I Forgot That You Existed

“I Forgot That You Existed” received a mixed response from music critics, with some praising its breezy delivery and others questioning the decision to revisit the conflicts associated with reputation. Kitty Empire of The Observer described it as a “breezy kiss-off,” while The FADER viewed the song as a declaration that Taylor no longer felt compelled to make music to impress other people. Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club also highlighted Taylor’s charmingly nonchalant delivery of the song’s central idea: that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.

Other reviewers were less convinced by the song’s premise. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian questioned whether its pointed dismissal of a former adversary simply returned Taylor to the grievances that had shaped parts of reputation. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times similarly considered it an unwelcome continuation of that album’s revenge-minded approach, placing it near the bottom of his ranking of Lover’s 18 tracks. By contrast, The Ringer praised the song for immediately dispensing with the celebrity-feud angst that had weighed on Taylor’s previous album, interpreting its playful, buoyant sound as a welcome expression of relief. The differing assessments reflected a central tension in the song: whether its return to old grievances undermined its message of moving on, or whether acknowledging the past was precisely what made that indifference meaningful.

Commercially, “I Forgot That You Existed” debuted at No. 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week ending September 7, 2019, following the release of Lover. It also reached No. 29 on the Canadian Hot 100, No. 24 in Australia, No. 17 in Singapore and No. 3 on New Zealand’s Hot Singles chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at No. 50 on the Official Streaming Chart and No. 82 on both the Singles Sales and Singles Downloads charts. Although it was not released as a single, the track’s international chart appearances reflected the attention surrounding the album’s release.