Sorry" by an ex-boyfriend who she realized was the contrary to what he had appeared to be. Produced by Swift and
Nathan Chapman, "You're Not Sorry" is a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
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 ...
with gentle piano in the
verses and dramatic
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
in the build-up. A remix version for the television episode of ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'', in which Swift made an appearance, was later released.
Some critics praised the production of "You're Not Sorry", but others took issue with the balladic production as overdone. The song peaked at number 11 on both the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
and the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. In the United States, it was
certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). On the
Fearless Tour (2009–2010), Swift performed 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 ...
of "You're Not Sorry" and
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
's "
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around". She included it as part of a mashup with "
Back to December
"Back to December" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, ''Speak Now'' (2010). Before the album's release, the track was released for music download, download on October 12, 2010, t ...
" and
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...
's "
Apologize" on her next tour, the
Speak Now World Tour
The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and it was launched in support of her third studio album ''Speak Now'' (2010). The Speak Now tour began on February 9, 2011 in Singapore and the tou ...
. She also sang the track at the
44th Academy of Country Music Awards The 44th Academy of Country Music Awards were held on April 5, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. The ceremony was hosted by ACM Award winner Reba McEntire.
Winners and nominees
Winners are shown in bold.
Performers
Pr ...
in 2009.
Swift released a
re-recorded version, "You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)", as part of her re-recorded album ''
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 ...
'' (2021). The re-recorded version charted on the Canadian Hot 100 and the
''Billboard'' Global 200.
Background
"You're Not Sorry" was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman alongside Swift. It was inspired by an ex-boyfriend who was later revealed to be opposite of what Swift had originally thought. Swift recalled that, at first, "He came across as
prince charming."
As the relationship continued, Swift was informed of numerous secrets about her boyfriend she was not aware of. "And one by one, I would figure them out. I would find out who he really was," she said.
She wrote "You're Not Sorry" in an emotional state, which she described as "the breaking point", where she thought to herself, "'You know what? Don’t even think that you can keep on hurting me.'" The circumstances reached a point where she felt she had to walk away.
"You're Not Sorry" was first released as a
promotional single from ''Fearless'' on October 28, 2008, as part of Countdown to ''Fearless'', an exclusive campaign by the
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
. The song was reissued on March 5, 2009, as
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
, the same day she made her guest appearance on the television series ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' in the episode "
Turn, Turn, Turn".
The remix was featured in the episode.
A
re-recorded version of "You're Not Sorry", titled "You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)", was released on April 9, 2021, as the ninth track from ''
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 ...
'', the re-recorded version of ''Fearless''. The re-recording was part of Swift's move after a
public dispute with Big Machine and talent manager
Scooter Braun over the acquisition of the
master recordings to her past albums.
Composition
"You're Not Sorry" is four minutes and 21 seconds long. Critics described it as 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 ...
with minimal influences of
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 ...
, contrary to Swift's self-identity as a country musician at the time.
Jordan Levin of ''
The Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.[rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...]
tune". Anna Rosales from the ''
Evansville Courier & Press'' thought the track has a "
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
edge" to it. The song is set in
common time and has a slow tempo of 67.5
beats per minute. It is written in the key of
E♭ minor and Swift's vocals span two
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
s, from G♭
3 to C♭
5.
It follows the
chord progression E♭m–C♭–G♭–D♭.
The
musical arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...
contains a prominent
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
hook in its
refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...
s, according to Jonathan Keefe of ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
''.
Rob Sheffield in ''
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 ...
'' described the track as a "dramatic piano-and-strings ballad".
"You're Not Sorry" features a soft
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
introduction, and in the refrains progresses with dynamic, loud
electric guitars, which eventually reach a solo.
The production additionally incorporates
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
and
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
.
Scott Mervis of the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' compared "You're Not Sorry" to a "chanteuse a la
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
". In the lyrics, the protagonist criticizes an ex-lover who betrayed her trust.
Sheffield, in a review for ''
Blender'', noted the lyrics to "You're Not Sorry" had many "tingling pheromones".
Kyle Anderson from
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
said that the theme of "You're Not Sorry" is more serious than the "dreaminess" of the previous upbeat ''Fearless'' tracks: "the weight of the lyrics actually weighs down the arrangement (it literally sounds like it's being played just a hair too slow, which creates a palpable tension)."
The re-recorded "You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)" features an identical production, but critics also commented that Swift's vocals became richer and deeper.
Joe Coscarelli opined that the production of the re-recording sounded "fresh and refined", an improvement from the original.
Music professor Michael A. Lee observed that on "You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)", Swift's vocals are less nasal and come more from the chest, the background vocals are more subdued, and the strings are recorded in a closer proximity to the microphones.
Critical reception
Music critics gave "You're Not Sorry" mixed reviews. Sheffield in ''Blender'' described the track as "drippy" and opined that it is not as effective as other upbeat ''Fearless'' tracks.
Todd Martens from 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 ...
'' deemed Swift's vocals weak.
Nick Catucci of ''
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' commented that "You're Not Sorry" contrasts with Swift's identity as a country-music artist because the track "isn't the stuff of redneck women but earnest suburban princesses". Catucci said that although he could come up with better songs by other singer-songwriters in the last ten years, "this bittersweet bit of pop fluff succeeds splendidly. She's an American idol, on her own terms." Jonathan Keefe of ''Slant Magazine'' was more favorable, remarking that the production of "You're Not Sorry" showcases Swift's songwriting with a prominent hook.
Craig Rosen of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' said the song proved Swift's crossover potential beyond country music.
Retrospectively, critics have considered "You're Not Sorry" one of Swift's weaker songs in her catalog. Hannah Mylrea in ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' (2020) ranked it 146th out of 161 songs in Swift's discography, calling it "overdone". Nate Jones from ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' ranked it 122nd in a ranking of Swift's 179 tracks, describing it as an "unflinching kiss-off song".
In ''Rolling Stone'', Sheffield placed it at number 111 in his 2021 ranking of Swift's 206-song catalog, highlighting the track for showcasing her vocal development from her debut album.
Brittany Spanos from the same magazine praised Swift's singing for conveying the dramatic sentiments: "Her voice pierces through the sound of her band for one of her first truly dramatic vocal deliveries."
Joe Coscarelli from ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said he had admired Swift's songwriting "You're Not Sorry" but felt the production "
lods
Lods () is a commune in the Doubs département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Lods is located southeast of Ornans in the valley of the Loue River.
History
It is first documented in 1189, and there are ar ...
a little"; after the re-recorded version was released, Coscarelli became more appreciative of the track.
Chart performance
"You're Not Sorry" debuted and peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in November 2008, becoming the week's highest debut. After being featured in the ''CSI'' series, supported by the remix, "You're Not Sorry" re-entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 67. It is one of the 13 ''Fearless'' tracks that charted within the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, breaking the record for the most top 40 entries from a single album. It spent a total of five weeks on the Hot 100.
On the
Pop 100 chart compiled by ''Billboard'', the track peaked at number 21.
By December 2011, "You're Not Sorry" had sold 653,000 copies in the United States. In 2017, the song was
certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for surpassing one million units based on sales and streaming.
In Canada, it peaked at number 11 on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
.
Live performances
![Taylor Swift - Fearless Tour - Los Angeles 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Taylor_Swift_-_Fearless_Tour_-_Los_Angeles_05.jpg)
Swift performed "You're Not Sorry" on all venues of her first headlining concert tour, the
Fearless Tour, which extended from April 2009 to June 2010. During each performance, Swift donned a black cocktail dress with sparkly ornaments along the stomach.
She began the performance by sitting on a bench, playing black grand piano. Midway through "You're Not Sorry", Swift ceases playing the piano and commences to sing a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
's "
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" while whipping her hair, maintaining on the bench. Throughout the remainder of the performance, she intermingled between the two songs as smoke swirled and lightning was projected on the stage.
Jon Pareles of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' referred to the performance as one of the night's highlights at the August 27, 2009, concert at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Reed Fischer of ''
Miami New Times
The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District.
Overview
It was acquired by Village Voic ...
'' attended the March 7, 2010, concert at
BankAtlantic Center in
Sunrise, Florida
Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 97,335.
Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and founded ...
and, of the cover of "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around", said, "That, and some extended beating on an oil drum sculpture, made for the only unsavory moments of the night." Alice Fisher of the United Kingdom magazine ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' believed the performance at the May 7, 2009, concert at
Shepherd's Bush Empire in
London, England
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 major s ...
"was undermined by the way Swift writhed on her stool and awkwardly thumped the piano lid in one of the most unconvincing displays of passion I've seen since ''
Footballers' Wives'' finished." Swift also performed the song at an exclusive performance, hosted by
95.8 Capital FM
Capital London is a radio station owned and operated by the Global media company as part of its national Capital FM Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as one of Britain's first two commercial radio stations. I ...
, the 2009
Academy of Country Music Awards
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...
,
and the 2009
CMA Music Festival. During her
Speak Now World Tour
The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and it was launched in support of her third studio album ''Speak Now'' (2010). The Speak Now tour began on February 9, 2011 in Singapore and the tou ...
, she used elements of "You're Not Sorry" and
"Apologize" while performing "
Back To December
"Back to December" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, ''Speak Now'' (2010). Before the album's release, the track was released for music download, download on October 12, 2010, t ...
". She also performed the song three times during the
Red Tour
The Red Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fourth studio album, ''Red'' (2012). The tour started on March 13, 2013, at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska and concluded on June 12, 2 ...
and the first night in Houston 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'' ...
.
Charts
"You're Not Sorry"
"You're Not Sorry (Taylor's Version)"
Certifications
References
{{good article
2000s ballads
2008 songs
Songs written by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift songs
Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Song recordings produced by Chris Rowe
Big Machine Records singles
Rock ballads