"Bejeweled" | |
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Promotional single by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Midnights | |
Released | October 25, 2022 |
Studio |
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Genre | |
Length | 3:14 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Music video | |
"Bejeweled" on YouTube |
"Bejeweled" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). She wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. It is a synth-laden synth-pop and bubblegum pop track with ringing synth arpeggios and elements of disco and electronica. The lyrics are about self-worth; Swift said the lyrics were also a statement of her return to pop music with Midnights after the 2020 folk-oriented albums Folklore and Evermore . The song was released for limited-time download via Swift's website on October 25, 2022.
Music critics complimented the song's upbeat production and considered the lyrics empowering. "Bejeweled" was accompanied by a music video written and directed by Swift; influenced by "Cinderella", its cast included Swift, Antonoff, the actress Laura Dern, the band Haim, the burlesque artist Dita Von Teese, and the makeup artist Pat McGrath. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Global 200 and within the top 10 on charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, and the United States. It received certifications in Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Swift included "Bejeweled" in the set list of her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).
On August 28, 2022, Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for All Too Well: The Short Film (2021) at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. In her acceptance speech, she announced her tenth studio album and its impending release date on October 21. [1] Soon after, Swift revealed the album's title Midnights and its cover on her social media, but did not immediately release the track list. [2] On a September 6, 2022, video titled "The making of Midnights" on her Instagram, she revealed Jack Antonoff, a musician who had worked with Swift since 1989 (2014), was a producer on Midnights. [3] About a month before the album's release, Swift announced a thirteen-episode series called Midnights Mayhem with Me on the social media platform TikTok. In each episode of the series, Swift revealed the title of one album track. [4] In the seventh episode on October 5, 2022, Swift announced the title of the ninth track as "Bejeweled". [5]
Swift wrote and produced "Bejeweled" with Antonoff; the latter recorded the track with audio engineers David Hart, Evan Smith, and Laura Sisk at Rough Customer Studio, Brooklyn, and Electric Lady Studios, New York. On the song, Antonoff programmed and played instruments including percussion, kalimba, acoustic guitars, bass, and a variety of synthesizers (Juno 6, DX7, OB1, Moog). Additional synths and keyboards were played by Smith and Mikey Freedom Hart, whose performance was recorded by David Hart at Big Mercy Sound, Brooklyn. Serban Ghenea, assisted by Bryce Bordone, mixed "Bejeweled" at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, and Randy Merrill mastered it at Sterling Sound, Edgewater. [6]
"Bejeweled" is a synth-pop song. [7] [8] Its composition consists of ringing synth arpeggios, specifically the Juno 6, [9] that are prominently heard in the hooks. [10] [11] The synth stylings evoke electronica, which Paste's Ellen Johnston likened to the music of indie band LCD Soundsystem. [9] The A.V. Club 's Saloni Gajjar described the song as "unapologetic bubblegum pop", [12] and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield said it has a "disco rush" [13] and is "full of late-night disco jitters". [14] The lyrics are about recognizing self-worth. [10] [15] [16] Swift stated the song also acts as a statement for her return to pop music—that she is still "bejeweled" enough for pop—after deviating outside the genre with her last two studio albums, Folklore and Evermore , which were primarily rooted in folk music. [7]
Republic Records released Midnights on October 21, 2022; "Bejeweled" is track nine on the album. [10] On October 25, "Bejeweled" was released for limited-time download via Swift's website. [17] An instrumental version followed two days later. [18] Swift included "Bejeweled" in the set list of the Eras Tour (2023–2024). [19]
On the international Billboard Global 200 chart, "Bejeweled" debuted at number 8, alongside eight other songs from Midnights in the top-10 region. [20] In the United States, tracks from Midnights occupied the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100; "Bejeweled" debuted at number six on the chart with 35.5 million streams, 16,100 digital downloads sold and 1.6 million in radio audience. Swift became the first artist to simultaneously occupy the top 10 spots of the Hot 100; the female artist with the most top-10 songs (40); and the first act to occupy the entire top 10 of the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, and Digital Songs charts simultaneously. Midnights also became the first album in history to contain ten top-10 songs. [21] The song spent a second consecutive week inside the top 10 of the Hot 100, alongside fellow tracks "Anti-Hero", "Lavender Haze" and "Midnight Rain". [22]
Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone dubbed "Bejeweled" an "absolute knockout" of a song, "presenting herself as the ultimate prize". [23] Sheffield said the song is an "anxious dance-floor poseur of 'Mirrorball' grown up, but it also feels like the wife from 'Tolerate It' finally breaking free", featuring both Swift's confidence and vulnerability. [13] Billboard journalist Jason Lipshutz said "Bejeweled" conveys Swift's years of experience as a songwriter. Lipshutz added that song is "a story of refusing to settle into early-thirties ennui". [10] Helen Brown of The Independent wrote, Swift "warns a guy that she has the capacity to light up rooms (and all the boys in the band) if he doesn't pay more attention". [15] Carl Wilson of Slate appreciated the song's lively synths reminiscent of works by Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder and the lyrics about "living well". [11] Saloni Gajjar of The A.V. Club described it as an unapologetic, "feel-good melody meant to be played loudly". [12] Elise Ryan from the Associated Press was less enthusiastic and deemed "Bejeweled" a weaker track on Midnights for being "a bit too candy sweet". [24] The New York Times critic Jon Caramanica panned the lyrics as underwhelming and the production as "metallic and tense". [25]
On October 16, 2022, Swift posted onto her social media an itinerary detailing the promotion for the album, titled Midnights Manifest. [26] It showed that in addition to the music video for the lead single "Anti-Hero", a music video for "another track" was scheduled for release on October 25. [27] One day before the release, Swift disclosed that the music video was for "Bejeweled". [28] Excerpts from the video were shown in a teaser trailer for the album's visuals during Amazon Prime Video's broadcast of Thursday Night Football on October 20. [29] Besides Swift, the cast of the "Bejeweled" music video—Antonoff, the actress Laura Dern, the female pop-rock band Haim (Este, Danielle, and Alana), the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, and the makeup artist Pat McGrath—also appeared in the trailer. [30] Written and directed by Swift, the music video for "Bejeweled" premiered on her Vevo channel via YouTube. [31]
Swift's team reached out to Dita Von Teese for her appearance. They talked about Von Teese's influence on performances. Joseph Cassell, a stylist of Swift, studied Von Teese's collection and subsequently made recreations of Catherine D'lish original costumes for the video. Von Teese filmed her scenes in August 2022, and the giant martini glasses used came from her personal performance collection. [32] Swift and her team collaborated with make-up artist McGrath, who also had a cameo as the Queen character, to design the looks for the video. [33]
Media publications pointed out many Easter eggs possibly referencing songs and memorabilia from her 2010 album, Speak Now . [34] [35] [36] Swift portrays a Cinderella-like character, named "House Wench Taylor". Taylor endures mockery from her wicked stepmother (Dern), and the evil stepsisters (Haim), one of whose vomit Taylor is forced to clean up. [35] As they leave for the ball, House Wench Taylor opens a fob watch and transforms into a cloaked figure. She sings the second verse in a golden elevator on her way to the ball on the third floor of a skyscraper. The elevator contains an Easter egg wherein the color of each elevator button represents every album Swift has released as of the music video's release, with the thirteenth and last button, which is purple, representing Speak Now . [34] [36]
Taylor then passes through an environment filled with falling gemstones before taking her cloak off, revealing a black American burlesque-inspired dance outfit. The gems fall into place on her bodysuit and boots, and a bracelet and necklace attach around her wrist and neck. Exiting the elevator on a higher floor, Taylor meets her "fairy goddess" (Von Teese), both wearing silver burlesque-style outfits. [35] After peeling off their stockings, they perform a dance number in a pair of giant martini glasses. [36]
Finally, Taylor reaches the thirteenth floor and takes the stage at the ball in a clockwork-inspired setting surrounded by showgirls, wearing a black jewelled two-piece outfit and silver heels. Her act stuns the wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and impresses "Queen Pat" (McGrath). Queen Pat forces Taylor to entertain the Prince Charming (Antonoff), but Swift turns the Prince's marriage proposal down, with a caption specifying that she ghosts him. The music video ends with the Prince shrugging off and accepting Taylor's rejection while she enjoys the view from her newly acquired castle as three dragons fly around it. The music video features orchestral versions of two Speak Now songs: "Enchanted" in the beginning and "Long Live" at the end. [34]
Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards | 2023 | Short Format: Music Video or Web Series | Nominated | [37] |
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | 2023 | Best Hair Styling in Commercials or Music Videos | Nominated | [38] [39] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | TikTok Bop of the Year | Won | [40] |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | 2023 | Favorite Song | Nominated | [41] |
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Midnights. [6]
Chart (2022–2023) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [42] | 7 |
Belgium ( Billboard ) [43] | 25 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [44] | 7 |
Croatia ( Billboard ) [45] | 21 |
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [46] | 38 |
France (SNEP) [47] | 145 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [48] | 8 |
Greece International (IFPI) [49] | 16 |
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [50] | 29 |
Ireland ( Billboard ) [51] | 9 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [52] | 38 |
Malaysia ( Billboard ) [53] | 15 |
Malaysia International (RIM) [54] | 11 |
Netherlands (Single Tip) [55] | 1 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [56] | 9 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [57] | 4 |
Portugal (AFP) [58] | 22 |
Singapore (RIAS) [59] | 8 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [60] | 43 |
South Africa (RISA) [61] | 20 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [62] | 65 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [63] | 44 |
UK Singles (OCC) [64] | 63 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [65] | 6 |
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) [66] | 19 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [67] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [68] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [69] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [70] | Gold | 70,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [71] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [72] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [73] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 25, 2022 | Digital download | Original | Republic | [17] |
October 27, 2022 | Instrumental | [18] |
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. He was previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop rock band Fun and the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with the three groups, Antonoff has been prolific in songwriting and production for various music industry acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, P!nk, Sara Bareilles, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff is credited with impacting the sound of popular music throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
"Sweeter than Fiction" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff for the soundtrack to the 2013 film One Chance. It was released by Big Machine Records for digital download on October 21, 2013. An incorporation of bubblegum pop, synth-pop, and electropop, "Sweeter than Fiction" features elements of 1980s new wave. The track peaked in the top 40 on the singles charts of Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and the United States.
"Out of the Woods" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With lyrics inspired by a failed relationship and the ensuing anxieties that Swift experienced, "Out of the Woods" is a synth-pop song with elements of Eurodance and indietronica and features heavy synthesizers, looping drums, and layered background vocals.
"The Archer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). She wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff, and Republic Records released it as a promotional single on July 23, 2019. The song has a 1980s-influenced minimalist, midtempo production and is a synth-pop ballad incorporating dense, echoing synthesizers and insistent kick drums. Music critics also identified elements of synthwave and dream pop. The lyrics are about Swift's acknowledgement of her past mistakes and contemplation of her identity.
Midnights is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. Swift conceived it as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepless nights. The autobiographical songwriting explores broad emotions such as regrets, self-criticism, fantasies, heartbreak, and infatuation, using confessional yet cryptic lyrics that allude to her personal life and public image.
"Mastermind" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). She was inspired to write it after watching the 2017 film Phantom Thread. Produced with co-writer Jack Antonoff, "Mastermind" is an electropop song featuring synth arpeggiators, layered vocal harmonies, and an expansive bass. Its lyrics are about a narrator confessing to a lover that they were the one who initiated and planned their romantic relationship.
"Vigilante Shit" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her tenth studio album Midnights (2022). Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the track is a dark pop tune with elements of industrial and hip hop. Its minimalistic production is driven by trap beats composed of pulsing snare drums and light bass and electronic tones. The lyrics are about a noirish vengeance declaration, taking aim at an enemy and encouraging other women to do the same.
"Question...?" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. A synth-pop track, "Question...?" has lyrics where a narrator ponders on a broken relationship and confronts the ex-lover with a series of rhetorical questions. It samples Swift's own 2016 single "Out of the Woods". The song was released as a limited-time digital download from Midnights on October 25, 2022, via Swift's website.
"Maroon" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the lyrics contain references to different shades of red such as maroon, burgundy, and scarlet to describe the haunting memories of a long-gone relationship set in New York. Musically, "Maroon" is a ballad combining dream pop, synth-pop, electropop, and trip hop. Its ambient production consists of reverbed layered vocals, trap beats, and an oscillating electric guitar creating a sustained note throughout the track.
"Karma" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, and Keanu Beats, while Jahaan Sweet co-produced it. Republic Records released the song to US radio on May 1, 2023, as the third single from Midnights. A remix, featuring rapper Ice Spice, was released on May 26, 2023, as part of an extended edition of Midnights.
"Lavender Haze" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). The song was written by Swift, Jack Antonoff, Jahaan Sweet, Sounwave, Zoë Kravitz, and Sam Dew, and it was produced by the first four in addition to Braxton Cook. The title references a 1950s-dated common phrase for the state of being in love, inspired by the series Mad Men. Republic Records released the song to US radio on November 29, 2022, as the album's second single.
"You're on Your Own, Kid" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. With a production combining alternative rock, pop rock, and synth-pop sounds, "You're on Your Own, Kid" is an upbeat song with muted guitars and synthesizers that gradually build up. In the lyrics, a narrator reflects on her coming of age, on how she dealt with an unrequited love and her career ambitions.
"Sweet Nothing" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote the song with Joe Alwyn, who is credited under the pseudonym William Bowery, and produced it with Jack Antonoff. An electric piano–led ballad, "Sweet Nothing" features a bedroom pop and soft rock production that is reminiscent of 1970s ballads. It is accompanied by saxophone and clarinet accents. The lyrics are about a narrator's appreciation of her lover for his calming presence and simple gestures amidst the chaos of the outer world.
"Snow on the Beach" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). It features background vocals from the American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. The two wrote the track with Jack Antonoff, who also produced the song with Swift. "Snow on the Beach" is a love song about two people falling in love with each other simultaneously. It includes a midtempo dream pop production containing synths, plucked violin, and a reverbed bass.
"Hits Different" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was first released as a bonus track on the CD-only Lavender Edition of her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21, 2022. The track was released for download and streaming as part of the Til Dawn Edition on May 26, 2023. Written and produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Aaron Dessner, its lyrics reflect on a past relationship and contain references to some of Swift's other songs. Critics complimented the humorous tone of its lyrics and found the production catchy.
"Anti-Hero" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. It is a pop rock and synth-pop song driven by a 1980s-inspired drum loop generated with a LinnDrum and retro synthesizers such as the Juno 6 and the Prophet 5. Inspired by Swift's insecurities, the lyrics focus on self-loathing and the impact of fame on her wellbeing; the bridge narrates a nightmare where her daughter-in-law murders her for her last will. Republic Records released the song for download and streaming on October 21, 2022.
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"Midnight Rain" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the song has a slow pace, R&B-tinged electropop production. The track is driven by a distorted Moog synthesizer and features Swift's formant-shifted vocals at some parts. In the lyrics, the narrator contemplates on a lost love and how she chose her career and fame over a domestic life with an ex-lover.
"Labyrinth" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff. It is a muted dance-pop and synth-pop song with prominent electronic and alternative elements, and has a production that consists of dense synthesizers, subtle guitars, and trap/house beats. Swift sings with a soft timbre and uses her upper-register vocals throughout most of the verses, until the end of the song where her vocals are manipulated to a lower pitch. Lyrically, the narrator expresses anxiety towards newfound romance.
"Now That We Don't Talk" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift for her 2014 studio album, 1989, but did not make the final track-list. She re-recorded the song and produced it with Jack Antonoff for her 2023 re-recorded album, 1989 . A synth-pop and disco song, "Now That We Don't Talk" features disco grooves, falsetto vocals, and thrumming synths. The lyrics are about contempt for an estranged ex-lover.
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