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Glitch

Bonus Track | Midnights (3am Edition) [2022]

“Glitch” is track eighteen on Taylor’s tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). It is also the sixth bonus track on the 3am Edition of the album. Written by Taylor, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave and Sam Dew, the song reflects on a relationship that was never meant to be but blossomed anyway.

Background and Release

On August 28, 2022, Taylor announced her tenth studio album, Midnights, set for release on October 21, 2022. On October 16, she posted a short video on her social media that presented a schedule of the days leading up to the album release, entitled “Midnight Manifest”. On it, Taylor also teased a “Special very chaotic surprise” happening 3 hours after the albums release. This materialized into a digital and streaming only version of the album titled Midnights (3am Edition), containing an additional seven songs that according to Taylor were written but removed to keep the album at 13 songs. One of those songs is “Glitch.” Taylor said:

«I think of Midnights as a complete concept album, with those 13 songs forming a full picture of the intensities of that mystifying, mad hour. However! There were other songs we wrote on our journey to find that magic 13. I’m calling them 3am tracks. Lately I’ve been loving the feeling of sharing more of our creative process with you, like we do with 'From The Vault' tracks. So it’s 3am and I’m giving them to you now.»

Taylor Swift

Lyrical Theme

“Glitch” reflects on a relationship that started off as friendship, then casually evolved into a friendship with benefits, and somehow turned into a true romance, so unlikely that it must have been a glitch. This storyline was likely inspired by Taylor’s own relationship at the time with her former partner Joe Alwyn, which, as documented through songs like “Cornelia Street” and “Cruel Summer”, started out as casual flirtation before evolving into a serious relationship.

Production

“Glitch” was born from the same studio session as Midnights‘ opening track “Lavender Haze.” Co-producer Mark Anthony Spears (Sounwave) told Rolling Stone in October 2022, “Not to toot my own horn, but I like the weirdness of ‘Glitch.’ The breakdown part is everything it was meant to be. This is so amazing to me.”

Live Performance

Taylor first performed “Glitch” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). She performed it on June 3, 2024, in Lyon as a mashup with “Everything Has Changed” (2012).

Commercial Performance

In the United States, songs from Midnights occupied the entire Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100; a historic feat. “Glitch” debuted at No. 41 on the chart. Taylor became the first artist to simultaneously occupy the Top 10 spots of the Hot 100; the female artist with the most Top 10 songs (40); and the first act to occupy the entire Top 10 of the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, and Digital Songs charts simultaneously. Midnights also became the first album in history to contain ten Top 10 songs.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
We were supposed to be just friends
You don’t live in that part of town
But maybe I’ll see you out some weekend
Depending on what kind of mood and situation-ship I’m in
And what’s in my system

[Chorus]
I think there’s been a glitch, ah-yeah
Five seconds later I’m fastening myself to you with a stitch, ah-yeah
And I’m not even sorry
Nights are so starry
Blood moonlit
It must be counterfeit
I think there’s been a glitch, ah-yeah

[Verse 2]
I was supposed to sweat you out
In search of glorious happenings of happenstance
On someone else’s playground
But it’s been 2,190 days of our love blackout (Our love is blacking out)
The system’s breaking down (The system’s breaking down)

[Bridge]
A brief interruption
A slight malfunction
I’d go back to wanting
Dudes who give nothing
I thought we had no chance
And that’s romance
Let’s dance

[Final Chorus]
Glitch, ah-yeah
Five seconds later I’m fastening myself to you with a stitch, ah-yeah
And I’m not even sorry
Nights are so starry
Blood moonlit
It must be counterfeit (It must be counterfeit)
I think there’s been a glitch