Misplaced Pages

"You're on Your Own, Kid" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With a production combining alternative rock, pop rock, and synth-pop sounds, "You're on Your Own, Kid" is an upbeat song with muted guitars and synthesizers that gradually build up. In the lyrics, a narrator reflects on her coming of age, on how she dealt with an unrequited love and her career ambitions.

Music critics lauded the track for what they deemed a vulnerable yet hopeful message in its lyrics. They interpreted "You're on Your Own, Kid" as Swift's reflection of her celebrity and personal life, including an eating disorder she suffered. Commercially, it charted in the top 10 of the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Global 200. Swift occasionally performed "You're on Your Own, Kid" on her Eras Tour in 2023–2024.

Background and release

After announcing her tenth studio album, Midnights, on August 28, 2022, she unveiled its cover artwork on social media but kept its track listing undisclosed. On September 21, 2022, Swift announced a thirteen-episode series called Midnights Mayhem with Me on the social media platform TikTok, and thereafter revealed the title of one album track each episode. The tenth episode was released a few days later, in which Swift revealed the fifth track from the album, "You're on Your Own, Kid". "You're on Your Own, Kid", alongside the thirteen announced tracks and additional surprise-released tracks for the 3am edition of Midnights, was released on October 21, 2022, under Republic Records. The "Strings Remix" of the song was included on the CD version of the Lavender Edition of the album.

Composition

Production

Swift wrote and produced "You're on Your Own, Kid" with Jack Antonoff, who programmed the track and played instruments including percussion, Juno 6, Mellotron, Moog, electric guitars, and bass. Additional musicians were Evan Smith, who played synthesizers and recorded his performance at Pleasure Hill Recording, Portland, Maine; and Sean Hutchinson, who played drums and recorded his performance at Hutchinson Sound, Brooklyn. The track was recorded by Antonoff and Laura Sisk at Rough Customer Studio, Brooklyn, and Electric Lady Studios, New York City. It was mixed by Serban Ghenea, assisted by Bryce Bordone, at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, New Jersey. On the vinyl editions, the track was mastered by Evan Smith at Sterling Sound, Nashville, Tennessee.

"You're on Your Own, Kid" lasts for three minutes and 14 seconds. The song features persistent electric guitar strums throughout. It begins with soft, muted percussion beats, plucked guitars, and subtle synthesizers, which gradually build up. In the refrains, after the lyrics, "You're on your own kid, you always have been", the instrumental comes to a halt, contrasting with what Slant Magazine's Paul Attard found to be a "relentless pre-chorus". In reviews of Midnights, critics described the genre as alternative pop, alternative rock, and pop rock. The Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield, in a ranking of Swift's songs, called "You're on Your Own, Kid" a synth-pop track reminiscent of the music by rock band New Order. Ilana Kaplan from the Alternative Press described the production as 1990s-alt-rock-tinged.

Lyrical interpretation

The lyrics address a narrator's reflection on her coming of age. It has been widely interpreted as a song documenting Swift's rise to fame. The narrator reminisces about her teenage years in her hometown, where she dreamt of getting out and found solace in songwriting as a means to create her own fantasy. The first verse has her recalling an unrequited love in the past: "Summer went away / Still the yearning stays / I play it cool with the best of them / I wait patiently / He's gonna notice me / It's ok, we're the best of friends." Time's Shannon Carlin found this to be in line with the theme of unrequited love in Swift's previous songs including "You Belong with Me" and "Hey Stephen" from Fearless (2008). The second verse sees her moving on from the boy and chasing her career aspirations, just to realize; "My dreams aren't rare." When she returns for a homecoming, her friends ignore her and have moved on with their lives. Towards the end, the song concludes with a hopeful message of self-reflection. The narrator looks around in a "blood-soaked gown" and reckons that every misstep was a lesson learnt: "So make the friendship bracelets / Take the moment and taste it / You've got no reason to be afraid." The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis wrote the "blood-soaked gown" imagery evokes the 1976 horror film Carrie.

Critics interpreted "You're on Your Own, Kid" as Swift's self-reflection on her past and journey to celebrity. In Vulture, Craig Jenkins thought Swift's "lilting" vocals and references to her early-career days harken back to her 2008 album Fearless, both stylistically and thematically. PopMatters's Matthew Dwyer considered the song Swift's contemplation about her legacy in the music industry, citing the lyric, "I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this." John Wohlmacher from Beats Per Minute found the lyrics dark but the musical composition somewhat brighter, and so "it feels like Swift is using pop music to cast a shadow over the brightly illuminated truths within her lyrics". For Atwood Magazine's Nic Nichols, "You're on Your Own, Kid" shares similar themes with Swift's 2008 song "Fifteen". The lines, "I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss", were deciphered as her mentioning her eating disorder, which is also documented in Miss Americana (2020).

Critical reception

Stephen Thompson of NPR praised the lyrics' specificity and imagery, and the "gorgeous" melody that showcases Swift's talents as a great songwriter. Attard considered "You're on Your Own, Kid" one of the Midnights tracks that best display the "matured temperament and the stark intimacy of Swift's songwriting", and Petridis selected it among the songs that are "filled with subtle, brilliant touches". In Slate, the critic Carl Wilson dubbed "You're on Your Own, Kid" one of the album tracks that showcase emotional acuity. Kate Solomon from the i praised the track as the album's most emotionally affecting. Paste's Ellen Johnson complimented it for a rich narrative that avoids being "overly wordy or sappy", which she found superior to mainstream pop songs. In Variety, Chris Willman ranked "You're on Your Own, Kid" at number 49 on his list of the best 50 songs from Swift's repertoire, specifically praising the lyrics. Alex Hopper of American Songwriter viewed the song as a fan-favorite and picked it as one of Midnights' best tracks.

Commercial performance

Following the release of Midnights, tracks of the album occupied the entire top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100; "You're on Your Own, Kid" opened at number eight on the chart, with 34.1 million streams, 1,500 downloads, and 498,000 airplay impressions. The tracks made Swift the first artist to occupy the top 10 of the Hot 100 and the woman with the most top-10 entries (40), surpassing Madonna (38). It peaked at number six on the Canadian Hot 100 and was certified platinum by Music Canada. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 65 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Elsewhere, "You're on Your Own, Kid" debuted on numerous territories, and peaked within the top 40 of Australia (6), Ireland (6), the Philippines (6), Singapore (6), Malaysia (7), Iceland (13), Portugal (13), Vietnam (13), Croatia (18), India (19), South Africa (19), New Zealand (20), Luxembourg (22), Lithuania (24), the Czech Republic (26), Sweden (27), Switzerland (27), Slovakia (32), Norway (34), Hungary (36), Spain (39), and Denmark (40), and further reaching Italy (82), Argentina (98), and France (107). The song ultimately debuted and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Global 200.

Live performances

Swift occasionally performed "You're on Your Own, Kid" as a "surprise song" outside the regular set list on several dates of the Eras Tour. In 2023, she sang the song in Tampa, Florida (April 14), Los Angeles, California (August 5), and Mexico City, Mexico (August 26). In 2024, she performed it as a full song in Tokyo, Japan (February 10) and Dublin, Ireland (June 30) and as part of mashups with "Fifteen" in Singapore (March 7) and Lyon, France (June 2), with "Long Live" in Lisbon, Portugal (May 25), with "State of Grace" in Dublin, Ireland (June 28), with "The Archer" in London, England (August 19), and with "Long Story Short" in Toronto, Canada (November 16).

The song was also one of the "surprise songs" featured in the tour's accompanying concert film. The "friendship bracelets" lyric in "You're on Your Own, Kid" prompted fans and concertgoers who attended the Eras Tour to make their own bracelets that spelled out the titles of Swift's songs and other colloquialisms.

Personnel

• Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
• Jack Antonoff – songwriter, producer, programming, assistant mix engineer, percussion, Juno 6, Mellotron, Moog, electric guitars, bass, background vocals, recording
• Evan Smith – synths, recording, mastering for vinyl
• Laura Sisk – recording
• Sean Hutchinson – drums, percussion, recording
• Megan Searl – assistant engineer
• Jon Sher – assistant engineer
• John Rooney – assistant engineer
• Serban Ghenea – mix engineer
• Bryce Bordone – assistant mix engineer
• Randy Merrill – mastering engineer

Charts

Certifications

References

1. Dailey, Hannah (October 20, 2022). "Everything We Know About Taylor Swift's Midnights So Far". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
2. Martoccio, Angie (August 29, 2022). "Taylor Swift Announces New Album Midnights: 'A Journey Through Terrors and Sweet Dreams'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
3. Jones, Damian (October 7, 2022). "Taylor Swift reveals all song titles on new album Midnights". NME. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
4. Kaufman, Gil (September 28, 2022). "Taylor Swift Makes it 'Midnight Rain' For Latest 'Midnights' Track Reveal". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
5. "Taylor Swift Releases New Album Midnights: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. October 21, 2022. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
6. "Taylor Swift - Midnights: Lavender Edition (Target Exclusive)". www.target.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
7. Midnights (vinyl liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2022. 2445790050.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. "Taylor Swift releases Midnights: Fans and critics praise the dark and cryptic album – as it happened". The Independent. October 21, 2022. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
9. Willman, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Midnights Marks a Return to Electronic, Confessional Pop That's Worth Losing Sleep Over: Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
10. ^ DeWald, Mike (October 20, 2022). "Album review: Taylor Swift strikes Midnights on her return to pop". Riff Magazine. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
11. Lipshutz, Jason (October 21, 2022). "Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's Midnights". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
12. Browne, Erin (October 21, 2022). "All of Taylor Swift's Famously Devastating Track 5's, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
13. ^ Wohlmacher, John (October 24, 2022). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – Midnights". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
14. ^ Attard, Paul (October 24, 2022). "Taylor Swift Midnights Review: Starkly Intimate, If Redundant". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
15. ^ Gajjar, Saloni (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift seeks to reclaim her glittering pop era in Midnights". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
16. ^ Johnson, Ellen (October 20, 2022). "Taylor Swift Deals in Dark Magic on Midnights". Paste. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
17. Olivier, Bobby (October 21, 2022). "On Midnights, Taylor Swift Dares To See Herself". Spin. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
18. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 26, 2022). "'You're On Your Own, Kid' (2022)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
19. Kaplan, Ilana (October 21, 2022). "Review: Midnights is Taylor Swift's darkest, most self-reflective work to date". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
20. ^ Waiwiri-Smith, Lyric (October 21, 2022). "Midnights: Taylor Swift makes musical magic with new album". Stuff. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
21. Hopper, Alex (August 12, 2023). "Behind the Meaning of "You're On Your Own Kid" by Taylor Swift". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
22. ^ Huff, Lauren (October 21, 2022). "Breaking down Taylor Swift's most vulnerable Midnights song, 'You're on Your Own, Kid'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
23. ^ Carlin, Shannon (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Midnights: The Biggest Takeaways". Time. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
24. ^ Moreland, Quinn (October 24, 2022). "Taylor Swift: Midnights". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
25. ^ Petridis, Alexis (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift: Midnights Review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
26. Pappis, Konstantinos (October 24, 2022). "Album Review: Taylor Swift, Midnights". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
27. Powers, Ann (October 21, 2022). "In the haze of Midnights, Taylor Swift softens into an expanded sound". NPR. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
28. Jenkins, Craig (October 24, 2022). "Midnights' Moonlit Lessons". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
29. Dwyer, Matthew (November 4, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Midnights Is the Solution and the Problem". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
30. Nichols, Nic (October 28, 2022). "Album Review: Taylor Swift Stops Time with 10th LP Midnights". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
31. Bailey, Alyssa (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 'You're on Your Own, Kid' Lyrics Offer a Brutal Look at Her Navigating Fame and Love". Elle. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
32. Thompson, Stephen (October 26, 2022). "Taylor Swift stays up late for the introspective Midnights". NPR. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
33. Wilson, Carl (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Midnights Is the Right Kind of Concept Album". Slate. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
34. Solomon, Kate (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift has never sounded more unsettled – or more self-loathing – than on Midnights". i. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
35. Willman, Chris (December 13, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 50 Best Songs, Ranked". Variety. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
36. Hopper, Alex (December 7, 2023). "A Battle of Taylor Swift's Songs: The Big Hits vs. Fan Favorites". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
37. Trust, Gary (October 31, 2022). "Taylor Swift Makes History as First Artist With Entire Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Anti-Hero' at No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
38. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
39. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Music Canada. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
40. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
41. ^ "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own Kid". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
42. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
43. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
44. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
45. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 43 (21 - 27 Oct 2022)". RIAS. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
46. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International Singles In Malaysia Week 43 (21/10/2022-27/10/2022)". RIM. November 5, 2022. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022 – via Facebook.
47. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
48. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're On Your Own, Kid". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
49. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
50. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Croatia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
51. ^ "IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 31 October 2022| Week 43 of 52". Indian Music Industry. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
52. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 45-2022". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
53. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
54. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
55. ^ "2022 43-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
56. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 43. týden 2022 in the date selector. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
57. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
58. ^ "Streaming Charts Top 100" (in German). Schweizer Hitparade. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
59. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 1. týden 2023 in the date selector. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
60. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". VG-lista. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
61. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
62. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
63. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Tracklisten. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
64. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Top Digital Download. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
65. ^ "Taylor Swift – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Taylor Swift. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
66. ^ "Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
67. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
68. Iasimone, Ashley (April 24, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
69. Legaspi, Althea (August 27, 2023). "Watch Taylor Swift Deliver Fan-Favorite 'Cornelia Street' in Mexico City". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
70. Smith, Katie Louise (June 30, 2024). "Here's Every Surprise Song Performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour". Capital FM. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
71. How Is the Taylor Swift Eras Concert Movie Different From the Live Tour? Archived October 14, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Vanity Fair, October 14, 2023
72. Kopstein, Jeannie; Espada, Mariah (August 23, 2023). "The Biggest Tour in the History of the World (Taylor's Version)". Time. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
73. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Belgium Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
74. "IFPI Charts". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
75. "OLT20 – English Chart – Week of Sunday July 25th, 2024". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
76. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
77. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
78. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
79. "Brazilian single certifications – Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
80. "New Zealand single certifications – Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". Radioscope. Retrieved December 19, 2024. Type You're on Your Own, Kid in the "Search:" field.
81. "Spanish single certifications – Taylor Swift – You're on Your Own, Kid". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

• 2022 songs
• Taylor Swift songs
• Songs written by Taylor Swift
• Songs written by Jack Antonoff
• Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
• Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
• American pop rock songs
• American alternative rock songs
• American synth-pop songs
• Alternative pop songs