Today, GRAMMY®-nominated and Diamond-certified superstar Teddy Swims releases his most vulnerable single yet, “Break Up in Reverse.” Out now via Warner Records, the track is a deeply loving breakup song rooted not in regret or resentment, but a wish to relive the relationship all over again in a way that leads to a happy ending. Listen HERE and watch the accompanying official music video HERE.
The new song arrives as Swims plays a series of overseas festivals shortly after he wrapped a stateside summer run that culminated in a triumphant return to BottleRock and Bonnaroo. He was also the only artist to play both Stagecoach and Coachella this year, and made news for bringing David Lee Roth, Joe Jonas, and Vanessa Carlton onstage at the latter.
“Break Up in Reverse” is intimate from the start: just Swims’ voice over a sweetly intimate acoustic strum as he paints a heartbreaking scene: “Tears on your face climb back into your eyes / A little less on your nerves and a little more on your mind.” Reuniting Swims with collaborators Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, Matt Zara, Mikky Ekko, and Tommy King, the cut builds to a warm swell of instrumentation and a poignant hook: “I wish we could break up in reverse / Every night would get better, instead of getting worse / I’d watch you slowly slip back into my hands / Say goodbye to me in the beginning, and love me in the end.”
Swims spoke on the personal meaning of his new song: “‘Break Up in Reverse’ really hits home for me right now and where I am in my life. Upon writing this song and my next album, I’ve been going through it with my relationship with my baby’s mother coming to an end. With ‘Break Up in Reverse’ we were super inspired by an old Nas song called ‘Rewind.’ We loved how the whole song takes place in reverse. So we thought, how beautiful would it be if we took the same idea but wrote it about my relationship, with the punchline being ‘say goodbye to me in the beginning and love me in the end.’ I hope you feel as moved as I do every time I hear and sing this song!”
The “Break Up in Reverse” video brings the concept to life, opening on Swims standing in front of a pile of rubble. As he sings, a bulldozer moving in reverse reassembles the mess into a cozy room full of meaningful objects: photos, baby toys, puzzle pieces, and kintsugi pottery — broken ceramics whose cracks have been repaired with gold. In time, Swims finds peace.
“Break Up in Reverse” follows April’s “Mr. Know It All,” an instantly catchy and deceptively breezy single about the pain of romantic self-sabotage that, Rolling Stone raved, brought down the house at the 52nd Annual American Music Awards in May — watch HERE. That song officially signaled the start of a new era following an incredible breakout run that saw Swims become a universally beloved star, global hitmaker, and absolute force of nature on stage.
Last year was especially monumental for Swims, who wrapped a sold-out global tour, earned his second career GRAMMY® nod, and made history with his Diamond-certified smash “Lose Control,” which set the record for the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 song after spending 112 weeks on the chart (and it only left due to a rule meant to make room for others). In addition to topping the Hot 100 and five radio formats, the hit has surpassed 5 billion global streams.
Taking a much deserved victory lap, Swims also released his I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition) in 2025. The definitive and dynamic 32-track collection unveiled the full vision behind his blockbuster two-part debut album, adding extra significance to a tracklist that traces his wild rise across a series of enduring singles from his record-breaking sets I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) and (Part 2). Among those: “Bad Dreams,” “Guilty,” “Are You Even Real” with GIVĒON, “The Door,” and, of course, “Lose Control.”
As he continues to unveil what looks to be his biggest, boldest, and brightest era yet, Swims is preparing for THE UGLY TOUR, which kicks off September 22 in Kansas City and wraps up in Los Angeles on November 18. Supporting artists include Natasha Bedingfield, Avery Anna, Wyatt Flores, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Mac Ayres, Allen Stone, and MarcLo.
