Thank You Aimee
| "Thank You Aimee" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Taylor Swift | |
| from the album The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology | |
| Released | April 19, 2024 |
| Studio |
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| Genre | |
| Length | 4:23 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Lyric video | |
| "Thank You Aimee" on YouTube | |
"Thank You Aimee" (stylized as "thanK you aIMee" or "thank You aimEe") is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from the double album edition of her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (2024). Swift and Aaron Dessner wrote the track, and the two produced it with Jack Antonoff. A country and folk track instrumented by guitar strums, its lyrics are about dealing with a high-school bully.
Due to the lyrical content and the stylizations of the title, some media publications interpreted "Thank You Aimee" as a diss track towards Kim Kardashian or Kanye West; several commentaries opined that it was unnecessary for Swift to relieve a feud that had happened a long time prior. "Thank You Aimee" peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Global 200 and charted in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and the United States. Swift performed the song in a mashup with her track "Mean" (2010) at the London stop of her Eras Tour in June 2024.
Background and release
Taylor Swift released the standard edition of The Tortured Poets Department on April 19, 2024, containing sixteen tracks and four different seventeenth bonus track among different vinyl variant releases. Two hours after release, she surprise-released fifteen more tracks as a double album titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, which included the song "Thank You Aimee" as the 24th track.[1][2][3] The title on the original album is stylized "thanK you aIMee".[4] On June 22, 2024, Swift performed it as part of a mashup with her track "Mean" (2010) at the London stop of the Eras Tour.[5] On August 15, 2024, this live performance was made available for download as part of a limited-time edition of The Tortured Poets Department available via Swift's online store.[6] The title of the track on this edition is stylized "thank You aimEe".[7]
Composition and lyrical interpretations
"Thank You Aimee" is a country,[8] folk,[9] and folk-pop track[10] with country pop stylings,[11] instrumented by guitar strums.[12] The song is written in the key of G major in common time[13] with a tempo of 96 beats per minute.[14] Swift's lead vocals range from G3 to C5.[13]
The lyrics of "Thank You Aimee" are directed towards Aimee, a character described as an old high-school bully.[15] In the third verse, Swift's character thanks Aimee, telling her that even though she "wrote a thousand songs that you find uncool", she "built a legacy which you can't undo", adding that "there wouldn't be this, if there hadn't been you".[4] In the bridge, Swift's character criticizes Aimee's lack of development ("I don't think you've changed much. And so I changed your name, and any real defining clues")[4] and implies that "Aimee" is a fake name: "A song that only us two is gonna know is about you."[16]
Due to the lyrical content and the title's stylization with the capitalized letters spelling about "Kim", many media publications speculated that "Thank You Aimee" was a diss track directed at the media personality Kim Kardashian.[3][17][18] The limited-time acoustic version's title has capitalized letters spelling "Ye", leading to interpretations that the track was also targeted at the rapper Kanye West.[7] Swift had a publicized feud with Kardashian and West, formerly husband and wife, over West's 2016 single "Famous", in which West claimed he made Swift famous; Swift considered the lyrics of the song misogynistic.[19][20] Some critics thought that it was unnecessary for Swift to relive a long-gone feud.[21][22][23]
Commercial performance
Following the release of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, "Thank You Aimee" opened at its peak of number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[24] In Australia, it reached number 28 on the ARIA Singles Chart and made her the artist with the most entries in a single week with 29.[25][26] Elsewhere, "Thank You Aimee" debuted and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Global 200[27] and charted within the countries of Canada (25),[28] New Zealand (29),[29] and Portugal (97).[30] The song also reached the United Kingdom's streaming[31] and sales charts with respective peaks of number 55 and number 33,[32] Sweden's Heatseeker chart at number two,[33] and Greece's International Top 100 Digital Singles chart at number 77.[34]
Credits
Adapted from the liner notes of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology[35]
Studios
- Recorded by Bella Blasko and Jonathan Low at Long Pond Studios (Hudson Valley) and by Jack Antonoff, Laura Sisk, and Oli Jacobs at Sharp Sonic Studios (Los Angeles)
- Orchestration made by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz)
- Aaron Dessner's banjo and mandolin performance recorded by Maryam Qudus at Long Pond
- Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago)
- Thomas Barnett's performance recorded by himself at the Dwelling (New York City)
- London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London)
- Mixed by Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
- Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, New Jersey)
- Mastered for vinyl by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound (Nashville, Tennessee)
Personnel
Technical
- Taylor Swift – songwriter, producer
- Jack Antonoff – producer, recording, programming
- Aaron Dessner – producer, songwriter, programming
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Bryce Bordone – engineer
- Jonathan Low – recording
- Bella Blasko – recording
- Oli Jacobs – recording
- Laura Sisk – recording
- Jozef Caldwell – assistant engineer, recording
- Maryam Qudus – recording
- Thomas Bartlett – recording
- Jeremy Murphy – recording
- Laura Beck – assistant engineer
- Randy Merrill – mastering
- Ryan Smith – mastering for vinyl
- London Contemporary Orchestra
- Digital recordist – Gianluca Massimo
- Copyist – Tristan Noon
- Recording projects manager – Meg Monteith
- Orchestra manager – Amy-Elisabeth Hinds
Musicians
- Taylor Swift – vocals
- Jack Antonoff – cello, percussion, drums, electric guitar, background vocals
- Aaron Dessner – acoustic guitar, banjo, bass synth, drum machine programming, keyboard, mandolin, percussion, synthesizers
- Bryce Dessner – orchestration
- Thomas Bartlett – keyboards, piano, synthesizers
- Glenn Kotche – drums, percussion
- London Contemporary Orchestra
- Conductor – Robert Ames
- First violin – Galya Bisengalieva (sololist and leader), Eloisa-Fleur Thom, Sophie Mather, Marriane Haynes, Alicia Berendse, Anna de Bruin, Akiko Ishikawa, Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue
- Second violin – Emily Holland, Kirsty Mangan, Cara Laskaris, Ronald Long, Dan Oates, Iona Allan
- Viola – Nicholas Bootiman, Matthew Kettle, Elisa Bergersen, Morgan Goff
- Cello – Brian O'Kane, Reinoud Ford, Max Ruisi, Abi Hyde-Smith
- Double bass – Dave Brown, Chris Kelly, Sophie Roper
- French horn – David McQueen, Paul Cott, Jonathan Farey
- Percussion – George Barton
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[25] | 28 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] | 25 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[27] | 29 |
| Greece International (IFPI)[34] | 77 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] | 29 |
| Portugal (AFP)[30] | 97 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[33] | 2 |
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[32] | 55 |
| UK Streaming (OCC)[31] | 33 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[24] | 23 |
References
- ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's surprise double album The Tortured Poets Department is daggers wrapped in a lullaby". CNN. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Scoop (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals Surprise Double Album Version of The Tortured Poets Department". Consequence. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Muir, Ellie (April 20, 2024). "Taylor Swift 'thanks' Kim Kardashian on Tortured Poets song as she reflects on feud". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Daw, Stephen (April 19, 2024). "Here's Why Taylor Swift Fans Think 'Thank You Aimee' Is Full of Digs at Kim Kardashian". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Katie Louise (June 23, 2024). "Here's Every Surprise Song Performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour". Capital FM. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (August 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift Wasn't Going to Miss a Chance to Diss Kanye After the Vultures 2 Release". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Atkinson, Katie (August 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift Shifts From Kim to Ye With New Live Release of 'thank You aimEe': See Fan Reaction". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ Wohlmacher, John (April 23, 2024). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Fish, Ryan (April 22, 2024). "Every Song on Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Zaleski 2024.
- ^ Exposito, Suzu (April 20, 2024). "Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department". British Vogue. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department: All 31 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Aaron, Dessner; Taylor, Swift (April 29, 2024). "thanK you aIMee". www.musicnotes.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "BPM and key for thanK you aIMee by Taylor Swift | Tempo for thanK you aIMee". songbpm.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'thanK you aIMee' Is About Kim Kardashian". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Singh, Olivia; Adekaiyero, Ayomikun (April 20, 2024). "Taylor Swift fans think new album tracks 'ThanK you aIMee' and 'Cassandra' are thinly veiled Kim Kardashian diss tracks". Business Insider. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Stahl, Jay (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Ye feud timeline: VMAs to The Tortured Poets Department". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Longmire, Becca. "Are Taylor Swift's Tracks 'thanK you aIMee' and 'Cassandra' About Kim Kardashian?". People. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (July 18, 2016). "Kim Kardashian's Taylor Swift-Kanye West Snapchat story, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Grady, Constance (March 21, 2020). "Newly leaked footage shows Taylor Swift and Kanye West talking "Famous"". Vox. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Karvelas, Patricia; Macdonald, Megan; McKinnon, Grace; Riga, Jessica (April 22, 2024). "Is The Tortured Poets Department a sign of genius, or does Taylor Swift need an editor?". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Mull, Teresa (April 24, 2024). "Taylor Swift is the tortured voice of millennials". The Spectator. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Julia (April 23, 2024). "Kim Kardashian Is 'Over' Taylor Swift Feud and Wants Singer to 'Move On' After 'thanK you aIMee' Release: Source". People. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift's New Album The Tortured Poets Department Smashes Chart Records in the US, UK and Australia". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift – Thank You Aimee". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 17". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
- ^ Swift, Taylor (2024). The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (vinyl). Republic Records. B0DK4N2CB1.
Source
- Zaleski, Annie (2024). Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs. Headline Publishing Group. ISBN 9781802798586.
