"I Wish You Would" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album 1989 | |
Released | October 27, 2014 |
Studio |
|
Genre | |
Length | 3:27 |
Label | Big Machine |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
|
"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version) | |
Released | October 27, 2023 |
Studio |
|
Length | 3:27 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
|
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 from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). She wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, who developed the track from his initial sampling of the snare drums on Fine Young Cannibals' 1989 song "She Drives Me Crazy". A synth-pop and bubblegum song, "I Wish You Would" is instrumented by a staccato guitar lick, dense synths and snares, and layered vocals. The lyrics are about two ex-lovers longing for each other.
Several critics commended the production elements of "I Wish You Would" for featuring a nostalgic feel of the 1980s while sounding new, but a few others deemed it a weaker track for Swift. The song 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). The re-recorded song charted at number 26 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top 40 in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
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 were incorporated onto Red. [5] [6]
Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, Swift named her fifth studio album 1989 after her birth year 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 had previously collaborated with her on the One Chance soundtrack song "Sweeter than Fiction" (2013). [8] [9] He produced two tracks for the album's standard edition: "Out of the Woods" and "I Wish You Would". [8] [10]
For "I Wish You Would", the song started with Antonoff experimenting and sampling the snare drums on Fine Young Cannibals' 1988 single "She Drives Me Crazy". He played the sample to Swift on an iPhone and sent it to her after she heard it. [11] Swift then recorded her vocals while on tour and sent the track back to Antonoff, and the two created the song with the vision of "a sort of John Hughes movie visual with pining". [12] "I Wish You Would" was recorded by Antonoff at Lamby's House Studios in Brooklyn, New York, and by Sam Holland at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Max Martin handled the vocal production at MXM Productions. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. [10]
"I Wish You Would" is a bubblegum [13] and synth-pop song [12] [14] that incorporates a staccato disco guitar lick, dense synths, and loud snares. [15] [16] [17] The synths and snares build up to a climax consisting of eruptive drums and layered vocals in the refrains. [16] Sam Lansky of Time described the production elements as "surging drums and a jagged bassline", [18] while Mark Savage of the BBC characterized the guitar as "choppy, unrelenting". [19] The Atlantic 's Spencer Kornhaber said that in the song, Swift sings in an "uneven cadence over fidgety guitars". [20]
Critics compared the song's production to the music of other artists; Matthew Horton of NME said that the "boxy beats and thick synths" evoke the style of Fine Young Cannibals' album The Raw & the Cooked (1989), [17] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times linked the "digital snare cracks" to Go West's song "King of Wishful Thinking" (1990), [14] and some others drew comparisons to Haim. [21] [22] [23] Slant Magazine 's Annie Galvin attributed the Haim resemblance to the dynamic build-up, [16] and The A.V. Club 's Marah Eakin deemed the production reminiscent of the soundtrack to Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991). [21]
The lyrics of "I Wish You Would" portray longing in a relationship. [14] Swift said that part of the song is told from the perspective of a lovelorn ex-boyfriend who passes his ex-girlfriend's house at night, thinking how she hates him but she is in fact still in love with him. [12] Other parts of the song are told from the girlfriend's perspective, detailing how she too regrets how things ended. [12] The song begins with Swift's character seeing her love interest at 2 a.m. through the window. [17] [19] Throughout the song, the two characters express their feelings, but not to each other. [24] Consequence 's Sasha Geffen said that the relationship in question was dramatic to the point it does not need to be. [25] According to Annie Zaleski, the song ends with ambiguity: it is unclear whether the couple reconciles or stays separated. [12] Swift shared on Tumblr that the song was a "sort of sister track" to "Out of the Woods" and "Is It Over Now?" (2023). [26]
"I Wish You Would" was released as the seventh track on 1989 on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. [27] It charted at number 56 on the Canadian Digital Songs Sales chart. [28] The song received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) [29] and a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [30]
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. [31] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums that the label had released. [32] [33] By re-recording the albums, Swift would have full ownership of the new masters, enabling her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use in hopes of substituting the Big Machine–owned masters. [34]
The re-recording of "I Wish You Would", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of 1989's re-recording, 1989 (Taylor's Version) , on October 27, 2023. [35] The re-recorded track reached the Billboard Global 200 (26) [36] and individual charts for the countries of Canada (32) [37] and New Zealand (30). [38] In the United States, "I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" debuted and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it extended Swift's record for the most top-40 chart entries by a female artist. [39] [40]
In reviews of 1989, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian selected "I Wish You Would" as a "bold" track that features a "nostalgic sound thus far avoided by 80s revivalists", [41] and Matthew Horton of NME wrote that the song "[plunders] the '80s and still [sounds] fresher than Charli XCX". [17] Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly picked "I Wish You Would" as one of the album's two best songs, alongside "Bad Blood". [42] PopMatters 's Corey Baesley said that the song exhibits "the nutrients of lush production and Swift's indelible, sing-song choruses", highlighting new musical styles for Swift that "fit her like a cashmere-lined leather glove". [13] In a somewhat lukewarm review, Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald thought that the song was a departure from Swift's "classical singer-songwriter approach". [43] By contrast, Sam Wolfson of Vice lauded "I Wish You Would" for staying true to her songwriting by portraying "regret and loneliness, [being] tied up in knots about something that happened weeks ago". [44]
Zaleski wrote that the song has an anthemic production that "could play over the closing credits of an epic movie". [12] Billboard ranked "I Wish You Would" among the best 100 songs by Swift, saying that the track captures "the overall feeling of 1989" by being "pop, ... fun, ... dramatic, ... romantic and yearning". [45] In her 2020 ranking of every track by Swift, Hannah Mylrea of NME ranked "I Wish You Would" 71st out of 161 songs, calling it a "slightly Haim-ish pop juggernaut". [23] Jane Song from Paste listed at number 80 on her ranking and said that Antonoff's contribution on it was "strong". [46] Reviewing the re-recorded song, Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork regarded it as one of the "immaculate highs" on 1989 (Taylor's Version), describing it as a "tug-of-war between yearning and anthemic", [47] and Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe complimented the improved production quality that "packs even greater heft". [48]
On a less positive side, Alex Hopper of American Songwriter said that despite it being a "rhythmic and enticing" song with "retro flavor and driving melody", it is one of the weaker tracks of 1989. [49] Nate Jones from Vulture wrote that the song would have worked better as a track from the band Bleachers. [50]
In 2015, "I Wish You Would" was included as part of the set list of the 1989 World Tour. [51] She also performed the song during the British Summer Time concert series that year. [52] On June 2, 2024, Swift sang "I Wish You Would" as a "surprise song" at the Chicago stop of her Eras Tour. She performed it again as part of a mashup with "Is It Over Now?" at the tour's Sydney stop on February 25, 2024. [53]
"I Wish You Would" (2014) [10]
"I Wish You Would (Taylor's Version)" (2023) [54]
Musicians
Technical
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [28] | 56 |
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [37] | 32 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [36] | 26 |
Greece International (IFPI) [55] | 53 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [38] | 30 |
Philippines Songs ( Billboard ) [56] | 31 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [57] | 14 |
UK Streaming (OCC) [58] | 32 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [39] | 30 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [29] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [30] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ 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.
1989 is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. Executive-produced by Swift and the Swedish producer Max Martin, it was Swift's effort to recalibrate her artistic identity from country to pop.
"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.
"Getaway Car" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). It served as a single in Australia and New Zealand on September 7, 2018, to support the Australian shows of Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour (2018). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it is a synth-pop song with pulsing synthesizers, programmed drums, and distorted vocals. Lyrically, the song describes Swift's efforts to exit a relationship using romance with someone else, knowing the new relationship will also end briefly because its purpose was only to "get away" from the first one.
"New Year's Day" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. "New Year's Day" is an acoustic ballad with a sparse arrangement incorporating recurring piano riffs and subdued guitar and synth notes. In the lyrics, the narrator spends the morning after a New Year's Eve party with a lover, and they together clean up their shared house and care for each other. Swift performed "New Year's Day" live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 13, 2017, and Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio as a single on November 27, 2017.
"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.
"Lover" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the title track of her seventh studio album (2019). Swift conceived it as a timeless love song that could be played at a wedding reception; the lyrics are about an intimate and committed relationship, and the bridge draws on the bridal rhyme "Something old". Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "Lover" combines country and indie folk over a waltz tempo. It has an acoustic-guitar-driven balladic production consisting of snare drums, piano, pizzicato strings, and dense reverb. Republic Records released "Lover" for download and streaming on August 16, 2019, and to US radio the next month.
"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.
"That's When" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring Keith Urban. It was released as part of Fearless (2021), a re-recording of Swift's second studio album Fearless (2008). She wrote the track with the Warren Brothers at age 14 and handled the production with Jack Antonoff. "That's When" is an acoustic country pop and indie folk ballad about the end and aftermath of a relationship: Swift's and Urban's characters contemplate how to reunite with one another.
Red (Taylor's Version) is the second re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on November 12, 2021, by Republic Records. A re-recording of Swift's fourth studio album, Red (2012), it is part of her re-recording projects following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of her back catalog.
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.
"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 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.
"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.
1989 (Taylor's Version) is the fourth re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records. A re-recording of Swift's fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), it is part of her ongoing re-recording projects following the 2019 dispute over the masters of her back catalog. It was announced at the final Los Angeles show of the Eras Tour on August 9, 2023.
"Say Don't Go" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote the track with Diane Warren in 2013 for her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), but left it out of the final track-list. Swift re-recorded the song and produced it with Jack Antonoff for 1989's re-recording, 1989 (2023). "Say Don't Go" is a new-age and pop rock power ballad with a production featuring 1980s-inspired drum beats, pizzicato arpeggios, and isolated vocal patterns. The lyrics are about a narrator attempting to maintain her unfruitful relationship.
"'Slut!'" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff and Patrik Berger. The song was intended for but ultimately left out of Swift's fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Following a 2019 dispute regarding ownership of Swift's masters, the song was produced for Swift's re-recording of 1989, titled 1989 (2023). "'Slut!'" was released for streaming and download on October 27, 2023, via Republic Records; the same day, Universal Music released the song to Italian radio. An acoustic version was released for limited-time download as part of a deluxe digital release of the album.
"Suburban Legends" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff. The track was originally intended for her 2014 studio album, 1989, but was included in the 2023 re-recording, 1989 . A midtempo synth-pop ballad, "Suburban Legends" features 1980s-inspired synthesizers, a disco groove, and a gentle pulse. The lyrics contain imagery of fantasy and nostalgia: Swift's character reflects on a failed small-town romance and details the thrilling parts of the relationship and its dissolution.
"You Are in Love" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Big Machine Records released the track as an iTunes Store-exclusive download on February 24, 2015. Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, whose relationship with the writer-actress Lena Dunham influenced its lyrical content. Some critics applauded the song's portrayal of love with simple lyrics and production, although a few others deemed the track insubstantial.