I Know the End

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"I Know the End"
Single by Phoebe Bridgers
from the album Punisher
ReleasedJuly 29, 2020 (2020-07-29)
GenreChamber pop
Length5:44
LabelDead Oceans
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Phoebe Bridgers singles chronology
"ICU"
(2020) 		"I Know the End"
(2020) 		"Savior Complex"
(2020)
Music video
"I Know the End" on YouTube

"I Know the End" is a song by American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. It was released on July 29, 2020 as the fourth single from her second studio album, Punisher (2020).[1] The song is a "three-part suite" that talks about depression, euphoria, and the apocalypse that culminates in a cathartic scream.[2] It has been described as chamber pop,[3] though Bridgers describes it as a "big metal song".[4] Several of Bridgers' frequent collaborators are featured on the song, including Boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, Better Oblivion Community Center bandmate Conor Oberst, and Copycat Killer producer Rob Moose.

Music video[edit]

The song's Alissa Torvinen-directed official music video was released on July 29, 2020. It features Bridgers "as she navigates dark corridors, emerges from a tub of water, and discovers a locker room full of skeleton onesies." This leads to "an epic finale" at the empty Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where she has a screaming match with an older woman, who she kisses. The abstract style recalls Wes Anderson and David Lynch as Bridgers' grapples with her own mental health.[5]

Live performances[edit]

The song made its live debut on September 10, 2020, with a virtual performance on NPR Tiny Desk, where Bridgers performed in a fake Oval Office set.[6] Later in the month she performed the song on CBS This Morning and Late Night with Seth Meyers.[7] The latter performance was filmed as one continuous shot in an empty theater in Covina, California.[8] She performed the song as her Saturday Night Live on February 6, 2021, a performance she ended by smashing her guitar on a prop stage monitor.[9]

Critical reception[edit]

"I Know the End" received acclaim from music commentators, with many highlighting the song's emotional resonance and themes. It was referred to as the best song of the year by Vulture, with the website saying "The final seconds of "I Know the End" are spent on Bridgers a capella, gasping for more air to scream with—only to choke on it. Frankly, I can't think of a better metaphor for 2020."[10] A review for Pitchfork said that it "packs an album's worth of ideas into five minutes and 45 seconds. One moment the Punisher closer is a hushed acoustic ballad, the next it's a swelling mid-tempo strummer, and then it explodes into an orchestral fanfare, and each section has its own emotional arc".[11] A review for NME called it "an epic cacophony; musing on the apocalypse while boasting the singer’s delicate, calm and reflective side before blossoming into the biggest thing she's ever done".[12] A Consequence of Sound review read "The ominous ballad returns to the singer-songwriter's narrative abilities and chronicles a bleak look at the world in step with references to American culture and recent happenings through orchestrated folk hymns and electric guitar."[13]

Year-end lists[edit]

"I Know the End" on year-end lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Best Songs of 2020
2
 [13]
The Fader The 100 best songs of 2020
39
 [14]
NME The 50 best songs of 2020
9
 [12]
NPR Best Music of 2020
17
 [15]
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2020
39
 [11]
The Ringer The Best Songs of 2020
2
 [16]
Spin The 30 Best Songs of 2020
19
 [17]
Uproxx Top Best Songs of 2020
6
 [2]
Vulture The Best Songs of 2020
1
 [10]

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Skinner, Tom (July 29, 2020). "Watch Phoebe Bridgers' eerie new video for 'I Know The End'". NME. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "The Best Songs of 2020". Uproxx. December 2, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Richards, Will (February 7, 2021). "Watch Phoebe Bridgers smash her guitar in explosive SNL debut". NME. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Curto, Justin (June 23, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers's 'I Know the End' Has the Catharsis You've Been Craving". Vulture. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Graves, Wren (July 29, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Conjures Spooky New Video For 'I Know the End': Watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  6. ^ Enis, Eli (September 10, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Performs Presidential Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "Phoebe Bridgers Performs Three Punisher Songs on CBS This Morning: Watch". Consequence of Sound. September 3, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Minsker, Evan; Monroe, Jazz (September 30, 2020). "Watch Phoebe Bridgers Perform "I Know the End" on Seth Meyers". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Yoo, Noah (February 7, 2021). "Watch Phoebe Bridgers Smash Her Guitar on SNL". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "The Best Songs of 2020". Vulture. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "The 100 Best Songs of 2020". Pitchfork. December 7, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "The 50 best songs of 2020". NME. December 8, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Top 50 Songs of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "The 100 best songs of 2020". The Fader. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "Best Music of 2020". NPR. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "The Best Songs of 2020". The Ringer. December 18, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  17. ^ "The 30 Best Songs of 2020". Spin. December 11, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
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