"Eyes Open" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for the soundtrack to the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman,"Eyes Open" is an alternative rock song with chiming guitars. Its lyrics are about staying strong during hardships,told from the perspective of the film's protagonist,Katniss Everdeen. The track was released as a single from the soundtrack on March 27,2012.
Taylor Swift wrote two songs for the soundtrack to the 2012 film The Hunger Games:"Safe &Sound" and "Eyes Open". She wrote the former with the Civil Wars and the latter by herself.[1] 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 "[it is] more frantic and fast-paced,a completely different shade of music".[2]
According to Annie Zaleski,"Eyes Open" showcases Swift's "heavy rock 'n' roll persona" and its "lurching guitars and gouging grooves" evoke the styles of space rock bands like Hum and Failure.[10] Told from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen,the lyrics depict her defiance to keep her eyes open to watch out for enemies and challenges.[10]
In the United States,"Eyes Open" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 19,which was also its peak position.[14] After it was sent to radio,the single debuted on the Pop Songs airplay chart at number 28[15] and eventually peaked at number 20.[16] In December 2012,"Eyes Open" received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for surpassing one million digital copies sold;[17] it became Swift's sixteenth million-seller and her second from the soundtrack,after "Safe &Sound".[18] By November 2017,the song had sold 1.4 million digital copies in the United States.[19]
Elsewhere,"Eyes Open" charted in various Anglophone territories,at number 17 in Canada,[20] number 47 in Australia,[21] number 65 in Ireland,[22] and number 70 in the United Kingdom.[23] In New Zealand,the song debuted and peaked at number six and was certified gold by Recorded Music NZ.[24][25]
Critical reception
The song was generally well received by contemporary critics,most of whom highlighted its rock-oriented production as a departure from Swift's previous country pop releases. It was selected as one of the soundtrack's standouts by Matt Bjorke of Roughstock[26] and Christina Jaleru of the Associated Press,who complimented its lyrics as a double entendre for Katniss's narrative and celebrity culture at large.[27]Newsday's Glenn Gamboa considered the track a pleasant surprise for featuring Swift's "hardest rock performance" vocally.[28] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post lauded the song as a "perfect inner monologue" of Katniss.[29] In a review for The Gazette,Bernard Perusse described "Eyes Open" as an anthem that would be as popular as the movie.[30]
"Eyes Open (Taylor's Version)" was released for streaming and download as an independent track without appearing on any album.[44] It was included on a streaming-only compilation titled The More Red (Taylor's Version) Chapter.[45]
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