"Mr. Perfectly Fine" is a song written and recorded 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 ...

for her first

re-recorded album A re-recording is a recording produced following a new performance of a work of music. This is most commonly, but not exclusively, by a popular artist or group. It differs from a reissue, which involves a second or subsequent release of a previousl ...

, ''

Fearless (Taylor's Version) ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' is the first re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records. It is a re-recording of Swift's second studio album, ''Fearless'' (2008), and the f ...

'' (2021), a re-recording of her 2008 album. Produced by Swift and

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 p ...

, the track is a

country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...

and

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 ...

song with lyrics about the tumultuous feelings after a derailed romantic relationship, using extensive

antonomasia In rhetoric, antonomasia is a kind of metonymy in which an epithet or phrase takes the place of a proper name, such as "the little corporal" for Napoleon I; or, conversely, the use of a proper name as an archetypal name, to express a generic idea. ...

and wordplay.

Music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

picked it as an album highlight, deeming its lyrics witty and the production catchy. "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was released for

download In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...

and streaming without prior promotion on April 7, 2021, via

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 ...

. It is one of the six unreleased "From the Vault" tracks on ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)''. "Mr. Perfectly Fine" peaked at number 30 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart. The song also reached the top 30 of charts in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, New Zealand, Singapore, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Its release was accompanied by a

lyric video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

released to Swift's

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel.

Background and release

On February 11, 2021, following the

dispute Dispute may refer to: * an act of physical violence; combat * Controversy ** Lawsuit ** Dispute resolution * Dispute (credit card) * ''La Dispute'', a 1744 prose comedy by Pierre de Marivaux * La Dispute (band) La Dispute is an American pos ...

regarding the rights to the masters of her first six studio albums,

announced that the first of her re-recorded albums, ''

'', a re-recording of Swift's 2008 album ''

Fearless Fearless or The Fearless may refer to: Psychology * Lack of fear * Courage or bravery Film, television and audio Film * ''Fearless'' (1978 film), an Italian film directed by Stelvio Massi * ''Fearless'' (1993 film), an American drama directed ...

,'' would be released on April 9, 2021. Alongside the announcement, Swift revealed she would release six songs, all dubbed "from the Vault" that did not make the 2008 album or the 2009 reissue. Swift explained several reasons for the scrapping of the tracks, including not wanting too many breakup or down-tempo songs on the album, and the limitations of how many songs could fit on CDs in 2008. In her announcement of the album, Swift wrote "I've decided I want you to have the whole story. See the entire vivid picture, and let you into the entire dreamscape that is my ''Fearless'' album." Swift originally wrote "Mr. Perfectly Fine" in 2008. On April 2, Swift uploaded a cryptic, golden-hued video to her social media accounts depicting a

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

releasing scrambled words from it. Fans and news outlets decoded the scrambled letters to reveal the titles of the vault tracks. Swift uploaded the official track list to her social media accounts, including the names of the five remaining "from the Vault" tracks, the next day. On April 7, Swift surprise-released "Mr. Perfectly Fine" alongside a lyric video. In the video, the lyrics appear over a man in a

tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element fo ...

enveloped in fog. "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was also included in ''Fearless (Taylor's Version): The Halfway Out the Door Chapter'' and ''Fearless (Taylor's Version): The From the Vault Chapter'', streaming compilations released on May 13, 2021, and May 26, 2021, respectively, each featuring five other songs from ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)''.

Composition and lyrics

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" is a

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

and

song song with elements of

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 ...

and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

. It runs for four minutes and 38 seconds. Musically, the song is set in the key of

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 136 beats per minute (BPM). Swift's vocals span from G₃ to D₅. Lyrically, Swift navigates the tumultuous feelings surrounding breakup compared to her "perfectly fine" estranged lover, using

wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phone ...

. The first verse recalls the seemingly perfect relationship, narrating "a man who says all the rights things at the right time" before progressing into the chorus, which describes the turbulent emotions Swift faced while the subject remains unscathed. Several media outlets and fans alike pointed out the lyric "Mr. casually cruel", resembling the lyric "So casually cruel in the name of being honest" in Swift's song "

All Too Well "All Too Well" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Its five-minute version is part of her fourth studio album, ''Red'' (2012), whereas its re-recording and uncut 10-minute version is part of her second re-recorded album, ''R ...

" from ''

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 ...

'' (2012).

Critical reception

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" received acclaim from music critics. ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' Zoey Haylock wrote that "Mr. Perfectly Fine" brings back memories of "your high-school heartbreak", boasting a "classic T-Swift bridge and a final, soaring chorus". Haylock dubbed the song "a 2008 time capsule" and praising the "magic and curiosity" reminiscent of the original ''Fearless.'' Similarly, Madeline Crone of ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' applauded the collaboration with

as "breath nglife into a new classic" and recalled the "age-old feelings" its country-pop production provokes. Crone opined that "Mr. Perfectly Fine" reflects the skill that paved the way for the sophistication of her indie folk record ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

'' and alternative rock '' Evermore'' (both 2020). Writing for ''

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 ...

'', Claire Shaffer noted Swift's "clever wordplay", and described its sound as "a classic Swift mix of

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 pop with an added

edge". Jess Cohen of ''

E! News ''E! News'', previously known as ''E! News Daily'' and ''E! News Live'', is the entertainment news operation for the cable network E! in the United States. Its former on-air weekday newscast debuted on September 1, 1991, and primarily reports ...

'' opined that the lyrics "don't disappoint". ''

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 ...

'' critic Gil Kaufman defined it as a "dreamy, mid-tempo acoustic track" and a "classic ''Fearless''-era Taylor tale of romantic woe". He also pinpointed the wordplay—where Swift dubs the subject as "Mr. perfect face," "Mr. here to stay", "Mr. looked me in the eye and told me you would never go away", and "Mr. change of heart", painting a "portrait of a man who says all the rights things at the right time".

Kitty Empire Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britai ...

of ''

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 ...

'' similarly described it as a "stone cold classic Swift song" and praised its blend of the "brighter, more direct songcraft" of the ''Fearless'' era and the more subdued production of ''Folklore''.

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...

, also of ''The Guardian'', highlighted the "relish" in Swift's voice expressed a satisfaction that mitigates her anger. ''Billboard'''s Jason Lipshutz ranked it as the second-best of the six Vault songs, praising the back-to-back references to "

" from ''

'' (2012) and "Dear John" from ''

Speak Now ''Speak Now'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself within two years, while she was promoting her second studio alb ...

'' (2010) as "pay nghomage to her grandest breakup songs." In Hannah Mylrea's review of the album published in ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', she identified "Mr. Perfectly Fine" as a standout, "stuffed with swooning melodies and typically Swiftian lyrics." Dani Blum's ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' review of ''

'' pointed to "Mr. Perfectly Fine" as a "delightful, strumming takedown" and a highlight among the Vault tracks. In ''Billboard'''s ranking of the 50 best songs of 2021 so far, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" placed 46th, with critics from the magazine applauding its lyrics and describing the song as "vintage Taylor Swift that still feels fresh in 2021."

Accolade

Commercial performance

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Country Digital Song Sales chart dated April 17, 2021, marking Swift's 17th number one entry on the chart and replacing Swift's own "

You All Over Me "You All Over Me" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring background vocals from American singer Maren Morris. It is the twenty-first track on Swift's first re-recorded album, ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'', a ...

" from the top spot. Upon the release of ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'', "Mr. Perfectly Fine" skyrocketed to number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart from its debut at twenty, scoring Swift her 26th top-10 entry on the chart. The song drew 14.2 million streams in the US and topped ''Billboard'' Country Streaming Songs chart, marking Swift's fifth chart-topper. On the all-genre ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" rose to number 30 from its debut of number 90, becoming Swift's 80th entry inside the top 40 of the chart, extending Swift's record for the most top-40 entries among women. It debuted at number 78 on the ''Rolling Stone'' Top 100, a competitor to the Hot 100, collecting 4.4 million streams and selling 42,700 units in less than two days of tracking. In the next week, following the release of ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'', the song jumped to number 11, selling 106,800 units and garnering 12.7 million streams. On the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" debuted at 82 on the issue dated April 17, 2021, and rose to number 23 in the next week, ultimately spending 4 weeks on the chart. Similarly, on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, it jumped from its debut of number 114 to its peak of number 19. It debuted at number 11 in Singapore, 15 in Ireland, 19 in

, 24 in Belgium, 25 in New Zealand, and 30 in the

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * Tidal (album), ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * ...

. *

– vocals, songwriting, production *

– production, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, bass, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, recording, synthesizer * Mikey Freedom Hart – 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar, pedal steel * Sean Hutchinson – drums * Michael Riddleberger – percussion * Evan Smith – saxophones, synthesizer * Randy Merrill – mastering *

Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...

– mixing * John Hanes – engineering * Laura Sisk – recording * John Rooney – assistant recording * Jon Sher – assistant recording *

Christopher Rowe Christopher Rowe may refer to: * Christopher Rowe (record producer) Christopher Rowe, is an American record producer, audio engineer and guitarist specializing in country rock. He is best known for his work with Taylor Swift. Career Rowe beg ...

– vocal engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mister Perfectly Fine 2008 songs 2021 singles Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff American pop rock songs Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift Songs written by Taylor Swift Taylor Swift songs Republic Records singles