High Infidelity (song)

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"High Infidelity"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Midnights (3am Edition)
ReleasedOctober 21, 2022 (2022-10-21)
Length3:51
LabelRepublic
Songwriters
Producers
  • Taylor Swift
  • Aaron Dessner
Lyric video
"'High Infidelity" on YouTube

"High Infidelity" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift with Aaron Dessner, as a bonus track for the 3am Edition of her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). A midtempo ballad, "High Infidelity" describes the painful complexities of emotional neglect, infidelity and internal conflicts in a relationship.

Background and release

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American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her tenth original studio album, Midnights on October 21, 2022, through Republic Records – exploring her sleepless nights and nocturnal ruminations.[1][2] Three hours after the standard edition of the album was released, an extended version, namely the 3am Edition was surprise-released featuring seven additional tracks.[3][4] "High Infidelity" is one of the seven bonus tracks, being the 17th song out of 20 in the track listing.[5][6][7] The song was also included in the Late Night Edition of Midnights, which was released on May 26, 2023.[8]

On April 29, 2023, Swift performed "High Infidelity" live for the first time as a surprise song on her sixth concert tour, The Eras Tour, at Atlanta, Georgia as a reference to the lyrics "Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?".[9][10] It was performed once again on May 24, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, mashed-up with her song "Fresh Out the Slammer".[9]

"High Infidelity" debuted and peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[11] On the Billboard Global 200, it peaked at number 31.[12] The track also peaked on the single charts of Canada at number 28.[13]

Composition

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"High Infidelity" is a mid-tempo ballad. It is 3 minutes and 51 seconds long.[14] Swift wrote and produced the track with her longtime collaborator, Aaron Dessner, who provided the percussion, keyboards, piano, synthesizers and acoustic guitar.[14]

The lyrics of "High Infidelity" is narrated from the perspective of a broken relationship, revolving around the side of the one who is getting cheated on.[15] It explores emotions of emotional neglect, internal conflicts, betrayal and cheating, using metaphors of audio distortions.[16][17] Moreover, Swift repetitively references the date April 29th in the chorus (Do you really want to know where I was April 29th? / Do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?).[18] This reference sparked some speculation regarding the subject of the song, which is rumored to be about Swift's relationship with Scottish DJ, Calvin Harris, whom Swift reportedly dated for 15 months before splitting in mid-2016.[15][19] It was also in this date that Harris and Rihanna's song, "This Is What You Came For" was released on 2016, wherein Swift was credited as a songwriter under the pseudonym "Nils Sjöberg". Alyssa Bailey of Elle interpreted the reference as the date of Swift's breakup with Harris.[20] Swift's fandom – the Swifties – unofficially named April 29th as "High Infidelity day".[21]

Business Insider journalists Callie Ahlgrim and Courteney Larocca compared the track to Swift's song "Illicit Affairs" – off her album, Folklore (2020) – as the aftermath of the events leading to "High Infidelity", writing that both the relationships portrayed in each song are "ill-fated" and "destined to falter in their own ways".[22] Both writers also resembled the song's themes to Big Red Machine's 2021 song with Swift, "Renegade" featuring Swift, citing the lyrics ("Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything? / Or do you just not want to?") and calling it an "embittered counterpart".[23] Similarly, Ahlgrim quoted the song "shows Swift's wit and sensitivity", and is "far more nuanced and insightful probe into Swift's guilt, sensitivity, and self-righteousness".[22]

Critical reception

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Upon the release of the 3am Edition of Midnights (2022), "High Infidelity" received positive acclaim from most critics. Variety writer Chris Willman praised the song's themes. Along with Swift's other song off the same album "Would've, Could've, Should've", Willman quoted that the track "will be essential for anyone looking for a window into her past in real life relationships". Additionally, he stated both songs will "suck up all the oxygen in the room for the time being" for re-calling back to Swift's previous celebrity relationship.[24] Rob Scheffield of Rolling Stone ranked "High Infidelity" number 133 out of 247 songs in Swift's discography and complimented its production.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Perez, Lexy (October 20, 2022). "Taylor Swift Makes Return to Pop in New 'Midnights' Album, Will Release Music Movies for Songs". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  2. ^ Carras, Christi (October 20, 2022). "Countdown to 'Midnights': What we know about Taylor Swift's new album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  3. ^ Mier, Tomás. "Taylor Swift Surprises Fans With 'Midnights 3 A.M. Edition' Featuring 7 Additional Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Boucher, Phil (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift Reveals Her 'Chaotic Surprise': 7 New Songs on Special 'Midnights (3am Edition)'". People. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  5. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 3 A.M. Surprise Was Almost An Entire Other Album's Worth Of New Music Alongside 'Midnights'". Uproxx. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  6. ^ Brandle, Lars (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 'Chaotic Surprise' Is 'Midnights (3am Edition),' Featuring 7 Extra Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  7. ^ Willman, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's '3 am' Bonus Tracks, Reviewed: Peeks Into Prior Relationships Prove Fascinating, Even if She Was Right to Trim From 'Midnights'". Variety. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  8. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 4, 2023). "Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' Jumps Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 After Release of Deluxe Editions". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Shafer, Ellise (December 9, 2024). "Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: Every Surprise Song She's Played". Variety. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  10. ^ Richards, Will (May 1, 2023). "Watch Taylor Swift debut 'High Infidelity' live on 'Eras' tour". NME. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  11. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  13. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Swift, Taylor (October 21, 2022). "Midnights (3am Edition) - Taylor Swift". Apple Music. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Viswanath, Jake (October 25, 2022). "The Meaning Of Taylor Swift's "High Infidelity" & April 29 Lyrics". Bustle. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Scheffield, Rob. "High Infidelity (2022)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  17. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 21, 2022). "Welcome to the Lavender Labyrinth: Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' Is the Mastermind's Ultimate Power Move". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  18. ^ Garcia, Gretty (October 21, 2022). "Why Everyone Is Freaking Out Over Where Taylor Swift Was on April 29". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  19. ^ Hudgins, Ryan (April 22, 2024). "Every Time Taylor Swift Sang About Cheating: From 'High Infidelity' to 'Should've Said No'". US Magazine. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  20. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 'High Infidelity' Lyrics—and That 'April 29' Line—Seem to Recount End of Calvin Harris Romance". Elle. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  21. ^ Roberts, Kayleigh (May 3, 2023). "Taylor Swift Fans Have Officially Declared April 29 High Infidelity Day, So Update Your Calendar". Women's Health. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Ahlgrim, Callie; Larocca, Courteney (October 30, 2022). "We are pleased to inform you that Taylor Swift's 8 bonus tracks for 'Midnights' contain some of her best songwriting ever". Business Insider. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  23. ^ Callie, Ahlgrim (October 28, 2022). "The best song from Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' is one she left off the actual album". Business Insider. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  24. ^ Willman, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Taylor Swift's '3 am' Bonus Tracks, Reviewed: Peeks Into Prior Relationships Prove Fascinating, Even if She Was Right to Trim From 'Midnights'". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2025.