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How You Get the Girl

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"How You Get the Girl"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989
ReleasedOctober 27, 2014
Genre
Length4:07
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback
"How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023
Length4:07
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

"How You Get the Girl" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote the track with its producers Max Martin and Shellback. An electropop and bubblegum pop track, it is the tenth track from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Released through Big Machine Records, "How You Get the Girl" is a song about a woman giving her ex-boyfriend a guide on how to get back together after their breakup. Critics praised the song's production and melody, although some of them criticized its immaturity. "How You Get the Girl" was used in a Diet Coke commercial and was part of the permanent setlist of the 1989 World Tour (2015), with a choreography inspired by the musical film Singin' in the Rain (1952). Swift performed the song in selected shows on the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018) and the Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, Swift re-recorded the song as "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" for her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023). Released through Republic Records, the re-recording was met positively for its sonic similarity to its original counterpart, alongside Swift's matured vocals. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Global 200 and entered in the top 40 on the national charts of Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

Background and releases

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Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until her fourth studio album, Red, which was released on October 22, 2012.[1][2] Red incorporates eclectic pop and rock styles beyond the country stylings of Swift's past albums, which led to critics questioning her country-music identity.[3][4] Swift began writing songs for her fifth studio album in mid-2013 while touring on the Red Tour (2013–2014).[5] Inspired by 1980s synth-pop,[6] Swift named the album 1989 after her birth year to signify an artistic reinvention: she described it as her first "official pop album".[7][8] On 1989, Swift worked with Max Martin as executive producers. Martin and Shellback produced seven out of 13 tracks for 1989's standard edition, including "How You Get the Girl". Swift co-wrote "How You Get the Girl" with its producers.[9][6] Big Machine Records released "How You Get the Girl" on October 27, 2014, as 1989's tenth track.[9][10]

Swift ended her contract with Big Machine Records and signed with Republic Records in November 2018.[11] She began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[12] The decision followed a public dispute in 2019 between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released.[13][14] 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.[15] The re-recording of "How You Get the Girl", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023.[16] Released through Republic Records,[17] "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" was produced by Swift and Christopher Rowe, who had produced her previous re-recordings.[18]

Composition and commercial performance

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"How You Get the Girl" is an electropop and bubblegum pop song.[19][20] At four minutes and seven seconds long,[9] "How You Get the Girl" features guitar-based instrumental supported by bass beats.[21][22] The lyrics find Swift giving instructions on how to get her affections to an ex-lover, six months after the end of their relationship.[23][24] Swift stated that she wrote the song about taking a good relationship for granted and letting it go, then realizing that you want it back. Swift sings in the opening verse, "Stand there like a ghost / Shaking come the rain / She'll open up the door / And say, are you insane". In the chorus, Swift sings, "Then you say / I want you for worse or for better / I would wait for ever and ever", telling the ex-lover how to apologize. She continues, "Broke your heart, I'll put it back together / I would wait for ever and ever".[25] "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" is four minutes and seven seconds long; the same as the original version.[17]

"How You Get the Girl" reached number four on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart,[26] and it was awarded the gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[27] It reached number 81 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.[28] "How You Get the Girl" was also certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI),[29] and platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[30] "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" charted in Canada and New Zealand, with peaks of 34 and 31, respectively.[31][32] In the United States, the song debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[33] extending Swift's record for the most top-40 chart entries by a female artist.[34] "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version) reached number 29 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.[35]

Critical reception

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Upon 1989's release, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone selected "How You Get the Girl" as one of the three best tracks of 1989, the other two being "This Love" and "Clean".[36] In a retrospective review, Sheffield ranked the song at number 107, while ranking Swift's entire catalog.[21] Dubbing the song one of 1989's most underrated songs, The Tab's Harrison Brocklehurst praised the song's melody and pacing. In a ranking of all 16 tracks from 1989's deluxe edition, Brocklehurst ranked "How You Get the Girl" at number nine.[37] Alex Kritselis of Bustle regarded "How You Get the Girl" as a "lightweight" song lyrically, but complimented its "stompin' beat and totally irresistible chorus", applauding its worth as a potential single from 1989 and comparing it to her 2013 single "22".[38] On a less positive side, John Caramanica of The New York Times regarded "How You Get the Girl" as ineffective, elaborating that she sounds the "least jaded" in the song, alongside her 2014 song "Welcome to New York".[39] Courteney Larocca of Business Insider called "How You Get the Girl" a "bathroom break" song with a bad message in the name of "girl code". In 2019, Larocca considered the song one of Swift's 17 worst songs in her discography.[24] In a ranking of Swift's entire catalog, Vulture's Nate Jones placed "How You Get the Girl" at number 126, dubbing it the "breeziest and least complicated" song out of her "guy-standing-on-a-doorstep" songs.[40]

Reviewing "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)", Mary Randolph of The Daily Northwestern complimented the song's sonic similarity to its original counterpart, as well as the increase in maturity of Swift's voice.[41] Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe applauded the increase in heft in the re-recording.[42] Mark Sutherland of Rolling Stone UK said "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)" sounds like a "monster hit", praising the "irresistible groove" of the song.[43] In a less enthusiastic review, Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim compared the song to Radio Disney songs, describing it as "cloying", "juvenile", and "straightforward". Ahlgrim considered the song one of 1989 (Taylor's Version)'s five worst songs.[44]

Live performances and usage in media

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A young white woman singing on a microphone, wearing a polka-dot pink two piece dress
The performance of "How You Get the Girl" was accompanied by a Singin' in the Rain-inspired choreography.

In 2014, "How You Get the Girl" was used in a Diet Coke advertisement, where more and more cats appeared whenever Swift took a sip from a can of Diet Coke. The advertisement featured Swift's cat, Olivia Benson.[45][46] "How You Get the Girl" was part of the permanent setlist of the 1989 World Tour (2015), where Swift performed it wearing a pink two-piece light up dress, accompanied by choreography inspired by the musical film Singin' in the Rain (1952). Backup dancers performed the choreography with neon umbrellas.[47][48] Outside the 1989 World Tour, Swift performed "How You Get the Girl" on acoustic guitar during the second Dublin show of the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018) and the first Sydney show of the Eras Tour (2023–2024).[49][50] She performed the song on piano during the final Atlanta show of the Eras Tour.[51] Additionally, during the final Stockholm show of the Eras Tour, Swift performed "How You Get the Girl" on acoustic guitar as part of a medley with her singles "Message in a Bottle" (2021) and "New Romantics" (2016), in dedication to Martin.[52]

Personnel

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Adapted from the liner notes of 1989 (Taylor's Version).[17]

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, background vocals, co-producer
  • Mike Meadows – synthesizer, acoustic guitar
  • Amos Heller – bass guitar
  • Dan Burns – drum programming, synth bass, synthesizer
  • Matt Billingslea – drum programming, drums
  • Max Bernstein – electric guitar, synthesizer
  • Derek Garten – programming
  • Brian Pruitt – drum programming, drums
  • Paul Sidoti – electric guitar
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Ryan Smith – mastering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Derek Garten – engineering, editing
  • Christopher Rowe – vocal engineering
  • Bryce Bordone – mix engineering
  • Dan Burns – additional engineering

Charts

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Chart performance for "How You Get the Girl"
Chart (2014) Peak

position

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 81
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[26] 4
Chart performance for "How You Get the Girl (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2023) Peak

position

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[31] 34
Global 200 (Billboard)[35] 29
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 31
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 40

Certifications

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Certifications for "How You Get the Girl"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  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 February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor's Version)—Our Critic Changes His Mind on the Pop Star's Magnum Opus". Financial Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Bream, Jon (June 20, 2023). "Our Music Critic Ranks Taylor Swift's Albums From Worst to Best". Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Light, Alan (December 5, 2014). "Billboard Woman of the Year Taylor Swift on Writing Her Own Rules, Not Becoming a Cliche and the Hurdle of Going Pop". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Talbott, Chris (October 13, 2013). "Taylor Swift Talks Next Album, CMAs and Ed Sheeran". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Zollo, Paul (February 12, 2015). "The Oral History of Taylor Swift's 1989". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2024 – via Cuepoint.
  7. ^ Eells, Josh (September 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift Reveals Five Things to Expect on 1989". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 5, 2014). "Sales of Taylor Swift's 1989 Intensify Streaming Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Taylor Swift (2014). 1989 (CD liner notes). Big Machine Records. BMRBD0500A.
  10. ^ Swift, Taylor (October 27, 2014). "1989". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Willman, Chris; Aswad, Jem (November 19, 2018). "Taylor Swift Signs Landmark New Deal With Universal Music Group". Variety. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
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  17. ^ a b c 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)
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  19. ^ Zaleski 2024, p. 265.
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  23. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (July 10, 2023). "43 Taylor Swift songs, interpreted from a queer perspective". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
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  28. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – All You Had to Do Was Stay". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
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  32. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – {{{song}}}". Top 40 Singles.
  33. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
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  35. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard.
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  42. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (October 30, 2023). "Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor's Version) Review: A Poptimist Through Line". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  43. ^ Sutherland, Mark (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor's Version) Could Be the Best Pop Album of 2023". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
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  45. ^ Zuckerman, Esther (October 15, 2014). "Taylor Swift's Diet Coke ad features new 1989 song and a lot of cats". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  46. ^ Eames, Tom (October 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift magically creates kittens in new Diet Coke ad". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
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  50. ^ West, Bryan (February 16, 2024). "All the mashups Taylor Swift played in during her Eras Tour secret set in Australia". USA Today. ISSN 0734-7456. OCLC 8799626. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  51. ^ Gomez, Dessi (August 20, 2024). "All The Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Played On Her Eras Tour So Far". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  52. ^ West, Bryan (May 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift performs 'Max Martin Medley' in Sweden on final night of Stockholm Eras Tour: Watch". USA Today. ISSN 0734-7456. OCLC 8799626. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.

Source

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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_You_Get_the_Girl&oldid=1248508057"