The Best Day (Taylor Swift song)

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"The Best Day"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Fearless
ReleasedNovember 11, 2008 (2008-11-11)
GenreCountry
Length4:05
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Music video
"The Best Day" on YouTube

"The Best Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the twelfth track from her second studio album, Fearless (2008). The song was written by Swift, and produced by Nathan Chapman and Swift.

The song is an ode to Swift's parents, with most of the verses being dedicated to her mother, Andrea Swift. Upon the release of Fearless, "The Best Day" charted on the United States' Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. After the release of the platinum edition of Fearless, the song also charted on the US Hot Country Songs.

Background and composition[]

"The Best Day" was written about Swift's parents, however her mother, Andrea, is the attention of most of the verses, with her father only being mentioned in the middle eight.[1] About the song, Swift said that "I wrote it in the summertime, and I recorded it secretly, too. I had this idea that I wanted to play it for her [Andrea] for Christmas. So, when I got the track I synced up all of these home videos from when I was a little kid to go along with the song like a music video, and played it for her on Christmas Eve and she was crying her eyes out."[2][3] In the liner notes of Fearless, the secret message in the song's lyrics is "GOD BLESS ANDREA SWIFT".[4]

GQ speculated that "The Best Day" may have been written about an incident when Swift was in middle school, where she asked her friends to go to a local shopping mall, and all said they couldn't go. Swift's mother agreed to take her to the mall, where they saw her friends at Victoria's Secret. Swift said that after discovering her friends had went to the mall without her, "I just remember my mom looking at me and saying, We’re going to King of Prussia Mall. Which is the big, big mall in Pennsylvania, 45 minutes away...My mom let me escape from certain things that were too painful to deal with."[5] The song is set in the key of D♭ major with a moderate tempo of 126 beats per minute. Swift's vocals span from A♭ 3 to A♭ 4.[6]

Critical reception[]

James Reed of The Boston Globe called "The Best Day" the best song on Fearless, opining that while on first listen, the song is understated enough to be unnoticed, "after an entire album of wide-open choruses, it's refreshing to hear Swift tell her story simply. If the melody doesn't stick in your mind, the message at least speaks to the heart".[7] In a Billboard 2017 retrospective of Fearless, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong wrote that storytelling is used to "tear-jerking, emotionally manipulative effect" on "The Best Day", and that Swift "looks back at scenes from just five years earlier with the nostalgia, wisdom and sap of a 40-year-old", despite her being aged only 18 when writing the song.[8] Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe called "The Best Day" one of the most charming songs on Fearless, comparing it to George Strait's 2000 song of the same name.[9]

Charts[]

Chart (2008–2009) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[10] 3
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 56

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

The Best Day (Taylor's Version)[]

"The Best Day (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Fearless (Taylor's Version)
Recorded2020–2021
GenreCountry
Length4:05
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
  • Christopher Rowe
  • Taylor Swift
Music video
"The Best Day (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

"The Best Day (Taylor's Version)" is the re-recorded version of "The Best Day" by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song is written by Swift, and produced by Swift and Christopher Rowe. It was released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records, as the twelfth track on Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of Fearless. An official music video of the re-recording was released to YouTube on April 30, 2021. Upon the release of the album, the song charted in United States Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart.

Background[]

On February 11, 2021, Swift announced on Good Morning America that a re-recorded version of "The Best Day", titled "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)", would be released on April 9, 2021, as the twelfth track from Fearless (Taylor's Version), the re-recorded version of Fearless.[13]

Music video[]

On April 30, 2021, Swift released a four-minute music video for "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)", consisting of footage from home movies from Swift's childhood to young adulthood. Her parents Andrea and Scott are featured, as well as her brother Austin Swift.[14]

Accolades[]

Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2021 CMT Music Awards Best Family Feature Won [15]

Charts[]

Chart performance for "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[10] 19
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] 45

References[]

  1. ^ Jones, Nate. "All 126 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved May 18, 2021. Mom gets the verses while Dad is relegated to the middle eight — even in song, the Mother’s Day–Father’s Day disparity holds up.
  2. ^ Hensel, Amanda (May 8, 2011). "Taylor Swift Recalls That Her 'Best Days' Were Spent With Her Mom". Taste of Country. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Tinubu, Abeni (May 10, 2010). "Taylor Swift Secretly Recorded a Song For Her Mom, But She Didn't Recognize Her Child's Voice". Showbiz Cheatsheet. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Strecker, Erin (October 24, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages -- So Far". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Klosterman, Chuck (October 15, 2015). "Taylor Swift on "Bad Blood," Kanye West, and How People Interpret Her Lyrics". GQ. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Swift, Taylor. "The Best Day". Musicnotes. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Reed, James (November 11, 2008). "Young country star's 'Fearless' proves she's just that, and more". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Armstrong, Jennifer Keisha (November 7, 2017). "Why Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' Is Her Best Album". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (November 16, 2008). "Review: Taylor Swift, Fearless". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  12. ^ "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – The Best Day". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  13. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Announces Re-Recorded 'Fearless' Album: Updated 'Love Story' Out Tonight". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Star, Regina (April 30, 2021). "Taylor Swift's Mom Appears In Video For 'The Best Day (Taylor's Version)'". iHeartRadio. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  15. ^ Chan, Anna (June 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Gives Her Mom the Sweetest Shoutout After Winning 2021 CMT Music Award For Best Family Feature". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
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