A request that this article title be changed to "Slut!" is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
"Slut!" | ||||
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Single by Taylor Swift | ||||
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version) | ||||
Released | October 27, 2023 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 3:00 | |||
Label | Republic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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Lyric video | ||||
"Slut!" on YouTube |
"'Slut!'" [lower-alpha 1] is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Written by Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Patrik Berger, the song was intended for but ultimately left out of Swift's fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). The three produced the track for Swift's fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version) (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.
"Slut!" is a 1980s-inspired synth-pop song with a soft mid-tempo production incorporating synthesizers, electronic elements, and gentle vocals. The lyrics are about embracing a romance in spite of public scrutiny. Music critics interpreted the title as a reference to the slut-shaming Swift had experienced, and they gave the song positive reviews, with praise focusing on the production and the playful lyrics. "Slut!" peaked at number three on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top ten on charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989 , on October 27, 2014. [2] Prior to its release, following a series of high-profile romances with prominent men, Swift was widely portrayed as a "serial dater" by the mainstream media, and her relationships became the target of pop culture jokes and slut-shaming. [3] She addressed the subject in various interviews and satirized the media's portrayal of her on the album's second single "Blank Space". [4]
On August 9, 2023, Swift announced her fourth re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) during her last of six shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on the Eras Tour. She described its "From the Vault" tracks as "so insane" and remarked, "I can't believe they were ever left behind". [5] On September 19, Swift teased the track list by posting a video of an animation on Instagram featuring the characters "T-S-!-U-L" emerging from a blue vault, which fans and journalists interpreted to be a teaser for one of the five vault tracks. [6] On September 21, Swift unveiled the full track list of 1989 (Taylor's Version), confirming "Slut!" to be the first of five vault tracks. [7]
Swift wrote and produced "Slut!" with Jack Antonoff and Patrik Berger. [1] [8] Antonoff provided backing vocals and recorded the song with Laura Sisk at Rough Customer Studio and Electric Lady Studios in New York and Sharp Sonics Studios and Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Antonoff and Berger programmed the track, assisted by engineers Jack Manning, Megan Searl, and Jon Sher. Both Antonoff and Berger played synthesizers; the former also played bass and guitar. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. [1]
"Slut!" is a synth-pop song [9] that runs for exactly three minutes. [10] It has a midtempo production [11] that incorporates 1980s-influenced synthesizers, electronic elements, and gentle backing vocals; Clash critic Alex Berry added that the production features a variety of "modern" instruments. [12] [13] Some critics commented that despite the impression of an uptempo song brought by the exclamation mark in its title, "Slut!" turned out to be a gentle and tender track. [lower-alpha 2] It has a slow pace; Insider 's Callie Ahlgrim and Rolling Stone 's Brittany Spanos described the song as a "slow dance", [17] [15] while Ed Power from the i characterized it as a "slo-mo power ballad". [18] Alyssa Bailey of Elle called it "dreamy pop". [19] Chris Willman from Variety and Bobby Olivier from NJ.com said "Slut!" was reminiscent of Swift's 2022 album Midnights ; [20] the latter cited the "sultry, late-night haze" evoked a "dark and dreamy" atmosphere and said the synth soundscape resembled the Midnights track "Maroon". [21] The Line of Best Fit critic Kelsey Barnes thought that "Slut!" was musically reminiscent of the "Lana Del Rey-tinged" "Wildest Dreams". [22]
The lyrics of "Slut!" tells a romance so intense it drowns out the naysayers. [19] [16] [23] In the liner notes of 1989 (Taylor's Version), Swift expresses that she was a target of slut-shaming and it took a toll on her. [24] As a response, she wrote "Slut!" to address the criticism surrounding her dating life. [25] In the second verse, Swift takes the opportunity to subtly respond to those who criticize her for her relationships ("Everyone wants him, that was my crime"). [26] She is aware of the misogynistic disapproval that she might face ("I'll pay the price, you won't"). [27] The lyric "Love thorns all over this rose, I'll pay the price, you won't" drew comparisons to the lyrics "Screaming, crying, perfect storms, I can make all the tables turn, Rose garden filled with thorns" in "Blank Space", highlighting the contrasting standards held to the romantic lives of men and women. [19] Yahr of The Washington Post said the lyrics in "Slut!" conveys Swift's frustration. [16] Willman from Variety interpreted the lyrics "But if I'm all dressed up, They might as well be looking at us, If they call me a 'slut!', You know it might be worth it for once" as Swift expressing less concern about how her dating life might impact her public image. [20] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times thought the lyric "If I’m gonna be drunk, might as well be drunk in love" was a reference to Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love" (2013). [9]
Republic Records released 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27, 2023; "Slut!" was listed as track number 17 of the album's 21-song tracklist. [1] It was released as a single with a distinct cover art on Apple Music. [16] [28] The same day, Universal Music released it to Italian radio. [29] Swift shared via her Tumblr account that she had to choose between "Blank Space" and "Slut!" for the original 1989 as both tracks addressed similar themes; [30] she added that for her, the "California" atmosphere of "Slut!" was out of place for the New York-inspired album. [31] On November 9, an acoustic version of the song was released as a bonus track of a deluxe edition of the album, titled 1989 (Taylor’s Version) [Deluxe +], exclusively on Swift's website; this release lasted for only one day. [32] [33] Swift performed "Slut!" live for the first time during the acoustic segment of a Buenos Aires concert on November 12, 2023, as part of the Eras Tour. [34]
After the album's release, "Slut!" peaked in the top ten on charts of Canada (3), [35] Australia (4), [36] New Zealand (5), [37] the United Kingdom (5), [38] Ireland (6), [39] and Singapore (10). [40] In the United States, it debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 with 27 million streams, behind fellow album tracks "Is It Over Now?" and "Now That We Don't Talk". [41] [42] On the Billboard Global 200, the song reached at number three, with 55 million streams. Swift achieved the most top-ten entries for a female artist on that chart. [43]
The song received generally positive reviews upon release. Angie Martoccio of Rolling Stone called the song a "stunner" and described it as "a hazy, shimmering ode to being unabashedly in love, even if you're shamed and sexualized for it". [23] In a review by The Line of Best Fit's Kelsey Barnes, the track was the "most surprising" of the Vault tracks as it strayed away from the "'Blank Space' satirical tongue-in-cheek" anticipated by fans. Barnes proceeds to say that Swift, who was slut-shamed in her twenties, shouting "Slut!" and it reverberating across the song, was "empowering". [22] Similarly, Dani Maher of Harper's Bazaar Australia said the song's gentle and tender sound was a surprise as she expected a similar "sardonic smirk" approach of "Blank Space". [44] PopMatters critic Jefferey Davis picked "Slut!" as the most memorable vault tracks from the album. [45] Olivier ranked it second out of the five vault tracks and described it as "ultimately triumphant". [21]
Writing for The Guardian , Rachel Aroesti called the song "a shimmering tale of inappropriate sexual adventure". [46] While reviewing the album as a whole, American Songwriter 's Alex Hopper called the song "deliciously hedonistic and playful". [47] Meanwhile, Adam White in The Independent described the song as "nicely gentle and airy". [48] Lauren Huff of Entertainment Weekly viewed the track as Swift's proclamation that "if people are going to judge and mock you anyway, you might as well just keep on living and take the plunge". [49] In less enthusiastic reviews, Shaad D’Souza of Pitchfork and Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times deemed "Slut!" the weakest vault track; the former said it was "ambling and aimless" compared to other tracks, [50] and the latter wrote: "Strong concept, so-so execution." [9]
Credits are adapted from Tidal. [51]
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [36] | 4 |
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [52] | 96 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [35] | 3 |
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [53] | 69 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) [54] | 33 |
France (SNEP) [55] | 137 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [56] | 45 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [57] | 3 |
Greece International (IFPI) [58] | 12 |
India International Singles (IMI) [59] | 13 |
Ireland (IRMA) [39] | 6 |
Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard Japan ) [60] | 16 |
Latvia (LAIPA) [61] | 20 |
Lithuania (AGATA) [62] | 49 |
Malaysia ( Billboard ) [63] | 19 |
Malaysia International (RIM) [64] | 17 |
MENA (IFPI) [65] | 19 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [66] | 38 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [37] | 5 |
Norway (VG-lista) [67] | 17 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [68] | 12 |
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [69] | 55 |
Portugal (AFP) [70] | 32 |
Singapore (RIAS) [40] | 10 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [71] | 66 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [72] | 21 |
UAE (IFPI) [73] | 15 |
UK Singles (OCC) [38] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [41] | 3 |
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) [74] | 39 |
Region | Date | Format | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Various | October 27, 2023 | Republic | [10] [75] | |
Italy | Radio airplay | Universal | [29] |
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