Loading

  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Clean (Taylor's Version)
"Clean" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Written and produced by Swift and the British musician Imogen Heap, the track is a steady soft rock, dream pop, and synth-folk ballad with an electronic production. Its lyrics depict difficulty in letting go of a broken relationship.

Initial reviews of 1989 praised "Clean" for the lyrical sentiments and Swift's songwriting, and picked it as an album highlight. Retrospective rankings have considered the track one of Swift's best songs. Commercially, "Clean" reached the charts of Canada and Portugal and received certifications from Australia and the United Kingdom. It has been covered by several singers, and was featured on the set list of Swift's 1989 World Tour (2015).

A re-recorded version, titled "Clean (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27, 2023. The re-recording peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Global 200 and entered in the top 30 on the national charts of Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States.

Background

Imogen Heap singing onto a mic with her eyes closed
Swift wrote and produced "Clean" with the British musician Imogen Heap (pictured).

The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift had identified as a country artist until she released her fourth studio album, Red, in October 2012. Although Swift and Big Machine Records promoted Red to country radio, some of its tracks feature styles of pop and rock, a result of Swift's desire to experiment with new styles. This sparked a media debate over her status as a country artist. In mid-2013, she began writing songs for her next studio album.

Swift titled her fifth studio album after her birth year, 1989. She decided to make it her first "official pop" record that would transform her image to a pop artist and move away from the country styles of her previous releases. To this end, Swift recruited new producers including the British musician Imogen Heap, whom she called "one of the most interesting and unique artists". "Clean" was one of the last tracks Swift wrote for 1989; she finished the lyrics and melody before approaching Heap to co-produce it. Swift recalled that she was inspired to write "Clean" after spending two weeks in London: "it hit me that I'd been in the same city as [an ex-lover] for two weeks and I hadn't thought about it."

Heap helped to complete the track by playing instruments, and they finished recording it after two takes in one day at The Hideaway Studio in London. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound Studio in New York City. In the third part of the listening session at Grammy Pro in 2015, Swift revealed that for the unique instrumentation of "Clean", Heap combined two of her unique instruments, the mbira, a thumb piano, and "then these things called boomwhackers, which are for the percussion."

Composition

"Clean" is a soft rock, dream pop, and synth-folk ballad. At four minutes and thirty seconds long, the song progresses at a steady tempo. Jem Aswad from Billboard believed that the electronic production was influenced by Heap's musical style. It incorporates piano, keyboard, drums, mbira, vibraphone, bass, layered vocals, and a groove that is built around percussion. The Telegraph author Neil McCormick described "Clean" as "understated" and "atmospheric". Hannah Mylrea from NME said the song has "chiming soft rock instrumentals", while The Guardian's Alex Petridis wrote that it features "alternately pulsing and drifting electronics".

The lyrics use imagery of a torrential storm to describe breaking from an addictive, toxic relationship. At one point, Swift sings of a past relationship, "You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore." She continues, "When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe / And by morning / Gone was any trace of you / I think I am finally clean." The word clean is a metaphor with two meanings: clean as in the feeling of taking a shower and as in getting free from an addiction.

Releases

1989 was released on October 27, 2014, via Big Machine Records. In the track-list, "Clean" is placed at number 13 as the closing track. The song appeared on the Canadian Digital Song Sales chart upon release, with a peak of number 45. In 2015, Swift included the song on the set list of the 1989 World Tour. Before performing it, she would share lessons she had learned in her personal life with the audience. In 2023, she performed the track as a "surprise song" on two dates of the Eras Tour: April 1 in Arlington, Texas, and May 28 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In 2024, Swift sang it with a piano as part of a mashup with her songs "Welcome to New York" and "Say Don't Go" at the tour's Stockholm stop on May 18 and with "Is It Over Now?" and "Out of the Woods" at the tour's London stop on June 23. The song also received platinum and silver certifications in 2023 from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively.

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums that the label had released. By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters. The re-recording of "Clean", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of 1989's re-recording, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023. "Clean (Taylor's Version)" is a second longer than the original; Heap reprised her role as co-producer and player of instruments including vibraphone, percussion, kalimba, keyboard, and drums.

The song reached the countries of the Philippines (13), Singapore (26), Canada (28), and New Zealand (28). In the United States, "Clean (Taylor's Version)" was a top-30 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where it extended Swift's record for the most top-40 chart entries by a female artist. Elsewhere, it appeared on the Billboard Global 200, Sweden's Heatseeker chart, and the United Kingdom's Audio Streaming Chart, with peaks of 25, 17, and 33, respectively. The original version also charted at number 85 on Portugal's AFP Singles Chart following the album's release.

Critical reception

"Clean" received generally positive reviews upon release, with a number of critics choosing it as a highlight from 1989. Forrest Wickman of Slate called the song "sad but ultimately hopeful" and thought it had similar themes to Swift's other closing tracks, such as "Begin Again" from Red. Sam Lansky from Time picked the song as one of the tracks that demonstrates Swift's songwriting in "tight, evocative images". Aswad from Billboard said "Clean" was an "aching, bittersweet" song and opined that Swift "surrenders to" Heap more than other collaborators on 1989. Amy Pettifer of The Quietus deemed the lyrics "sparkling–sad and clever". Sasha Geffen of Consequence called "Clean" a "bell-accounted number" and commended Swift's sentiment of finding strength through friendship. In a less positive review, Matthew Horton of NME thought the song was "weepy" and considered it "a late collapse" on the album.

In retrospective rankings, Billboard, Paste, Chris Willman of Variety, Mylrea, and Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone listed "Clean" among Swift's top 20 songs; Sheffield called it an "intense finale" for 1989. Clash picked the track as one of Swift's 15 best songs—editor Sahar Ghadirian labeled the song a "masterclass in songwriting" and lauded its emotional sentiment as "empowering and validating". Mary Kate Carr from The A.V. Club wrote that while there are "occasions when Swift's whimsical metaphors can become overwrought, but the fantastical imagery of the lyrics and the zen chime sounds" work on "Clean", which makes it "a perfect ode to set oneself free" that is aware enough to admit that "just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it". Alex Hopper from American Songwriter viewed the song as a fan-favorite and commended how Swift opens up her struggles and ventures deep with her audience.

Covers

The singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson recalled that she loved "Clean" upon hearing it in Swift's apartment before 1989's release; Michaelson asked Swift to send the full song to her ahead of the album's release, but Swift declined. Michaelson covered "Clean" at the Billboard Women in Music event on December 12, 2014, to honor Swift's win for Woman of the Year. On September 21, 2015, the American rock singer Ryan Adams released "Clean" as part of his track-by-track cover of Swift's 1989. Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club commented that it has a "sleeker" production. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly opined that it "sounds like a polished evolution" of his alternative country band Whiskeytown.

On June 9, 2021, the American singer Sara Bareilles performed a cover of "Clean" as a tribute to Taylor Swift at the annual National Music Publishers' Association meeting. On April 12, 2023, the American singer Kelly Clarkson sang the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Critics described the performance as "emotional" and "stunning"—Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone said that Clarkson maintained the song's "sense of rebirth and new beginnings".

Personnel

"Clean" (2014)

"Clean (Taylor's Version)" (2023)

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Bryce Bordone – mix engineer
  • Imogen Heap – producer, songwriter, recording, vibraphone, drums, kalimba, percussion, piano, programming, keyboards, background vocals
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Christopher Rowe – vocal engineering

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Clean"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) Platinum 70,000
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift's 'Red' Sells 1.21 Million; Biggest Sales Week for an Album Since 2002". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  2. ^ McNutt 2020, pp. 77–78.
  3. ^ Doyle, Patrick (July 15, 2013). "Taylor Swift: 'Floodgates Open' for Next Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  4. ^ McNutt 2020, p. 78.
  5. ^ Talbott, Chris (October 12, 2013). "Taylor Swift Talks Next Album, CMAs and Ed Sheeran". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  6. ^ Wilson, Carl (October 29, 2014). "Contemplating Taylor Swift's Navel". Slate. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Eells, Josh (September 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift Reveals 5 Things to Expect on '1989'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 5, 2014). "Sales of Taylor Swift's '1989' Intensify Streaming Debate (Published 2014)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Zollo, Paul (February 13, 2016). "The Oral History of Taylor Swift's 1989". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016 – via Medium.
  10. ^ Zhang, Cat (August 8, 2022). "The Eternal Influence of Imogen Heap". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Gevinson, Tavi (May 7, 2015). "Taylor Swift Has No Regrets". Elle. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Zaleski 2024, p. 123.
  13. ^ 1989 (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2014. BMRBD0500A.
  14. ^ Listening Session With Taylor Swift: 1989 | Part 3. Grammy Pro. 2015. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  15. ^ Strecker, Erin (October 16, 2015). "8 Things You Didn't Know About Taylor Swift's '1989'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  16. ^ Horton, Matthew (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift – 1989". NME. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  17. ^ Sheffield, Rob (July 8, 2023). "'Clean' (2014)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  18. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (October 28, 2014). "Taylor Swift Gets Clean, Hits Reset on New Album 1989". Spin. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  19. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 24, 2014). "Album Review: Taylor Swift's Pop Curveball Pays Off With 1989". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Hasty, Katie (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift, 1989: Track-by-track album review". Uproxx. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  21. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Mathieson, Craig (October 31, 2014). "Taylor Swift's new album 1989 defies expectations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  23. ^ McCormick, Neil (October 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift, 1989, Review: 'Full of American Fizz'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  24. ^ Petridis, Alexis (October 24, 2014). "Taylor Swift: 1989 Review – Leagues Ahead of the Teen-Pop Competition". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  25. ^ Morgan, Lucy; Laws, Chloe (December 13, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 10 best (and worst, if that's even possible) songs of all time". Glamour UK. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  26. ^ Willman, Chris (December 13, 2022). "Taylor Swift's 50 Best Songs, Ranked". Variety. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  27. ^ Swift, Taylor (October 27, 2014). "1989". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  28. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  29. ^ Lindner, Emilee (May 5, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour: A Track By Track Breakdown". MTV. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  30. ^ Hunt, Elle (November 29, 2015). "Taylor Swift review – polished perfection remains accessible as 1989 tour winds down". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  31. ^ Smith, Katie Louise (June 23, 2024). "Here's Every Surprise Song Performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour". Capital FM. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  32. ^ "Oct 2023 Single Accreds" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  33. ^ "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – Clean". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  34. ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  35. ^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits". BBC News. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  36. ^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  37. ^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  38. ^ Vassell, Nicole (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift Fans Celebrate As Pop Star Releases 1989 (Taylor's Version)". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  39. ^ Swift, Taylor (October 27, 2023). "1989 (Taylor's Version)". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  40. ^ 1989 (Taylor's Version) (Compact disc liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2023. 0245597656.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  42. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 44 (27 Oct - 2 Nov 2023)". RIAS. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  43. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  44. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  45. ^ Zellner, Xander (November 6, 2023). "Taylor Swift Charts All 21 Songs From '1989 (Taylor's Version)' on the Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  46. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  47. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 44". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  48. ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  49. ^ "Taylor Swift – Clean". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  50. ^ Geffen, Sasha (October 30, 2014). "Taylor Swift – 1989 | Album Review". Consequence. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  51. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 24, 2014). "1989". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  52. ^ Wickman, Forrest (October 25, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 1989: A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Slate. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  53. ^ Lansky, Sam (October 23, 2014). "Review: 1989 Marks a Paradigm Swift". Time. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  54. ^ Pettifer, Amy (November 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift". The Quietus. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  55. ^ "The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  56. ^ Song, Jane; Staff, Paste (February 11, 2020). "All 158 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Paste. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  57. ^ Ghadirian, Sahar (February 1, 2022). "15 Best Taylor Swift Songs". Clash. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  58. ^ Carr, Mary Kate; Gajjar, Saloni (November 21, 2022). "20 underrated Taylor Swift songs that prove her lyrical prowess". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  59. ^ Hopper, Alex (December 7, 2023). "A Battle of Taylor Swift's Songs: The Big Hits vs. Fan Favorites". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  60. ^ White, Caitlin (December 14, 2014). "Ingrid Michaelson Covering Taylor Swift's 'Clean' Will Heal Your Broken Heart". MTV. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  61. ^ Adams, Ryan (September 21, 2015), "1989", Apple Music (US), archived from the original on October 22, 2023, retrieved September 25, 2023
  62. ^ Zaleski, Annie (September 21, 2015). "Ryan Adams transforms Taylor Swift's 1989 into a melancholy masterpiece". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  63. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (September 21, 2015). "Ryan Adams turns 1989 songs into timeless stunners: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  64. ^ Eggertsen, Chris (June 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Accepts NMPA Songwriter Icon Award, Thanks Her Songwriting 'Teachers' in Speech". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  65. ^ Rowley, Glenn (April 12, 2023). "Kelly Clarkson Washes Herself 'Clean' for Kellyoke With a Taylor Swift Fan Favorite". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  66. ^ Irvin, Jack (April 12, 2023). "Kelly Clarkson Performs Emotionally Charged Cover of Taylor Swift's 'Clean' for Kellyoke—Watch!". People. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  67. ^ Paul, Larisha (April 12, 2023). "Kelly Clarkson Belts Out Taylor Swift's Metaphorical Sigh of Relief With 'Clean' Cover". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  68. ^ "Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  69. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.

Sources

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clean_(song)&oldid=1252416732"