feel like shit

"feel like shit" is a raw and candid exploration of the immediate aftermath of a breakup. The song delves into the visceral, gut-wrenching pain that follows the end of a significant relationship. McRae has stated that the lyrics are very direct and self-explanatory, written shortly after her first real heartbreak, capturing her feelings at that precise moment without many metaphors. The song's core message revolves around the struggle between the rational understanding that a relationship is over and the overwhelming emotional turmoil that persists. It highlights the difficulty of moving on, where every small trigger—a song, a memory, or the lack of a phone call—can send one spiraling. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and the shock of realizing that the initial act of breaking up is only the beginning of a long, painful process. The attempt to kiss someone else only reinforces the depth of the protagonist's feelings for her ex, demonstrating that physical actions cannot easily erase emotional connections.

The narrative begins with the protagonist, who typically sees herself as strong and resilient, admitting that she's been unable to shake off the emotional weight of a recent breakup. For weeks, she has felt a persistent, suffocating sadness, a feeling she describes as being 'stuck in my lungs.' Her usual coping mechanisms, like going out at night, are no longer effective. A specific song, once perhaps a shared favorite, now serves as a painful trigger, instantly bringing back memories of her past relationship and making it impossible to escape thoughts of her ex. She reflects on the moment she physically left the relationship, naively believing that the hardest part was over. She now realizes that leaving was just the beginning of a painful emotional unraveling.

The pain intensifies as she recounts the previous night. For the first time since the split, her ex didn't even attempt to call, a small but significant action that sends her into a spiral of despair. The silence from his end feels like a confirmation of the finality of their separation, leading to a sleepless night filled with anxiety and a feeling so overwhelming she thought she might 'die.' While she holds onto a faint hope that she might eventually acclimate to this new reality, in the present moment, the only words that can describe her state are that she 'feels like shit.' In an attempt to move on or perhaps just to feel something different, she kissed someone new. However, the experience was hollow and only served to highlight what she had lost. Instead of creating a new memory, her mind was flooded with vivid recollections of her ex's touch, specifically his hands around her waist, a gesture he performed with a familiar and now-painful perfection. This failed attempt at a rebound reinforces the idea that the physical act of leaving was far from the most difficult part of the breakup; the emotional fallout is the true challenge, and she feels herself falling apart.

Later, in a moment of vulnerability likely fueled by alcohol, she finds her thoughts drifting to 'what if' scenarios, wondering if her ex was 'the one.' Though she intellectually understands that the 'damage is done' and the relationship is over, the emotional attachment lingers. A tangible piece of their shared past, the shirt he wore when they first met, still lies on her floor. It's a powerful symbol of their history that she can't bring herself to discard, but she considers hiding it under the bed, a small, desperate act of trying to forget. The song culminates in a reiteration of the chorus, emphasizing the crushing weight of the previous night's lack of contact and the profound, all-encompassing misery that has taken hold. The hope of getting used to the pain feels distant and abstract; the immediate, raw reality is one of pure emotional agony.

Tate McRae wrote "feel like shit" about a personal and very real heartbreak she experienced in the summer of 2021. She explained in an interview with Genius that after the breakup happened, she went to the studio, and the song came together very quickly because the feelings were so immediate and overwhelming. McRae co-wrote the song with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Russell Chell, and Victoria Zaro. The production was handled by Russell Chell, with Jasper Harris serving as a co-producer. McRae first began teasing the song on TikTok on September 30, 2021, building anticipation throughout October. The song was officially released on November 11, 2021, by RCA Records, serving as the lead single for her debut studio album, "I Used to Think I Could Fly" (2022). The release marked a new era in her career, with McRae even clearing her Instagram posts to signify a fresh start.

The song's structure is built around a simple and effective rhyme scheme, primarily using couplets (AABB) and near rhymes within its verses, such as "tough" and "lungs" or "once" and "us." This straightforward rhyme scheme contributes to the song's direct, diary-like feel. The rhythm of the lyrics is conversational and follows the natural cadence of speech, which makes the emotional storytelling feel authentic and immediate. The tempo is slow, characteristic of a ballad, allowing the listener to absorb the weight of each line. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the musical rhythm is crucial; in the verses, the sparse piano accompaniment follows McRae's vocal phrasing closely, creating an intimate feel. In the chorus, the rhythm becomes more defined and driving with the entry of the drums, providing a solid foundation for the more powerful and rhythmically structured melody.

Musically, "feel like shit" is a pop ballad that builds from a minimalist arrangement to a more powerful climax. It begins with McRae's voice over a simple piano melody, creating an intimate and vulnerable atmosphere. This sparse instrumentation in the verses allows her raw vocal performance and the emotional weight of the lyrics to take center stage. As the song progresses into the chorus, drums and other instrumental layers are introduced, amplifying the emotional intensity. Lyrically, the song employs a direct, conversational narrative voice. McRae uses plain language to describe her feelings, which enhances the song's relatability and raw honesty. The repetition of the line "Right now, I just feel like shit" serves as a blunt and powerful hook, eschewing poetic euphemisms for a stark declaration of pain. Her vocal delivery is dynamic, shifting from a softer, more fragile tone in the verses to a soaring, powerful belt in the chorus, mirroring the song's emotional arc from quiet sorrow to overwhelming anguish.

"feel like shit" served as the lead single from Tate McRae's highly anticipated debut album, "I Used to Think I Could Fly," effectively setting the tone for a new era in her career. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its lyrical honesty, raw vulnerability, and McRae's mature vocal performance. Its accompanying music video was also highly praised and noted as her most choreographed piece to date, showcasing her professional dance background to tell the story of a tumultuous relationship. In the video, McRae and dancer Mason Cutler perform an intense contemporary routine that visually represents the emotional 'push and pull' of the song's narrative. The song performed well commercially, charting in several countries including Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Norway, and it has been certified Platinum in Canada and Gold in the United States. The track solidified McRae's reputation as a purveyor of emotionally resonant pop, or as one critic dubbed her, the "dark princess of pop."

While Tate McRae has stated the lyrics are quite direct, there are still potent symbols and images.

• The Unworn Shirt: The 'shirt that you wore when we first met' lying on the floor is a powerful symbol of the past. It represents the beginning of the relationship and a tangible connection to the person she lost. Her indecision—leaving it on the floor but considering kicking it under the bed—symbolizes the internal conflict between holding onto memories and the desire to forget and move on.
• The Song on the Radio: Hearing 'that song' acts as an auditory trigger, symbolizing how deeply shared experiences are embedded in everyday life. It represents the inescapable nature of memory after a breakup, where mundane things can suddenly become painful reminders.
• The Lack of a Phone Call: The ex not calling for the 'very first time' is a symbol of finality. It's not a dramatic event, but its silence is deafening, representing the definitive end of a routine and a connection, which is why it causes her to feel she 'might die.'

The most significant recurring phrase is the title itself, "I just feel like shit." Its repetition in the chorus serves as the song's emotional anchor. It's a blunt, unfiltered expression of pain that cuts through any attempt at poetic abstraction, making the feeling universally understandable and raw. Another recurring motif is the idea that the 'hardest part' was supposed to be over. She repeats the line, "Really thought I'd be done with the hardest part / When I pulled myself out of your arms," followed by the realization, "Wish I knew that was only the start." This repetition highlights her naivety about the emotional fallout of a breakup and emphasizes the central theme that the aftermath is often more painful than the act of leaving itself.