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Message in a Bottle (Taylor Swift song)

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"Message in a Bottle"
Fat Max G remix cover
Single by Taylor Swift
from the album Red (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedNovember 2021[a]
Studio
  • Kitty Committee (Belfast)
  • House Mouse (Stockholm)
Genre
Length3:45
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Taylor Swift singles chronology
"I Bet You Think About Me"
(2021) 		"Message in a Bottle"
(2021) 		"The Joker and the Queen"
(2022)
Lyric video
"Message in a Bottle" on YouTube

"Message in a Bottle"[b] is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version) (2021). She wrote the song with Max Martin and Shellback. Produced by Shellback and Elvira Anderfjärd, "Message in a Bottle" is a dance-pop and electropop tune with a 1980s-influenced production featuring synthesizers and a pulsating bass. Republic Records sent the song to US radio stations as a single in November 2021.[a]

In reviews of Red (Taylor's Version), some critics praised the song's production and likened it to the sound of Swift's 2014 album, 1989, but a few others found the song underwhelming in comparison to other pop tracks on the album. The song peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Global 200 and entered on the charts in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Background and release

On August 5, 2021, Taylor Swift released a 30-second teaser on social media featuring jumbled letters that, when decoded, revealed the song titles and collaborators from the nine previously unreleased songs to be included on Red (Taylor's Version) (2021), her re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red. One of the nine tracks was "Message in a Bottle", announced shortly afterwards as the twenty-fifth song from the album.[3][4] It was serviced to US radio as a single on November 12, 2021, coinciding with the album's release.[5] Billboard reported that the track was being pushed on US radio stations as a single as soon as November 2021.[1] A remix by Fat Max G was released to digital and streaming services on January 21, 2022.[6] On the July 23, 2023, concert in Seattle, Swift's performed the track as a "surprise song", as part of the Eras Tour (2023–2024).[7]

Composition

"Message in a Bottle"
A sample of the song's chorus, showing the uptempo synthesizers and programmed beats.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Message in a Bottle" is the only one of the nine "From the Vault" songs on Red (Taylor's Version) to have been co-written by Martin and Shellback, who worked with Swift on Red singles such as "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", "I Knew You Were Trouble", and "22".[8] It was the first song Swift wrote with them.[9] Shellback and Elvira Anderfjärd jointly produced the song, with Shellback playing guitar on the track, while Anderfjärd performs on bass and drums. Both also contributed keyboards to the song. "Message in a Bottle" is set in the key of G major with a tempo of 116 beats per minute.[10] It is a dance, dance-pop, and electropop song[11][12][13] with synthesizers and a pulsating bass,[9] with Swift's voice ranging between G3 and D5.[14]

Critical reception

Music critics received "Message in a Bottle" with generally positive reviews. Writing for NME, Hannah Mylrea called the song a "effervescent nugget of pure-pop", saying it was "reminiscent of Carly Rae Jepsen's '80s-influenced record Emotion."[15] Paul Bridgewater of The Line of Best Fit labeled the track "A-grade Swift", saying that it "would fit easily on Red's follow-up 1989".[16] Clash also noted the "electronic soundscape and pulsing beat" as similar to 1989, writing that "Message in a Bottle" was a "Carly Rae Jepsen-esque offering" from Swift.[17]

In iHeartRadio, Ariel King opined that "while the track maintains the theme of Red, where Swift worked through intense heartache, the upbeat instrumentals within the single just may be the song that bridged her into 1989."[18] Ranking "Message in a Bottle" third among the nine Red (Taylor's Version) that were previously unreleased, Billboard writer Jason Lipshutz called the song a "compact, propulsive dance track that carries the same energy (and crackling charm) as the hits that pushed Swift’s sound toward mainstream pop leading into 2014's 1989".[8]

Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine compared the track's hook to "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "Shake It Off", also noting that it did not have "the self-conscious repetitions of those hits".[19] For Variety, Chris Willman gave the song a 4/5 rating, expressing surprise that the track was initially excluded from Red, calling it "a strong shot for hit single status" and "thoroughly infectious". However, Willman also stated that "as good as it is, you can imagine almost anyone in pop singing it", calling it "slightly impersonal in a way few of her released songs do".[20]

Pitchfork's Olivia Horn gave a lukewarm review, complimenting the glossy production but criticized the track for its "dearth of personality".[9] Laura Snapes from The Guardian deemed "Message in a Bottle" generic and inferior compared to "22", another pop song that was included in the original 2012 album.[21]

Commercial performance

With three days of tracking, "Message in a Bottle" debuted at number 36 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 airplay chart dated November 20, 2021, marking Swift's thirty-sixth entry on that chart.[22] It was the most requested song from Red (Taylor's Version) across iHeartRadio stations within the album's first release week.[23] It peaked at number 11 on the Adult Top 40,[24] 17 on the Mainstream Top 40,[25] and 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.[26] In Canada, "Message in a Bottle" was the most added song on pop radio for the week of November 27, 2021; it has since peaked at number 16.[27]

Track listing

All tracks are noted as "Taylor's Version".

Digital download and streaming[28]

  1. "Message in a Bottle" (Fat Max G Remix) – 3:45
  2. "Message in a Bottle" (From the Vault) – 3:47

Digital download and streaming[29]

  1. "Message in a Bottle" (Fat Max G Remix) – 3:45
  2. "Message in a Bottle" (From the Vault) – 3:46
  3. "Message in a Bottle" (From the Vault) (lyric video) – 3:46

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Red (Taylor's Version) album liner notes[30]

Fat Max G Remix[31]

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriting
  • Shellback – songwriting
  • Max Martin – songwriting
  • Fat Max Gsus – production, remixing, bass, drums, percussion, programming, synthesizer, vocal production
  • Randy Merrill – masters engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • John Hanes – immersive mix engineering
  • Christopher Rowe – vocal engineering

Live performances

Swift performed the song live on July 23, 2023 in Seattle, Washington during the acoustic set of The Eras Tour.[32]

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Message in a Bottle"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various November 12, 2021
Original Republic
United States
[5]
Various January 21, 2022
Fat Max G remix [6]
Italy Radio airplay Original Universal [45]

Notes

  1. ^ a b On November 29, 2021, Billboard reported that "Message in a Bottle" is the "current radio single" in the US from Swift, but did not mention an exact date on which the song officially impacted the radio stations.[1]
  2. ^ Subtitled "(Taylor's Version) (from the Vault)".[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Trust, Gary (November 29, 2021). "Adele's 'Easy on Me' Rebounds for Fifth Week Atop Billboard Hot 100, 'Oh My God' Debuts at No. 5". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Red (Taylor's Version) (+ A Message from Taylor) by Taylor Swift". Apple Music. November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Mamo, Heran (August 5, 2021). "Here Are All the Decoded 'Red (Taylor's Version)' Bonus Tracks". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "Taylor Swift Announces Collaborators for Next Album Via Coded Puzzle". Heavy. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Hot/Modern/AC Cool New Music". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2022. Type "Taylor Swift" in the Search field.
  6. ^ a b Swift, Taylor (January 21, 2022). "Message In A Bottle (Fat Max G Remix) (Taylor's Version) - Single". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  7. ^ Ruggieri, Melissa (July 24, 2023). "Taylor Swift is adding surprise songs to every Eras tour stop. See the list so far". USA Today. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (November 12, 2021). "Every 'From The Vault' Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Red (Taylor's Version)': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Horn, Olivia (November 15, 2021). "Taylor Swift: Red (Taylor's Version) Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Message in a Bottle". Musicnotes.com. November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (November 12, 2021). "Every 'From The Vault' Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Red (Taylor's Version)': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Sheffield, Rob (November 12, 2021). "'Red (Taylor's Version)' Makes a Classic Even Better". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (November 15, 2021). "Taylor Swift's Red Rerelease Proves What Fans Always Knew". Slate. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "Taylor Swift | The Range Planet". therangeplanet.proboards.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021. [better source needed]
  15. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift – 'Red (Taylor's Version)' review: a retread of heartbreak". NME. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Bridgewater, Paul (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's reworking of Red finds even more magic in her pop blueprint". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  17. ^ "Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor's Version)". Clash. November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  18. ^ King, Ariel (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift Bridges Between 'Red' & '1989' With 'Message In A Bottle'". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (November 17, 2021). "Review: Taylor Swift's Red Redux Flaunts the Singer's Refined Pop Instincts". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  20. ^ Willman, Chris (November 11, 2021). "On 'Red (Taylor's Version),' Taylor Swift's Vault Tracks Are All Too Swell: Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  21. ^ Snapes, Laura (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift: Red (Taylor's Version) review – getting back together with a classic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  22. ^ Asker, Jim; Trust, Gary (November 16, 2021). "Taylor Swift Debuts These Two Songs From Red (Taylor's Version) on Airplay Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  23. ^ Mastrogiannis, Nicole (November 17, 2021). "You'll Only Hear Taylor Swift's Taylor's Version Albums on iHeartRadio". American Top 40. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  25. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  27. ^ "Canada CHR/Top 40 National Airplay Chart". Broadcast Data Systems. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  28. ^ "Message In A Bottle (Fat Max G Remix) (Taylor's Version)". Tidal. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  29. ^ "Message In A Bottle (Fat Max G Remix) (Taylor's Version)". Tidal. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  30. ^ Red (Taylor's Version) (digital media liner notes). Taylor Swift / Republic Records. 2021. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
  31. ^ "'Message in a Bottle' (Fat Max G Remix) (Taylor's Version)". Tidal. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  32. ^ "Here are the surprise songs Taylor Swift played in Seattle shows". king5.com. July 23, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  33. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 22, 2021. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  34. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  35. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  36. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  37. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  38. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  39. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas [2022/02/02 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  40. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  41. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  42. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  43. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  44. ^ "Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  45. ^ "Taylor Swift 'Message in a Bottle' | (Radio Date: 21/01/2022)". radiodate.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.


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