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| Album = [[1989 (Taylor Swift album)|1989]]
| Album = [[1989 (Taylor Swift album)|1989]]
| Released = {{start date|2015|02|09}}
| Released = {{start date|2015|02|09}}
| Cover =
| Cover = Taylor Swift - Style (Official Single Cover).jpg
| Genre = {{flat list|<!-- Do NOT change genres unless verifiable sources are given -->
| Genre = {{flat list|<!-- Do NOT change genres unless verifiable sources are given -->
* [[Pop rock]]<ref name="scott-lean-against-style"/>
* [[Pop rock]]<ref name="scott-lean-against-style"/>

Revision as of 22:42, 8 April 2015

"Style"
Song

"Style" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and is the third track from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). The pop rock song was written by Swift, Max Martin, Shellback and Ali Payami.[1][6] It was released to radio by Republic Records, in partnership with Swift's label Big Machine Records, on February 9, 2015, as the album's third single after "Blank Space."[7]

"Style" had peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the third consecutive top-10 single from 1989,[8] and entered the charts of numerous regions, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Background and composition

"Style" debuted as a snippet in a Target commercial to promote her album. In late December 2014, Big Machine Records head Scott Borchetta answered a fan's question on an impromptu Q&A on social networking site Twitter. The fan asked, "What's Taylor's next single?," and Borchetta responded promptly that he was leaning towards "Style"—it was an "obvious single choice", according to Billboard.[1] In January 2015, Republic Records officially announced "Style" as Swift's third single from 1989, set for a release of February 9, 2015.[7] Swift explained the meaning and inspiration of the song to Ryan Seacrest during an interview on iHeartRadio in October 2014.[9]

I loved comparing these timeless visuals with a feeling that never goes out of style ... It's basically one of those relationships that's always a bit off ... The two people are trying to forget each other. So, it's like, "All right, I heard you went off with her," and well, I've done that, too ... My previous albums have also been sort of like, "I was right, you were wrong, you did this, it made me feel like this"—a righteous sense of right and wrong in a relationship. What happens when you grow up is you realize the rules in a relationship are very blurred and that it gets very complicated very quickly, and there's not a case of who was right or who was wrong.

Style has a tempo of 95 beats per minute.[10] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard characterized "Style" as a "James Dean-evoking" pop rock song.[1] Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times's Mikael Wood and The Observer's Kitty Empire described the track as funk-pop.[4][5] On behalf of Time, however, Sam Lansky detailed it as a "disco anthem."[3]

Critical reception

"Style" received acclaim from music critics. PopMatters described Swift as "(trying) on several fresh styles that fit her like a cashmere-lined leather glove" on this song and praises it as "immaculate, almost impossibly ebullient and thrilling".[11] The Observer called it a "percolating funk-pop number that satisfies on every level".[5] The New York Times declared it as the album's high mark and compared it to the original Miami Vice soundtrack. Now called it the top track from the album.[12] The Los Angeles Times praised it as "a sensual funk track."[4]

The hook of "Style" was praised by Consequence of Sound, proclaiming it is "one of the album’s most arresting hooks... The song is deliriously triumphant, but triumph is an easy place to get to when you’re young, hot, and loaded in the country’s sparkliest city. Here, Swift’s girl-next-door likability slips, making it harder to forget that 'Style' literally debuted as an advertisement."[13] Drowned in Sound commented that "There's that same 'stay positive' philosophy, and a fair few shouty bits. Best of all is 'Style', which celebrates Swift's fling with 1D's Harry Styles (geddit?) as though being young and reckless is all a part of growing up. This is something anyone can relate to, whether they've made a string of poor romantic choices or 'done a whitey' on the weekend gone by."[14] NME described "Style" as "so ’80s-indebted with its thick piano-house and uplifting “Take me home” coda, echoes the retro-modern atmosphere conjured by the slinky cool of Electric Youth and Blood Orange.[15] In a less enthusiastic review, The Independent called the song "desperately inclusive electropop grooves and corporate rebel clichés of songs", though "a certain piquancy" is apparent.[16] Pitchfork Media named "Style" the 50th best song of 2014.[17]

Chart performance

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 60 due to strong digital download sales following the release of parent album 1989, but fell off the chart the following week. Following her live performance at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in December 2014, the song re-entered the charts in the chart dated December 27 at number 75, having sold 48,000 copies.[18] It has since peaked at number six on the Hot 100.[19]

Music video

Production and release

The accompanying music video was directed by Kyle Newman.[20] On February 10, 2015, Swift posted a teaser for the music video and its release date on Instagram. The video showed Swift's head and steam/smoke tendrils rising up her neck. A second teaser was posted on Swift's social media accounts the next day, depicting shadowy trees on her back. A third teaser was released showing lightning and two different colored eyes being projected onto Swift as she stands against a blank backdrop.[21]

The video was scheduled to be released on Good Morning America on February 13, 2015, but appeared a few hours before the scheduled time through Canadian music channel Much.[22] The video was then quickly uploaded to Swift's official Vevo.[23] Swift's love interest in the video is played by model Dominic Sherwood,[20] whose eyes are two different colors due to heterochromia.[24] Some of the scenes were shot in the Hercules Cave in Tangier, Morocco as she mentioned it on Facebook.

Synopsis

The video opens with a silhouette of Swift's head containing a scene in which her boyfriend (played by Sherwood) is standing in a seashore. As the song starts, it can been seen that Swift is holding on to a paper airplane necklace (similar to the one in her "I Knew You Were Trouble" video,[23] and a reference to the "necklace hanging from my neck" and "two paper airplanes, flying" in "Out of the Woods"[25]) with scenes of her in the woods accompanied by various flashbacks. The man is shown waking up from a bed interspliced by Swift in a dim-lit room. As the chorus begins, the man holds a mirror in front of him in which Swift’s lips are overlayed which is followed by various scenes in which images of Swift and the man get projected on one another. As the video progresses the man can be seen driving a car with Swift in the back seat. He then takes off his shirt joined by Swift as they embrace and kiss each other. Through the following clips the man is shown on a beach while Swift sings in a dim-lit room. The video ends with the man pulling up his car at night as Swift rises from sitting on the ground in an isolated location and turns towards him.

Analysis

Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps opined that unlike the music videos for "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space", "[Style] is a different beast, showcasing Swift in a darker, more abstract, light."[23] Jessica Derschowitz of CBS News agreed calling the video "a major departure from the more playful videos for her earlier 1989 singles "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off."[26] Emilee Lindner of MTV felt the video was "mature, tasteful, and, dare I say… sexy?"[27] InStyle deemed it "Swift's most cinematic video to date."[28] Louis Virtel of HitFix described the video as "a slow throb, a pleasant recollection of quaint memories with a cute boy who resembles James Dean."[29] The Wall Street Journal's Michael Driscoll wrote: "the video is reminiscent of '80s pop with its steady synth bass line and images that may bring to mind Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game', from an album also released in 1989."[30] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times found that the video contains "a creepy homage to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, with Sherwood looking in the rear-view mirror of his car and finding Swift staring back at him."[31] The Huntington News said, "While the track is one of the album’s best, the video [...] leaves something to be desired" and called the video "very hipster – the whole things looks as if it was shot through an Instagram filter by a man wearing thick-framed specs."[32]

Live performances

Swift first performed it live as part of Taylor Swift's 1989 Secret Session with iHeartRadio on October 27, 2014 in New York City, streamed on iHeartRadio and Yahoo! Swift later performed "Style" alongside with "Blank Space" during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014 in December 2014.[33]

Charts

Chart (2014–15) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[34] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[35] 30
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[36] 8
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[37] 47
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[38] 6
Canada AC (Billboard)[39] 17
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[40] 1
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[41] 4
Croatia (ARC 100)[42] 31
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[43] 25
France (SNEP)[44] 150
Invalid chart entered Germany2 99
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[45] 38
Ireland (IRMA)[46] 38
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[47] 57
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[48] 22
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[49] 11
Scotland (OCC)[50] 9
Serbia (IFPI)[51] 2
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[52] 62
South Africa (EMA)[53] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[54] 21
US Billboard Hot 100[55] 6
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[56] 11
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[57] 1
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[58] 44
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[59] 1
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[60] 21

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[61] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62] Gold 7,500*
United States (RIAA)[64] Platinum 1,000,000[63]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States February 9, 2015 Hot adult contemporary
[7]
February 10, 2015 Contemporary hit radio [65]
Rhythmic contemporary [66]
Italy April 3, 2015 Radio airplay [67]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lipshutz, Jason (December 29, 2014). "Taylor Swift's Next Single Should Be 'Style,' Says Head of Her Record Label". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "Taylor Swift, 1989 - album review: Pop star shows 'promising signs of maturity'". Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Lansky, Sam (October 23, 2014). "Review: 1989 Marks a Paradigm Swift". Time. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Wood, Mikael. "Review: Taylor Swift smooths out the wrinkles on sleek '1989'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2014. 'Style' is even better, a sensual funk-pop track...
  5. ^ a b c Empire, Kitty (October 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift: 1989 review – a bold, gossipy confection". The Observer. Retrieved October 26, 2014. ...a percolating funk-pop number that satisfies on every level...
  6. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "1989 - Taylor Swift". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Taylor Swift 'Style': Officially Impacts HAC 2/9". Republic Records. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015.
  8. ^ "Bruno Mars gains longest Hot 100 reign; Taylor Swift hits top 10".
  9. ^ Zach Johnson (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift's Style Music Video Debuts Early and Features a Nod to Ex-Boyfriend Harry Styles—Watch Now!". E!. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  10. ^ "Tap for Beats Per Minute BPM".
  11. ^ "Taylor Swift: 1989". Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  12. ^ "Taylor Swift". Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  13. ^ "Taylor Swift – 1989". Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  14. ^ "Album Review: Taylor Swift - 1989". Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  15. ^ "NME Reviews - Taylor Swift - '1989'". Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  16. ^ "Taylor Swift, 1989 - album review: Pop star shows 'promising signs of maturity'". Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  17. ^ Sargent, Jordan. "The 100 Best Tracks of 2014". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  18. ^ Trust, Gary (December 18, 2014). "Taylor Swift Leads Billboard Hot 100, Ed Sheeran Soars to Top 10". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  19. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 11, 2015). "Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars Notch 10th Week Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Taylor Swift - Style". YouTube. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  21. ^ Joe Lynch (February 10, 2015). "Taylor Swift Reveals 'Style' Music Video Is Dropping Friday the 13th". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  22. ^ Jessica Goodman (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 'Style' Music Video Is Here". huffpost.com. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  23. ^ a b c Kreps, Daniel (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift Shows Her Sensual Side in Moody 'Style' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  24. ^ "5 Things to Know About the Guy in Taylor Swift's 'Style' Music Video, Dominic Sherwood". Zimbio. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  25. ^ Thompson, Avery. "Taylor Swift References Harry Styles In 'Style' Music Video – Watch". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  26. ^ Derschowitz, Jessica (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift debuts "Style" music video". CBS News. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  27. ^ Lindner, Emilee (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 'Style' Video Brings Out Sexy Taylor And We Love It". MTV. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  28. ^ Spencer, Hayley (February 13, 2015). "Here's Taylor Swift's New Steamy, Surreal Music Video for "Style"". InStyle. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  29. ^ Virtel, Louis (February 13, 2015). "The 7 Most Puzzling Images in Taylor Swift's 'Style' Video". HitFix. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  30. ^ Driscoll, Michael (February 13, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 'Style' Video Sticks to the '1989′ Script". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  31. ^ Wood, Mikael. "Taylor Swift has that red-lip thing that you like in 'Style' video" (February 13, 2015). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  32. ^ "After 'Shake It Off' and "Blank Space," "Style" video disappoints". The Huntington News. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  33. ^ Goodman, Jessica (December 9, 2014). "Taylor Swift Was The Real Angel At The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  34. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  35. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  36. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  37. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  38. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  39. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  40. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  41. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  42. ^ Komerički, Goran. "ARC 100 – datum izlaska: 26. sijećnja 2014" (in Croatian). HRT. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  43. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 8. týden 2015 in the date selector. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  44. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  45. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  46. ^ "Chart Track: Week 11, 2015". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  47. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  48. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Taylor Swift" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  49. ^ "Taylor Swift – Style". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  50. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  51. ^ "Taylor Swift-Style SERBIA". POP TOP LISTA - TOP 50 SRBIJA. Archived from the original on 2015-03-31. Retrieved March 31, 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  52. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201512 into search. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  53. ^ "Top 10 Airplay". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  54. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  55. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  56. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  57. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  58. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  59. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  60. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  61. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 2, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  62. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Taylor Swift – Style". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  63. ^ Official Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Mar. 21 2015 Countdown. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 11, 2015. Event occurs at 1:20. Retrieved March 11, 2015 – via YouTube.
  64. ^ "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Style". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  65. ^ "Taylor Swift 'Style' – Republic Playbook". Republic Records. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015.
  66. ^ "Republic Playbook: Taylor Swift 'Style'". Republic Records. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015.
  67. ^ http://www.radioairplay.fm/RadioDate/PublicDetails/123084/TAYLOR-SWIFT-Style-Big-Machine-Records
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