"Illicit Affairs" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Folklore | |
Released | July 24, 2020 |
Studio |
|
Genre | |
Length | 3:10 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | |
Lyric video | |
"Illicit Affairs" on YouTube |
"Illicit Affairs" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is taken from her eighth studio album, Folklore, which was released on July 24, 2020. The track was written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, and Joe Alwyn was credited as co-producer. [a] "Illicit Affairs" is an acoustic guitar-led folk love song describing an infidelity of a narrator wanting to maintain her deceitful relationship.
In reviews of Folklore, critics praised the song for what they deemed a well-written narrative about infidelity. Commercially, "Illicit Affairs" peaked at number 44 on the United States's Billboard Hot 100 and entered on the charts of Australia, Canada, Portugal, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It received certifications from Australia and the UK. The song was featured on Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020), and Swift included it on the regular set list of the Eras Tour (2023–2024).
The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift conceived her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020), as figments of mythopoeic visuals in her mind, as a result of her imagination "running wild" while isolating herself during the COVID-19 pandemic. [1] [2] She recruited Jack Antonoff, who had worked on her three previous studio albums, as a producer on the album. [2] Swift wrote and produced four songs with Antonoff, including "Illicit Affairs"; [3] the English actor Joe Alwyn was credited as co-producer on the track. [a] It was recorded by Laura Sisk at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles. The instruments were recorded at Hook and Fade and Rough Customer Studio both in Brooklyn, and Pleasure Hill Recording in Portland, Maine. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in New York City. [3] "Illicit Affairs" is a folk love song driven by an acoustic guitar. [5] [6] [7] At three minutes and ten seconds, it is the shortest track on Folklore. [8] The production incorporates electric guitars, live drums, bass, keyboards, accordion, saxophones, [3] pedal steel guitar, [9] finger-picked strings, [10] and soft horns. [11] Swift raises her voice an octave at the end of each line. [12] Allaire Nuss of Entertainment Weekly [13] and Ellen Johnson of Paste thought the song veers toward indie folk; the latter opined that it was similar to the American singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. [14]
As with multiple tracks on Folklore, "Illicit Affairs" is based on a fictional narrative with imagined story arcs and characters; some critics wrote that the song is about "clandestine romance". [2] [10] The lyrics tell a story of infidelity about a disloyal narrator who wants to continue her deceitful relationship. [15] [16] She describes the details of how to maintain the relationship and whispers them as if they were secrets: ("Tell your friends you're out for a run / You'll be flushed when you return"). [17] [18] It features themes of adultery: ("Take the road less travelled by / Tell yourself you can always stop / What started in beautiful rooms / Ends with meetings in parking lots"). [19] In the climax, the narrator regrets the love and calls the relationship out: ("Don't call me kid / Don't call me baby [...] Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me"). She eventually calms herself in the final line: ("For you, I would ruin myself [...] A million little times"). [20] [9] The song ends abruptly after its build-up, without a final chorus. [21] In a Pitchfork review, Jill Mapes opined that the lyrics driven by perspectives "speak volumes" of Swift's evolution as a songwriter. [6] For Rolling Stone , Angie Martoccio likened the lyrical narrative to that of Phoebe Bridgers's "Savior Complex" (2020), and thought the song "[runs] a little deeper". [9]
Folklore was released on July 24, 2020, via Republic Records. In the track-list, "Illicit Affairs" sits at number 10 out of the 16 tracks. [3] It entered on national charts in Singapore (16), [22] Canada (33), [23] Portugal (131). [24] In the United States, the track peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 [25] and number 13 on the Rolling Stone Top 100. [26] In Australia, it peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Singles Chart [27] and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). [28] In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 41 on the OCC's Audio Streaming Chart [29] and received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [30]
After the album's release, Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of "Illicit Affairs" for the Disney+ film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and its live album on November 25, 2020. [31] Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield named the recording the "definitive version" and thought it "goes so far beyond the studio original". [20] [32] In March 2023, Swift embarked on her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour, as a tribute to her discography. [33] The tour consisted of ten acts, including the Folklore set, where she sang "Illicit Affairs". [34] Swift would chant a rock-tinged version of the song's bridge. [35] Journalists described the performance as "powerful", [20] "impassioned", [36] and "vocally astounding". [35]
In the reviews of Folklore, critics generally discussed "Illicit Affairs" in relation to its lyrics and Swift's songwriting. Some picked it as an album highlight. [b] Mapes wrote that the song has the "most tender, saccharine love story" on the album, [6] while both Martoccio [9] and Roisin O'Connor of The Independent lauded Swift's songwriting for how well she details a dishonest relationship. [39] Aaron Dessner, who co-wrote and produced some of Folklore's songs, labeled "Illicit Affairs" a "great" song and thought it was a demonstration of Swift's versatility and her power as a songwriter. [5] The Los Angeles Times author Jody Rosen deemed its lyrics about infidelity more sophisticated than Swift's other songs with the same subject matter. [40] Ilana Kaplan of British Vogue thought the song was a continuation of "Getaway Car" from her 2017 album Reputation , [10] and Chris Willman from Variety drew comparisons between the tracks and said that it had "less catharsis [...] but just as much "pungent wisdom". [17]
A few critics focused on other aspects of the track. Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen from The Sydney Morning Herald said that Folklore "brings together all the threads, as well as adding new ones", which she considered "Illicit Affairs" as an example. [11] The New York Times journalist Jon Caramanica wrote that the song's "experimentation with tonal approach succeeds". [18] John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute said Swift had an "unvarnished and vulnerable" vocal performance on "Illicit Affairs", and selected it as one of the tracks that makes Folklore for him her "best album to date". [38] Channing Freeman from Sputnikmusic was not as enthusiastic, thinking that the focus on the acoustic guitar was "encouraging", but criticized the song for ending at three minutes. [7] In retrospective reviews, Willman listed "Illicit Affairs" at number 24 in his ranking of Swift's top 50 songs and lauded it as a "brilliantly written" song with "a whole movie's worth of insight about cheating" [41] and American Songwriter 's Alex Hopper viewed it as a fan-favorite and wrote how its lyrics about infidelity "managed to connect with a wide array of fans". [36]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes, except where noted. [42]
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [27] | 23 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [23] | 33 |
Portugal (AFP) [24] | 131 |
Singapore (RIAS) [22] | 16 |
UK Audio Streaming (OCC) [29] | 41 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [25] | 44 |
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [26] | 13 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [28] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [43] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [30] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"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.
"Mirrorball" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She wrote the song as a tribute to her fans, after she cancelled a planned concert tour to support her seventh studio album Lover (2019) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Produced by Swift and co-writer Jack Antonoff, "Mirrorball" is a dream pop, jangle pop, and indie folk song with flavors of country music, accompanied by reverbed, gentle guitars, vocal harmonies, and live drums. Lyrically, the narrator likens herself to a fragile disco ball and sings about doing anything to keep her audience entertained.
Folklore is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on July 24, 2020, via Republic Records. Swift recorded her vocals in her Los Angeles home studio and worked virtually with the producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, who operated from their studios in the Hudson Valley and New York City.
"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.
"Betty" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). It was written by Swift and Joe Alwyn, and the former produced the track with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. MCA Nashville and Republic Records released the song to US country radio on August 17, 2020. "Betty" is an Americana-inspired song combining country, folk rock, and guitar pop. Its production consists of a harmonica, a pedal steel, guitars, and a key change after the bridge.
"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.
"My Tears Ricochet" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She produced the song with Jack Antonoff and Joe Alwyn. "My Tears Ricochet" infuses arena and gothic styles of rock music and gospel. The production incorporates choir-inflected layered vocals, mellow synths, and shuddering drums, bringing forth a soundscape that critics described as haunting and sorrowful. Its lyrics are a narration by the ghost of a dead woman, which finds its murderer, who she once loved dearly, at its own funeral.
"Invisible String" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. The lyrics are about how fate brings two soulmates together and refer to specific moments from their lives, containing references to the literature classics Jane Eyre and The Sun Also Rises. Musically, "Invisible String" is a folk tune with elements of blues, pop, and country. Its spare acoustic arrangement is driven by acoustic guitar strums on a rubber bridge and vocal backbeats.
"The Lakes" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from the deluxe edition of her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "The Lakes" is a midtempo indie ballad, set to acoustic guitar and strings, with themes of introspection and escapism that reflect on Swift's semi-retirement in Windermere, the largest natural lake in England.
"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).
Evermore is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was a surprise album released on December 11, 2020, via Republic Records, less than five months after her previous studio album Folklore. Evermore was a spontaneous product of Swift's extended collaboration with her Folklore collaborator Aaron Dessner, mainly recorded at his Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley.
"Champagne Problems" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with Joe Alwyn, who is credited under the pseudonym William Bowery, and produced it with Aaron Dessner. "Champagne Problems" is a lo-fi tune driven by a rhythmic composition of piano and guitar riff.
"Coney Island" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the American band the National. Swift, Joe Alwyn, and the brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner wrote the song for Swift's ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). The track was produced by the Dessner brothers, and Matt Berninger contributed guest vocals. An alternative rock and indie folk track, "Coney Island" has lyrics depicting a separated couple's memories in Coney Island. Swift and Berninger respectively sings about their character's perspective reflecting on their past relationship.
"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.
"This Is Me Trying" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). It was written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, and Joe Alwyn was credited as co-producer. The track is an orchestral pop, dream pop, and soft rock tune with a production featuring an organ, slow-paced beats, and horns. "This Is Me Trying" was inspired by Swift's state of mind during 2016 and 2017, when she said she was at her lowest. The narrator of "This Is Me Trying" proclaims themselves as an unwanted person who struggles with existentialism and alcoholism.
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.
"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.
"Paper Rings" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it is a rock-influenced song combining retro musical styles of pop and rock such as pop-punk, bubblegum, new wave, and rockabilly. Its production incorporates tambourine jingles, electric guitars, and girl-group-inspired vocals. The lyrics address a romantic confession that disregards materialistic concerns; Swift's character tells her love that she would marry him with paper rings despite her love for "shiny things".