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I Wish You Would (Taylor Swift song)

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"I Wish You Would"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989
ReleasedOctober 27, 2014 (2014-10-27)
Studio
  • Lamby's House, Brooklyn, New York
  • Conway, Los Angeles
GenreBubblegum pop
Length3:27
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
Length3:27
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
Lyric video
"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

"I Wish You Would" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff for her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Taking inspiration from various songs released in the 80s, "I Wish You Would" is a bubblegum pop song about the longing of a relationship between two lovers who do not confess their feelings to each other.

Several critics commended the vintage feel of the song, however it was also criticized as a more forgettable track, with a lack of Swift's songwriting style. Commercially, "I Wish You Would" charted at number 56 on the Canadian Digital Song Sales chart and received certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" for the re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023). It charted at number 26 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top 40 within Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The re-recorded track was applauded by critics for its uptick in production quality.

Background

Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until she released her fourth studio album, Red, in October 2012.[1][2] The album featured eclectic pop and rock styles alongside the country stylings of her previous works.[3] This caused a media debate over Swift's identity as a country artist.[4] In mid-2013, she began writing songs for her next studio album, desiring to explore more of the styles that was incorporated to Red.[5][6] Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, Swift named the album 1989 to signify an artistic reinvention and described it as her first "official pop album".[7]

On 1989, Swift worked with new producers including Jack Antonoff, who produced three tracks, including "I Wish You Would".[8] During production for "I Wish You Would", alongside two other songs, Swift and Antonoff did not see each other, and sent ideas for songs to each other. This led to Swift's team being excited for those tracks.[9] Antonoff acknowledged Swift's desire to take risks in the music industry during the production of 1989.[10]

Lyrics and composition

A woman in an orange dress (Taylor Swift) with three other women (Haim)
Pop rock band Haim (pictured with Taylor Swift) was cited as a possible inspiration for "I Wish You Would" by several critics

"I Wish You Would" is a bubblegum pop song[11] that takes inspiration from 80s synth-pop songs;[12] Matthew Horton of NME theorized that a probable inspiration for the song is Fine Young Cannibals's 1989 album, The Raw & The Cooked.[13] Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times linked "I Wish You Would" to "King of Wishful Thinking" (1990) by Go West. Several other critics saw American band Haim as a possible inspiration.[14][15][16] Additionally, Marah Earkin cited the soundtrack of Mannequin Two: On the Move as a possible inspiration for the song.[14]

"I Wish You Would" portrays the hopeful insistence of young love.[17] It conveys a "John Hughes movie visual" about an unsynchronized relationship between two lovers pinning, but not confessing their feelings of love, to each other. The relationship is a dramatic and tense one that is "never quite where it needs to be". Swift compared it to her 2015 single, "Style", which led fans to theorize that it is about English singer Harry Styles.[18] Swift's character sees her love interest every night through the window.[13] The song is backed by a choppy guitar riff sent by Antonoff during the Red Tour,[16][19] alongside a jagged baseline. The song also has surging snare drums and synths that complement its verses[20] and go faster in tempo as the song progresses before climaxing at the chorus with heavy percussion and layered vocals.[12][21]

The secret message for "I Wish You Would" says, "He drove past her street each week", which Erin Strecker, writer from Billboard, connected to the music video of Swift's earlier hit, Picture to Burn (2008).[22] This is in contrast to what Swift said in an interview with Rolling Stone, where she says it's about an ex who buys a house near to hers.[19] Swift portrays the song as a sister record to her 2016 single "Out of the Woods" and 2023 single "Is It Over Now?", the latter being an outtake from the original 1989.[23]

Critical reception

A group of staff from Billboard commends Swift's ability to capture "the overall feeling of 1989" in "I Wish You Would".[24] In her 2020 ranking of every Taylor Swift song, Hannah Mylrea of NME ranked "I Wish You Would" as 71st out of 161 songs, calling it a "slightly Haim-ish pop juggernaut".[16] Alexic Pedritis of The Guardian commended its bold vintage vibe and innovative aspects of "I Wish You Would".[25] In a review for 1989 (Taylor's Version), Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork acknowledged the song as a highlight from the re-recording, describing it as a "tug-of-war between yearning and anthemic".[26] Another review of 1989 (Taylor's Version) by Slant Magazine writer Jonathan Keefe noted "I Wish You Would" re-recording's improvement in quality from its original version, elaborating that Antonoff's production "packs even greater heft".[27] On a less positive side, Alex Hopper of American Songwriter as a more forgettable track, even though he acknowledges its "retro flavour and driving melody", comparing it to Haim.[28] Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald criticized the lack of noticeability of Swift's songwriting style in "I Wish You Would".[29]

Releases

Taylor Swift in a black crop top and shorts, putting her arms on her back, with a microphone on her right arm.
Taylor Swift performed "I Wish You Would" as part of the setlist during the 1989 World Tour.

1989 was released on October 27, 2014, via Big Machine Records. In the track-list, "I Wish You Would" is the seventh track.[30] It is certified Platinum in Australia (ARIA)[31] and Sliver (BPI) in the United Kingdom[32] Following a dispute over her masters with her former label, Big Machine Records, Swift re-recorded the song as part of 1989 (Taylor's Version). The re-recording charted in Canada (32)[33], New Zealand (30)[34], the United States (31)[35] and Worldwide (26).[36]

"I Wish You Would" was performed as part of the setlist of the 1989 World Tour.[37] "I Wish You Would" was also performed acoustically as a surprise number twice during the Eras Tour, once as a standalone song during the first Chicago show and in mashup with "Is It Over Now?" during the third Sydney show.[38]

Personnel

"I Wish You Would" (2014)[39]

"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" (2023)[40]

Musicians

Technical

  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Ryan Smith – mastering
  • Laura Sisk – engineering
  • Jack Antonoff – engineering
  • David Hart – engineering
  • Evan Smith – engineering
  • Michael Riddleberger – engineering
  • Mikey Freedom Hart – engineering
  • Sean Hutchinson – engineering
  • Zem Audu – engineering
  • Oli Jacobs – engineering
  • Bryce Bordone – mix engineering
  • Jack Manning – engineering assistance
  • Jon Sher – engineering assistance
  • Megan Searl – engineering assistance
  • Joey Miller – engineering assistance
  • Jozef Caldwell – engineering assistance
  • Jacob Spitzer – engineering assistance
  • John Turner – engineering assistance

Charts

"I Wish You Would" (2014)

2014 weekly chart performance for "I Wish You Would"
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[41] 56

"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" (2023)

Chart performance for "I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33] 32
Global 200 (Billboard)[36] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 30
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 30

Certifications

Certifications for "I Wish You Would"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[31] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift's Red Sells 1.21 Million; Biggest Sales Week for an Album Since 2002". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Lewis, Randy (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift raises the bar with a savvy Red marketing campaign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  3. ^ McNutt 2020, p. 77–78.
  4. ^ McNutt 2020, p. 78.
  5. ^ Talbott, Chris (October 12, 2013). "Taylor Swift Talks Next Album, CMAs and Ed Sheeran". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  6. ^ Light, Alan (December 5, 2014). "Billboard Woman of the Year Taylor Swift on Writing Her Own Rules, Not Becoming a Cliche and the Hurdle of Going Pop". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Eells, Josh (September 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift Reveals Five Things to Expect on 1989". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Zollo, Paul (February 12, 2015). "The Oral History of Taylor Swift's 1989". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2024 – via Cuepoint.
  9. ^ Zollo, Paul (July 13, 2020). "Behind The Album: Taylor Swift's '1989'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  10. ^ Mansfield, Brian. "Officially pop, Taylor Swift embraces being unafraid". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Geffen, Sasha (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift – 1989 | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Galvin, Annie (October 27, 2014). "Review: Taylor Swift, 1989". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Horton, Matthew (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift – '1989'". NME. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "With 1989, Taylor Swift finally grows up". The A.V. Club. October 28, 2014. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  15. ^ Hopper, Alex (August 11, 2023). "Every Song on Taylor Swift's '1989' Ranked". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "Review: Taylor Swift smooths out the wrinkles on sleek '1989'". Los Angeles Times. October 27, 2014. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  18. ^ "Who Are Taylor Swift's 1989 Songs About? What She Has Said About the Inspirations". Peoplemag. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Taylor Swift's biggest album 1989 returns with new tracks from the vault". October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  20. ^ "1989". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Lansky, Sam (October 23, 2014). "Review: 1989 Marks a Paradigm Swift". TIME. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Strecker, Erin (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift's '1989' Liner Note Messages & Reference Guide". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  23. ^ "Taylor Swift Reveals Original Lyrics for 1989's "New Romantics" and "Wonderland"". E! Online. October 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  24. ^ Unterberger, Rania; Aniftos, Rania; Atkinson, Katie; Dailey, Hannah; Kaminsky, Becky; Lipshutz, Jason; Lynch, Joe; Nicholson, Jessica; Pascual, Danielle (March 16, 2023). "The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  25. ^ Petridis, Alexis (October 23, 2014). "Taylor Swift: 1989 review – leagues ahead of the teen-pop competition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  26. ^ D'Souza, Shaad. "Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor's Version)". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (October 30, 2023). "Taylor Swift '1989 (Taylor's Version)' Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  28. ^ Hopper, Alex (August 11, 2023). "Every Song on Taylor Swift's '1989' Ranked". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  29. ^ Mathieson, Craig (October 31, 2014). "Taylor Swift's new album 1989 defies expectations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  30. ^ Swift, Taylor (October 27, 2014). "1989". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  32. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – I Wish You Would". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  34. ^ a b "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  36. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  37. ^ Sheffield, Rob (July 11, 2015). "Taylor Swift's Epic '1989' Tour: Rob Sheffield's Report". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  38. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (June 29, 2024). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  39. ^ 1989 (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2014. BMRBD0500A.
  40. ^ 1989 (Taylor's Version) (Compact disc liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2023. 0245597656.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.

Sources

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