"Eyes Open" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to the 2012 film ''

The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' are a series of Young adult fiction, young adult Dystopian fiction, dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and two ...

''. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it is an

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

instrumented with chiming guitars, evoking

pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...

and

space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...

sounds. The lyrics are about resilience during hardships, told from the perspective of the film's protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. The song was released as a single from the soundtrack on March 27, 2012. Music critics commented the song's rock sound showcased Swift's expanding artistry beyond her previous

country pop Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...

songs. At the 2012 Teen Choice Awards, it won Choice Single – Female. "Eyes Open" charted in the top 50 and received certifications in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The song additionally charted in Ireland and the United Kingdom. A re-recording titled "Eyes Open (Taylor's Version)" was released on March 17, 2023, as part of Swift's re-recordings of her back catalog, following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of the masters of her first six albums.

Background and composition

wrote two songs for the

to the 2012 film ''

'': "Safe & Sound" and "Eyes Open". She wrote the former with the Civil Wars and the latter by herself. According to Swift, "Eyes Open" is about the ''Hunger Games'' protagonist Katniss Everdeen's relationship with the Capitol. She described the song as the opposite of the melancholic "Safe & Sound", stating that " t ismore frantic and fast-paced, a completely different shade of music". "Eyes Open" is four minutes and four seconds long. It was produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, and recorded at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles. "Eyes Open" is an

, instrumented by dynamic guitar

riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...

s. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s Jason Lipshutz wrote that the song was situated within the "

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...

vein", and ''USA Today'''s

Brian Mansfield Brian Mansfield (born September 24, 1963) is an American writer and journalist. Early life and education Mansfield grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School. In 1984, Mansfield received a bachelor's degre ...

thought that Swift was inspired by her love for

. According to

Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author and music historian. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio w ...

, "Eyes Open" showcases Swift's "heavy

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

persona" and its "lurching guitars and gouging grooves" evoke the styles of

bands like Hum and

Failure Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...

. Told from the perspective of Everdeen, the lyrics depict her defiance to keep her eyes open to watch out for enemies and challenges.

Release and commercial performance

Swift performed an acoustic version of "Eyes Open" at a concert in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on March 17, 2012, as part of her Speak Now World Tour. The song was leaked before its official release date of March 20, 2012, in tandem with the release of the soundtrack; a

lyric video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to promote the sale of m ...

was also released. The single was sent to

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

in the United States on March 27, 2012, by Big Machine and

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

. "Eyes Open" won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Music – Single (Female) at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards. Swift performed "Eyes Open" as part of her acoustic set in the Eras Tour concert at Tokyo show in February 2024. In the United States, "Eyes Open" entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 19, which was also its peak position. After it was sent to radio, the single debuted on the

Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...

airplay chart at number 28 and eventually peaked at number 20. In December 2012, "Eyes Open" received a platinum

certification Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...

from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for surpassing one million digital copies sold in the United States; it became Swift's sixteenth million-seller and her second from the soundtrack, after "Safe & Sound". By November 2017, the song had sold 1.4 million digital copies in the United States. Elsewhere, "Eyes Open" charted in various Anglophone territories, at number 17 in Canada, number 47 in Australia, number 65 in Ireland, and number 70 in the United Kingdom. In New Zealand, the song debuted and peaked at number six and was certified gold by

Recorded Music NZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...

Critical reception

The song was generally well received by critics, most of whom highlighted its rock-oriented production as a departure from Swift's previous

releases.

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Blen ...

of ''Rolling Stone'' described it as Swift's "long-overdue metal move". It was selected as one of the soundtrack's standouts by Medoly Lau of

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

and Christina Jaleru of the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, who complimented its lyrics as a

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

for Everdeen's narrative and

celebrity culture Celebrity culture is a high-volume exposure to celebrities' personal lives on a global scale. It is inherently tied to consumer interests where celebrities transform their fame to become product brands. Whereas a culture can usually be physically ...

at large. ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

''s Glenn Gamboa considered the track a pleasant surprise for featuring Swift's "hardest rock performance" vocally. ''Screen Rant'''s Gina Wurtz regarded "Eyes Open" as a showcase of Swift's ability to switch genres and ranked it among her 10 best rock-inspired songs. Allison Stewart of ''The Washington Post'' lauded the song as a "perfect inner monologue" of Everdeen. ''Billboard'''s Jason Lipshutz praised it as a "clever spin" on the perils of stardom. In a review for ''The Gazette'', Bernard Perusse described "Eyes Open" as an anthem that would be as popular as the film. In June 2022, ''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

'' ranked "Eyes Open" as Swift's third-best soundtrack song, behind " Safe & Sound" (also for ''The Hunger Games'', 2011) and " I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (for ''Fifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'', 2017).

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...

from ''The Guardian'' was less enthusiastic, considering the rock sound of "Eyes Open" a teaser for Swift's more exciting sounds on her forthcoming album ''Red'' (2012).

Personnel

Adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

of ''The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond'' * Taylor Swift – producer, writer * Nathan Chapman – producer, recording * Chad Carlson – recording * Jason Wormer – recording * Jason Campbell – production coordinator * Mike Piersante – mixing

Charts

Certifications

"Eyes Open (Taylor's Version)"

On March 17, 2023, Swift released "Eyes Open (Taylor's Version)", a re-recorded version of "Eyes Open", via

. The song was part of Swift's re-recording plan following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of the masters of her older discography, after the talent manager Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released. By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for

commercial use Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters. "Eyes Open (Taylor's Version)" was released for

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

and download as an independent track without appearing on any album. It was included on a streaming-only compilation titled ''The More Red (Taylor's Version) Chapter''.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal. * Taylor Swift – vocals, background vocals, songwriter, producer * Christopher Rowe – producer, vocal engineer * Paul Mirkovich – producer, executive producer, additional engineer, piano,

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

, drum programming * Derek Garten – engineer, editor * Travis Ference – editor, recording engineer, additional engineer * Justin Derrico – recording engineer, additional engineer,

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...

* Nate Morton – drums, drum programming * Alexander Sasha Krivtsov –

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

* Max Bernstein – electric guitar *

Serban Ghenea Serban Ghenea () is a Canadian audio engineer and mixer. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award a total of 45 times and has won 21 times. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Romania, and in 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. H ...

– mixing * Bryce Bordone – mix engineer * Randy Merrill – mastering

Charts

References

Source

* {{authority control 2012 singles Taylor Swift songs The Hunger Games music Songs written by Taylor Swift Alternative rock ballads 2010s ballads Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman (record producer) Song recordings produced by Chris Rowe 2012 songs American alternative rock songs Big Machine Records singles Songs written for films