"I Can See You"[a] is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift. It was released on July 7, 2023, as part of her third
re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Produced by Swift and
Jack Antonoff, "I Can See You" is an
indie rock song featuring a groovy guitar
riff. The lyrics are
sexually suggestive and contain flirtatious
innuendos, describing Swift's attraction to a person she comes across often.
Music critics gave the song positive reviews, and praised its rhythmic production, sensual lyrics, and
catchiness; some picked it as a highlight amongst the album's vault tracks. Commercially, "I Can See You" peaked at number four on the
Billboard Global 200 and the top ten on
singles charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
An accompanying music video, written and directed by Swift, was released on July 7, 2023, premiering the day before at the first
Eras Tour show in
Kansas City, Missouri. Starring American actors
Joey King,
Taylor Lautner and
Presley Cash, alongside Swift herself, the video depicts a
heist by King, Lautner and Cash to free the Speak Now-era Swift from a highly guarded vault in a museum. It is a metaphor for the support from Swift's fans following the
dispute over the sale of the masters for her first six albums, including Speak Now. The
Grammy Museum at L.A. Live hosted a pop-up exhibit containing costumes and props from the video, in honor of Swift's record six sold-out shows at the
SoFi Stadium as part of the Eras Tour.
The American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, on October 25, 2010, under
Big Machine Records.[2] She released three more studio albums under Big Machine, as per her recording contract, which expired in November 2018. Swift subsequently withdrew from Big Machine and signed a new deal with
Republic Records, which secured her the rights to own the
masters of any new music she would release.[3] In 2019, the American music executive
Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine;[4] the ownership of the masters to Swift's first six studio albums, including Speak Now, transferred to him.[5] In August 2019, Swift denounced Braun's purchase and announced that she would
re-record her first six studio albums so as to own their masters herself.[6] She began the re-recording process in November 2020.[7]
On May 5, 2023, at the first
Nashville date of her sixth concert tour,
the Eras Tour, Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and its release date of July 7.[8] She subsequently said in social media posts, "I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing ... and living to speak about it".[9] Swift emphasized the hardships she faced in her life during the time she wrote the record, among them "brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness".[10] On June 5, 2023, Swift announced the track-list of the album, which consists of 22 songs. Among them are six "From the Vault" songs that were written for the 2010 album but did not make the final track-list, including "I Can See You".[11]Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was released by Republic on July 7, 2023.[12] On August 3, Swift performed the track as a "surprise song" at the Eras Tour show in
Los Angeles.[13]
"I Can See You" has a duration of four minutes and thirty-three seconds.[14] It is driven by a
surf rock guitar
riff, which critics described as "choppy" and "edgy".[15][16] The
midtempo production incorporates
distorted guitars, meandering bass, and synthesizers.[17][18][19] Mike DeWald from Riff Magazine characterized "I Can See You" as an
indie rock song, and Annabel Nugent from The Independent thought it evokes an "indie-rock mood" that differs from its immediate predecessors.[17][20] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard and Chris Willman of Variety said the song has elements of
funk.[21][22] For Pitchfork, editor Vrinda Jagota wrote that it "sounds more like the inky, lilting
trap-
pop" on Reputation (2017) than the music on Speak Now (Taylor's Version).[23] The lyrics and style have been called sultry, flirtatious, and
sexually suggestive.[16][24] Swift's use of
innuendos while describing a "cataclysmic" crush has drawn comparisons to Swift's song "Dress" from Reputation.[20][25]
Critical reception
In reviews of Speak Now (Taylor's Version), a number of critics picked "I Can See You" as the album's best "From the Vault" track.[15][20] Nugent and DeWald commended the "danceable" production, and the latter considered the song "a fun change of pace" to the album.[20][17] Lipshutz said the song "would have been an excellent addition" to the 2010 album and Kate Solomon of i dubbed it as a "classic".[15][26]
Spin writer Bobby Olivier opined that the song's theme of
lust adds a new aspect to Swift's songwriting.[27]Sputnikmusic's staff Sowing said the song has the "most addicting" guitar line and rhythm of any Swift song since "
Style" (2015).[28] In a less positive review, The Guardian's Laura Snapes noted the "intriguingly sexual" lyrics, but criticized the production as "actively bad
Maroon 5-core".[24] In a Billboard list ranking all the "From the Vault" tracks from Swift's three re-recorded albums as of 2023, Lipshutz placed "I Can See You" at number two, citing the song's confidence, "sexual energy" of the lyrics and the "bite" of its instrumentation as its best features.[29]
Commercial performance
"I Can See You" peaked within the top ten in Ireland (4),[30] New Zealand (4),[31] the United Kingdom (6),[32] Singapore (7),[33] Canada (8),[34] and Japan (8).[35] On the
Billboard Global 200, the song entered at its peak of number four with 52.9 million streams and 6,000 sales worldwide. "I Can See You" and "
Back to December (Taylor's Version)" simultaneously marked Swift's 16th and 17th top-ten entries on the Global 200.[36][37]
In the United States, the song debuted and peaked at number five on the
Billboard Hot 100, with 24.7 million streams, 4,000 sales, and 361,000 airplay audiences; it made Swift the first artist since
the Beatles in 1964 to chart songs from three different albums in the top ten at the same time.[b] The song is also her 26th top-five entry and the second "Taylor's Version" track to chart within the top 10, after "
All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" (2021).[39][38][21] In Australia, the song reached number five on the
ARIA Singles Chart[40] and received a gold
certification from the
Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[41]
The video received positive comments from journalists. Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine said, the "action-packed" music video saw Swift "take control" of her artistry.[48] Lauren Huff of Entertainment Weekly praised the action theme of the "jam-packed" video.[49]The A.V. Club's William Hughes called it a "barely-a-metaphor" video with outfits and memorabilia from Swift's Speak Now era.[50] To honor Swift's record-setting six sold-out shows of the Eras Tour at
SoFi Stadium,
the Recording Academy hosted a special
pop-up exhibit, titled I Can See You (Taylor’s Version), at the
Grammy Museum,
Los Angeles, from August 2 to September 18, 2023. The exhibit is an immersive experience into the "I Can See You" music video, displaying 11 costumes—all of which were worn by Swift during the Speak Now era—and two music instruments from the video.[51]