Change (Taylor Swift song)
Encyclopedia
"Change" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

. Swift self-penned the song and co-produced it alongside Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...

. The song was released on August 8, 2008, as a promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...

 from Swift's second studio album, Fearless
Fearless (Taylor Swift album)
Fearless has been well-received by music professionals, with many praising Swift for her introspective lyrics, as well as her mature sound. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an...

(2008), with all proceeds being donated to the United States Olympic team
United States at the Olympics
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games, except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which it boycotted.The United States Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the United States....

. "Change" was written about Swift's hopes and aspirations in regards to succeeding, although being signed to the smallest record label in Nashville, Tennessee. The track was later chosen as one of the theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...

s for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 and was eventually included on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack
AT&T Team USA Soundtrack
AT&T TEAM USA Soundtrack is a sporting compilation by various artists, created for the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Beijing. On the album appear singers and bands like Lady Antebellum, 3 Doors Down, Nelly, Queen Latifah, Chris Brown, Sheryl Crow, Kate Voegele, and Taylor Swift. The album consist of 15...

. "Change" is musically pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...

 and uses divergent string instruments. Lyrically, it speaks of overcoming obstacles and achieving victory.

It received mixed reviews from music critics and was able to peak at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, becoming Swift's first song to reach the top ten on the chart. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for "Change" was directed by Shawn Robbins and features Swift performing with a band in a ballroom. An alternate version of the video features footage of the United States Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The song was performed during Swift's first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...

 in 2009.

Background

When Swift was first signed to Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an Independent American record label specializing in country music artists. It was launched in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his...

, it was a new and extremely small record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, the smallest in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, that consisted of approximately twelve employees and her as the only signed artist. At some point, Swift realized that it would be more difficult for her to achieve success through a small label, than in a larger label, constricting their contacts and making it nearly impossible to embark on concert tours and have presenter or performer slots on award shows. In addition, as the only signed artist, she could not ask for favors and only had herself to encourage the hope that scenarios would eventually change. Swift described the scenario as an "uphill climb" and said, "There was this moment where I sat there and was like, ‘When are we going to get a fighting chance? We’re the smallest record label in Nashville, but we want this really bad.’" After reassuring to herself that it would be different in the future, she wrote the beginning of "Change". She let the track sit for a while, waiting for a remarkable event to trigger its completion. She then completed the track the day after she won the Horizon Award at the 2007 Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...

 and saw Scott Borchetta, the president of Big Machine Records, crying. "That’s when I finished [it], because I knew I couldn’t finish it until something like that happened. It was absolutely the most amazing night of my life, getting to see the emotion of all the people who worked so hard for me."

The song was recorded in December 2007, when she recognized it applied to more scenarios and had a "bigger meaning" than originally. American television network National Broadcasting Company (NBC) had asked Swift to perform at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 in Beijing, China. However, an appearance could not be scheduled because Swift was touring at the time. Instead, Swift's father suggested using "Change" as a theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...

 for the event. Therefore, "Change" was used during NBC's daily video highlights in August 2008, prior to the release of Fearless. "I wrote the song ‘Change’ as an underdog story. It’s kind of crazy to think that the Olympics chose this as one of the songs to play during the Olympic Games", Swift commented. It was included on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack
AT&T Team USA Soundtrack
AT&T TEAM USA Soundtrack is a sporting compilation by various artists, created for the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Beijing. On the album appear singers and bands like Lady Antebellum, 3 Doors Down, Nelly, Queen Latifah, Chris Brown, Sheryl Crow, Kate Voegele, and Taylor Swift. The album consist of 15...

(2008). The song was released as a promotional single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...

 on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

 on August 8, 2008. All proceeds were donated to the United States Olympic team
United States at the Olympics
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games, except the 1980 Summer Olympics, which it boycotted.The United States Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee for the United States....

.

Composition

"Change" is a song with a length of four minutes and forty seconds. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

described the song's genre as a "kind of orthodontically perfect pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...

". He said the most country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 part of the song were lyrics that referenced Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....

 with the word "hallelujah". It is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...

 and has a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...

 of 100 beats per minute. It is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...

 of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...

 and Swift's vocals span one octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...

, from F3 to B♭4. They were described to have a nasal tone when using her voice above mezzo forte
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...

. It follows the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...

 F–F/E–Dm–B♭. "Change" relies on a string-swathed instrumentation.

The lyrics of "Change" speak of overcoming obstacles and achieving triumph, while instilling hope in oneself. It centers around the concept of surpassing others' expectations and the limitations they set out. The song turns the notion of fearlessness into a movement that is not specified. Dave Heaton of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 noted the lyric "I believe in whatever you do" meant Swift was unconcerned with the specifics of the cause. He presumed it was a universal message or was about changing the traditions of country music sound and defying the expectations of what country artists can achieve with their careers. Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen is an American journalist and author. He is the music critic for the online magazine Slate, and the author of White Christmas: The Story of an American Song....

 of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

believed the lyrics addressed political issues.

Reception

Critical reception

The song received generally mixed reviews from contemporary critics. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...

 was unimpressed by Swift's vocals, describing them as unpleasant and thin. Keefe added that her voice often cracked and, therefore, prevented the song from becoming an anthem. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine considered the track to be vague. Dave Heaton of PopMatters compared "Change" and Swift's "Long Live", both which ended Fearless and Speak Now
Speak Now
Speak Now is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010 by Big Machine Records. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 at several recording studios, and was handled by Swift and country music producer Nathan Chapman...

(2010), respectively. He stated, "There’s something really generic about the song[s], but that quality becomes the cornerstone of an anthem." Heaton also commented that the song was appealing to multiple audiences, as long as they felt restrained by any scenario.

Chart performance

On the week ending August 30, 2008, "Change" debuted at its peak position of number ten on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, selling over 131,000 digital downloads, making it Swift's best-charting song at the time and first top ten appearance. In the following week, the song descended to number forty and then number one-hundred on the Billboard Hot 100, marking its third and last week on the chart. The song is one of thirteen songs from Fearless charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the record for the most top forty entries from a single album. "Change" also peaked at number fifty-seven on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 chart on the week ending August 30, 2008. The track also peaked at number twenty-one on the now-defunct Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

 chart.

Music video

The accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for "Change" was directed by Shawn Robbins. It was filmed at the ballroom in the Scottish Rite Cathedral
Scottish Rite Cathedral (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The Scottish Rite Cathedral is a historic building designed by architect George F. Schreiber, located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Valley of Indianapolis Scottish Rite, an affiliated body of Freemasonry. It was built between 1927 and 1929 at the cost of...

 in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. The video commences with a shot of a stained glass window. It then transitions to Swift, clothed by a white cocktail dress and black cowboy boots, performing alongside a backup band in an empty ballroom. The band members dressed semi-casual and played the instruments bass, drums, and various guitars. As the video progresses, Swift is seeing singing and dancing. Cut-scenes feature close-ups of Swift in another setting, clothed by another white cocktail dress and surrounded by hot pink, white, and blue twinkling lights in a black background. The video concludes with Swift turning back and walking toward the backup band. An alternate version of the video features footage from United States Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Both versions of the music video premiered on NBC.com in August 2008.

Live performances

Swift has performed the track on the AOL Sessions. Since, Swift has performed the track at the Studio 330 Sessions, the 2009 CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival
The CMA Music Festival is a four-day music festival centered around country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee...

, the 2009 V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...

, and the Australian charity concert Sydney Sound Relief
Sound Relief
Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...

. Swift's first televised performance of "Change" was at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards, where she, donning a sparkly evening gown, sang on an elevator suspended from the crowd. She then came down, where she was joined by a teenage choir, and finished the performance by surfing the crowd. Swift performed "Change" on the first North American leg of the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...

. During the performances, Swift wore a sparkly silver and black dress with black, leather boots. She noted, "It's been a tough year", and commenced singing throughout the stage as images of victims of economic and natural disasters were projected on the video screens. As the song approximated, its last refrain, she said, "Things turn back around." Then, scenes of triumph appeared on the video screens. Craig Rosen of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...

attended the May 22, 2009 concert in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...

 and commented, "It was overly simplistic and a bit naive, but still hard not to be moved." Jon Pareles of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

said Swift offered the audience with optimistic thinking with the performance in the August 27, 2009 concert at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

10
US Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

57
US Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...

21

External links

  • "Change" music video on YouTube
    YouTube
    YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

     (posted by Swift's Vevo
    Vevo
    Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...

    )
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK