''Lover'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
. It was released on August 23, 2019, through
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
, and is her first album release after her departure from
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an American independent record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Specializing in country and pop artists, Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by fo ...
, which resulted in a
highly publicized dispute. Swift recorded ''Lover'' with producers
Jack Antonoff
Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and is the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun. He was pr ...
,
Joel Little
Joel Little (born 13 February 1983) is a New Zealand record producer, musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. ,
Louis Bell
Louis Russell Bell (born May 27, 1982) is an American record producer, vocal producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. Bell's work includes production for Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer, T ...
, and
Frank Dukes
Adam King Feeney (born September 12, 1983), better known as Ging and by his former stage name Frank Dukes, is a Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter. A prolific producer, he has worked with artists including Camila Cabello ("Havana ...
from November 2018 to February 2019 following her 2018
Reputation Stadium Tour
The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album ''Reputation'' (2017). The all- stadium tour began on May 8, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded on ...
, where she felt motivated by the fans, helping her recover her mental health after the controversies leading up to ''
Reputation
The reputation of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity typically as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance.
Reputation is a ubiquitous ...
'' (2017). Swift conceived ''Lover'' as a "love letter to love", taking inspiration from her recalibrated personal life and newfound artistic freedom.
Compared to the dark, heavy,
hip hop-influenced tones of ''Reputation'', ''Lover'' brighter sound draws mostly from
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
,
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
, and
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
, with melodies characterized by atmospheric
synthesizers
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, mid-tempo rhythms, and acoustic instruments. The songs incorporate eclectic styles ranging from
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
and
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
to
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
and
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
; they explore emotions such as infatuation, commitment, lust, and heartache; a few discuss contemporary American political issues like
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
and
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
.
Swift, who had secluded herself from media attention after ''Reputation'' release, embarked on an extensive promotional campaign for ''Lover'' through television shows, magazine covers, and press interviews. ''Lover'' cover art and visual aesthetic feature bright pastel colors. Four singles were released—"
Me!
"Me!" (stylized in all caps) is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring American singer Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco. It was released on April 26, 2019, through Republic Records, as Swift's first single after ...
" featuring
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie (born April 12, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist of Panic! at the Disco, of which he is the only remaining member.
In ...
of
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
, "
You Need to Calm Down
"You Need to Calm Down" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on June 14, 2019, as the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). The fourteenth track on the album, Swift wrote and prod ...
", "
Lover", and "
The Man"—the first three of which charted in the top 10 of the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. Swift also played
City of Lover
:
City of Lover was a one-off concert by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was held at the Olympia (Paris), Olympia theater in Paris, France, on September 9, 2019, slightly over two weeks after the release of Swift's seventh studi ...
, a one-day concert in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, on September 9, 2019. ''Lover'' was Swift's sixth-consecutive album to debut at number one on the US
''Billboard'' 200. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and elsewhere, and sold 3.2 million copies in 2019, becoming the year's best-selling studio album.
''Lover'' received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its emotional maturity and free-spirited sound, though some took issue with its disparate musical styles, calling it inconsistent. Many publications included the album in their lists ranking the best albums of 2019. At the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
in 2020, ''Lover'' was nominated for
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
; the title track was nominated for
Song of the Year and "You Need to Calm Down" was nominated for
Best Pop Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop So ...
. The album won
Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the
American Music Awards of 2019
The 47th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 24, 2019 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, recognizing the most popular artists and albums of 2019. It was broadcast live on ABC, and hosted by Ciara. Taylor Swift received the ...
, and its singles won four
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
.
Background
On her
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
fifth studio album ''
1989'' (2014), American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
changed her sound and image from
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
to
pop. Within a year of its release, ''1989'' sold over five million copies and confirmed Swift's status as a global pop star.
During promotion of ''1989'', Swift was a target of
tabloid gossip; her "America's Sweetheart" reputation, a result of her wholesome, innocent image, was tarnished by the publicizing of her romantic relationships and disputes with other celebrities.
Swift's mid-2016 dispute with rapper
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, who released the single "
Famous", led to an internet
cancellation movement against Swift, in which she was labeled a "snake".
Swift secluded herself from press attention and released her sixth studio album ''
Reputation
The reputation of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity typically as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance.
Reputation is a ubiquitous ...
'' in November 2017, as an answer to the media attention surrounding her celebrity.
Before ''Reputation'' release, Swift cleared her
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
accounts, and began posting images and videos of snakes.
''Reputation'' has a dark, heavy,
hip hop-influenced production, and contains songs with themes of vengeance and drama.
Swift avoided promoting the album in mass media as she had done for her previous albums, instead holding fan-exclusive listening sessions and performing on television a few times without being interviewed.
''Reputation'' is the first album Swift released outside her usual two-year album release cycle, and her last under her 12-year, 2006 contract with
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an American independent record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Specializing in country and pop artists, Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by fo ...
.
Swift supported ''Reputation'' with her
Reputation Stadium Tour
The Reputation Stadium Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her sixth studio album ''Reputation'' (2017). The all- stadium tour began on May 8, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, and concluded on ...
(2018), on which she used a giant model of a
cobra as a stage centerpiece;
the tour broke the record for the all-time highest-grossing U.S. tour. In November 2018, upon completing the Reputation Stadium Tour, Swift signed with
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
label
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
, whose contract allowed her to own the
master recordings
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
to her albums.
She endorsed two
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
candidates for the
2018 midterm elections
The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...
in her home state of
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
; it was the first time she publicly voiced her political opinion.
Swift said she wrote ''Reputation'' as a "
defense mechanism
In psychoanalytic theory, a defence mechanism (American English: defense mechanism), is an unconscious psychological operation that functions to protect a person from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and o ...
" that allowed her to cope with the experience. She secluded herself from press attention because she needed to protect her mental health and stop feeling obliged to "explain herself".
Commenting on her forgone "America's Sweetheart" reputation, Swift said it was liberating to relinquish her self-awareness of the title and her attempt to be "always smiling, always happy". On the Reputation Stadium Tour, Swift was inspired by the love she received from fans to embrace positivity and vulnerability; despite her tarnished reputation in the press, she realized her fans "see
eras a flesh-and-blood human being", which "changed
ercompletely, assigning humanity to
erlife".
To this end, she conceived her seventh studio album as a personal, vulnerable record that would connect her with her audience and showcase her strengths as a singer-songwriter: "This time around I feel more comfortable being brave enough to be vulnerable, because my fans are brave enough to be vulnerable with me".
Writing and themes
Swift began writing ''Lover'' after having adjusted her personal life, freeing herself from her public image.
Reflecting on her experience on the Reputation Stadium Tour, Swift learned to take her occupation as an entertainer less seriously than before. Although she used to think of
show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...
as a competitive battlefield, as she performed on tour she realized; "We're just entertaining people, and it's supposed to be fun".
Swift reconsidered her social media appearances and realized her focus was her music rather than her social media influence.
These realizations inspired Swift to embrace her newfound artistic creativity and write songs from a free-spirited perspective.
As with her songwriting for previous albums, Swift wrote ''Lover'' as a reflection of her personal life,
describing it as very confessional and autobiographical, yet also playful and whimsical.
In the September 2019 issue of ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', Swift described ''Lover'' as a "love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory". The track list consists of 18 songs—more than any of her other albums—depicting many sentiments stemming from love.
Whereas the protagonists of the songs on ''Reputation'' are exaggerated characters Swift created as a reaction to the controversies, the songs on ''Lover'' are written from an honest, lighthearted perspective, and are inspired by her first-time discovery of "love that was very real".
The album's central theme is love; Swift said she envisioned it as a romantic record; in addition to happy songs, it includes songs about sorrow and loneliness, which she said one can perceive "through a romantic gaze".
Music critics noted ''Lover'' as Swift's return to her songwriting tradition of exploring love and emotional intimacy after the antagonistic viewpoints of its predecessor, representing her confidence, and her artistic and personal liberation.
Most of the tracks on ''Lover'' are straightforward, open-hearted
love song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
s celebrating the ups and downs of love.
Its lyrics are about Swift's personal life but also engage universally relatable feelings that can be applied to many people's relationships, according to ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' critic
Dana Schwartz.
Although her songs are very personal, Swift avoided disclosing the inspiration behind them.
''Lover'' opening track "I Forgot That You Existed" was inspired by Swift's adjusted personal life;
its narrator no longer dwells on vengeance against those who wronged them.
The title track "
Lover", is about Swift's commitment to a romantic partner; the ways couples customize their
marriage vows
Marriage vows are promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedding ceremony based upon Western Christian norms. They are not universal to marriage and not necessary in most legal jurisdictions. They are not even universal w ...
inspired her to write the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
.
Lust is explored in the tracks "I Think He Knows", which is about self-confidence after a reciprocated infatuation;
and "False God", in which the protagonist ponders the ways false promises can help overcome the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
According to Dave Holmes of ''Esquire'', "False God" may be about either religion or
oral sex
Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex per ...
.
Some songs—such as "Paper Rings",
in which Swift narrates a relationship from its beginning to her proposal of marriage;
and "
London Boy", on which she declares her love for an Englishman with
tongue-in-cheek
The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...
lyrics that name locations in London and the English fashion designer
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the late American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCa ...
—portray playful, quirky aspects of love.
The lead single "
Me!
"Me!" (stylized in all caps) is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring American singer Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco. It was released on April 26, 2019, through Republic Records, as Swift's first single after ...
" is about
self-affirmation
Self-affirmation theory is a psychological theory that focuses on how individuals adapt to information or experiences that are threatening to their self-concept. Claude Steele originally popularized self-affirmation theory in the late 1980s,St ...
,
self-love
Self-love, defined as "love of self" or "regard for one's own happiness or advantage", has been conceptualized both as a basic human necessity and as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness, synonymous with amour-propre, conceitedness, eg ...
, and self-acceptance;
the album version omits the lyric "Hey kids, spelling is fun" of the previously-released single version.
The penultimate track "It's Nice to Have a Friend" tells a love story that begins in childhood and proceeds to adulthood.
Swift considered the song a representation of the feelings one wishes to experience whether they are a child or an adult because "we all want love, we all want to find somebody to ... experience things with".
Other songs explore introspective and poignant aspects of love and life; some are about the pitfalls of romance; Swift assumes responsibility for a failed relationship.
"
The Archer" is about Swift reflecting on her life; its lyrics describe her self-awareness and acknowledgement of her past mistakes.
On "
Cruel Summer", she sings about the painful feelings ensuing from a fleeting summer romance.
"
Cornelia Street", whose title refers to a New York City street on which Swift had rented a
townhouse
A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...
, narrates a relationship in which Swift is afraid she will lose her partner again if she repeats her earlier mistakes.
On "Afterglow", she takes the blame for having hurt her partner,
and contemplates a loved one's prolonged medical treatment on "
Soon You'll Get Better
"Soon You'll Get Better" is a song recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her seventh studio album, '' Lover'' (2019), which was released on August 23, 2019, through Republic Records. Featuring background vocals from the Chi ...
", which was inspired by her parents' cancer diagnoses.
"Death by a Thousand Cuts" was inspired by the
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
film ''
Someone Great'', and explores the protagonist's attempts to overcome the painful remnants of a failed relationship.
"Death by a Thousand Cuts", which Swift wrote for ''Lover'', was not inspired by her personal life; it was "incredible news" to her as she realized she could continue writing songs about heartbreak, even if she was in a healthy relationship. In the closing track, "Daylight", Swift contemplates that love to her now is "golden" rather than "burning red" as she once believed; a reference to the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
of her 2012 studio album ''
Red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
''.
The track concludes with Swift speaking; "I want to be defined by the things that I love—not the things I hate, not the things I'm afraid of, the things that haunt me in the middle of the night". The song represents Swift's mature understanding of love, her personal life, and her public image.
A few songs reflect Swift's perception of contemporary
American politics
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that Separation of powers, share powers. These are: the United States Congress, U.S. Congre ...
. Since her 2006 debut as a country-music artist, Swift's record company had warned her against becoming involved in politics, but after witnessing the political events affecting the rights of certain people, she became disillusioned with the American political climate and decided to abandon her apolitical stance.
Swift wrote "
Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince
"Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her seventh studio album '' Lover'' (2019). She wrote the song a few months after the 2018 U.S. midterm elections to capture her disillusio ...
" after the 2018 midterm elections; its lyrics use high school as a metaphor for American politics because she thought the social events of a traditional American high school, like the political landscape, can alienate some people.
Another track, "
The Man", was inspired by the
double standards
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
women experience the music industry and in wider society.
"
You Need to Calm Down
"You Need to Calm Down" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on June 14, 2019, as the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Lover'' (2019). The fourteenth track on the album, Swift wrote and prod ...
" has lyrics advocating for
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
; it was inspired by a conversation in which a friend asked Swift what she would do if she had a gay son;
other inspirations were
cyberbullies,
cancel culture
Cancel culture, or rarely also known as call-out culture, is a phrase contemporary to the late 2010s and early 2020s used to refer to a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles—whether it be online, on ...
, and the way the mass media "pits
omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
against each other".
Explaining how the track aligns with the album's concept, Swift said it addresses the discrimination some people encounter because of who they love.
Production and musical styles
Swift started recording ''Lover'' in November 2018, soon after she completed the Reputation Stadium Tour.
She wanted to incorporate eclectic styles to accompany the diverse lyrical themes, which was made possible by her new contract with Republic Records granting her more artistic freedom than before.
Swift recorded much of ''Lover'' with
Jack Antonoff
Jack Michael Antonoff (born March 31, 1984) is an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and is the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun. He was pr ...
, who had produced ''1989'' and ''Reputation''; other producers are
Joel Little
Joel Little (born 13 February 1983) is a New Zealand record producer, musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter. ,
Frank Dukes
Adam King Feeney (born September 12, 1983), better known as Ging and by his former stage name Frank Dukes, is a Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter. A prolific producer, he has worked with artists including Camila Cabello ("Havana ...
, and
Louis Bell
Louis Russell Bell (born May 27, 1982) is an American record producer, vocal producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. Bell's work includes production for Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer, T ...
, all of whom were first-time collaborators of Swift.
The producers of respective tracks are credited as their co-writers alongside Swift, except for songs Swift wholly wrote; "Lover", "Cornelia Street", and "Daylight".
Hip-hop producer
Sounwave
Mark Anthony Spears, known professionally as Sounwave, is an American hip-hop producer and songwriter from Compton, California, and an original member of the Californian hip-hop label Top Dawg Entertainment. Sounwave has worked on every Kendrick ...
is credited as co-writer and co-producer of "London Boy", singer
Brendon Urie
Brendon Boyd Urie (born April 12, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist of Panic! at the Disco, of which he is the only remaining member.
In ...
is credited as co-writer of "Me!", and musician
St. Vincent
Saint Vincent may refer to:
People Saints
* Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr
* Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia
* Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...
, who is credited as Annie Clark, is co-writer of "Cruel Summer".
While recording, Swift revisited musical styles with which she had earlier experimented. While she associated ''Reputation'' musical style, devoid of acoustic instruments, with imagery of "nighttime cityscape ... old warehouse buildings that had been deserted and factory spaces", she conceptualized ''Lover'' as "a barn wood floor and some ripped curtains flowing in the breeze, and fields of flowers"; the songs on ''Lover'' use many acoustic instruments.
Swift recorded her vocals as though she were performing live, stating much of the album is nearly whole takes. In publications' reviews, music critics categorized ''Lover'' as primarily a pop album
with a 1980s-influenced sound combining
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
and
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
.
Compared to the dark, hip hop tones of its predecessor, ''Lover'' musical styles are brighter, more lighthearted, and atmospheric.
The tracks are of varying tempo, and are built on straightforward
song structure
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
s with piano melodies,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
arrangements, and standard
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
s;
a few experiment with styles and song structures that were new to Swift.
Antonoff co-produced 11 tracks,
all of which were recorded at
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer by 1970. Hendrix spent only ten ...
in New York City; "Paper Rings", "London Boy", and "Daylight" were additionally recorded at
Metropolis Studios
Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Ro ...
in London; the first two tracks, and "Cruel Summer" and "I Think He Knows", were additionally recorded at
Conway Recording Studios
Conway Recording Studios is a recording studio in Hollywood, California.
People and awards
Conway started in the early 1970s as a mastering studio. In 1976, the studio began recording albums, including projects by Elton John and Stevie Wo ...
in Los Angeles.
Antonoff's production is characterized by 1980s drums, atmospheric synthesizers, and
reverbed beats,
exploring eclectic styles across genres including synth-pop,
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
folk pop
Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...
, and
quiet storm
Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album ''A Quiet Storm''.
The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lin ...
. Because of Antonoff's 1980s-style production, some critics commented ''Lover'' expands on the 1980s synth-pop sound of ''1989''.
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' journalist Jason Lipshutz commented ''Lover'' is not an expansion on ''1989'' sound but a more-ambitious record that is larger in scope.
Swift conceptualized tracks like "Lover" and "Paper Rings" as songs that might have been played in a 1970s wedding reception; as such, these tracks use
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
instruments to bring forth the timeless feel she desired.
For "Lover", Swift and Antonoff used instruments that, according to Swift, were invented before the 1970s;
it is a
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
ing-tempo track combining
indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
and
alternative country
Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...
with acoustic guitar, percussion, and
pizzicato
Pizzicato (, ; translated as "pinched", and sometimes roughly as "plucked") is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of instrument :
* On bowed ...
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
.
"Paper Rings" is a gleeful
new wave-influenced
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
track
with influences from
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
and 1980s pop.
Many songs produced with Antonoff have a radio-friendly pop production.
"Cruel Summer" is a 1980s-influenced, synth-pop song with pulsating synthesizers and
distorted vocals,
and "London Boy" is a
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
song with layered synthesizers and repeated beats. The upbeat, electropop and
R&B track "I Think He Knows" features influences of
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
with Swift's
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
vocals over guitars, a deep
bass, and a marching beat.
Despite its lyrics about a painful heartbreak, "Death by a Thousand Cuts" has an upbeat production with a recurring guitar line, quivering synthesizers, and faint church bells with vocal harmonies in the background.
The ballads "The Archer", "Cornelia Street", and "Daylight" are characterized by dense, atmospheric synthesizers;
the first of which combines
dream pop
Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...
and synth-pop with steady
kick drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
beats throughout.
"Soon You'll Get Better" and "False God", which were produced with Antonoff, feature subtler production compared to the dominant uptempo sound.
"Soon You'll Get Better" is a country ballad featuring
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
s and
the Dixie Chicks
The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and E ...
contributing background harmonies, banjo, and fiddle.
"False God" combines elements of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
,
neo-soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
,
and 1980s R&B;
Swift sings over hiccuping vocal samples and a lone saxophone line.
Little co-produced four tracks on ''Lover''; these were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York, Golden Age Studios in Los Angeles, and Golden Age West in Auckland, New Zealand.
Swift had first met Little at a
Broods
Broods is a New Zealand musical duo from Nelson, composed of Georgia Josiena Nott on lead vocals, with older brother and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Allan Joseph Nott on production and backing vocals. They released the single "Bridges", which w ...
concert in Los Angeles; they got acquainted at the New Zealand show of her Reputation Stadium Tour. Shortly after, Swift invited Little to New York to record songs with her; "Me!" is one of the first songs they created together.
"Me!", which features Brendon Urie of
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
, contains pop
hooks, and the
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
and
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
drums in the refrain evoke a 1960s
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...
sound.
"Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" is at atmospheric, gloomy, synth-pop track
with shouting cheerleaders' voice in the background.
The synth-pop tunes "The Man" and "You Need to Calm Down" feature pulsating synthesizers;
"The Man" is built on a pulsating drum beat
and "You Need to Calm Down" features cascading vocal echoes in the refrain.
The three tracks Swift produced with Bell and Dukes, which were recorded at Electric Feel Studios in Los Angeles,
have an experimental quality.
The opening track "I Forgot That You Existed" is a lighthearted post-
tropical house
Tropical house, also known as trop house, is a subgenre of house music, and a derivation of tropical music, with elements of dancehall and Balearic house. Artists of the genre are often featured at various summer festivals such as Tomorrowland. T ...
tune that is built on piano and finger snaps.
The
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
"Afterglow" has a slow-building melody consisting of slow bass and Swift's falsetto vocals.
Some critics considered the penultimate track "It's Nice to Have a Friend" as the album's most original and experimental song.
The song includes a sample of "Summer in the South" from the Toronto-based Regent Park School of Music's album ''Parkscapes''; it has a sparse production with
steelpan
The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists.
Descriptio ...
s, harps, and
tubular bells
Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
; and is punctuated by a trumpet solo and church bells near the middle.
Swift said she wrote the track with only verses, and was more focused on the "vibe and feeling", contrasting her usual songwriting with a clear refrain and structure.
Recording wrapped on February 24, 2019;
a sample of
Cautious Clay's song "Cold War" used for "London Boy" was approved in June that year.
Release and promotion
Title and artwork
Swift initially considered choosing "Daylight" as the album's title track but scrapped the idea because she thought it is too sentimental. She picked ''Lover'' as the title because she felt it better represents the overall theme and is "more elastic as a concept"; songs such as "You Need to Calm Down", which is about LGBT rights, could align with this concept.
Colombian photographer and
collage
Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...
artist Valheria Rocha, who worked with Swift on the album's art direction, photographed and edited the album's cover art.
The cover depicts Swift with sapphire hair tips and a pink, glittery heart shape on her right eye in front of colorful, pink clouds.
Some media commented the artwork evokes the atmosphere of summer and music festivals.
Swift used the bright, pastel colors of the cover art in her social media posts and clothing during promotion of ''Lover'', departing from the dark, black-and-white art and aesthetic of ''Reputation''.
In an article for ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Emma Madden said ''Lover'' cover art looks like "a fan-made aesthetic post on Tumblr", and called it part of the emerging trend of "kitschy album artwork". By using cover art that deliberately looks like a fan-made product rather than art commissioned from professional graphic designers, ''Lover'' brought "a level of iconicness and relatability" to Swift's audience because, according to Rocha, they could create their own versions of the cover art.
Marketing
Three
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
preceded ''Lover''.
Swift released the first, "Me!" featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, on April 26, having commissioned a large butterfly mural in a
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
neighborhood and a social-media countdown.
The second single "You Need to Calm Down" was released on June 14 after Swift encouraged her fans to call for the passing of the
Equality Act on her social media feeds;
the media viewed this release as Swift's intention for the release to coincide with
Pride Month
LGBT Pride Month is a month, typically in June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969, and ha ...
.
The title track was released as the third single on August 16. All three singles peaked in the top ten of the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the first two peaked at number two. "Me!" broke the record for the
largest single-week jump when it rose from number 100 to number two after one week.
"The Archer" was released as a
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
on July 23.
A fourth single, "The Man", was released on January 27, 2020.
Whereas Swift avoided social media and public appearances during promotion of ''Reputation'', she embarked on an extensive promotional campaign for ''Lover'' on social media, televised events, and press interviews.
Media speculation on Swift's follow-up to ''Reputation'' arose when she appeared at the
2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards was held at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on March 14, 2019, and was broadcast live on Fox. Ariana Grande and Ella Mai were the most awarded artists, each winning three iHeartRadio Music Awards on the night. ...
in March, where she was adorned with butterfly
motifs and pastel tones, the aesthetic she later used in her clothing for public appearances.
Her social media posts showed her outgoing, comfortable persona, departing from the dark, antagonistic image she adopted for ''Reputation''.
Swift conducted interviews with publications including ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', ''Vogue'', and ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', where she openly spoke about her adjusted personal life.
A few weeks before the album's release, Swift invited a select group of fans to private ''Secret Sessions'' listening parties in London, Nashville, and Los Angeles;
she had hosted similar sessions for ''1989'' and ''Reputation''. She also gave interviews on the US morning television programs ''
CBS Sunday Morning
''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (normally shortened to ''Sunday Morning'' on the program itself since 2009) is an American news magazine television program that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and original host ...
'' and ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'',
and the talk shows ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' and ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
''.
Swift promoted ''Lover'' with corporate tie-ins and promotional deals, including a merchandise deal with
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States. It is on the list o ...
, airplay deals with
SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius S ...
and
iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...
, a deal with
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. It provides a tailored interface for the service, oriented towards music streaming, allowing users to browse through songs and music videos on YouTube based ...
with Swift hosting a live stream on the platform, an
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
deal featuring images of Swift on packaging and an exclusive concert for
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
users, and a
Target Corporation
Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compon ...
deal to distribute four deluxe editions of ''Lover'' on CD;
the deluxe editions were also available on Swift's website.
Each deluxe edition contains a CD with two bonus audio memos, a blank journal, a poster and different bonus content of Swift's old journal entries and photos. She also collaborated with English fashion designer Stella McCarntey on a limited-edition merchandise collection.
''Lover'' was released on both digital and physical formats on August 23, 2019, through Republic Records;
it was her first album after ending her 12-year contract with Big Machine Records, her first released on
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
from its first week, and the first whose master recording she owned.
Leading up to the release, Swift was involved in a
public dispute over the ownership of her Big Machine Records albums' master recordings. In a social media post on June 30, 2019, after Big Machine had been acquired by manager
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
, Swift accused the label of having neglected her desire to acquire the master recordings and called the deal with Braun, whom she deemed an "incessant, manipulative
ully, the "worst-case scenario".
After ''Lover'' was released, Swift began implementing her plan to
re-record her past albums.
Swift performed on many televised shows, starting with a performance of "Me!" with Brendon Urie at the
2019 ''Billboard'' Music Awards on May 1. She again performed the song with Urie on ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', and alone on ''
Germany's Next Topmodel
''Germany's Next Topmodel'' (often abbreviated as ''GNTM'') is a German reality television series, based on a concept introduced by Tyra Banks with ''America's Next Top Model''. The competition is hosted by Heidi Klum who also serves as the le ...
'', ''
The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...
'', and the
French version of ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''. At the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards, where she won three awards, Swift opened the show with a
medley of "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover". Swift later performed ''Lover'' songs on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
, ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'',
NPR Music
NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
's
Tiny Desk Concert
Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C.
The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thomp ...
, the
Jingle Bell Ball 2019 in London, and iHeartRadio
Z100's Jingle Ball in New York City. She also promoted the album on
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
's ''Sukkiri Morning Show'' in Tokyo and at the
Singles' Day
The Singles' Day () or Double 11 (), originally called Bachelors' Day, is a Chinese unofficial holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in a relationship. The date, 11 November (11/11), was chosen because the numeral 1 res ...
Countdown Gala by
Alibaba Group in Shanghai.
At the
2019 American Music Awards, at which Swift was honored as the
Artist of the Decade, she performed a medley of "The Man", "Lover", and her past singles. On May 17, 2020,
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
aired a concert special titled ''Taylor Swift: City of Lover'', which was filmed at her September 2019
one-off concert in Paris. Swift planned to embark on a worldwide
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
titled Lover Fest, which was due to begin in mid-2020 and included four shows in the U.S., ten shows in Europe, and two shows in Brazil.
It was officially cancelled in February 2021 due to the global
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Media response
''Lover'' received extensive media coverage; the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's Nick Levine wrote; "if it doesn't become her sixth in succession to top the ''Billboard'' 200, it would be a major music industry shock".
Some publications noted the extensive promotional campaign was old-fashioned compared to the emerging trend of
''Rolling Stone'' Elias Leight commented Swift was the last-remaining pop star to rely on radio push and corporate tie-ins to promote albums.
Her first album released on streaming platforms from the beginning, it was noted in some articles as a sign Swift had abandoned her anti-
stance. Because of Swift's ''Billboard'' 200 record of having four albums sell over one million copies each, some journalists debated whether she would achieve the feat the fifth time, and whether streaming would impact its sales figures.
Some reviewers said they thought ''Lover'' would perform well on charts even if critical reviews were negative, and that it was also a means for Swift to rebuild her public image after the ''Reputation'' controversies, and the dispute with Big Machine and Braun.
'' wrote; "as Swift tries to control the narrative, it is a reminder that ... Swift has achieved an American Dream—she's too big to fail".
''Billboard'' Andrew Unterberger, noting the diverse styles and themes of the four songs released prior to ''Lover''—"Me!", "You Need to Calm Down", "The Archer", and "Lover"—said Swift released ''Lover'' to focus on her artistic merit on her own terms, and not because she wanted to control her image.
commented although Swift's blurring of the line between the personal and the promotional, and although her social media posts might prompt tabloid gossip, ''Lover'' should stand the test of time with its best songs.
In mainstream publications, ''Lover'' received positive reviews from music critics.
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a mean score of 79, which is based on 26 reviews.
Most reviewers commended the album's themes of positivity and emotional intimacy.
welcomed ''Lover'' as Swift's return-to-form, praised her emotional songwriting ability, and said compared to ''Reputation'' antagonistic themes about celebrity, ''Lover'' is a sign of Swift's embracing of forward-looking perspectives.
'' commented on its emotional maturity that represents Swift's grown-up perspectives.
Praise for the track list's length and diverse musical styles was more reserved.
Those complimentary of ''Lover'' welcomed its disparate styles as a representation of Swift's creative freedom.
together a lot of the best impulses in recent pop, in a way that feels like a road map for
survival".
Nick Catucci in ''Rolling Stone'' called the album "evolutionary rather than revolutionary", and appreciated its "free and unhurried" styles.
Others, taking issue with its length, commented although ''Lover'' is a solid album, it could have been a better record with some refinements.
deemed this "a partial retrenchment until Swift decides what to do next".
'' Claire Martin was critical, deeming the music unimpressive and the lyrics, despite their heartwarming nature, "lacking any profound meaning".
Some critics viewed the album as a culmination of Swift's strengths as a singer-songwriter on her past albums, with particular comparisons to ''Red'' (2012);
'' (2010).
viewed ''Lover'' as a testament to Swift's songwriting abilities but commented the genre-spanning styles feel like "consolidation, not progress", and a conservative effort to maintain her commercial success.
'' wrote although ''Lover'' is a sophisticated album, it is held back by Swift's efforts to satisfy her audience.
Many publications ranked ''Lover'' in their lists of the best albums of 2019. It appeared on the top-tens of lists by ''Billboard'',
''.
, included it in their unranked lists. In individual critics' list, the album was ranked within the top ten by Zaleski, Wood, Sheffield,
'', citing Republic Records, reported ''Lover'' sold nearly one million copies before its release. In the U.S., the album sold around 450,000 copies in its first day and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week tally of 867,000
, of which 679,000 were pure sales. It is Swift's sixth U.S. number-one album and made her the first female artist to have six albums sell more than 500,000 copies each in one week.
In its opening week, ''Lover'' outsold all of the other 199 albums on the chart combined, becoming the first album to do so since Swift's ''Reputation'' (2017). All of ''Lover'' 18 tracks simultaneously charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, breaking the record for the most simultaneous chart entries for a female artist.
chart for a thirty-seventh week, extending her all-time record as the longest-running number-one act.
The
, denoting one million album-equivalent units, after four weeks of release. The only million-selling U.S. album of 2019, it sold 1.085 million pure copies, both physical and digital, becoming
. It was the fourth time Swift had the best-selling album of a calendar year in the U.S., after ''
'' (2009), ''1989'' (2014), and ''Reputation'' (2017). Combining singles sales and streaming, ''Lover'' sold 2.191 million units throughout the year. By October 2022, the RIAA certified it triple-platinum
and it had sold 1.5 million pure copies in the U.S.
The album peaked atop the charts in Australia, New Zealand,
the U.K. (including Scotland),
(ARIA).
''Lover'' is Swift's fifth number-one album in Australia, making her the artist with the most Australian number-one albums of the 2010s decade. In both the U.K. and Ireland, it made Swift the first female artist in the 2010s to have four number-one albums. ''Lover'' also peaked atop the albums charts of Latvia,
and Sweden.
In China, ''Lover'' became the first international album to sell more than one million units within its first release week, and made Swift the first international artist to have three million-selling albums, after ''1989'' and ''Reputation''.
''Lover'' sold more than 3.2 million copies worldwide in 2019, becoming the year's best-selling album by a solo artist and the second overall, behind Japanese group
''.
of 2019, making her the first female artist to twice earn that honor—her first being in 2014.
In 2019, ''Lover'' won accolades at awards shows including Favorite Album of the Year at the
Awards. At the 2019 American Music Awards, at which Swift was honored as Artist of the Decade, ''Lover'' won
. Winning four other awards, Swift was the most-awarded artist of the night, and with 29 wins was the most-awarded in
history. The music videos for ''Lover'' singles won four awards at the
. ''Lover'' singles "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover" were respectively nominated for
" by Eilish). ''Lover'' won Pop Album of the Year at the
. The album won Album of the Year (Western) at the
.
. The documentary, which is titled after the album's seventh track, chronicles the creation and promotion of ''Lover'', and discusses it as an evolutionary phase in Swift's career.
After canceling the Lover Fest tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, without prior announcements, Swift released her eighth studio album ''
'', in July 2020, 11 months after ''Lover'' release. Journalists noted ''Lover'' as Swift's final album that was supported by a "long, fancy pop-album roll-out" before she began using
releases, starting with ''Folklore''.
Retrospective critical commentary has discussed ways ''Lover'' changed Swift's image and artistry from the antagonistic tone of ''Reputation''. Mary Siroky of ''
'' placed ''Lover'' last on her 2021 ranking of Swift's studio albums, saying; "It feels a bit too much like an unnecessary course correction from
rather than a collection of themes Swift was really interested in pursuing". In a ''USA Today'' article commemorating ''Lover'' two-year anniversary, David Oliver and Hannah Yasharoff lamented the canceled tour and called the album Swift's "lost masterpiece" that represents her artistic maturity and autonomy. After its songs featured on the
'' in June 2022, ''Lover'' re-entered the ''Billboard'' 200 chart's top 40. "It's Nice to Have a Friend" featured prominently in the promotional activities of ''
.
On August 24, 2022, ''Billboard'' reported author Teresa La Dart alleged in a
a number of creative elements of the companion book bundled with the deluxe CD editions of ''Lover'' were copied from La Dart's 2010 book, which is also titled ''Lover''. The alleged similarities are the pastel aesthetic, a photograph "in a downward pose", and the book's diary format with "interspersed photographs and writings". La Dart's lawyer said Swift owes in "excess of one million dollars" in damages. Lawyers who spoke to ''Billboard'' said La Dart's case is "deeply flawed", that copyrights do not protect titles and formats of creative works, and that more than 12 other books titled ''Lover'' exist.
.
Notes
* signifies a co-producer
* "London Boy" contains a sample of "Cold War" by
.
– vocals, writer, producer ; executive producer; journal entries ; personal photographies ; packaging creative direction;
, recording ; writer ; piano ; live drums ; acoustic guitars ; electric guitars ; percussion, bass ;
– producer, writer, recording, keyboards, drum programming ; synths, guitar
* Laura Sisk – recording ; background vocals
*
* Grant Strumwasser – assistant
* John Rooney – assistant
* Jon Sher – assistant
* Nick Mills – assistant
* Joe Harrison – guitar
* Serafin Aguilar –
– featured artist
* Brandon Bost – background vocals
* Cassidy Ladden – background vocals
*
– featured artist, writer
* Valheria Rocha – photography
* Andrea Swift – personal photographies
* Scott Swift – personal photographies
* Joseph Cassel – wardrobe stylist
* Riawna Capri – hair
* Lorrie Turk – makeup
* Josh & Bethany Newman – packaging art direction
* Parker Foote – packaging design
* Jin Kim – packaging design
* Ryon Nishimori – packaging design
* Abby Murdock – packaging design
Albums produced by Louis Bell
Albums produced by Frank Dukes
Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios
Electropop albums
Synth-pop albums by American artists
Pop rock albums by American artists