All Too Well

"All Too Well"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Red
Released 2012
Format Digital download
Recorded 2011
Genre
Soft rock[1]
Length 5:29
Label Big Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"All Too Well" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift and Liz Rose. It appears on Swift's fourth studio album, Red (2012). The song received acclaim from music critics with many calling it the artist’s best song. Swift performed the track at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Background and release

"All Too Well" was the first song Swift wrote for her album Red.[2] While collaborating with different writers on Red, Swift wrote the song along with Liz Rose, with whom she had written many songs on her earlier albums. Rose has said that Swift unexpectedly asked her to help write the song as a one-off project after not having collaborated with Swift for some years.[3]

Swift has said that the song was "the hardest to write on the album", saying: "it took me a really long time to filter through everything I wanted to put in the song without it being a 10-minute song, which you can’t put on an album. I wanted a story that could work in the form of a song and I called my co-writer Liz Rose and said, ‘Come over, we’ve gotta filter this down,’ and it took me a really long time to get it."[4] Rose also said that the song was originally "10, 12 or 15 minutes long" before cutting down to "the important pieces".[3] Even after cutting, the song is the longest track on the album, clocking in at five minutes and twenty-eight seconds (5:28).

The song's studio recording was produced by Nathan Chapman and Swift.

Critical reception

The song has received universal acclaim from music critics, with many agreeing it was the best song on the album. Slant Magazine particularly lauded the song within its review, saying ""All Too Well" is arguably the finest song in Swift's entire catalogue: The arrangement slowly crescendos from coffeehouse folk to arena rock as Swift adds new details from a doomed relationship, until she unleashes one of her best-ever lines ("You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest") and the song explodes into a full-on bloodletting."[5]

Billboard gave a positive review to the song saying "Just like that, Swift snaps back to her core demographic: "All Too Well" is sumptuous country, with Swift "dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light" in the memory of a romance that has seemingly been buried in time. The tune would have fit snugly on Speak Now, and even touches upon some of the same themes as "Mine", but on Red it serves as a reminder that these songs will always remain in Swift's wheelhouse."[6] About.com gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, saying that the song is "A mincing guitar figure."[7] Idolator stating that "And yet, it’s the tense “All Too Well” that hits the hardest: Swift drops the devastating image, “We’re dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light,” before reaching an almost hysterical unraveling with the despondent cry, “I’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here.” It’s dramatic, but with Swift, it always is. That’s a good thing."[8] In 2017, Rob Sheffield, of Rolling Stone, ranked it first in his list "All 115 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked", writing "no other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache." [9] In 2018, "All Too Well" was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far.[10]

Chart performance

The week her album Red was released, all of the songs charted in different countries due to its strong digital sale downloads. With this, the song debuted at number 80 on Billboard Hot 100, at number 59 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot Country Songs.

Live performances

On January 26, 2014, Swift performed "All Too Well" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[11] Wearing a dramatic beaded gown with sequin detailing and a long train streaming out behind her,[12] she sang whilst playing piano on a low lit stage, before being joined by a live band midway through the performance.[13][14] Swift's headbanging at the song's climax gained significant media coverage.[12][15][16] Sean Thomas of The Slanted called it the "performance of the night,"[17] and Amy Sciarretto of Pop Crush hailed it as "unforgettable."[18]

Swift also performed the song live throughout her Red Tour, while playing the piano.[19]

On August 21, 2015, Swift performed the song in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, the only time on The 1989 World Tour. [20] On February 4, 2017, Swift performed the song as part of the Super Saturday Night show in Houston, Texas.[21]

Swift performed an acoustic version of the song on the first show of her Reputation Stadium Tour in Glendale, Arizona on May 8, 2018, the fifth show in Pasadena, California on May 19, 2018 and the last show of the U.S. leg of the tour in Arlington, Texas on October 6, 2018.

Charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[22] 59
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 80
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[24] 17
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[25] 58

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[26] Gold 500,000double-dagger

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Farley, Rebecca (November 11, 2017). "This Is The Best Taylor Swift Song, No Arguing About It". Refinery29. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  2. ↑ jadestaylor13 (13 April 2013). "Taylor Swift - RED (Stories behind the Songs)" – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 Willman, Chris. "Swift Collaboration: Liz Rose Reveals Secrets Behind Taylor's Early Hits". Yahoo Music. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Taylor Swift Reveals 'All Too Well' Hard To Write — About Jake Gyllenhaal?". HollywoodLife.com. October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ Keefe, Jonathan (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift - Red". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Taylor Swift, 'Red': Track-By-Track Review". billboard. October 19, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  7. ↑ Silva, Robert. "Taylor Swift's 'Red' - Track by Track Review". About.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ Lansky, Sam (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift's 'Red': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2017). "All 115 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". Rolling Stone. June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  11. ↑ Rosen, Christopher (January 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift Grammys Performance Of 'All To Well' Is Worth All Feelings". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Wickman, Kase (January 26, 2014). "How Taylor Swift's Grammy Performance Helped Fans Forgive Her Exes". MTV. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ Marecsa, Rachel (January 27, 2014). "Grammys 2014: Taylor Swift reacts too early before losing Album of the Year award to Daft Punk". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  14. ↑ Harp, Justin (January 27, 2014). "Grammy Awards 2014: Taylor Swift dazzles with 'All Too Well' - video". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  15. ↑ Wyatt, Daisy (January 27, 2014). "Grammys 2014: Beyonce and Jay Z open bizarre awards featuring Taylor Swift head-banging". The Independent. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  16. ↑ Tucker, Rebecca (January 27, 2014). "'F–k you, Grammys': From Trent Reznor's tweet to Taylor Swift's hair, presenting the best and worst moments from the 2014 Grammy Awards". National Post. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  17. ↑ Thomas, Sean (January 27, 2014). "Performance Of The Night Goes To Taylor Swift At The Grammys". The Slanted. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ Sciarretto, Amy (January 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift Wows Us From Behind the Piano While Performing 'All Too Well' at the 2014 Grammys [VIDEO]". Pop Crush. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  19. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (October 18, 2013). "Taylor Swift's 'Red' Tour: Her Amps Go Up to 22 | Rob Sheffield". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ↑ Ginn, Leighton. "Taylor Swift has banner performance during first of five sold-out shows in Los Angeles". Los Angeles Daily News. LA Daily News. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (February 5, 2017). "Taylor Swift Performs 'Better Man' & 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' for First Time at Stunning Pre-Super Bowl Set". Billboard.
  22. ↑ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Country Airplay: The Week Of January 26, 2013". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – All Too Well". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 23, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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