track

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

2012Released
3:13

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. By Songfacts®.

The first radio single from Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, Red, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was written by the singer with the Swedish hitmaking duo of Shellback and Max Martin. Taylor told fans worldwide in a webchat on August 13, 2012 that the scornful yet fun song is about one of her former beaus and is what she refers to, in jest, as "a really romantic song... touching and sensitive… to my lovely ex-boyfriend." When asked whom the tune is about, she replied with a smile, "I'm trying not to be too cryptic with it, but I'm trying not to give it all away." One celebrity candidate for the song's subject is the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who dated Swift in late 2010 and early 2011.

The empowering kiss-off to an ex was inspired by an incident when during a session in the studio with Max Martin and Johan Shellback, a friend of the singer's former boyfriend happened to walk in. Swift told ABC News' Nightline: "[My friend] starts talking about how he's heard [my ex and I] were getting back together and that was not the case. When he leaves, Max and Johan are like, 'So what's the story behind that?' And so I start telling them the story of 'break up, get back together, break up, get back together,' just, ugh, the worst." "Max says, 'This is what we're writing; we're writing this song,'" continued Swift. "And I picked up the guitar and just started singing 'we are never.' It just happened so fast. It was so much fun."

As the lead single from Red, this song drew the spotlight back to the superstar with an intricately crafted piece of pop featuring very light country influences. Taylor Swift lends the song brand appeal, and it falls in line with previously successful releases by the singer by focusing on the pains of a failed relationship. Swift's vocal delivery is understated, foregoing over-emotive flourishes so that it better connects with a teenage audience. The song mixes a linear progression with a very diverse assembly of structural elements, which creates a listening experience that is both easy to get into and consistently attention-grabbing. An especially strong payoff is offered by the chorus, which features an extremely catchy melody and very powerful lyrics - over a third of the song's playtime is devoted to the chorus. The title is both clever and appears frequently throughout the song, making it easy for us to remember while also catching the eye of a casual listener. Swift also wisely retreads very familiar thematic territory by focusing on a relationship, which allows her to further establish her musical identity while appealing to devoted fans. The tight songwriting, universal lyrics, and increased focus on purer pop stylings (to the neglect of her more country-style tendencies) made this a strong, appealing introduction to Swift's album.

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Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.
GKey
MajorMode
4/4Time Signature
86BPM

Album

The album We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.
Big Machine Records, LLC
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℗ 2018 Apollo A-1 LLC

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