My Tears Ricochet Explained

My Tears Ricochet
Artist:Taylor Swift
Album:Folklore
Studio:
  • Kitty Committee Studio (Los Angeles)
  • Long Pond (Hudson Valley)
Genre:
Length:4:15
Label:Republic
Producer:

"My Tears Ricochet" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She produced the song with Jack Antonoff and Joe Alwyn. "My Tears Ricochet" infuses arena and gothic styles of rock music and gospel. The production incorporates choir-inflected layered vocals, mellow synths, and shuddering drums, bringing forth a soundscape that critics described as haunting and sorrowful. Its lyrics are a narration by the ghost of a dead woman, which finds its murderer, who she once loved dearly, at its own funeral.

Critics received "My Tears Ricochet" with rave reviews, who praised the concept, imagery, emotion, vocals and production. Upon release, the song peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in the top 15 of the singles charts in Australia, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore. "My Tears Ricochet" was included on the set list of Swift's sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Background and release

"My Tears Ricochet" was the first track written for the album, penned by Swift alone.[1] Album co-producer Aaron Dessner regarded the song as a "beacon" for the record.[2] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Swift said that, following the sale of her master recordings to Scooter Braun, narratives around divorce had been triggering her, and she incorporated imagery of the end of marriage into "My Tears Ricochet", writing the first lines of the song after watching the 2019 film Marriage Story, which tells the story of a divorce.[1] [3]

Swift announced her eighth studio album, Folklore, on July 23, 2020. She revealed the track-list, where "My Tears Ricochet" placed fifth. In the primer that preceded the release, Swift described "My Tears Ricochet" as imageries of "an embittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of his fallen object of obsession" and "battleships sinking down into the ocean, down, down, down".[4]

Composition and lyrics

"My Tears Ricochet" is an icy arena-goth[5] and gospel ballad[6] with hints of synth-pop,[7] about the specter of a dead woman haunting her murderer.[8] The track subsequently utilized funereal symbolism to depict the effect of total betrayal. The song sees Swift's vocals range from C3 to F5, and was written in a C major key with a moderate tempo of 130 beats per minute.[9] [10] It encompasses a twinkling music box, backing choir, reverbed ad-libs in the bridge, and reaches a tumultuous climax over shuddering drums.[11] [12] Backing vocals on the track are provided by producer Jack Antonoff.[13]

Lyrically, "My Tears Ricochet" sees the narrator question whether they deserve their mistreatment, and admit that she chose not to "go with grace" by haunting the memorial. The song enquires why the former lover chose to attend her funeral despite "cursing [her] name" and compares their disoriented relationship to sunken battleships in the sea.[14] The song's lyrics and symbols reference Swift's masters dispute, and the bitter ending of her ties with the founder of Big Machine, Scott Borchetta. Apart from the overarching funereal motif, Swift uses the imagery of battleships sinking into an ocean, to draw a dramatic picture of how it feels to make one wrong move and lose something enormous.[15]

Critical reception

"My Tears Ricochet" received widespread acclaim from music critics, praising the song's concept, lyrics, imagery, emotion, Swift's vocals and production. Writing for NME, Hannah Mylrea drew comparisons between "My Tears Ricochet" and "Clean" from Swift's record 1989, remarking that "a megawatt pop song is encased in layered vocals and twinkling music box instrumentals".[16] Jody Rosen of the Los Angeles Times said in a review that the track built up to "a tumultuous climax", and that the track was "goth, like Chartres Cathedral is goth".[17] Billboard Jason Lipshutz wrote that the song "builds into a sorrowful anthem", and that "a bitter parting becomes a literal death". In a piece for Slant Magazine, Eric Mason named this track "one of Folklore’s most straightforwardly resentful stories", saying that "the sharp beats of strings on the chorus recall the bridges of early-2010s Swift songs", comparing it with "Mad Woman" and "Cruel Summer".[18] Ann Powers of NPR deemed the song "more sophisticated" than Swift's previous writing while remaining "classic Taylor Swift", and stated that the singer takes an event "specific almost only to her, and opens it up into something universal ... because we have all experienced a sense of betrayal and loss of self-ownership."[19] Lucy Harbron of Clash wrote "My Tears Ricochet" is one of Swift's most "gut-wrenching" songs; she said the track "turns into a funeral lament that perfectly vocalises all the sadness and anger and displacement that comes with a mega heartbreak."[20]

Commercial performance

Driven by Folklore release, "My Tears Ricochet" opened at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100, amongst the album's 10 tracks to chart inside the top 40 and five to enter the top 20; it charted for two weeks before its exit. The song further reached number 3 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[21] It also reached number 7 on the Singaporean and Malaysian singles charts, number 8 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart, and number 14 on the Canadian Hot 100.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal, except where noted.[22]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for "My Tears Ricochet"
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Malaysia (RIM)[23] 7
Singapore (RIAS)[24] 7
US Rolling Stone Top 100[25] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[26] 23

Usage in media

Notes and References

  1. Suskind. Alex. December 9, 2020. Taylor Swift broke all her rules with 'Folklore' — and gave herself a much-needed escape. December 8, 2020. Entertainment Weekly. EN.
  2. Web site: Gerber . Brady . As Told to July 27, 2020 The Story Behind Every Song on Taylor Swift's folklore . Vulture . July 27, 2020 . 22 May 2021 . July 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200728234347/https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-aaron-dessner-breaks-down-every-song.html . live .
  3. News: Gallagher . Alex . Taylor Swift wrote early 'My Tears Ricochet' lyrics after watching 'Marriage Story' . 30 March 2021 . . 9 December 2020 . January 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210122004239/https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/taylor-swift-my-tears-ricochet-marriage-story-2834832 . live .
  4. July 24, 2020. 'It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For 'Folklore'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724184421/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9423740/read-taylor-swift-primer-folklore. July 24, 2020. July 25, 2020. Billboard.
  5. News: Wood. Mikael. 26 June 2020. Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': All 16 songs, ranked. Los Angeles Times. live. 30 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210329230604/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-26/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked. March 29, 2021.
  6. Web site: Johnson. Chole. July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift – Folklore. July 24, 2020. MusicOMH. July 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724123506/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore. live.
  7. Web site: Magan. Valerie. July 28, 2020. Taylor Swift – folklore. July 28, 2020. Clash. July 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200728183412/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore. live.
  8. Sheffield . Rob . All 173 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked . 30 March 2021 . . 24 November 2020.
  9. Web site: Taylor Swift "my tears ricochet" Sheet Music. May 19, 2021. Musicnotes.com. July 27, 2020. May 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210514122718/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0214756. live.
  10. Web site: Key & BPM for "my tears ricochet" . tunebat . 20 May 2021 . May 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210520001216/https://tunebat.com/Info/my-tears-ricochet-Taylor-Swift/5P2bHCDM2tsgIaYWsZMhu5 . live .
  11. Web site: Taylor Swift – 'Folklore' review: pop superstar undergoes an extraordinary indie-folk makeover. Mylrea. Hannah. NME. July 24, 2020. July 24, 2020. August 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200828191216/https://www.nme.com/en_au/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-2714285. live.
  12. Web site: Rosen. Jody. July 24, 2020. Review: Taylor Swift's radically intimate 'Folklore' is the perfect quar album. August 13, 2020. Los Angeles Times. August 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811075211/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-24/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review. live.
  13. Lipshutz . Jason . Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': Critic's Picks . 30 March 2021 . . 24 July 2020 . March 6, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210306131251/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9424095/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked-critics-picks/ . live .
  14. Web site: Recchio . Thomas . Review of Taylor Swift's 'folklore' . the Eagle . 20 May 2021 . May 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210520002555/https://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2020/08/review-of-taylor-swifts-folklore . live .
  15. Huff. Lauren. The best lyrics off Taylor Swift's Folklore. Entertainment Weekly. July 28, 2021. June 12, 2021.
  16. News: Mylrea . Hannah . Taylor Swift – 'Folklore' review: pop superstar undergoes an extraordinary indie-folk makeover . 30 March 2021 . . 24 July 2020.
  17. News: Rosen . Jody . Review: Taylor Swift's radically intimate 'Folklore' is the perfect quar album . 30 March 2021 . . 24 July 2020 . August 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200811075211/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-24/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review . live .
  18. News: Mason . Eric . Every Song on Taylor Swift's Folklore Ranked . 30 March 2021 . . 12 September 2020 . January 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210129052225/https://www.slantmagazine.com/lists/every-song-on-taylor-swift-folklore-ranked/ . live .
  19. Web site: Stephen Thompson, Ann Powers, Lyndsey McKenna . Let's Talk About Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' . NPR . July 28, 2020 . 20 May 2021 . July 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200730020352/https://www.npr.org/2020/07/28/896193188/taylor-swift-folklore-critics-roundtable . live .
  20. Web site: Taylor Swift: Her 15 Best Songs. 2022-01-06. Clash Magazine. January 2, 2022. en. May 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220525021731/https://www.clashmusic.com/features/taylor-swift-her-15-best-songs. live.
  21. Taylor Swift — Billboard Hot 100 History. June 7, 2021. Billboard.
  22. Web site: Folklore by Taylor Swift. live. 2021-04-24. Tidal. April 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210424035501/https://listen.tidal.com/album/149678928/credits.
  23. Web site: Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. September 10, 2020. August 10, 2020. https://archive.today/20200810074151/https://www.facebook.com/RecordingIndustryMalaysia/photos/pcb.3709312869096056/3709312722429404/?type=3&theater. live.
  24. Web site: RIAS International Top Charts Week 31. Recording Industry Association (Singapore). https://web.archive.org/web/20200805124940/https://www.rias.org.sg/rias-top-charts/. August 5, 2020.
  25. Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 - July 30, 2020. Rolling Stone. September 10, 2020. April 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423043147/https://www.rollingstone.com/charts/songs/2020-07-30/. dead.
  26. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020. Billboard. January 2, 2013. December 4, 2020. January 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210111060621/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/hot-rock-songs. live.
  27. Web site: Gomez . Dessi . 2024-08-09 . ‘It Ends With Us’ Soundtrack: All the Songs You’ll Hear . 2024-08-21 . Deadline . en-US.