"Honey" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (2025). Written and produced by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, "Honey" is a country pop and synth-popballad with R&B influences, featuring cascading piano notes, stuttering trap and hip-hop beats, and an arrangement of clarinet, banjo, flute, and Wurlitzer electronic piano. Lyrically, the song is about contentment in a romantic partner, who is authentic and calls Swift's narrator "honey" out of love, contrary to her previous experiences where other people called her "honey" out of jealousy or hatred.
Several critics praised the production of "Honey" and likened its sound to the musical styles on Swift's past albums. A few others considered the lyrical message underwhelming. Commercially, the track has reached number 13 on the Billboard Global 200 and charted within the top 20 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Portugal, the Philippines, the UAE, and the United States.
Background and release
The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift created her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, to reflect her triumphant state of mind amidst the success of the Eras Tour and her relationship with the American football player Travis Kelce throughout 2024.[1] She announced the album during the August 13, 2025, episode of Travis and Jason Kelce's podcast New Heights; "Honey" was revealed as the album's 11th track.[2]
Swift recorded The Life of a Showgirl in Sweden with the producers Max Martin and Shellback, in-between stops of the Eras Tour.[3] "Honey", along with the album, was released on October 3, 2025, via Republic Records.[4][5] The track charted at number 13 on the Billboard Global 200[6] and peaked in the top 20 of the singles charts in Australia (12),[7] Canada (12),[8] New Zealand (14),[9] Singapore (16),[10] Sweden (16),[11] Portugal (18),[12] the Philippines (19),[13] and the United Arab Emirates (19).[14] In the United States, all 12 tracks from The Life of the Showgirl debuted in the top 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Honey" at the last spot.[15]
Critics likened the sound of "Honey" to the musical styles of Swift's past albums. Rolling Stone's Maya Georgi opined that there were influences of Speak Now (2010) on the banjo, 1989 (2014) on the hip-hop beat, and Midnights (2022) on the Wurlitzer piano.[24] Meanwhile, The Independent's Roisin O'Connor considered the production of "Honey" a hybrid of Reputation (2017) and Folklore (2020).[23] John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute described the track as a pop song rooted in country songwriting.[25]
In the lyrics, Swift's narrator recounts that in the past, when someone else called her "honey" or "sweetheart", it was meant to be pet names with malicious intent and made her feel repulsive.[26] For instance, other women used to call her "sweetheart" out of jealousy because their boyfriends would look at her, and "honey" to dismiss her dressing sense, leaving her "[crying] the whole way home".[27] However, when her current lover calls her "honey", it makes her feel safe and content. Several media publications interpreted the lyrics to be influenced by Swift's romance with Kelce.[28][29][30]
Critical reception
Several critics praised the production of "Honey". Georgi labelled it a "sultry reclamation" of all of the best musical styles on Swift's previous albums,[24] and Stereogum's Tom Breihan wrote that the track contained "one of the stickiest earworms" on the album.[31]Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker described the song as "arch, delicate, lovely".[32] In Pitchfork, Anna Gaca deemed it "quite sweet" and considered it a highlight for its extensive use of live instruments, compared to other songs relying on programmed electronic elements.[21] Writing for The New York Times, Lindsay Zoladz selected "Honey" as one of her two favorite tracks from the album (the other being "Opalite"), and Wesley Morris opined that "the piano waving from across a crowded room" was one of the most pleasurable musical moments.[33]
On a less enthusiastic side, Our Culture Mag's Konstantinos Pappis commended the production as "subtly vibrant", but he argued that the lyrical sentiment "quickly wears thin".[34]Jon Caramanica of The New York Times considered the song the most "saccharine" of the album, but he contended that the message was diluted by the fact that it was more concerned with "cruel people who wielded pet names like weapons" rather than the actual romance.[35] Maria Sherman of the Associated Press categorized "Honey" as a "skip".[36]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Life of a Showgirl[16]
↑"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
↑"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
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