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Sweeter than Fiction

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"Sweeter than Fiction" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote and produced it with Jack Antonoff for the soundtrack to the 2013 film One Chance. It was released by Big Machine Records for digital download on October 21, 2013. An incorporation of bubblegum pop, synth-pop, and electropop, "Sweeter than Fiction" features elements of 1980s new wave. The track peaked in the top 40 on the singles charts of Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and the United States.

"Sweeter than Fiction"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album One Chance: The Incredible True Story of Paul Potts: Motion Picture Soundtrack
ReleasedOctober 21, 2013 (2013-10-21)
Genre
Length3:54
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
Audio
"Sweeter than Fiction" on YouTube
"Sweeter than Fiction (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version) (Tangerine Edition)
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
Length3:54
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff

Critical reception of the song was generally positive, although retrospective opinions have regarded it as a lesser entry in Swift's discography. Some critics opined that "Sweeter than Fiction" was pivotal in shaping the musical collaboration between Swift and Antonoff on subsequent albums. Following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "Sweeter than Fiction (Taylor's Version)" and included it in the physical Tangerine Edition of 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023). Swift performed the song live for the first time, in a mash-up with "Holy Ground" at The Eras Tour on July 6, 2024 in Amsterdam.[1]

Background and release

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Taylor Swift was on the Red Tour to support her fourth studio album, Red, in 2013. Swift and her management at Big Machine Records wanted to release no new music in order build up anticipation for her next studio album. Upon watching the 2013 biographical film One Chance about Paul Potts, Swift insisted to the label that she "[had] to be a part of this", despite being told by her label, "No new music until the next album comes out."[2]

She wrote and produced "Sweeter than Fiction" for the soundtrack of One Chance with Jack Antonoff.[3] The song was conceived when she was also writing songs for her next album while on the Red Tour.[4] In an interview with Taste of Country, Swift said that she viewed the film as a chronicling of a man's road to success and a recount of his wife's love for him, which inspired her to "tell a story musically from that perspective".[5] Big Machine released "Sweeter than Fiction" to the iTunes Store on October 21, 2013.[4][6]

Following a dispute with Big Machine Records in 2019 over the rights to the masters of her first six albums, including 1989, Swift announced her goal to re-record each of these albums. Product images on Target's website confirmed it as a bonus track on the Tangerine Edition LP of 1989 (Taylor's Version), which was released on October 27, 2023.[7][8]

Composition

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"Sweeter than Fiction" is 3 minutes and 54 seconds long.[6] It is a bubblegum pop,[9] synth-pop,[10] and electropop song[11] that contains influences of 1980s pop,[9][12] rock,[4] and new wave.[13][12] The song is musically and lyrically upbeat, with Swift singing from the point of view of a longtime friend or fan who has always believed in a performer's talents. "There you'll stand, ten feet tall", Swift sings in the chorus, "and I will say, 'I knew it all along.'" It was written by Swift along with Jack Antonoff and is in the key of B major for its verses, switching to D-flat major for its choruses and the bridge. With Swift's vocal range between the octaves of F♯3 and D♭5. has a tempo of 135 beats per minute.[14]

Critical reception

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The song was well received by critics. Entertainment Weekly praised Swift's approach to the subject matter - "The track ... is uplifting without being hokey and sweet without being cloying." - and described the song as "addictive".[9] Rachel Mcrady of US Weekly felt "Sweeter than Fiction" possessed "all the makings of another hit" in Swift's career.[15] MTV blogger Jenna Hally Rubenstein summarised "Sweeter than Fiction" as "a masterfully crafted pop song that should do a killer job of soundtracking any and all uplifting moments in One Chance."[16] Carl Williott of Idolator called the song "pretty great", saying "it's a ... sweet song, but the confident synth-pop/New Wave stylings keep it from being an overly saccharine affair, resultingly in a surprisingly bold offering from Swift."[12] Spin editor Larry Busacca gave a more mixed review. Though deriding the song for being "[not] the least bit groundbreaking", Busacca did admit the song was "too catchy and effortless-sounding to resist."[3] In a retrospective review, music journalist Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called it a "warm-up for the synth-pop of 1989".[17] In June 2022, Insider ranked "Sweeter than Fiction" as Swift's sixth best soundtrack song, calling it a "pivotal moment in Swiftian history" due to it being the first collaboration between Swift and Antonoff.[18]

Awards and nominations

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"Sweeter than Fiction" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.[19][20] This was Swift's second consecutive nomination in the category, after "Safe & Sound" the previous year.

List of awards and nominations received by "Sweeter than Fiction"
Ceremony Year Category Result Ref.
Golden Globe Awards 2014 Best Original Song Nominated [19]

Commercial performance

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"Sweeter than Fiction" debuted at number 34 on Billboard Hot 100, her forty-third top forty hit, thus tying with Aretha Franklin for the second-most Top Forty entries among women in the chart's history. It also Swift's fifth movie song to crack the Top Forty, following "Crazier" from Hannah Montana: The Movie which reached number 17 in 2009, "Today Was a Fairytale" from Valentine's Day which reached number 2 in 2010 and two songs from The Hunger Games: "Safe & Sound" with The Civil Wars which reached number 30 in 2012, and "Eyes Open" which reached number 19 in 2012.[21] On Hot Digital Songs, "Sweeter than Fiction" entered at number 6 with 114,000 downloads sold. It is Swift's twenty-eighth song to reach the Top Ten of the Digital Songs chart, thus tying with Rihanna for the most Top Ten hits among all acts.[22]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Sweeter than Fiction"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[23] 44
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[24] 17
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 38
Italy (FIMI)[26] 83
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 26
Scotland (OCC)[28] 39
South Korea International (Gaon)[29] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[30] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 34

References

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  1. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (July 8, 2024). "Watch Taylor Swift give 'Sweeter Than Fiction' its live debut". NME. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Taylor Swift 'Fought' For New Song Sweeter than Fiction". MTV UK. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Hogan, Marc (October 21, 2013). "Taylor Swift's '80s-Tinged 'Sweeter than Fiction' Is Lighter than Air". Spin. Spin Media. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Payne, Chris (October 21, 2013). "Taylor Swift Releases New Song 'Sweeter than Fiction': Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  5. ^ Vinson, Christina (September 10, 2013). "Taylor Swift Dishes on Inspiration for 'Sweeter than Fiction' at One Chance Premiere". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "'Sweeter than Fiction' (from One Chance) – Single". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  7. ^ Christ, Kelly (September 26, 2023). "What is Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version) secret bonus track?". Tag24. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Pointer, Flisadam (October 29, 2023). "Taylor Swift Drops 'Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor's Version)' At Target". Uproxx. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Smith, Grady (October 21, 2013). "Taylor Swift goes 80s bubblegum on new single 'Sweeter than Fiction'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  10. ^ Larocca, Courteney; Ahlgrim, Callie (June 26, 2022). "All 8 of Taylor Swift's soundtrack songs, ranked". Business Insider. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 26, 2019). "Taylor Swift's singles – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Williott, Carl (October 21, 2013). "Taylor Swift's 'Sweeter than Fiction': Hear The Shimmery, Jack Antonoff-Assisted Tune". Idolator. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  13. ^ Grow, Kory (October 21, 2013). "New Taylor Swift Song 'Sweeter than Fiction' Surfaces". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  14. ^ "Digital sheet music – Taylor Swift – Sweeter than Fiction". Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing. October 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  15. ^ Mcrady, Rachel (October 21, 2013). "Taylor Swift Releases New Love Song "Sweeter than Fiction": Listen Here!". Us Weekly. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  16. ^ Rubenstein, Jenna Hally. "Taylor Swift's 'Sweeter than Fiction' Is So Sweet, It Actually May Have Come Out Of Her Easy-Bake Oven". MTV Buzzworthy. Viacom. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  17. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 26, 2021). "All 199 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked by Rob Sheffield". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  18. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie; Larocca, Courteney (June 26, 2022). "All 8 of Taylor Swift's soundtrack songs, ranked". Insider. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Golden Globes nominations 2014: The complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  20. ^ "Golden Globes 2014: The complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. December 12, 2013. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  21. ^ Grein, Paul (October 30, 2013). "Week Ending Oct. 27, 2013. Songs: Women Roar, Twerk & Crush The Competition | Chart Watch - Yahoo Music". Music.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  22. ^ Trust, Gary. "Chart Moves: Taylor Swift Makes 'Sweet' Start, Tyga Teams With Justin Bieber on Hot 100". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  23. ^ "Taylor Swift – Sweeter than Fiction". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  24. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. ^ "Chart Track: Week 43, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  26. ^ "Tutti i successi del 2013" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Archived from the original on December 19, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  27. ^ "Taylor Swift – Sweeter than Fiction". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  29. ^ "International Digital Chart – Week 44 of 2013". Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  30. ^ "Taylor Swift: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  31. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 09, 2013.
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