The Last Time (Taylor Swift song)

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"The Last Time"
Cover artwork of "The Last Time", showing Swift standing in a stream
Single by Taylor Swift featuring Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol
from the album Red
ReleasedNovember 4, 2013 (2013-11-04)
Genre
Length4:59
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jacknife Lee
Taylor Swift singles chronology
"Everything Has Changed"
(2013) 		"The Last Time"
(2013) 		"Shake It Off"
(2014)
Music video
"The Last Time" on
YouTube

"The Last Time" is a song by

power ballad, the song sees Swift's and Lightbody's characters expressing their perspectives on a failed relationship, torn between heartbreak and forgiveness. The production combines alternative rock and folk over dramatic string instruments and an orchestral background in the refrain. "The Last Time" was released in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2013, as a single
from Red.

Critics praised "The Last Time" for its production and Lightbody's performance, but some felt that Lightbody's and Swift's vocals do not complement each other. Retrospectively, they considered it one of Swift's weakest songs in her discography. Commercially, the song reached the top 30 on singles charts in Ireland, Scotland, and the UK. A re-recorded version, "The Last Time (Taylor's Version)", was included on Swift's re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021.

Background and release

Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, in October 2010.[1] She wrote the album by herself and co-produced it with Nathan Chapman.[2][3] Speak Now was similar to Swift's previous album, Fearless (2008), in its country pop production style.[4][5] On her fourth studio album, Red (2012), Swift wanted to experiment with other musical styles.[6] To this end, she approached different producers beyond her career base in Nashville, Tennessee.[2] Swift worked with musicians Gary Lightbody and Jacknife Lee of the Irish-Scottish band Snow Patrol, admiring their sentimental music "about loss or longing".[7] She was connected with Lightbody by their mutual friend, English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, when they were recording in the studio one day.[8] The song that Swift and Lightbody worked on together for Red is "The Last Time", which features Lightbody on guest vocals and Lee on writing and producing.[6]

"The Last Time" was released commercially as part of the album Red, on October 22, 2012, by

tenth season of British version of The X Factor on November 3, 2013.[14][15] On June 16, 2023, Swift performed "The Last Time" as a "surprise song" at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, as part of her sixth concert tour the Eras Tour.[16]

Composition and lyrics

"The Last Time" is a

Musicologist James E. Perone noted that "The Last Time" uses the '50s progression, I–vi–IV–V, which is associated with many American pop songs from the 1950s; Perone argued that this quality lent "The Last Time" a timeless feel. He further remarked that the orchestral stringed instruments are reminiscent of the music by the 1970s and early-1980s group Electric Light Orchestra.[23]

The lyrics tell the story of a crumbling relationship, with the two narrators detailing a vicious cycle of heartbreak and forgiveness. Swift said she was inspired to write "The Last Time" by a relationship with an unreliable ex-lover, "You never know when he's going to leave, you never know when he's going to come back, but he always does come back."

verse, followed by Swift's presentation of her character's in the second.[25] Swift recalled, "It's a really fragile emotion you're dealing with when you want to love someone, but you don't know if it's smart to."[24]

Critical reception

Gary Lightbody performing
Some critics praised Gary Lightbody's vocals and performance on "The Last Time".

In album reviews of Red, some critics selected "The Last Time" as an album highlight. Joseph Atilano of

The Los Angeles Times praised the track as "well-crafted" and the refrain as "instantly hummable".[17]

Other reviewers were less complimentary, taking issue with the duo's vocal performance. Billy Dukes of

Taste of Country was more critical of the song, as he felt Lightbody dominates the track and Swift "stretches out in the back seat"; he called "The Last Time" the "only pure skip-ahead moment" on Red.[29] Perone commented that Lightbody's vocals fit the song better than Swift's, who performs with "a sense of urgency in her singing".[25] In a negative review, James Reed from The Boston Globe criticized the duo's singing: "his morose croon sounds dreary alongside her thin, unadorned vocals."[30] Tony Clayton-Lea writing for The Irish Times deemed the track and "Everything Has Changed" featuring Ed Sheeran, the other collaboration effort on Red, as Swift's "desperate attempts" to reach out to new audiences.[31]

Retrospective rankings have considered "The Last Time" one of Swift's weakest songs in her discography. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone, in a 2021 ranking of Swift's 237-song catalog, ranked the track at number 228; he commented that Swift's and Lightbody's vocals do not complement each other.[32] In another 2021 ranking of Swift's 207 songs, Nate Jones from Vulture placed it at number 186 and remarked that it is Red's worst song, criticizing the production "that you've got to slog through to get to the end".[33] Billboard placed it last on a ranking of all Swift's collaboration singles, deeming it forgettable.[34] Alexis Petridis in The Guardian was more positive, placing "The Last Time" 29th out of 44 singles Swift released in a 2019 ranking; while saying that it is not a bad song, Petridis commented that it is not one of Swift's most memorable singles.[35]

Commercial performance

Upon Red's release, "The Last Time" peaked at number three on the

Scotland.[39][40]

Personnel

Adapted from Red liner notes[41]

Production

Musicians

  • Owen Pallett – conductor
  • Bill Rieflin – drums
  • Marcia Dickstein – harp
  • Jamie Muhoberac – piano
  • Jeff Takiguchi –
    upright bass
  • Simeon Pillich – upright bass
  • John Krovoza – cello
  • Peggy Baldwin – cello
  • Richard Dodd – cello
  • Brett Banducci – viola
  • Lauren Chipman – viola
  • Rodney Wirtz – viola
  • Amy Wickman – violin
  • Daphne Chen – violin
  • Eric Gorfain – violin
  • Gina Kronstadt – violin
  • Marisa Kuney – violin
  • Neli Nikolaeva – violin
  • Radu Pieptea – violin
  • Wes Precourt – violin

Charts

Chart performance for "The Last Time"
Chart (2012–2013) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[42] 14
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[37] 73
Ireland (IRMA)[39] 15
Scotland (OCC)[40]
 20
UK Singles (OCC)[38]
 25
US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[36]
 3

"The Last Time (Taylor's Version)"

"The Last Time (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift featuring Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol
from the album Red (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedNovember 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
Length4:59
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
YouTube

Following a

master recordings of Swift's first six studio albums, Swift re-recorded the whole Red album and released it as Red (Taylor's Version) under Republic Records on November 11, 2021; the re-recording of "The Last Time" is titled "The Last Time (Taylor's Version)".[43] Lightbody and Lee both returned on the re-recording as guest vocalist and producer, respectively.[44] The re-recording peaked at number 53 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[37][45] On the Billboard Global 200, it peaked at number 61.[46] In a review of Red (Taylor's Version) for USA Today, Melissa Ruggieri found "The Last Time" one of the album's most beautiful songs, praising its "hushed beauty".[47]

Personnel

Adapted from Red (Taylor's Version) album liner notes[44]

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriter
  • Gary Lightbody – lead vocals, songwriter, guitar
  • Jacknife Lee – producer, songwriter, recording engineer, programming, bass, keyboard, piano, guitar
  • Matt Bishop – recording engineer, editor, drums
  • Christopher Rowe – vocal engineer
  • John Hanes – recording engineer
  • Bryce Bordone – assistant mixer
  • Serban Ghenea – mixer
  • Davide Rossi – cello, viola, violin, strings arranger
  • Owen Pallett – strings arranger

Charts

Chart performance for "The Last Time (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[37] 53
Global 200 (Billboard)[46] 61
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[48]
 91
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 66

References

  1. ^ Willman, Chris (October 19, 2010). "Album Review: Taylor Swift's Speak Now". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bernstein, Jonathan (November 18, 2020). "500 Greatest Albums: Taylor Swift Looks Back on Her 'Only True Breakup Album' Red". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Tingen, Paul (February 2011). "Taylor Swift Speak Now". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Speak Now – Taylor Swift". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ^ Moser, John J. (October 30, 2010). "Maybe It Wasn't Time for Taylor Swift to Speak Now". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Mansfield, Brian (October 17, 2012). "Taylor Swift sees Red all over". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012.
  7. ^ Gallo, Phil (October 19, 2012). "Taylor Swift Q&A: The Risks of 'Red' and The Joys of Being 22". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  8. ProQuest 1115414787. Archived
    from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Taylor Swift, 'Red': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. October 19, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  10. ^ Lewis, Randy (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift raises the bar with a savvy 'Red' marketing campaign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  11. ^ Lane, Daniel (November 4, 2013). "This week's new releases 04-11-2013". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  12. ProQuest 1840853049. Archived
    from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Newman, Melinda (November 18, 2013). "Taylor Swift and Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody in 'The Last Time' video". HitFix. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  14. ProQuest 1448004083. Archived
    from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. Taste of Country. Archived
    from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  16. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (June 18, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Roberts, Randall (October 31, 2012). "'The Last Time' connects Taylor Swift with Arcade Fire". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  18. ^ Lewis, Randy (November 18, 2013). "Watch new Taylor Swift video 'The Last Time' with Gary Lightbody". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  19. ^
    The Philippine Inquirer. Archived from the original
    on December 24, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  20. ^
    ProQuest 1113466069
    . Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  21. ProQuest 1119169613
    . Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Cohen, Ian (March 18, 2014). "Update – Owen Pallett". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  23. ^ Perone 2017, pp. 49–50.
  24. ^ a b c "Taylor Swift: 'My Confidence Is Easy To Shake'". NPR. All Things Considered. November 3, 2012. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Perone 2017, p. 50.
  26. ProQuest 1114200333
    . Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  27. Newspapers.com
    .
  28. ProQuest 2610935363
    . Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  29. Taste of Country. Archived
    from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  30. ProQuest 1113963946. Archived
    from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  31. ProQuest 1125343503. Archived
    from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  32. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 26, 2021). "'The Last Time' (2012)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  33. ^ Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "All 162 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  34. ^ Pascual, Danielle; Weatherby, Taylor (August 19, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Top Collaborations, Ranked: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  35. ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 26, 2019). "Taylor Swift's singles – ranked!". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  37. ^ a b c d "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  39. ^ a b "Chart Track: Week 45, 2013". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  40. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  41. ^ Red (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. Ultratip
    . Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  43. ^ Al-Heeti, Abrar (November 11, 2021). "Red (Taylor's Version): Release Date, Tracklist, Why Taylor Swift Is Rerecording Her Albums". CNET. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  44. ^ a b Red (Taylor's Version) (vinyl liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  46. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  47. ^ Ruggieri, Melissa (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift's New Red Is a Fan Feast of 30 Sensitive, Angry and Transformative Songs". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  48. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.

Source

  • Perone, James E. (2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection.
    ISBN 978-1440852947
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Time_(Taylor_Swift_song)&oldid=1217735230"