Anti-Hero (song)

"Anti-Hero" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). She wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. It is a pop rock, synth-pop, electro, and electropop track, driven by a 1980s-inspired drum loop generated with a LinnDrum and retro synthesizers. Inspired by Swift's insecurities, the lyrics are about self-loathing and the impact of fame on her wellbeing. In the bridge, she narrates a nightmare about her daughter-in-law murdering her to inherit the will. Republic Records released the song for download and streaming on October 21, 2022.

Music critics generally praised the production "Anti-Hero" as catchy and featuring strong vocals. They deemed its lyricism candid and honest that showcased Swift at her most self-critical. Many publications ranked the song among the best songs of 2022. The single peaked atop the Billboard Global 200 and charted in the top 10 in many territories across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. In the US, it spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and made Swift the first artist to have a number-one single on the Radio Songs chart in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s decades. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the ninth-most-streamed song of 2023.

Swift wrote and directed the song's music video, which depicts her fears, insecurities, and eating disorder, using three different incarnations of her. The video reenacts the nightmare mentioned in the lyrics, starring Mike Birbiglia, John Early, and Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Swift's sons and daughter-in-law. "Anti-Hero" won a People's Choice Award, a Billboard Music Award, and two iHeartRadio Music Awards. At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, it won six awards including Video of the Year, making Swift the first artist to win the category two consecutive years. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, "Anti-Hero" was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.