Released October 28, 2008 Recorded 2007 Length 4:21 | Format Promo
digital download Genre Country rock Label Big Machine | |
"You're Not Sorry" is a country rock song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was solely written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. It was released on October 28, 2008 by Big Machine Records as a promotional single from Swift's second studio album, Fearless on iTunes, though it is no longer available. A remix version for the television episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in which Swift made an appearance was later released. Swift wrote "You're Not Sorry", inspired by an ex-boyfriend who was revealed to be opposite of what he appeared to be. The song is a power ballad with country and rock music influences.
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Contemporary critics gave "You're Not Sorry" average to favorable reviews. In North America, the song achieved commercial success. It peaked at number 11 on Canadian Hot 100. In the United States, "You're Not Sorry" also peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Swift performed the song in several venues, including on her first headlining tour, the 2009 and 2010 Fearless Tour. During the tour, Swift performed a mashup of a cover version of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" and "You're Not Sorry".
Background
"You're Not Sorry" was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman alongside Swift. It was inspired by an ex-boyfriend who was later revealed to be opposite of what Swift had originally thought. Swift recalled that, at first, "He came across as prince charming." As the relationship continued, Swift was informed of numerous secrets about her boyfriend she was not aware of. "And one by one, I would figure them out. I would find out who he really was," she said. She wrote "You're Not Sorry" in an emotional state, which she described as "the breaking point", where she thought to herself, "'You know what? Don’t even think that you can keep on hurting me.'" The circumstances reached a point where she felt she had to walk away. "You're Not Sorry" was first released as a promotional single from Fearless on October 28, 2008 as part of Countdown to Fearless, an exclusive campaign by the iTunes Store. The song was reissued on March 5, 2009, as remix, the same day she made her guest appearance on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the episode "Turn, Turn, Turn". The remix was featured in the episode.
Composition
"You're Not Sorry" is a country rock song with a length lasting four minutes and 21 seconds. Todd Martens of The Los Angeles Times felt the track was an old-fashioned power ballad, rather than country. Jordan Levin of The Miami Herald agreed and described its genre as a "rebellious rock tune." The song is set in common time and has a slow tempo of 67.5 beats per minute. It is written in the key of E♭ minor and Swift's vocals span two octaves, from G♭3 to C♭4. The musical arrangement contains a prominent hook during its chorus, according to Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine. "You're Not Sorry" commences with piano and, mid-song, progresses toward backing electric guitars, which eventually reach a solo. Martens believed Swift's vocals were not the strongest because the existence of the electric guitar solo was meant to prevent too many high notes. It follows the chord progression E♭m–C♭–G♭–D♭. Rob Sheffield of Blender magazine noted the lyrics to "You're Not Sorry" had many "tingling pheromones".
Critical reception
"You're Not Sorry" received moderately positive reviews from critics. Rob Sheffield of Blender magazine received "You're Not Sorry" negatively and used the word "drippy" to describe it. Sheffield added that, in the song, by comparison, "she reminds you what a smart job she normally does of keeping the tempo jumping." Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine believed "You're Not Sorry" was one of the songs on Fearless that expanded on the success of Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift (2006), because of how prominently its hook stands out. Craig Rosen of The Hollywood Reporter said "You're Not Sorry" was ostentatious in regards to Swift's crossover potential. Nick Catucci of New York magazine read an article posted in The New York Times, which stated Swift "quickly established herself as the most remarkable country music breakthrough artist of the decade", and opted his own opinion, based on the song. Catucci said, "And indeed, we think we got a little fairy dust in our eyes listening to 'You're Not Sorry' [... It] isn't the stuff of redneck women but earnest suburban princesses," despite that he had listened to better songs in the past decade. Scott Mervis of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette compared "You're Not Sorry" to a "chanteuse a la Tori Amos".
Chart performance
As it was not released as a double-single, "You're Not Sorry" did not receive airplay, thus its chart appearances consisted mainly of digital downloads. The song entered Billboard's Hot Digital Songs Chart at number two, which led to an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending November 15, 2008. "You're Not Sorry" debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the week's top debut and narrowly missing Swift's top ten debut of 2008. In the succeeding week, the song descended to number 35 and then fell off the chart. Upon the release of the CSI remix, it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67. "You're Not Sorry" is one of 13 songs from Fearless charted within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the most top 40 entries from a single album. "You're Not Sorry" spent a total of five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Also in the United States, "You're Not Sorry" peaked at number 21 on the now-defunct Pop 100 Chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of 500,000 units. The song debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Canadian Hot 100. As of December 2011, "You're Not Sorry" has sold 653,000 copies in the USA.
Live performances
Swift performed "You're Not Sorry" on all venues of her first headlining concert tour, the Fearless Tour, which extended from April 2009 to June 2010. During each performance, Swift donned a black cocktail dress with sparkly ornaments along the stomach. She began the performance by sitting on a bench, playing black grand piano. Midway through "You're Not Sorry", Swift ceases playing the piano and commences to sing a cover version of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" while whipping her hair, maintaining on the bench. Throughout the remainder of the performance, she intermingled between the two songs as smoke swirled and lightning was projected on the stage. Jon Pareles of The New York Times referred to the performance as one of the night's highlights at the August 27, 2009, concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Reed Fischer of Miami New Times attended the March 7, 2010, concert at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida and, of the cover of "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around", said, "That, and some extended beating on an oil drum sculpture, made for the only unsavory moments of the night." Alice Fisher of the United Kingdom magazine The Observer believed the performance at the May 7, 2009, concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, England "was undermined by the way Swift writhed on her stool and awkwardly thumped the piano lid in one of the most unconvincing displays of passion I've seen since Footballers' Wives finished." Swift also performed the song at an exclusive performance, hosted by 95.8 Capital FM, the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards, and the 2009 CMA Music Festival. During her Speak Now World Tour, she used elements of "You're Not Sorry" and "Apologize" while performing "Back To December". She also performed the song twice on the Red Tour.
Track listings
- "You're Not Sorry" (CSI Remix) – 4:22