"Ours" | ||||
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Single by Taylor Swift | ||||
from the album Speak Now | ||||
Released | December 5, 2011 | |||
Genre | Country pop | |||
Length | 3:58 | |||
Label | Big Machine | |||
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift | |||
Producer(s) |
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Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Ours" on YouTube |
"Ours" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). It was released to US country radio as the album's last single on December 5, 2011, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Ours" is an understated country pop ballad with a folk-influenced production. The lyrics depict a young couple's resilience to protect their relationship despite others' scrutiny.
Music critics noted that "Ours" features an understated production as opposed to Swift's previous upbeat singles, and complimented the intricate lyrical details. In the United States, the song peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart and at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, the song charted on the singles charts of Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The single was supported by a music video directed by Declan Whitebloon featuring Zach Gilford. Swift performed the song live at the 2011 Country Music Association Awards and included it in the concerts of her Speak Now World Tour. A re-recorded version, titled "Ours (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of her third re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on July 7, 2023.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began work on her third studio album, Speak Now (2010), two years prior to its release. [1] "Ours" is a bonus song on the album's deluxe edition, which was available exclusively via Target in the United States. [2] On November 8, 2011, "Ours" was released for download through the US iTunes Store by Big Machine Records. [3] A promotional CD single was released on November 21, 2011; the CD single includes the song and a recorded live performance of "Ours". [4] It was released to US country radio as the album's sixth and final single on December 5, 2011. [5] [6]
Swift wrote "Ours", which she also produced alongside Nathan Chapman. [7] The song is a country pop ballad with a folk-influenced production. [8] [9] Compared to other Speak Now tracks, "Ours" features an understated production that highlights Swift's vocals. [10] The lyrics depict a young couple's resilience to protect their relationship despite others' scrutiny. [11] [12] The first line that Swift wrote for the song was, "The stakes are high, the water's rough." [13] The song's couple have experienced the hardships of life and realize, "Life makes love look hard." [14] She tells the boyfriend that she loves him for him, " 'Cause I love the gap between your teeth/ And I love the riddles that you speak/ And any snide remarks from my father about your tattoos/ Will be ignored/ 'Cause my heart is yours," and affirms that she does not care what others think. [10] [15]
Music critics gave "Ours" generally positive reviews. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song a four-and-a-half out of five rating and praised the understated production compared to the "shine and polish" of Swift's past singles. [10] Karen Goodner of All Access similarly complimented the folksy and midtempo production. [12] Allen Jacobs of Roughstock claimed "Ours" as Swift's "best single" since "White Horse" (2008). [16] The Arizona Republic 's Ed Masley complimented the "bittersweet ache" in Swift's vocals and said that the track sounds like what Fleetwood Mac would release. [11] In Rolling Stone , Rob Sheffield favorably compared the song to the Replacements' music and said it is one of his most-repeated among Swift's discography. [17] The lyrics "Don't you worry your pretty little mind / People throw rocks at things that shine" were highlighted by some critics as the song's most memorable. [17] [18]
On a less positive side, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian found the song not as groundbreaking as Swift's other singles, but said it contains "a certain low-key charm". [8] Erin Thompson of Seattle Weekly opined that "Ours" is inferior to "If This Was a Movie", another Speak Now deluxe edition track. Thompson wrote that after a few listens, the former sounds like "a mess of mixed metaphors". [19] Hannah Mylrea from NME dismissed the lyrics as "mawkish" and the production as "sickly sweet". [20]
After its digital release in November 2011, "Ours" debuted and peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart, with first-week digital sales of 148,000 copies. [21] It spent 20 weeks in total on the Hot 100. [22] On the Hot Country Songs chart, "Ours" reached number one on the week ending March 31, 2012, becoming Swift's sixth chart topper. [23] [24] The single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million units sold in the US. [25] As of November 2017, "Ours" has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States. [26] Elsewhere, the song appeared at number 91 on Australia's ARIA Charts, [27] number 68 on Canada's Canadian Hot 100, [28] and at number 181 on the UK Singles Chart. [29]
Swift debuted the song live at the 2011 Country Music Association Awards on November 9. [30] [31] She sang an acoustic version and performed in a bright pink sweater on a living room sofa. [32] "Ours" was added to the set lists of some U.S. shows in late 2011, [33] and the Australian shows in 2012, as part of the Speak Now World Tour. [34] In 2012, Swift sang the song as part of a VH1 Storytellers episode taped at Harvey Mudd College in California. [35] Swift performed the song on select dates of later tours, including the Red Tour (Los Angeles, August 2013), [36] the Reputation Stadium Tour (Foxborough, Massachusetts, July 2018), [37] and the Eras Tour (Arlington, Texas, March 2023). [38]
The music video for "Ours" premiered on E! on December 2, 2011. [39] The video was directed by Declan Whitebloom, who had directed the video for Speak Now's single "Mean". [30] Swift conceptualized the video's narrative herself. [30] In the video, Swift plays an office worker, donning tennis shoes and messy hair. [40] She engages in mundane daily corporate experience such as riding the bus to work, waiting to drink at the water cooler, and enduring annoying co-workers. [30] As the video approaches the end, Swift's character is excited to leave work and meet her boyfriend (portrayed by Zach Gilford). [41] They meet at the airport; the boyfriend appears in military attire. [40] [42]
Much of the video is monotonous until the moment the couple meet; [40] in the Nanaimo Daily News , Leah Collins noted that the part where Swift meets her boyfriend is the video's only "warm and fuzzy thing". [30] Entertainment Weekly 's Erin Strecker considered the video more adult and realistic than Swift's previous romantic videos, but praised it because it "still captures that butterflies-in-your-stomach, crazy-in-love tone that she is so famous for". [40] The video spent seven weeks at number one on CMT; it also reached number one on Great American Country and Australia's Country Music Channel. [43]
Year | Organization | Award/work | Result | Ref. |
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2012 | American Country Awards | Female Single of the Year | Nominated | [44] |
Female Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
CMT Music Awards | Female Video of the Year | Nominated | [45] | |
2013 | BMI Awards | Country Awards Top 50 Songs | Won | [46] |
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of the CD single. [7]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [50] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [25] | Platinum | 1,500,000 [26] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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United States | November 8, 2011 | Digital download | Big Machine | [3] |
November 21, 2011 | CD single | [4] [51] | ||
December 5, 2011 | Country radio | [5] |
"Ours (Taylor's Version)" | |
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Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) | |
Released | July 7, 2023 |
Length | 3:55 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift |
Producer(s) |
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Lyric video | |
"Ours (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube |
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. [52] The decision came after the public 2019 dispute between Swift and talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released. [53] [54] By re-recording her catalog, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters. [55]
A re-recorded version of "Ours", titled "Ours (Taylor's Version)", was released on July 7, 2023, via Republic Records as part of Speak Now (Taylor's Version) , Swift's third re-recorded album.
Adapted from Speak Now (Taylor's Version) digital album inline notes [56]
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [57] | 85 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [58] | 65 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [59] | 91 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [60] | 20 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [61] | 68 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [62] | 29 |
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Her versatile artistry, songwriting, and entrepreneurship have influenced the music industry, popular culture, and politics, and her life is a subject of widespread media coverage.
Fearless is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Under Big Machine Records imprint, it was released in the U.S. and Canada on November 11, 2008, and elsewhere on March 9, 2009. Written predominantly by Swift while she was promoting her 2006 self-titled debut album in 2007–2008, Fearless features additional songwriting credits from Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Colbie Caillat, and John Rich. Swift wrote seven of the standard edition's 13 tracks by herself and, in her debut as a record producer, co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman.
"Love Story" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as the lead single from her second studio album, Fearless, on September 15, 2008, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by a boy who was unpopular with her family and friends, Swift wrote the song using William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference point. The lyrics narrate a troubled romance that ends with a marriage proposal, contrary to Shakespeare's tragic conclusion. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the midtempo country pop song includes a key change after the bridge and uses acoustic instruments including banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.
"Fearless" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the title track of her 2008 second studio album. Swift wrote the song with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey while promoting her 2006 self-titled debut album, and she produced it with Nathan Chapman. She placed it first on Fearless's track listing because she thought it encompassed the album's overarching theme; the song's lyrics are about a perfect first date despite its uncertainties. The production is country pop and pop rock and incorporates dynamic guitars. Big Machine Records released "Fearless" to US country radio as the album's fifth and final single on January 4, 2010.
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Speak Now is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself within two years while touring to promote her second studio album, Fearless (2008).
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"Speak Now" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the title track for her third studio album of the same name (2010), and was released for digital download as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Speak Now" is an acoustic guitar-driven country pop song with its refrain incorporating the 1950s rock chord progression. Lyrically, the track is about a protagonist interrupting a wedding in an attempt to win her ex-lover back. Swift was inspired to write it after learning that an ex-boyfriend of her friend would marry someone else.
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"Sparks Fly" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album Speak Now (2010). Swift had written the song before she released her self-titled debut album in 2006, but she only included it on her third album after she received fan requests to release the song. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Sparks Fly" is an uptempo pop rock track combining elements of arena rock and country with a production incorporating dynamic electric guitars and subtle fiddles. The lyrics are about a temptation to resist a dangerous love affair.
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"Long Live" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Long Live" is a heartland rock song featuring girl group harmonies and chiming rock guitars. The lyrics are about Swift's gratitude for her fans and bandmates, using high-school and royalty imagery to describe the accomplishments in the narrator's life.
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"22" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fourth studio album, Red (2012). It was released as the album's fourth single on March 12, 2013, by Big Machine Records. Written and produced by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback, "22" combines pop styles such as dance-pop and bubblegum with disco and 1990s rock. The track begins with an acoustic guitar riff and progresses into an upbeat refrain which incorporates pulsing synthesizers and syncopated bass drums. The lyrics celebrate being 22 years old while acknowledging the heartache that the narrator experienced in the past.
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