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Gorgeous

Single (Europe) | reputation (2017)

“Gorgeous” is track eight on Taylor’s sixth studio album, reputation (2017). The song describes a fully intoxicating infatuation. It was released as a single off the album in selected European countries.

Background

Taylor released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014. Its synth-pop production transformed her sound and image from country-oriented to mainstream pop. The album was a massive commercial success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. within one year, and spawning three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles. The BBC asserted that the success of 1989 solidified Taylor’s status as a global pop star.

In 2016, when Taylor was at the peak of overexposure, some of her rivals in the industry (including Scooter Braun, Kanye West and Justin Bieber) succeded in launching a worldwide hate campaign against her. As a result, Taylor disappeared from public view for an entire year and thought about quitting music for good. She became increasingly reticent on social media, having previously maintained an active presence with a large following, and avoided interactions with the press. She conceived her sixth studio album, reputation, as an answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.

Lyrical Theme and Production

“Gorgeous” was one of the first songs Taylor wrote and recorded for reputation. She started working on it in September 2016. She first wrote the chorus on guitar while drunk in her Cornelia Street apartment in New York City and finished the rest of the song on piano two weeks later while working in Nashville. Lyrically, “Gorgeous” depicts Taylor’s infatuation with a new love interest:

«This is a song about the universal fact that you will act stupid around someone that you think is hot.»

Taylor Swift

The song was written about Taylor’s boyfriend at the time, British actor Joe Alwyn. During the Rhode Island “reputation Secret Session“, she told fans that this song and all the other positive love songs on the album are about him. She wanted her fans to clarify this in online discussions and also liked multiple posts on Tumblr about it as further confirmation.

It was also revealed that the baby voice featured in the beginning of the song is James Reynolds, the daughter of actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds (who are two of Taylor’s closest friends). Taylor told fans at the secret sessions that she was at the beach with Blake and Ryan and playing them “Gorgeous” on guitar. Afterward, James kept saying “gorgeous” over and over again, so Taylor recorded a voice memo of it.

Live Performances

Taylor performed “Gorgeous” as part of her set list for the B96 Chicago and Pepsi “Jingle Bash 2017” on December 7, 2017 in Chicago. She also sang the song during the “Jingle Bell Ball 2017” in London and at BBC Radio 1’s “Big Weekend” in Swansea. The song was included on the regular setlist for her “reputation Stadium Tour” (2018). More recently, she performed it during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023). It was the second surprise song during her show on April 29, 2023, in Atlanta. “Gorgeous” was the first surprise song from reputation she performed on that tour:

«I was made aware of the fact that I haven't played anything from reputation so far. I didn't do that for any reason, I just think that reputation is like my most metal album. Just like, harder to do acoustic. But that's sort of weird of me to say 'cause most of the songs on that album I started out writing just acoustic, so.»

Taylor Swift

Critical Reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. Maeve McDermott of USA Today called it a proof for Taylor’s “domination”. Christopher Rosa from Glamour stated that it was evidence that Taylor was “single-handedly saving pop music in 2017,” calling it “fizzy” and “delightful”. In a review for Variety, Chris William called it a pop song that offers “conventional pleasures”, and appreciated it as a welcoming reminder of Taylor’s abilities as a songwriter, after the dark sounds of reputation‘s previous singles “Look What You Made Me Do” and “…Ready for It?“. Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone agreed, calling it the “yang to the vindictive, angry yin” of “Look What You Made Me Do”.

Commercial Performance

In the US, “Gorgeous” debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated October 30, 2017. Despite not being released to radio, the song drew 3.6 million in all-format airplay audience. On the Digital Songs chart, it was Taylor’s 14th No. 1 chart entry, extending her record as the artist with the most Digital Songs No. 1 debuts (13). “Gorgeous” spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding 500,000 units based on sales and on-demand streaming.

In the UK, where “Gorgeous” was added to BBC Radio 1’s playlist, it peaked at No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified Silver (200,000 units) by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In Australia, the track peaked at No. 9 on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming reputation‘s third top-10 chart entry. It was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for exceeding 70,000 units. “Gorgeous” entered the top 10 on charts of Malaysia (eight), Canada (nine), and Hungary (nine). “Gorgeous” was a top-20 chart entry in Scotland (12), the Philippines (13), Lebanon (15), Slovakia (17), Ireland (18), and New Zealand (19). The song peaked at No. 15 on the Euro Digital Song Sales, a Billboard chart ranking the best-selling digital singles in Europe. It additionally charted within the top 40 on charts in Austria, the Czech Republic, Norway, Portugal, and Slovenia.

Lyrics

[Intro: James Reynolds]
Gorgeous

[Verse 1]
You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong
And I got a boyfriend
He’s older than us
He’s in the club doin’ I don’t know what
You’re so cool, it makes me hate you so much (I hate you so much)

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine
You’ve ruined my life
By not being mine

[Chorus]
You’re so gorgeous
I can’t say anything to your face
‘Cause look at your face (Gorgeous)
And I’m so furious
At you for making me feel this way
But what can I say?
You’re gorgeous

[Verse 2]
You should take it as a compliment that I’m talking to everyone here but you
And you should think about the consequence of you touching my hand in a darkened room
If you got a girlfriend
I’m jealous of her
But if you’re single…that’s honestly worse
‘Cause you’re so gorgeous it actually hurts (Honey, it hurts)

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Ocean blue eyes
Lookin’ in mine
I feel like I might
Sink and drown and die

[Bridge]
You make me so happy
It turns back to sad
There’s nothing I hate
More than what I can’t have
You are so gorgeous
It makes me so mad
You make me so happy
It turns back to sad
There’s nothing I hate
More than what I can’t have
Guess I’ll just stumble on home to my cats…alone
…Unless you want to come along? (Oh!)

[Chorus]
You’re so gorgeous
I can’t say anything to your face (To your face)
‘Cause look at your face (Gorgeous)
And I’m so furious (I’m so furious)
At you for making me feel this way (Feel this way)
But what can I say? (I say)
You’re gorgeous

[Outro]
You make me so happy
It turns back to sad
There’s nothing I hate
More than what I can’t have
You are so gorgeous
It makes me so mad
You’re gorgeous
You make me so happy
It turns back to sad (It turns back to sad)
There’s nothing I hate
More than what I can’t have (What I can’t have)
You are so gorgeous
It makes me so mad
You’re gorgeous