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Love Story (Taylor's Version)

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"Love Story (Taylor's Version)"
DTC-exclusive digital cover
Single by Taylor Swift
from the album Fearless (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2021 (2021-02-12)
Recorded2020
StudioConway
(Los Angeles, California)[1]
GenreCountry pop
Length3:56
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
  • Christopher Rowe
  • Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift singles chronology
"Coney Island"
(2021) 		"Love Story (Taylor's Version)"
(2021) 		"Gasoline"
(2021)
Lyric video
"Love Story" (Taylor's Version) on YouTube

"Love Story (Taylor's Version)" is the re-recorded version of "Love Story" by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on February 12, 2021, through Republic Records, as the lead single from Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of her 2008 studio album. An official lyric video of the re-recording was released to YouTube.

Upon release, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was universally acclaimed by music critics, who highlighted Swift's mature vocals, the enhanced instrumentation and mixing, while remaining faithful to the original recording's emotion. The song reached number one in Malaysia, entered the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands and Singapore, and topped the US Hot Country Songs chart, giving Swift her eighth number-one single on the chart.

Background and release

See also: Taylor Swift masters controversy

In August 2019, Swift revealed her decision to re-record her first six studio albums after her master recordings were sold to American businessman Scooter Braun upon his purchase of her former record label, Big Machine Records. "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was the first re-recorded track that Swift disclosed to the public when it was used as a jingle for a Match.com advertisement, written by actor Ryan Reynolds, in December 2020.[2] On February 11, 2021, on Good Morning America as well as via her social media accounts, Swift announced a re-recorded version of her second studio album, Fearless, titled Fearless (Taylor's Version), slated for release on April 9, 2021. "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" serves as a single from the re-recording.[3][4]

A lyric video of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" was released to YouTube. It features photographs of Swift with her fans, which Times of India dubbed as a move that replaces Romeo with the singer's fans.[5] Rolling Stone shared the same viewpoint, stating that the video depicts "the love between artists and fans".[6]

On March 26, 2021, an electronic version of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" remixed by Swedish producer Elvira was released.

Composition

The re-recorded version remains faithful to the 2008 version, not departing from the original production. Many of the same musicians who played on the 2008 version of the instrumental were also involved in the re-recording.[7] However, there is a noticeable change in the timbre of Swift's vocals in the 2021 version, which has a "rounder and fuller" tone, free of much of her older country twang. It is re-recorded with higher precision, and a starker contrast between the instrumentals; the banjo strums, cymbals, fiddle, and violins in "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" are more prominent, with clearly defined bass instruments, stronger drums, less harsh electric guitars, and lowered harmonies in the mix.[8][9][10]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone critic Simon Vozick-Levinson described "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" as a "brilliantly bittersweet update on a classic", equipped with more emotion, polished instrumentals, and vocal technique.[11] Pitchfork writer Vrinda Jagota praised Swift for her commitment to revisiting her teenage work without embarrassment, and branded it "an adult woman's display of ownership and agency".[9] Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times opined that "Love Story" remains a classic, noticing how the rerecorded version is "virtually indistinguishable" from its 2008 counterpart. While describing this similarity as somewhat a "disappointment" since Swift achieved artistic maturity with her 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore, Wood acknowledged that the rights to "Love Story" could completely belong to the singer, in doing so.[7]

Hannah Mylrea, writing for NME, called it a "charming blast of nostalgia" with improved production, where Swift manages to preserve the "sparkle and warmth" that made "Love Story" a success. Mylrea added that Swift used her newly powerful vocals to channel her younger self in the 2021 version, whereas, the 2008 version had a more "earnest" tone to it.[12] Lauding Swift's vocal performance, The Atlantic's Shirley Li wrote that the singer's voice at age 31 is "much richer", with a controlled tone and precise staccato. Li concluded that the 2008 version contained Swift's "eager, breathless vocals captured that thoroughly teenage sensation of fantasizing over a new crush", while the 2021 version "conjures a mature, amused wistfulness".[13] Kevin John Coyne from Country Universe stated that the "more pronounced fiddle and banjo" reduced the "pop sheen" of the song, leading to "a more earthy and grounded feel".[14]

Richard S. He, reviewing for Billboard, was impressed with the song's mixing. He wrote that the original was "a loud, dynamically flat mix and master designed to burst out of FM radio speakers", while the re-recorded version offers a well-balanced, lush, "impressive" mix that elevates the song's dreamy atmosphere. He also pointed out that the instruments in the original's chorus "seemed to blend into one big wall of sound", whereas "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" boasts an ambience with individual instruments.[10] In his BBC review, Mark Savage wrote that the two versions were barely different, praising the "crisper" quality of "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", which allows the listeners to pick up instrumental details that were lost in the 2008 version. He highlighted that Swift's matured vocals and enunciation add depth and warmth to the song, while still capturing the "romantic innocence" of a teenager.[8]

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" sold 10,000 digital downloads and garnered 5.8 million on-demand streams in its first day of release. While not actively promoted to radio, the version drew 144 plays across 89 radio stations for a total of 777,000 audience impressions.[15][16]

With 25,000 sales and 13.7 million streams, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" landed atop the US Hot Country Songs chart, giving Swift her eighth number-one single and first number-one debut on the chart; it marked her first chart-topper since "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (2012). She became the first artist to lead the chart in the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, and the second artist in history to send both the original and re-recorded version of a song to the top spot, after Dolly Parton with "I Will Always Love You". Elsewhere, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" topped Digital Song Sales (Swift's record-extending 22nd number one), Country Digital Song Sales (record-extending 15th number one), and Country Streaming Songs charts. The song debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her 129th entry on the chart—the most entries ever amongst women.[17] It exited the chart the following week.

Track listing

  • Digital digital and streaming[18]
  1. "Love Story" (Taylor's Version) — 3:56
  • Digital digital and streaming (Elvira Remix)[19]
  1. "Love Story" (Taylor's Version) [Elvira Remix] — 3:32

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[20]

Charts

Chart performance for "Love Story (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21] 21
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[22] 24
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[23] 7
Global 200 (Billboard)[24] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 7
Malaysia (RIM)[26] 1
Netherlands Single Tip (MegaCharts)[27] 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 18
Portugal (AFP)[29] 68
Singapore (RIAS)[30] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 62
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 11
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[34] 30
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[35] 39
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[36] 57
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[37] 1
US Rolling Stone Top 100[38] 4

Release history

List of release dates and formats for "Love Story (Taylor's Version)"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various February 12, 2021
Original Republic [18]
March 26, 2021 Elvira Remix [19]

See also

References

  1. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (February 12, 2021). "Listen to Taylor Swift's re-recorded version of "Love Story" and read the credits". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Shaffer, Claire (December 2, 2020). "Taylor Swift Drops Her First Re-Recorded Song -- in an Ad for Match". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Announces Re-Recorded 'Fearless' Album: Updated 'Love Story' Out Tonight". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Willman, Chris (February 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Sets 'Fearless: Taylor's Version' as First in Her Series of Full-Album Do-Overs". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Taylor Swift re-releases 'Love Story', ditches Romeo and dedicates the lyric video to Swifties - WATCH". Times of India. February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Legaspi, Claire Shaffer (February 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases Lyric Video for Re-Recorded 'Love Story'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (February 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's remade 'Love Story (Taylor's Version)' is still a classic, just now all hers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Savage, Mark (February 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's two versions Love Story compared". BBC. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Jagota, Vrinda (February 13, 2021). "Taylor Swift – Love Story (Taylor's Version)". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ a b He, Richard (February 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' Re-Recording Gently Reinvents a Modern Classic". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (February 12, 2021). "'Love Story (Taylor's Version)' Is a Brilliantly Bittersweet Update on a Classic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (February 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's re-recorded 'Love Story (Taylor's Version)' celebrates her 'Fearless' era". NME. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  13. ^ Li, Shirley (February 13, 2021). "The Old Taylor Swift Never Left". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Coyne, Kevin (February 20, 2021). "Single Review: Taylor Swift, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)"". Country Universe.
  15. ^ "Taylor Swift's Re-Recorded 'Love Story' Sells 10,000 in U.S. on First Day". Billboard. February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Caulfield, Keith (February 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' Re-Recording Revs Up Streamers". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Taylor Swift's 'Love Story (Taylor's Version)' Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs Chart: 'I'm So Grateful to the Fans'". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Single by Taylor Swift". Spotify. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Love Story (Taylor's Version) [Elvira Remix] - Single by Taylor Swift". Spotify. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  20. ^ ""Love Story" (Taylor's Version) - Credits". Tidal. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  21. ^ "Taylor Swift – Love Story (Taylor's Version)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  22. ^ "Taylor Swift – Love Story (Taylor's Version)" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  23. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  25. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  26. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia]]". Retrieved March 6, 2021 – via Facebook.
  27. ^ "Netherlands Single Tip Chart". MegaCharts. February 20, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  28. ^ "Taylor Swift – Love Story (Taylor's Version)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  29. ^ "Taylor Swift – Love Story". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  30. ^ "RIAS Top Charts". Recording Industry Association Singapore. February 23, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  31. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 7" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  33. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  34. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  35. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  36. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  37. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  38. ^ "Rolling Stone Top 100, February 12 – February 18, 2021". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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