No Body, No Crime

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For the criminal law, see Murder conviction without a body.

"No Body, No Crime"
Single by Taylor Swift featuring Haim
from the album Evermore
ReleasedJanuary 11, 2021 (2021-01-11)
Genre
Length3:35
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Taylor Swift singles chronology
"Willow"
(2020) 		"No Body, No Crime"
(2021) 		"Coney Island"
(2021)
Haim singles chronology
"Don't Wanna"
(2020) 		"No Body, No Crime"
(2021) 		"Gasoline"
(2021)
Lyric video
"No Body, No Crime" on YouTube

"No Body, No Crime" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, featuring guest vocals from American rock band Haim. It was released to US country radio by Republic and MCA Nashville on January 11, 2021, as a single from Swift's ninth studio album Evermore (2020).

Produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner, "No Body, No Crime" combines country rock and pop rock. A murder ballad, it has noir-inspired lyrics about a fictional character Este, who is killed by her husband after she discovers his infidelity. Unable to prove the husband guilty, the song's narrator, a dear friend of Este, avenges her friend's death by murdering the husband, erases key evidences, and frames the mistress. The central character is named after Este Haim, the band's bass player.

Music critics lauded "No Body, No Crime" for its cinematic storytelling and country production. The single reached the top 20 on charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the track peaked at number two on the Hot Country Songs chart and number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Haim's first Hot 100 entry. After its release to US country radio, "No Body, No Crime" peaked at number 54 on the Country Airplay chart.

Background and release

Danielle and Este Haim (middle and right, respectively) of Haim provide backing vocals on "No Body, No Crime". Danielle Haim also has a minor vocal part in the second half of the song.

"No Body, No Crime" marks the first collaboration between Swift and Haim. The song was written by Swift on a rubber-bridge guitar. She forwarded her voice memo of the song to Aaron Dessner, her Evermore producer, who developed the song's instrumentation. Swift had specific ideas on how she wanted the song to feel, including Haim's vocals on the song. The Haim sisters recorded at engineer Ariel Rechtshaid's Los Angeles home studio, and sent it to Swift, who was at Dessner's Long Pond studio, filming Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020). The harmonica and guitar riffs on the song were provided by Josh Kaufman, who also played the harmonica on "Betty" (2020), the fourteenth track on Folklore. JT Bates played the drums on "No Body, No Crime", who also contributed the drums on "Dorothea", eighth track on Evermore.[1]

Her classics are in rotation. I love that we have new music from her that is considered country enough for the format. Taylor never 'left' country. She is a star that had an opportunity to capture 100% of the world, and all genres, instead of just the piece that country is.

— Programming Director at WJVC Nassau, New York, Billboard[2]

On December 10, 2020, Swift revealed the track listing of Evermore, where "No Body, No Crime" placed sixth; the album was released on December 11, 2020. MCA Nashville released "No Body, No Crime" to United States country radio stations on January 11, 2021.[3][2] In an interview to Entertainment Weekly, Swift said working with Haim "was pretty hilarious because it came about after I wrote a pretty dark murder mystery song and had named the character Este, because she's the friend I have who would be stoked to be in a song like that" and added that she "had finished the song and was nailing down some lyric details and texted [Este Haim], 'You're not going to understand this text for a few days but... which chain restaurant do you like best?' and I named a few." Swift revealed that Este Haim chose Olive Garden, and that she, a few days later, sent Haim the song and asked if they would sing on it; the answer was an "immediate YES".[4]

Composition and lyrics

Opening with police sirens,[5] "No Body, No Crime" is a twangy[6] and cinematic,[7] country,[8] pop rock,[9] and country rock song,[10] with heavy harmonica in the key of G minor,[11] incorporating elements of Americana.[12] It tells a macabre story[6] of a woman named Este, who confronts her cheating husband. She goes missing and the song's narrator suspects she was murdered by him in favor of his mistress. Without the body of the victim, the husband cannot be tried for homicide. Este's friend takes justice into her own hands and kills the husband, dumping his body in a lake. Este's sister becomes an alibi who testifies they were together ("she was with me, dude") and frames the mistress who took out a large life insurance policy.[7] Este is named after Este Haim.[13][14] The song drew comparisons to the Chicks' "Goodbye Earl" (2000) and Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (2006) among others.[15]

Critical reception

Brodie Lancaster of The Sydney Morning Herald opined that "No Body, No Crime" sees Swift and the Haim sisters "stomp through a saloon-style remake of Chicago's "He Had it Comin'" as they tell of a mad woman who covers up the murder of her cheating husband".[16] Bobby Olivier of Spin thought the song follows Carrie Underwood's model of taking "down a cheater with a catchy refrain and a sprinkle of … what's that? … murder?!".[17] Chris Willman of Variety found the song to be the album's "pure spirit of fun" moment, away from the ruminating themes of other tracks. He characterized "No Body, No Crime" as a dark "spirited double-murder ballad" inspired by The Chicks' 2000 single "Goodbye, Earl".[18]

Stereogum critic Tom Breihan defined the song as the "willfully silly murder narrative" that works as a take on "Goodbye Earl", and commended it as "the most country thing that Swift has done in years".[19] USA Today writer Patrick Ryan dubbed the song a "scorching" track that makes Swift's "mischievous return" to her country roots.[20] Describing the placement "No Body, No Crime" in Evermore, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that the "delicious" song provides "hope and levity" amidst of the album's emotional "wreckage".[21] NME critic Hannah Mylrea noted the song's sonic direction, and described it as a "full-blown country revenge song that ends in the murder of a philandering husband", condensing a David Fincher film in a matter of few minutes.[22]

On a less positive side, Robert Christgau said although "No Body, No Crime" was the first track he paid attention to on Evermore thanks to a strong hook, it became his least favorite after repeated listens; Christgau described it as "super-hooky but pat police procedural".[23] In Vulture, Justin Curto complimented Haim's backing vocals for livening up Evermore's "static pacing", but found the narrative rather dull and Swift's songwriting not as strong as on her past songs about revenge: "It's better suited to soundtrack an episode of a soapy TV show than any heartbreak."[15] Nate Jones, also from Vulture, found the track "more like a musical costume party than a genuine attempt at embodying darkness".[24]

Impact

Gene Lee, the CEO of American casual dining restaurant chain Olive Garden credited Swift for gathering social interactions with the brand after she mentioned the name of the brand on one of her lyrics on the song, said that "Just think about what happened last week when Taylor Swift dropped the song with Olive Garden in it, and how we were able to capture that socially and create buzz around that. When Taylor Swift drops our name in a song, our brand becomes very, very relevant".[25][26]

Commercial performance

"No Body, No Crime" debuted at number 34 in the United States, marking Haim's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[27] It also debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, marking Swift's second top 10 of 2020, following "Betty", and Haim's first appearance on the chart.[28] It was Swift's 23rd top-10 entry on the chart in her career.[29] In the UK, "No Body, No Crime" debuted at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, shifting 22,875 units in its first week.[30] The track also debuted within the top 20 in Canada, Ireland and Australia peaking at numbers 11, 11 and 16, respectively.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Pitchfork.[31]

  • Taylor Swift − lead vocals, songwriting, production
  • Haim – featured artist
    • Danielle Haim − backing vocals
    • Este Haim − backing vocals
  • Aaron Dessner − production, recording, mandolin, synthesizers, piano, field recording and bass, acoustic and electric guitars
  • Josh Kaufman − lap steel, electric guitar, organ and harmonica
  • J.T. Bates − drum kit, instrumental recording
  • Jonathan Low − vocal recording, mixing
  • Ariel Rechtshaid − vocal recording
  • Matt DiMona − vocal recording
  • Greg Calbi − mastering
  • Steve Fallone − mastering

Charts

Chart (2020–2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[32] 16
Australia Country Hot 50 (TMN)[33] 2
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[34] 11
Global 200 (Billboard)[35] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[36] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[37] 29
Portugal (AFP)[38] 83
Singapore (RIAS)[39] 28
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[40] 70
UK Singles (OCC)[41] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[42] 34
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[43] 54
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[44] 2
US Rolling Stone Top 100[45] 12

Release history

Release dates and formats for "No Body, No Crime"
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
United States January 11, 2021 Country radio
[3][46]

References

  1. ^ Shaffer, Claire (December 18, 2020). "Aaron Dessner on How His Collaborative Chemistry With Taylor Swift Led to 'Evermore'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Trust, Gary (January 28, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Coney Island' and 'No Body, No Crime' Debut on Airplay Charts, Joining 'Willow'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Taylor Swift explains the story behind 'murder mystery song' 'No Body, No Crime'". EW.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Rodgers, Katherine (December 16, 2020). "Review – Taylor Swift, Evermore". The Quietus. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (December 14, 2020). "Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Evermore': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Brodie, Lancaster (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift is back, stronger than ever before". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Mylrae, Hannah (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift – 'Evermore' review: the freewheeling younger sibling to 'Folklore'". NME. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Crone, Madeline (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift 'evermore' Is Ready For Your Record Player, Radio Play Be Damned". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. ^ Petridis, Alexis (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift: Evermore – rich alt-rock and richer character studies". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  11. ^ Pareles, Jon (December 11, 2020). "'Evermore,' Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' Sequel, Is a Journey Deeper Inward". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  12. ^ Pierson-Hagger, Ellen (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Evermore is Folklore's darker, colder sister record". New Statesman. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  13. ^ Salem, Meryanna (December 13, 2020). "The Story Behind Taylor Swift's Murder Mystery Song 'no body no crime' Is Actually Friendship". Junkee. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  14. ^ Huff, Lauren (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift explains the story behind 'murder mystery song' 'No Body, No Crime'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
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  20. ^ Ryan, Patrick (December 12, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Evermore' review: Pop star returns to the woods for a spellbinding 'Folklore' companion". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
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  22. ^ Mylrae, Hannah (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift – 'Evermore' review: the freewheeling younger sibling to 'Folklore'". NME. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  23. ^ Christgau, Robert (January 13, 2021). "Consumer Guide: January, 2021". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  24. ^ Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked from Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  25. ^ Dresdale, Andrea (December 18, 2020). "Free breadsticks for life? Taylor Swift gets a thank you on Olive Garden's quarterly earnings call". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  26. ^ Klein, Danny (December 21, 2020). "Darden Won't Let COVID-19 Change What Matters Most". FSR Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
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  28. ^ Houghton, Cillea (December 22, 2020). "Taylor Swift returns to country charts with "No Body, No Crime"". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  29. ^ "Taylor Swift – Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  30. ^ Masterson, James. "Charts analysis: Mariah Carey holds on at summit as battle commences for Christmas No.1". Music Week. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
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  38. ^ "Taylor Swift feat. Haim – No Body, No Crime". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
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  40. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20219 into search. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
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  45. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. December 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
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