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"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a song 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. Bo ...
, taken from her fourth studio album, '' Red'' (2012). It was released for digital download and to U.S. pop radio as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from ''Red'' on August 13, 2012, by Big Machine Records. Swift wrote and produced the song with Max Martin and Shellback. An
upbeat Up beat may refer to: *Upbeat, in music, the last beat in the previous bar which immediately precedes the downbeat *Anacrusis, a note (or sequence of notes) which precedes the first downbeat in a bar in a musical phrase * ''Upbeat'' (album), by t ...
incorporation of many
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
styles, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" contains pulsing
synthesizer 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 a ...
s, processed
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
riffs, bass drums, and a spoken-word
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 someth ...
. Its lyrics express Swift's frustration with an ex-lover who wants to rekindle their relationship. An alternate version was released to U.S.
country radio Country radio refers to radio stations that play country music. Most country radio stations are commercial radio stations. Most country radio stations usually play only music which has been officially released to country radio by record labels. Th ...
on August 21, 2012. Music critics praised the track for its catchy melody and radio-friendly sound, though some described its lyrics as subpar for Swift's songwriting abilities. The song appeared in year-end lists by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'', and ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
''. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" peaked atop the charts in Canada and New Zealand, and reached the top five in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, and the U.K. On the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the single debuted at number 72 and rose to number one the following week, registering one of the biggest single-week jumps in chart history. The single spent a record-breaking nine consecutive weeks topping 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 sa ...
chart, and received multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.S. The music video for the song was released on August 30, 2012. The accolades that "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" received include a ''Billboard'' Music Award for Top Country Song, a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for Record of the Year, a
CMT Music Award The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on the CMT (Country Music Television) channel. Voting takes ...
nomination for Best Music Video, and a People's Choice Award nomination for Favorite Song. Swift included the song on the set lists of three of her world tours: the Red Tour (2013–14),
the 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift announced the tour's first dates in North America, Europe, Japan, and Oceania in November an ...
(2015), and Reputation Stadium Tour (2018). A re-recorded version of the song is featured on '' Red (Taylor's Version)'', Swift's 2021 re-recording of her 2012 album.


Background and release

After writing '' Speak Now'' (2010) entirely solo, Swift opted to collaborate with different songwriters and producers for '' Red''. Thus, she called Max Martin and Shellback, two songwriters and producers whose work she admired, to discuss a possible collaboration. The trio conceived the concept for "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" shortly after a friend of Swift's ex-boyfriend walked into the recording studio and spoke of rumors he heard that Swift and her former flame were reuniting. After the friend left, Martin and Shellback asked Swift to elaborate on the details of the relationship, which she described as "break up, get back together, break up, get back together, just, ugh, the worst". When Martin suggested that they write about the incident, Swift began playing the guitar and singing, "We are never ever......", and the song flowed rapidly afterwards. She described the process as one of the most humorous experiences she had while recording, and said the musical partners matched her expectations. An audio clip of her sarcastically speaking about breakups can be heard before the final chorus. The single was the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from ''Red''. Swift premiered the single on August 13, 2012, during a live chat on
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with the song released on
Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating sy ...
that day for digital download and to
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
and Amazon.com the next day, August 14. A lyric video also premiered on Swift's official
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
that same day. The song was released to
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
radio stations on August 13, 2012 and to
mainstream radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations the next day. The song was released to country radio on August 21, 2012. The music video for the song premiered on August 30, 2012. A limited edition individually numbered
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any s ...
was released to Swift's official store and Amazon.com on September 4, 2012. The limited edition CD single was packaged with a "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" T-shirt and backpack.Sources: * * The CD single was also available for individual purchase.Sources: * * The CD single was released exclusively to US
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
stores the same day.


Composition and lyrics

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is three minutes and 12 seconds long. Swift wrote and produced the song with Max Martin and Shellback. Written in the key of
G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable com ...
, it has a
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
signature and 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 (ofte ...
of 86 beats per minute, with Swift's vocals spanning from G3 to D5. The production features prominent electronic elements—pulsing
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 a ...
, processed vocals, and a drum machine, alongside acoustic instruments of guitars and banjo.
Musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...
James E. Perone noted that Swift's vocals on "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" are both robotic and humane, thanks to the balance between processed vocals during most of the verses and unprocessed vocals at the end of each
refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the v ...
as well as in 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 someth ...
and the spoken interlude. The alternate version released to country radio incorporates a softer production. In contemporary reviews, critics found "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" an incorporation of many pop-music styles. Jonathan Keefe of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'' and ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' described it as
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 ...
, and
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
categorized the song as
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
. Meanwhile, ''
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 ...
'' called it "a sublime explosion of
Euro-pop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
glee". James Lancho, reviewing ''Red'' for ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'', called the song "sassy
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, ear ...
in the mould of
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...
", and Marc Hogan of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' deemed the single "saucy electro-pop". Steve Hyden, reflecting on the single in a 2021 article for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', characterized the song as electro-folk. Perone noticed influences of hip hop on the thumping
bass 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 ...
, and commented that "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is a musically flexible track, in that its song structure and melodic qualities resemble a conventional
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, whi ...
song, but with modern influences of contemporary music that make it adaptable to many different genres. The lyrics are about a protagonist's frustration over an ex-boyfriend who wants to rekindle their relationship. At one point, Swift sings, "And you would hide away and find your peace of mind/ With some indie record that's much cooler than mine," deriding the ex-boyfriend's pretentious music taste while referencing her own profession as a musical artist. Swift said that the cited lyrics were the song's most important detail because they reveal her real-life ex-boyfriend's judgement of her music, "It was a relationship where I felt very critiqued and subpar. He'd listen to this music that nobody had heard of ... but as soon as anyone else liked this band, he'd drop them." To this extent, she wrote "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in hopes of commercial success to spite the ex-boyfriend, "Not only would it hopefully be played a lot, so that he'd have to hear it, but lsoit's the opposite of the kind of music that he was trying to make me feel inferior to."


Critical reception

Upon initial release, music critics commented on the single's pop production and related it to Swift's country-music identity. Robert Myers of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
'' felt that the song, while "good", was "not Swift at her best" and speculated that the decision to release it as a lead single was made for commercial reasons: "I doubt 'Never Ever' is even close to being the best song on ''Red''; it's a teaser, an indication to her fans of what's coming up. That sounds like commercial calculation of the worst kind, but I don't think it is. Swift's connection with her audience is possibly more important than her connection with her boyfriends. And there is one brilliant touch: the spoken bit that comes after the middle eight." Grady Smith of ''
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 ...
'' drew comparisons with
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), is the best-selling album of the 2 ...
and praised the "undeniable, instantly catchy hook". While describing the song as "joyous", he nevertheless expressed concern that the song's "juvenile sensibilities" marked a regression following Swift's work on ''Speak Now''. Jody Rosen of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' noted that the song's "hooks, plural, have a zing that's more Stockholm than Nashville. But it's unmistakably Taylor: a witty relationship postmortem, delivered in inimitable girlie-girl patois. And this bit – "I'm just, I mean, this is exhausting. Like, we are never getting back together. Like, ever" – might be the most sublime spoken-word interlude in pop since
Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...
died." Marah Eakin of '' The A.V. Club'' commented on "what a good song it is": "With its thumping kick drum, clipped syncopation, and mildly snarky lyrics, it's a teen dream in the vein of Swift's other sing-along jams like "
Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...
" or "
You Belong with Me "You Belong with Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her second studio album ''Fearless (Taylor Swift album), Fearless'' (2008). Swift wrote the song with Liz Rose and produced it with Nathan Chapman (record prod ...
." Kevin Coyne of ''Country Universe'' gave the song a failing D grade, calling it a "huge step backward". James Montgomery of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
felt the "fantastic" song may "represent a turning point in her career ... Swift no longer has any interest in being the victim ... hedisplays a defiant, liberated streak". He noted that the song seemed "custom-crafted to dominate radio ... all shiny, silvery guitars and walloping, whomping choruses". Amy Sciarretto of ''Popcrush'' praised Swift for capturing a "universal feeling in an upbeat, empowering song" and described it as "one of the catchiest tunes she's ever penned". Jonathan Keefe of
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
described "the melodic hook" as the song's best attribute but criticized Swift's "stilted phrasing". He described her vocal performance as a "complete misfire", pointing out that her voice was at its "most unpleasant and nasal". However, Keefe warned that it was "premature" to say the "full-on pop" song "signals anything more than a temporary breakup". David Malitz of ''
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'' found the song immature and remarked, "the chorus is catchy but if this is representative of what awaits on ''Red'', it's hard to be too excited". Glenn Gamboa of ''
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'' described it as "anthemic in a slick pop way, rather than her usual modern country way ... Part of T. Swizzle's charm is the way she makes her songs sound genuine and conversational and 'Never Ever' is no exception". Billy Dukes of ''Taste of Country'' stated that "
wift WIFT (102.1 FM, "Bigfoot Country 102.1 & 101.3") is a country music formatted broadcast radio station licensed to DuBois, Pennsylvania, serving the DuBois/ Punxsutawney/ Clearfield area. WIFT is owned and operated by Kristin Cantrell, through ...
captures the anger of young love gone wrong better than anyone since, well…
aylor Aylor may refer to: * Aylor, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community * Mark Aylor (born 1978), American former rugby union flanker * J.M. Aylor House, a historic house in Hebron, Kentucky, United States See also * Ayler {{d ...
Swift" and that the song's melody is "difficult to embrace quickly." However, Camille Mann of
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considered the song to be "catchy". "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" featured on 2012 year-end lists by ''Rolling Stone'' (second), ''
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'' (fourth), ''
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 ...
'' (fifth), ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
''s Pazz & Jop critics' poll (sixth), ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...
'' (11th), '' NME'' (24th), and '' Consequence'' (40th). The single was named the 169th best song of 2010–2014 on ''Pitchfork'''s "The 200 Best Tracks of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)" list. It also received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year for the
2013 Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET ...
. In 2019, ''
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'' ranked the song as the 71st best song of the 2010s. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked the song as the thirteenth-best female country song of the 2000s and 2010s. The ''
Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' ranked it 4th on their list of the best 2010s pop songs. Critics have placed "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" highly on rankings of Swift's entire catalog; Hannah Mylrea from ''NME'' (2020) ranked it 15th out of 161 songs in Swift's discography, Nate Jones from ''Vulture'' (2021), 7th out of 179, and Sheffield (2021), 21st out of 206.
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 ...
from ''The Guardian'' ranked the track 11th on a 2019 ranking of Swift's 44 singles, deeming it "revitalised – smarter, snarkier and tougher" compared to the "artistically underwhelming" ''Speak Now''.


Accolades


Commercial performance

In the U.S., "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" debuted at number 72 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart week ending August 25, 2012, based on two days of airplay. It rose to number one the following week, registering one of the biggest single-week jumps in chart history. Giving Swift her first Hot 100 number one, it made Swift the country artist with the most top-ten chart entries (11, tying with
Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
). It spent three non-consecutive weeks at number one, becoming the first country song to spend three or more weeks at number one after Kenny Rogers's "
Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inf ...
" (1980). The single stayed in the top ten for thirteen non-consecutive weeks. On the Radio Songs chart, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" entered at number 25, the highest debut for a song by a female country artist. It peaked at number three for three non-consecutive weeks, giving Swift her fourth top-ten entry. On the Hot Digital Songs chart, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" debuted at number one with first-week sales of 623,000 digital copies in the week ending September 1, 2012, setting a record for the fastest-selling digital single by a female artist in ''Billboard'' chart history. The single debuted at number 13 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 sa ...
chart week ending September 1, 2012, based on airplay alone. After ''Billboard'' changed the methodology for the chart, incorporating digital sales and
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 i ...
into chart rankings in addition to airplay, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" ascended to number one for the chart dated October 20, 2012, giving Swift her seventh Hot Country Songs number one. This prompted industry debate over the status of Swift as a country artist, given that "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" received lukewarm reception at country radio and never reached the top ten of the
Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since January 20, 1990. This chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored ...
chart, and was more favorably received at pop radio. It remained on the top spot of the Hot Country Songs for nine consecutive weeks, breaking the eight consecutive weeks record of Connie Smith's "
Once a Day "Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the '' B ...
" (1965) for the longest unbroken run at number one for a female artist. The song spent a total of ten weeks at number one, a career best for Swift and a record for the longest-run at number one for a female artist. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" peaked within the top ten of ''Billboard'' airplay charts including
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
, where it reached number ten for seven non-consecutive weeks,
Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
, where it reached number seven, and
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
, where it peaked at number two for four non-consecutive weeks. Roughly two months after its release, the single surpassed two million U.S. digital sales by September 2012, making Swift the first country artist two have six digital singles each sell over two million copies. By July 2019, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" had sold 4.1 million copies in the U.S. The
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA) certified the single six times platinum, denoting six million units based on sales and streaming. In neighboring Canada, the single peaked atop the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record ...
, Swift's second number one following "
Today Was a Fairytale "Today Was a Fairytale" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it was released on January 19, 2010, by Big Machine Records as a single from the corresponding soundtrack ...
" (2010). It was
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
gold by
Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...
(MC). Outside North America, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" peaked atop the
record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include ...
in New Zealand, where it was certified double platinum by
Recorded Music NZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RMNZ). The single peaked within the top ten on charts in Israel (number two), Australia (number three), Ireland (number four), the U.K. (number four), Norway (number six), Hungary (number nine), and Spain (number nine). It peaked at number eight on
Euro Digital Song Sales The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
, a ''Billboard'' chart monitoring digital singles across Europe. The track was certified platinum in Sweden and the U.K., and five times platinum in Australia. By October 2014, the single had sold over 616,000 digital copies in the U.K. In Japan, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was a major chart hit, peaking at number two on the
Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
and remained on the chart until 2015, three years after its release. The
Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...
(RIAJ) awarded the single a "Million" certification for selling over one million digital copies.


Music video


Background and release

A
music 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 devic ...
for the song premiered on CMT,
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
TeenNick TeenNick is an American pay-TV channel that is operated by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Aimed primarily at teens and tweens, its programming includes a variety of live-action series inherited from sister channel Ni ...
on August 30, 2012, at 7:49 pm
Eastern time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small ...
, and later on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.com,
CMT.com Country Music Television (CMT) is an American pay TV network owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched on March 5, 1983, as Country Music Television, CMT was the first nationally available channel devoted to co ...
, and VH1.com the same day at 8:00 pm Eastern time. The video is directed by Declan Whitebloom, with whom Swift has worked on the music videos for both "
Mean There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value ( magnitude and sign) of a given data set. For a data set, the '' ar ...
" and "
Ours One Union of Regional Staff (OURS) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. The union was formed in early 2010 by the merger of the Derbyshire Group Staff Union and the Cheshire Group Staff Union. It organises former Derbyshire Building So ...
". The video was shot like a pop-up book using a Sony F65 CineAlta camera with Leica 25 mm Summilux-C lens in one continuous shot with no editing, and features five sets and Swift in as many outfits. It is also the first music video to be featured in
4K resolution 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) is the domi ...
. According to Swift, she wanted the video to be as "quirky as the song sounds" and stated that "There's just knitting everywhere; there's just random woodland creatures popping up." Prior to the video's release, a fourteen-second preview was released by CMT on their official
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...
on August 30, 2012. As of October 2022, it has over 700 million views on YouTube.


Synopsis

The video, which is done as one continuous shot, begins with Swift in colorful pajamas recounting the events of her off and on again relationship with her ex-boyfriend (played by Noah Mills). The video then segues into Swift going into her living room where her band is dressed up in animal costumes and Swift belts out the chorus of the song. The video then goes to a TV where Swift says "Like, ever." and then to the dining room where we see she returns to recounting the events of her relationship and receives a phone call from her ex who is calling her from a nightclub. Swift hangs up on him and he walks off screen into the nightclub. It then goes to the two in a truck having an argument then to them having a stroll in the park. Swift then runs off and we see her on the phone telling the person on the other line how she and her ex are not getting back together and her frustration of their entire relationship. The video then segues back to Swift's living room where a party is going on and her ex shows up unannounced trying to woo her back and she slams the door in his face. The video ends with Swift on her window ledge where she was at the beginning of the video, singing the last line of the song.


Reception

James Montgomery of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
praised the video stating that the video is "truly a treat to watch". Jim Farber of the
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ...
comment on the video was that " wift'stone and demeanor in the clip is conversational and sarcastic, ideally suited to simulating intimacy with her massive teen girl fan-base." Carl Williott of Idolator commented on the video's content and stated "what more could you ask for in a visual for a #1 pop smash?" ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' called it "flinging strong-willed sass". David Greenwald of ''
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 adverti ...
'' stated that the video "is a quirky celebration that finds Swift singing and dancing with band members in animal costumes in between relationship flashbacks -- all filmed in an elaborate long shot. Swift wears large glasses and a pair of printed pajamas as she shrugs off her not-so-nice ex-boyfriend, a scruffy, seemingly older musician-type with a penchant for drama."


Live performances and usage in popular culture

Swift performed the song live for the first time at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on September 6, 2012, which was held at the
Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it w ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. Swift was the last performance of the night and, wearing a red and white striped shirt and black shorts (reminiscent of a female circus ringmaster), began her performance in an area resembling a recording studio before taking the stage along with her back-up singers, dancers and band (in animal costumes) took the stage. Swift also performed the song live at the
iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbrella brand for iHe ...
Music Festival in 2012 and 2014. During her visit to Brazil, she performed the song on ''
TV Xuxa ''TV Xuxa'' was a children's program on display day-by-day from 2005 until 2007 in the same format as TV Colosso, on TV Globo. Xuxa ran a game show which lasted from 2008 to 2014 in the same format as ''Planeta Xuxa'', another game show that was ...
'' and during a concert in Rio de Janeiro on September 13, 2012. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is the opening theme song of the reality TV show '' Terrace House: Boys × Girls Next Door'', which began on October 12, 2012, and is included on some of its soundtracks. Swift performed the song on the British version of '' The X Factor'' on October 14, 2012. She performed the song on the German TV show ''Schlag Den Raab''. On January 25, 2013, Swift performed "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" at the
Los Premios 40 Principales LOS40 Music Awards, formerly known as ''Premios 40 Principales'', is an award show by the musical radio station LOS40. It was created in 2006 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the worldwide station. History LOS40 is the m ...
in Spain. The next day, she performed it in
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...
, France, during the NRJ Music Awards. On February 10, 2013, Swift performed the song at the
2013 Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET ...
, opening the ceremony. She performs the song on her Red Tour nightly as the finale. A rock version of the song was performed on
The 1989 World Tour The 1989 World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, in support of her fifth studio album, ''1989'' (2014). Swift announced the tour's first dates in North America, Europe, Japan, and Oceania in November an ...
. More recently, the song was performed as a mashup with "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" as the finale on Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour. Swift performed the song on the iHeartRadio Wango Tango on June 1, 2019. On December 8, she performed an acoustic version of the song at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball 2019 in London. The song and video were parodied by teddiefilms in the style of ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...
''. The parody, called "We Are Never Ever Gonna Cook Together," was uploaded to
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...
on October 18, 2012. The 22nd episode of ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
'' tenth season is titled "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". On September 8, 2012,
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and 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 Google, and is the second mo ...
star Shane Dawson, parodied the song, releasing a studio version and a music video on his YouTube channel.
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the he ...
remixed portions of speeches by
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
to make it appear as though he was reciting the chorus as promotion for their coverage of the 2014 Scotland Independence Referendum.


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are des ...
of the
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any s ...
. *
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. Bo ...
 –
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
,
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...
, producer,
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
* Max Martin – producer, writer, keyboards * Shellback – producer, writer, guitar, bass, keyboards, programming * Tom Coyne – mastering * Eric Eylands – assistant recording * Serban Ghenea – mixing * John Hanes –
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...
* Sam Holland – recording * Michael Ilbert – recording * Tim Roberts – assistant engineer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor's Version)"

Swift re-recorded "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", subtitled "(Taylor's Version)", for her second re-recorded album, '' Red (Taylor's Version)'', released on November 12, 2021, 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 ...
.


Reception

Critics primarily focused on observations of Swift's delivery of certain phrases and words in the song. Some noted a dissimilarity between the "wee-ees"s of the original and re-recorded versions, with Olivia Horn of ''Pitchfork'' opining the re-recorded "wee-ee"s were more cloying than the original. Rob Sheffield of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' stated that the song included "a little extra venom" when she delivered the words "trust me". According to Hannah Mylrea of '' NME'', Swift's vocal maturity can be observed in the spoken-word moments, including in the line: "With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine". ''Variety'' posed the question as to whether the delivery of "What?" on the track was more or less insolent.


Charts


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 * List of ''Billboard'' number-one country songs of 2012 * List of number-one digital songs of 2012 (U.S.) * List of Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 *
List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand) This is the Recorded Music NZ list of number-one singles in New Zealand during the 2010s decade, starting from Monday 4 January 2010. From 7 November 2014, the chart also included data from audio on demand streaming services. Chart Key : – Nu ...


Footnotes


References


Sources

* * {{authority control 2012 singles 2012 songs Taylor Swift songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Diss tracks Bubblegum pop songs Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift Song recordings produced by Max Martin Song recordings produced by Shellback (record producer) Song recordings produced by Chris Rowe Songs written by Taylor Swift Songs written by Max Martin Songs written by Shellback (record producer) Big Machine Records singles Dance-pop songs American pop rock songs