Ours (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ours" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift
. The song was solely written by Swift and was aided by Nathan Chapman
in producing the song as a bonus track from her third studio album
, Speak Now
(2010). It is the sixth single off of the album and is the fifth single from Speak Now to be sent to country radio.
"Ours" was performed at the 2011 Country Music Association Awards
and immediately appeared on the US iTunes Top 100 and debuted at number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart and number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100
. The song also charted at number ninety-one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
charts.
"Ours" met critical acclaim from music critics and praised Swift's songwriting skills and the song's production. The song is cited to be Swift's best single to date.
exclusive deluxe edition, as well as the international deluxe edition, of Swift's album, Speak Now
. It was released as a promotional single
from Speak Now by Big Machine Records
on November 8, 2011. The song was released on Swift's first live album
, Speak Now: World Tour Live
. A CD single was released exclusively to US Wal-Mart
stores alongside the live album. The song is the sixth single from the album, Speak Now, and was originally intended to be released on November 28, 2011 but is set to be released to country radio on December 5, 2011. It is the fifth single from Speak Now to be sent to country radio.
. The song has been described as a "love letter".
' in that it’s cheesy and delicious." He added that the lyrics were sharply written and the scaled back production was welcomed respite from the shine and polish Swift has coated previous hit songs with. Liv Carter of Urban Country News gave the song a thumbs up and noted that the songwriting is "superb" where Swift sets the scene beautifully with an expert use of language. Amy Sciarretto of Pop Crush praised the song and stated that Swift saved the best for last. Sciarretto describes the song as a pretty, slower tempo song that showcases Swift’s strengths, which are her inviting, open journal lyrics and that sweet voice. She added that the song is a textbook example of why Swift is the prepubescent set’s poet laureate. Karen Goodner of All Access found the song written with a great tune and the folky mid-tempo production fits the simplicity of the song.
.
Internationally the song appeared at number seventy-one on the Canadian Hot 100
, and at number 181 on the UK Singles Chart
. The song also charted at number ninety-one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
charts.
and E! Online on December 2, 2011 at 7:00pm ET. Swift, herself, came up with the concept for the video. The video is directed by Declan Whitebloom.
on November 9, 2011. Amanda Hensel of Taste of Country stated that Swift's performance of the song felt "more personal and less like an arena show." During the performance Swift "donned a simple pink sweater and plopped down on a couch." The Target
exclusive of the live album, Speak Now: World Tour Live, contains the bonus performance of "Ours" on the Speak Now World Tour
.
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...
. The song was solely written by Swift and was aided by 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...
in producing the song as a bonus track from her third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, 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). It is the sixth single off of the album and is the fifth single from Speak Now to be sent to country radio.
"Ours" was performed at the 2011 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 immediately appeared on the US iTunes Top 100 and debuted at number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart and number thirteen 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...
. The song also charted at number ninety-one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
charts.
"Ours" met critical acclaim from music critics and praised Swift's songwriting skills and the song's production. The song is cited to be Swift's best single to date.
Release
"Ours" was released as an exclusive bonus song on the TargetTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
exclusive deluxe edition, as well as the international deluxe edition, of Swift's album, 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...
. It 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...
from Speak Now by 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...
on November 8, 2011. The song was released on Swift's first live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Speak Now: World Tour Live
Speak Now: World Tour Live
Speak Now: World Tour Live is the first live album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 21, 2011 by Big Machine Records. The live album debut at number 11 on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 sold.- Background :...
. A CD single was released exclusively to US Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
stores alongside the live album. The song is the sixth single from the album, Speak Now, and was originally intended to be released on November 28, 2011 but is set to be released to country radio on December 5, 2011. It is the fifth single from Speak Now to be sent to country radio.
Composition
"Ours" is a song of three minutes and fifty-seven seconds. The song is written soley by Swift, who also produced the song along with Nathan ChapmanNathan 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 has been described as a "love letter".
Critical reception
The song opened to critical acclaim from music critics. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song a 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that "Lyrically, 'Ours' is similar to 'Our SongOur Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
' in that it’s cheesy and delicious." He added that the lyrics were sharply written and the scaled back production was welcomed respite from the shine and polish Swift has coated previous hit songs with. Liv Carter of Urban Country News gave the song a thumbs up and noted that the songwriting is "superb" where Swift sets the scene beautifully with an expert use of language. Amy Sciarretto of Pop Crush praised the song and stated that Swift saved the best for last. Sciarretto describes the song as a pretty, slower tempo song that showcases Swift’s strengths, which are her inviting, open journal lyrics and that sweet voice. She added that the song is a textbook example of why Swift is the prepubescent set’s poet laureate. Karen Goodner of All Access found the song written with a great tune and the folky mid-tempo production fits the simplicity of the song.
Chart performance
The song appeared on the US iTunes Top 100 and debuted at number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart and number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
.
Internationally the song appeared at number seventy-one on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, and at number 181 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song also charted at number ninety-one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
charts.
Music Video
According to Swift, on November 3, 2011 she had finished the second day of shooting for the music video of "Ours". The music video is set to premiere on E! NewsE! News
E! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
and E! Online on December 2, 2011 at 7:00pm ET. Swift, herself, came up with the concept for the video. The video is directed by Declan Whitebloom.
Live performances
Swift performed the song at the 2011 Country Music Association AwardsCountry 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...
on November 9, 2011. Amanda Hensel of Taste of Country stated that Swift's performance of the song felt "more personal and less like an arena show." During the performance Swift "donned a simple pink sweater and plopped down on a couch." The Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
exclusive of the live album, Speak Now: World Tour Live, contains the bonus performance of "Ours" on the Speak Now World Tour
Speak Now World Tour
Speak Now World Tour is the second concert tour by American country singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, in support of her third studio album, Speak Now. The tour visited Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia...
.
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Ours" – 3:57
- CD Single
- "Ours" – 3:57
- "Ours" (Live) – 4:05
Charts
| Chart (2010-11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
91 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
71 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
181 |
| US Billboard Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... 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... |
13 |
| US 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... (Billboard Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... ) |
56 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 8, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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... |
| November 21, 2011 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
||
| December 5, 2011 | Country radio |