Music moves in cycles. Sometimes we want glittery synth-pop that makes us forget our rent is due, but other times, we just want to sit in a dark room and feel like someone finally put our specific brand of heartbreak into words. That’s exactly what happened when Teddy Swims Someone Who Loved You started circulating. It wasn't just another breakup song. It felt heavy.
Jaten Dimsdale—the man the world knows as Teddy Swims—has this way of making his vocal cords sound like they’ve been dragged through gravel and soaked in top-shelf bourbon. It’s soulful. It’s gritty. It’s honest. When he released "Someone Who Loved You" as part of his Sleep Is Exhausting EP in late 2022, it didn't just climb charts; it lived in the "recently played" lists of anyone who has ever looked at a former partner and realized they were becoming a stranger.
Honestly, the song is a masterclass in vocal dynamics. He starts almost in a whisper, a confessional tone that builds into a desperate, soaring belt that reminds you why he’s one of the most technical vocalists in the game right now.
The Raw Anatomy of the Lyrics
The magic of "Someone Who Loved You" isn't in some complex, metaphorical poetry. It’s the opposite. It’s the bluntness. Teddy sings about the excruciating transition from being someone's entire world to being a "friend" or, worse, a footnote.
People often get the message of the song twisted. They think it's just about being sad. But if you listen to the cadence, it's actually about the indignation of being replaced. The lyrics highlight that specific moment when you realize the person you’re looking at isn't the person you fell for anymore. They’ve changed. They’ve moved on. And they’ve forgotten the version of you that gave them everything.
Why the "Vocal Fry" Matters
You’ll notice that Teddy uses a lot of vocal distortion in the bridge. It’s not a mistake. Producers like Julian Bunetta, who has worked closely with Teddy, often lean into those imperfections because they signal authenticity. In an era of AI-generated perfection and Auto-Tuned polish, hearing a voice actually crack under the weight of a lyric is what gets you onto Google Discover and keeps you there. It’s the human element.
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The song resonates because it tackles the "ghosting" era with a 1960s soul sensibility. We live in a world of blue checkmarks and read receipts. Teddy Swims brings it back to the dirt and the tears.
Technical Brilliance Behind the Soul
Let’s talk about the production for a second because it’s easy to overlook. The song is built on a relatively simple piano foundation, but the layering of the background vocals—which Teddy often does himself—creates this "wall of sound" effect. It’s gospel-adjacent.
- The Tempo: It’s slow, but it has a swing.
- The Key: It sits in a range that allows him to flip between his chest voice and that signature falsetto.
- The Atmosphere: There’s a certain reverb used that makes it sound like he’s singing in an empty cathedral.
It’s moody.
A lot of listeners compare him to Chris Stapleton or Adele, and while the comparisons make sense on paper, Teddy has a different background. He grew up in Georgia, playing in metal bands and musical theater. You can hear that metal scream influence in the way he pushes his "belts" in the chorus of "Someone Who Loved You." It’s controlled aggression.
What Most People Get Wrong About Teddy's Rise
There's a common misconception that Teddy Swims was an overnight TikTok success. That’s just wrong. Before Teddy Swims Someone Who Loved You became a staple of heartbreak playlists, Jaten was grinding in cover bands for years. He paid his dues in bars where nobody was listening.
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He rose to prominence by covering songs like "I Can't Make You Love Me" and "You're Still The One." By the time he got to his original material, he already knew exactly how to trigger an emotional response in an audience. He’s a student of the craft.
The "Sleep Is Exhausting" Context
To understand this song, you have to understand the EP it lives on. Sleep Is Exhausting was a turning point. It moved him away from being "the guy who does great covers" to "the artist with a definitive voice." The song "Someone Who Loved You" acts as the emotional anchor of that project. It’s the moment where he stops being a performer and starts being a storyteller.
Music critics from outlets like Rolling Stone have noted that Teddy’s transition into original songwriting was seamless because he treats every song like it's his last chance to speak. There is no "marking" his way through a take. He goes 100% every time.
Why This Song Still Dominates Playlists
Even years after its release, "Someone Who Loved You" continues to trend. Why? Because heartbreak is evergreen. But more specifically, the song caters to the "Right Person, Wrong Time" trope that is currently dominating social media discourse.
The song captures the specific grief of losing a best friend. When you lose a lover, you lose your confidant, your Sunday morning partner, and your primary critic. Teddy captures that void.
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- Relatability: Everyone has had that "I don't recognize you" moment.
- Vocal Power: It’s a "sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs" car song.
- Cross-Genre Appeal: Country fans love the grit; R&B fans love the soul; Pop fans love the hook.
It's rare to find a track that bridges those gaps so effortlessly.
How to Truly Experience the Track
If you’ve only heard the studio version, you’re missing half the story. Teddy Swims is a live performer first. Finding a stripped-back, acoustic version of "Someone Who Loved You" on YouTube or a live session recording is the "pro move."
In the live setting, he tends to riff more. He extends the notes. He lets the silence hang. That's where you see the real E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of a musician. He isn't hiding behind a mix. He’s just standing there with a microphone, making you feel things you’d rather keep buried.
Notable Live Performances
His performance at the Ryman Auditorium is a standout. The acoustics of that legendary venue paired with the soul-crushing lyrics of the song created a moment that many fans still cite as his best. He turned a room full of thousands of people into a private therapy session.
Practical Takeaways for Your Playlist
If you're building a "Soulful Sadness" or "Vocal Powerhouses" playlist, you can't just stop at Teddy. To get the most out of the "Someone Who Loved You" vibe, you need to surround it with songs that share that same DNA of raw honesty and technical mastery.
- Pair it with Allen Stone: For that blue-eyed soul connection.
- Follow it with Hozier: If you want to keep the "haunted cathedral" vocal vibe going.
- Contrast it with Lewis Capaldi: To see how British soul handles the same themes of loss.
Ultimately, music is about connection. Teddy Swims has built a career on the fact that he isn't afraid to look messy, sound broken, and be vulnerable. "Someone Who Loved You" is the peak of that philosophy.
What To Do Next
To truly appreciate the depth of Teddy Swims' work, go beyond the singles. Start by listening to the full Sleep Is Exhausting EP from start to finish. Notice the transition between the tracks. Pay attention to the recurring themes of insomnia and regret. After that, look up his live sessions from 2023 and 2024—they show a vocalist who is constantly evolving and refusing to stay in one lane. If you're a musician yourself, try stripping the song down to just four chords on a guitar; you'll realize the songwriting is so strong it doesn't need the bells and whistles of a studio to work.