Behind the Hit: Cardigan by Taylor Swift

“Cardigan” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her eighth studio album, Folklore. It was serviced by Republic Records to radio stations on July 27, 2020 as the lead single from the album. Swift wrote the song with its producer Aaron Dessner. “Cardigan” is a slow-burning folk, soft rock and indie-rock ballad with stripped-down instrumentals of tender piano, clopping drums and melancholic violins. Lyrically, it sees Swift singing about a comforting romance lost in memories, from the perspective of a woman named Betty, one of the many fictitious characters narrated in Folklore.

“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone’s bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite

A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothing”

Upon release, “Cardigan” received critical acclaim, with praise towards the poetic songwriting and laid-back sound. The song debuted at number one on the global Spotify songs chart, receiving over 7.742 million streams, garnering the biggest opening-day for a song in 2020. An accompanying music video for the song—written, directed, and styled by Swift—was released alongside album launch. The dreamy video presents a cottagecore aesthetic and features Swift in three different settings: a cozy cabin in the woods, a magical moss-covered forest and a dark stormy sea, representing different phases of a relationship. An acoustic version of the song, entitled “Cabin in Candlelight”, was released on July 30, 2020.

Check out the chart topping hit below:

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