"Hits Different" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Midnights [note 1] | |
Released | October 21, 2022 |
Studio |
|
Genre | Pop rock |
Length | 3:54 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
|
Audio video | |
"Hits Different" on YouTube |
"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.
After it was released for streaming, "Hits Different" peaked within the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Billboard Global 200. Swift performed "Hits Different" as a "surprise song" on the Chicago and London stops of her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023-2024).
Taylor Swift announced her tenth studio album at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2022. She later revealed the name of the album, Midnights , and its album cover on social networks but the tracklist was not immediately revealed. [2] On a video via her Instagram account on September 6, titled "The making of Midnights", Swift revealed that Jack Antonoff, who had worked with her before on her five studio albums since 1989 (2014), was a producer on the album. [3] They wrote and produced "Hits Different" with Aaron Dessner. [4] Both Antonoff and Dessner are responsible for the track's instrumentation, putting a ray of guitars and synths to the mix, with the former also playing percussion, bass, and piano. Other musicians included James McAlister (drum kit, synth sequencing), Sean Hutchinson (drums, percussion), Evan Smith (synths), and Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett (Prophet X synth, Teenage Engineering OP-1). The song was recorded across five recording studios located in the United States: Los Angeles-based Conway Recording and Sharp Sonics, Electric Lady, Rough Customer and Long Pond in New York. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea, assisted by Bryce Bordone, at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and masted by Randy Merrill at Sterling Studios in Edgewater, New Jersey. [5]
"Hits Different" is 3 minutes and 54 seconds long. [5] It is a buoyant pop rock song. [7] In an article published in Business Insider , Callie Ahlgrim and Courteney Larocca described the soundscape of "Hits Different" as "warm and triumphant like a montage about falling in love, or finding freedom in a big city", although it depicts a reflection over a past relationship. [6] Larocca described it as a song that evokes the country pop sound of the late 1990s and early 2000s by country crossover acts such as Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, and Faith Hill. [6] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said the song features plenty of "sun-kissed California rock guitar", [8] while Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said that the "shimmering guitar and fizzy emotion" create "a sense of wanderlust" reminiscent of Swift's 2012 album Red . [9] Critics compared the "drunken display of heartbreak" to "Death by a Thousand Cuts" from Swift's 2019 album Lover , and the lyrics' comical nature to Drake's 2011 single "Marvins Room". [6] [10]
An emotional breakup song, "Hits Different" contains "funny" lyrics and nods to Swift's 2006 track "Our Song". [8] [10] The first verse pictures an image of a heartbreak with an introduction from the singer: "I washed my hands of us at the club / You made a mess of me". [11] [12] She imagines her past lover with a different partner, which makes her vomit. [6] In the chorus, Swift makes a glimpse why she feels this way, by singing: "It hits different 'cause it's you." [12] The second verse reveals her mindset regarding the ray of her previous relationships, even calling most of them "Kens", [11] to highlight their interchangeability. [13] She refers to past splits as "freeing like summer", [12] and sings that her friends recoil from her, since she complains about her situation too much. [6]
During the "tragic" bridge, Swift expresses her continuous personal connection to the past lover's items. [6] [12] [14] Callie Ahlgrim of Business Insider likened a quote from this portion of the song―"Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief in the good in the world"―to Evermore album tracks "Gold Rush" and "Dorothea", since both of them contain references to dreaming. Another reference to the former song is found in the end of the bridge, when Swift calls the subject an "argumentative, antithetical dream girl", which is reminiscent of the lyric "At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit", since "argumentative" and "contrarian" are synonyms. [13] It is followed by a third verse, where she hears someone turning a key of her door, hoping it is them, before realizing it might be an intervention towards her. [6] [12]
"Hits Different" features as a bonus track on deluxe editions of Midnights, including a Target-exclusive CD Lavender Edition released on October 21, 2022, [11] [15] and a digital Til Dawn Edition released on May 26, 2023. [16] The digital release of "Hits Different" on streaming platforms made it available to chart. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it debuted and peaked at number 27 for the week ending June 10, 2023. [17] The track also landed on other Billboard-curated charts, such as Canadian Hot 100 (19), [18] Global 200 (18), [19] and Philippines Songs (8). [20] Elsewhere, it peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart [21] and number 16 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [22] On June 4, 2023, at the Chicago stop as part of her Eras Tour, Swift performed "Hits Different" on acoustic guitar as a "surprise song". [23] [24] Stereogum 's Tom Breihan reported that the performance was a "huge, euphoric singalong". [25] Billboard and Parade noted that Swift messed up some lyrics. [26] [27] She sang the track again as part of a mash-up with her song "Death by a Thousand Cuts" (2019) on June 21, 2024, at the tour's London stop. [23]
Having been described as a "fan favorite", [9] [11] "Hits Different" received positive reviews from music critics, with Billboard's Ashley Iasimone calling it "excellent", [26] and Alex Hopper from American Songwriter dubbing it as a "breakup anthem". [28] Carl Wilson from Slate said that "Hits Different" is the best bonus track of Midnights because it "melodically and lyrically has real 'old Taylor' verve", but he also agreed that the track would have been out of place on the standard track-list. [29] Opining that it sounds "unlike anything on Midnights", Larocca dubbed its chorus as one of the "catchiest" on the album. Additionally, she compared the song's release strategy to "New Romantics" from 1989, since both of them first appeared on the physical deluxe editions of their respective albums, whilst being one of the "best" tracks. [6]
Following its release for digital download and streaming, Stereogum ranked "Hits Different" the third best new song of the week of June 2, 2023, naming it a "falsely chipper" sequel of Swift's 2014 single "Blank Space" with "funneling self-lacerating 'Anti-Hero' vibes". [10] In Sheffield's ranking of all the songs in Swift's discography, "Hits Different" placed 46th; he described its lyrics as "wildly funny". [8] Michele Mendez of Elite Daily described it as an "emotional breakup song perfect for anyone in need of some sonic comfort". [12] Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul wrote that in the song "heartbreak feels fresh" and its bridge depicts "wasteland of all the things that remind the singer of the relationship's end". [14] Maya Georgia, also from Rolling Stone wrote that the song "chronicles a once-in-a-lifetime loss against an addictively jubilant production, reminiscent of early-2000s pop", and praised its bridge in particular. [30] In a less favorable review, Kyle Denis of Billboard opined that the track is "enjoyable but feels bland in comparison to the [standard] album's strongest tracks". [9]
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Midnights (Lavender Edition). [5]
Recording locations
Personnel
|
|
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [31] | 16 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [18] | 19 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [19] | 18 |
Greece International (IFPI) [32] | 34 |
Ireland (IRMA) [33] | 13 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [34] | 14 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [20] | 8 |
Singapore (RIAS) [35] | 15 |
UK Singles (OCC) [36] | 18 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [37] | 27 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [38] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [39] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Bleachers, and previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop band Fun and the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Steel Train. Antonoff has produced and co-written songs with other music acts, known for working with artists such as Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, and Kendrick Lamar.
"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.
"Cardigan" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Republic Records released the song on July 27, 2020. Written by Swift and its producer, Aaron Dessner, "Cardigan" is a folk, soft rock, and indie rock ballad, with a stripped-down arrangement of a piano, drums, and violins.
"Peace" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. According to Swift, "Peace" is her most personal song on Folklore. It has a minimal composition of a soft piano and harmonized guitars over an electric pulse, combining elements of R&B, funk, and jazz. In the lyrics, Swift's character pledges her commitment to a lover while acknowledging the downsides she might bring to their relationship.
"Epiphany" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer Aaron Dessner over an ambient-chamber pop composition consisting of a slow piano line, cinematic strings and howling brass.
"August" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift and Jack Antonoff wrote the song, and the two produced it with Joe Alwyn.
"Hoax" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the track with its producer, Aaron Dessner; it was the last track she wrote for the album. A slow-paced piano ballad, "Hoax" is about a flawed but everlasting relationship; Swift describes the details using motifs and imagery.
"The 1" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the opening track from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. A folk and soft rock tune with elements of indie folk, "The 1" sets Swift's conversational vocals over a production consisting of piano and percussion. In its lyrics, the narrator fondly introspects a failed romance and details the time when she found "the one" who never came to be. Republic Records released the song for download in Germany on October 9, 2020.
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a 2020 American documentary concert film directed and produced by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on Disney+ on November 25, 2020. The documentary is set at Long Pond Studio, an isolated recording studio in a forested area in the Hudson Valley, New York; Swift performs all of the 17 tracks of her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020), whilst discussing the creative process behind the songs with her collaborators Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Swift made her debut as a film director with the documentary, which is her fourth film to be released on a streaming service, following the releases of The 1989 World Tour Live (2015), Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), and Miss Americana (2020).
"Willow" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). It was released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. "Willow" is a chamber folk love song making use of several metaphors to convey the singer's romantic state of mind, such as portraying her life as a willow tree, over picked guitars, glockenspiel, flute, strings, and percussion.
"Long Story Short" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. "Long Story Short" is an upbeat song that consists of dynamic programmed and live drums, synths, strings, and guitars; music critics characterize the genre as synth-pop, electropop, folk-pop, and indie rock. The lyrics see Swift reminiscing about a dark part of her past and her contentment with a current state of mind.
"'Tis the Damn Season" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with Aaron Dessner, who produced it using an instrumental track he had written prior. "'Tis the Damn Season" is a folk song instrumented by a finger-picked electric guitar and programmed drums. Narrated from the perspective of a female character named Dorothea, the lyrics detail her returning to her hometown during the holiday season and engaging in a quickly-faded rekindled relationship.
"Question...?" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it is a minimalist electropop and synth-pop track that incorporates synth tones and sharp drum machine beats. The song contains a vocal sample of Swift's 2014 track "Out of the Woods". In the lyrics, Swift's narrator confronts an ex-lover with questions regarding their past behaviors and what could have happened differently.
"Maroon" 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. The lyrics use different shades of red such as maroon, burgundy, and scarlet to describe the haunting memories of a long-gone romance in New York. Musically, "Maroon" is a ballad combining dream pop, synth-pop, electropop, and trip hop. It has an ambient production consisting of reverbed layered vocals, trap beats, and an oscillating electric guitar that creates a sustained note throughout the track.
"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 and bedroom pop production containing synths, plucked violin, and a reverbed bass.
"Would've, Could've, Should've" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is a bonus track originally released as part of the 3am Edition of her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Written and produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner, it is a new wave-leaning soft rock song about a narrator's rumination of a flawed, age-inappropriate romantic relationship in the past.
"Bigger Than the Whole Sky" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift as a bonus track for the 3am Edition of her tenth original studio album, Midnights (2022). Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" is a country-influenced ambient ballad with ambiguous lyrics expressing grief and heartache over a person the narrator has never met.
"Labyrinth" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it has a prominent electronic production. The track begins with dense, pulsating synthesizers, subtle guitars, muffled trap and house beats, and Swift's vocals in their upper register; its outro consists of repeated refrains sung with Swift's low-pitched voice. Music critics categorize the genre as synth-pop, dance-pop, and bedroom pop. In the lyrics, the narrator expresses her anxiety from falling in love again after going through heartbreak.
"You're Losing Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff. The song first appeared as a bonus track on The Late Night Edition of Swift's 2022 studio album Midnights, released by Republic Records, in May 2023. The edition was only on CD and available for in-person purchase at certain venues of the Eras Tour for a limited time, following which the song was widely shared and available on social media. It was released for streaming on November 29, 2023.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)