I Forgot That You Existed

"I Forgot That You Existed" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Written and produced by Swift alongside Louis Bell and Frank Dukes, "I Forgot That You Existed" is a post-tropical house song with a minimalist production and lyrics that feature themes of moving on and feeling indifferent to past pain. The song peaked within the top 40 of single charts in Australia, Canada, Singapore and the US. It holds a platinum certification in Australia and a silver one in the UK.

Background and composition
"I Forgot That You Existed" was written during Taylor Swift's first writing session with Louis Bell and Frank Dukes. She wanted to work with them after hearing their work for her friend Camila Cabello. Swift came into the session with the idea of a simple song about feeling indifference to pain that has caused one in the past; she had some of the melody and lyrics with this idea. They wrote the song to be Lover's opening track as Swift wanted to complete the "grief cycle" explored in her previous album Reputation (2017) with the last stage being indifference. Swift wanted the production to be simple to match the feeling of indifference.

"I Forgot That You Existed" is a post-tropical house kiss-off anthem. It features a bouncy and minimalist production consisting of a light piano and finger snaps that form a pop-rap beat. The song features themes of letting go of the past, moving on and calming down, serving as a transition from Swift's Reputation era. The lyrics include a direct reference to Reputation. They also feature a reference to Canadian rapper Drake and his 2018 song "In My Feelings". Swift makes use of spoken word deliveries and performs a "diabolical" laugh in the final chorus.

Release and promotion
"I Forgot That You Existed" was released as Lover's opening track on August 23, 2019. An audio memo from the song's songwriting session dubbed "piano/vocal" is included on the album's deluxe edition. Swift performed "I Forgot That You Existed" for the first time as a surprise song acoustically on guitar at her Eras Tour show in Mexico City on August 24, 2023.

Critical reception
Nate Jones of Vulture named "I Forgot That You Existed" Swift's 73rd best song, calling it one of Swift's "coldest kiss-off songs". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone ranked it as her 221st best song, finding it to be a song closer to “reminding" than forgetting. Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times finds the track as an "unwelcome leftover from 2017’s revenge-minded “Reputation”.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lover
 * Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
 * Louis Bell – songwriter, producer, recorder, keyboards, programmer
 * Frank Dukes – songwriter, producer, programmer, guitar
 * Grant Strumwasser – assistant recording
 * Serban Ghenea – mixer
 * John Hanes – engineer for mix
 * Randy Merrill – masterer
 * Joe Harrison – guitar
 * Serafin Aguilar – trumpet
 * David Urquidi – saxophone
 * Steve Hughes – trombone