Okay, before we go any further let’s do this. What is at the very top of the chart now, (when this was written; could be different now, if so, suck it) and what was it like going back fifty years?
Right now, we have this, spending its second and possibly moving into its third week at the top.
Title: “Anti-hero”
Artist: Taylor Swift
Nationality: American
Genre: Pop Rock/Synth-pop
Written by: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff
Original release date: October 21 2022
Progress to the top: Straight in
Weeks spent at number one: to date: 2
From the album: Midnights
What do I know about this artist? I’ve heard about her of course; the one song I did hear surprised me as I quite liked it, but I am probably the last person on Earth unfamiliar with her song catalogue, and that surely includes as-yet-undiscovered tribes in the Peruvian rain forests.
What do I think of this single? It’s a lot better than I had expected it to be, to be fair. This is the second Taylor Swift song I’ve listened to and I’ve been pretty impressed both times. Not saying I’d become a fan but this is not bad and I can see why it did so well.
What have I learned about this single? I’ve learned it smashed all records, becoming the biggest download debut on Spotify. I’ve learned both her album and single debuted at number one on both sides of the water, and that she surpassed Miley Cyrus as being previously the only female artist to achieve this. The song seems to be less the vacuous pop song about how great the singer is, or about her fans (disclaimer: I have no idea if Taylor Swift sings about these things or if her lyrics are deeper and more meaningful - I’m thinking Ariana Grande’s “Break Up With Your Boyfriend - I’m Bored” as an example, but I don’t know if she’s like that) and more about examining her own life and the things she doesn’t like about it, or that she has had to struggle with. On the face of it, just reading about it, it seems to be a pretty brave and personal song.
My rating: A+