"Delicate" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). She wrote the song with the producers Max Martin and Shellback. Inspired by events surrounding Swift's celebrity and personal life, the lyrics depict a narrator's vulnerability when she ponders if her reputation would affect the blossoming romance. "Delicate" is an electropop and synth-popballad that features vocals manipulated with a vocoder. Its production incorporates dense synthesizers and beats that evoke tropical house and dancehall.
Directed by Joseph Kahn and filmed in Los Angeles, the music video for "Delicate" premiered on March 11, 2018, at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. In the video, after becoming invisible upon receiving a mysterious note, Swift dances barefoot through public places and ultimately becomes visible again after dancing in a pouring rain. Critics interpreted the video as Swift's autobiographical reference to her personal life, as she had retreated herself from the press leading up to the release of Reputation. A day following the video's release, Big Machine and Republic Records released "Delicate" as the album's fourth single to pop radio.
The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014. 1989'ssynth-pop production transformed Swift's sound and image from country music to mainstream pop.[1] The album was a commercial success, selling over five million copies in the United States within one year and spawning three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.[2] The BBC asserted that the success solidified Swift's status as a global pop star.[3]
Swift was a target of tabloid gossip during the promotion of 1989.[4] Her "America's Sweetheart" reputation, a result of her wholesome and innocent image, was blemished from publicized short-lived relationships and disputes with other celebrities, including a dispute with the rapper Kanye West and the media personality Kim Kardashian.[5][6] Swift became increasingly reticent on social media, having previously maintained an active presence with a large following, and avoided interactions with the press amidst the tumultuous affairs.[7] She conceived her sixth studio album, Reputation, as an answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.[8]
Swift conceived "Delicate" as a confession to a prospective lover and described the song—the fifth track on Reputation—as the album's "first point of vulnerability".[10] The preceding four tracks are about Swift's flippant disinterest in her perceived reputation, which is the recurring theme throughout the album. On "Delicate", she begins to reveal her inner vulnerability.[7] Swift explained the song's meaning during an album release party with iHeartRadio: although she could feign disinterest in others' opinions about her, things became complicated "when you meet somebody that you really want in your life", which prompted her to wonder, "Could something fake like your reputation affect something real, like someone getting to know you?"[10] To create a sound that reflects the lyrics' vulnerable sentiment, Martin and Shellback manipulated Swift's vocals with a vocoder, which Swift thought sounded "really emotional, vulnerable, and ... sad but beautiful". This vocoder effect is recurring on subsequent Reputation tracks.[10]
"Delicate" is a mellow ballad driven by dense synthesizers.[11][12] Music critics described the genre as electropop[13][14] or synth-pop.[15][16] As with the rest of Reputation, the track incorporates urban styles: it features a Caribbean–inflected sound[17] showcased through the rhythmic vocal delivery[12] and the beats that evoke house,[16]tropical house,[18][19] and dancehall.[20] At the beginning of the song, Swift's character tells her lover that, because her reputation has "never been worse", he "must like [her] for [herself]".[21]Carl Wilson from Slate interpreted this part as Swift's revelation on her public image: after the media gossip, she achieved a "liberation" that allowed her to "make her private life her own at last".[22] She shares intimate moments with her love interest at a dive bar "on the East Side".[11][23] Throughout the song, Swift goes through her inner monolog about whether what she does would affect this blossoming romance and how much her feelings would be reciprocated, over a muted pulse: "Is it cool that I said all that? Is it too soon to do this yet? 'Cause I know that it's delicate."[11][24] Though she feigns confidence and tries to control her inner self-awareness, she admits: "I pretend you're mine all the damn time."[25] In the refrain, a high-pitched voice echoes the title "Delicate" back to Swift's lyrics.[19]
Release
The music video of "Delicate" premiered at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 11.[26] Following the video's premiere, Big Machine and Republic Records released the song to US hot adult contemporary radio stations on March 12,[27] and US contemporary hit radio on March 13, as Reputation's fourth pop radio single.[28][note 1] Swift released another music video for the song—shot in a vertical format—exclusively on Spotify for users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Latin America, on March 30, 2018.[31] It was available on YouTube for audiences worldwide on May 15.[32] In Europe, "Delicate" was available for digital download in Germany on March 12,[33] and to Italian and UK radio stations on April 20, 2018.[34][35]
As part of the Spotify Singles series, Swift recorded a stripped-down version of "Delicate" using acoustic guitars in place of the original version's synthesizers.[36] The version was released alongside Swift's cover of Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" as a two-track extended play (EP) on April 13, 2018, by Spotify.[37] Two official remixes supported "Delicate": one by Sawyr and Ryan Tedder, available on May 25,[38] and the other by Seeb, available on June 8, 2018.[39]
Directed by Joseph Kahn, the music video was shot over two nights in Los Angeles; landmarks featured include the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the 7th Street/Metro Center station, the Los Angeles Theater, and the Golden Gopher bar.[40][41] The video opens with Swift on the red carpet, seeming disconnected from the crowd gazing off in the distance. She snaps back to reality as a reporter points a microphone at her face for an interview.[42] Amid camera lights, a mysterious figure slips a sparkling paper note into her hand.[43]
After the red-carpet interviews, Swift walks into a hotel lobby surrounded by four bodyguards as the guests turn around and look at her. Swift is bothered by the attention toward her, and when she gets some privacy in a dressing room, she turns the note over in her hand and makes silly faces in the mirror before being interrupted by a group of women.[42] When she turns back to the mirror, the note sparkles and she realizes she has become invisible as her reflection in the mirror disappears.[42][43]
Thrilled by her newfound freedom from fame, Swift starts dancing barefoot through the hotel.[42] Though she seems elated by her invisibility, there are poignant moments—at one scene in an elevator with another woman, Swift thinks that woman is smiling at her, but she is in fact looking at her own reflection in the mirror.[44] Swift continues dancing through a subway platform, and dances in a pouring rain before arriving at a dive bar. As she holds the note, everyone in the bar turns and looks at her, and she is visible again, smiling.[40][42]
Analysis and reception
Media outlets considered the video's depiction of Swift's invisibility from the crowd an autobiographical reference, given that she had not given press interviews while promoting Reputation.[45] Writing for The Washington Post, Emily Yahr described the video as a representation of Swift's celebrity. Yahr explained that the scenes where Swift appears jaded from the reporters and bodyguards were parallel to Swift's retreat from the press, and called her invisibility a metaphor for "the only time she's able to be herself".[42] Denise Warner from Billboard wrote that the video's depiction of Swift being "clearly disturbed by her fame" resembled the narrative of Britney Spears's 2000 video "Lucky".[46] In another analysis for Billboard, Richard He wrote: "Swift's a singer and guitarist by trade, but through her dancing and facial expressions, she's learned to tell stories with her whole body." According to He, while the lyrics to "Delicate" were inspired by Swift's love life, the video was inspired by her relationship with her audience. He observed that her cathartic, honest, and rather awkward dancing "for the pure joy of music" reminded her audience of "the reason she began writing songs in the first place".[43] The video won Best Music Video at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[47]
Upon the video's release, some commentators on the internet accused "Delicate" of plagiarizing an advertisement directed by Spike Jonze in 2016 for "Kenzo World", a fragrance by the French brand Kenzo.[48][49] As noted by Emma Payne—a scholar in music and cinema in the digital era—both visuals depict a woman who "breaks free from the pressures of society and acts freely as though nobody is watching"; to express this sentiment, both feature a choreography made up of unconventional dance moves, such as "marching and stomping" and "animalistic squatting", intertwined with conventional ballet moves. Payne commented that in doing so, the video allows the audience to see the "real" Swift beyond her commercially marketed image. She noted, nonetheless, due to the plagiarism controversy, Swift's persona was scrutinized for being "insincere or fake", a claim that had perpetuated since her earlier "dorky" image.[50]
Critical reception
Music critics lauded Swift's songwriting on "Delicate". Roisin O'Connor of The Independent described the song as an example of Swift's "most honest and direct songwriting".[40]AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine similarly praised Swift's portrayal of vulnerability as "a necessary exercise" for her to mature as a singer-songwriter.[51]Ann Powers writing for NPR called "Delicate" one of Reputation's "most memorable tracks", and described it as a reminder of Swift's songwriting talents in creating personal and relatable songs about her generation's "fashion choices, modes of gossip, dating habits and dreams of a comfortable middle-class life".[52] To explain this viewpoint, Powers highlighted the lyrics mentioning Swift's love interest in Nike shoes: "In 21st-century America, 'Nikes' is as evocative a word as 'heartache' or 'promise.' Swift understands the heart that beats beneath the brand name."[52]
Other critics highlighted the song's mellower production and vulnerable sentiment, in contrast to Reputation's heavy electronic production and themes about drama and vengeance. Troy Smith from The Plain Dealer called it one of the album's better songs because "Swift keeps the mood light".[53] For Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine, the song's blending "scathing self-critique with effervescent pop" offers an enjoyable moment that contrasts with the album's dominant "tired, repetitive EDM tricks".[54]Clash's Shahzaib Hussain criticized Reputation as a pretentious album with excessive lyrics about fame, but praised "Delicate" as one of the tracks that offer emotional honesty.[55] On a less enthusiastic side, Spin's Jordan Sargent wrote that even though the song is one of Reputation's most honest, it is still "unshackled" from the album's recurring themes of drama and vengeance. Sargent, however, said that the production contains an "ethereal lusciousness" that hints at "new paths for her to travel".[56]
Retrospectively, critics have considered "Delicate" one of Swift's strongest songs. Exclaim!'s Alex Hudson and Megan LaPierre,[18]Paste's Jane Song,[57]NME's Hannah Mylrae,[58] and Rolling Stone'sRob Sheffield all lauded the song's depiction of vulnerability in terms of both lyrics and music, specifically through the vocoder effects.[25] Sheffield ranked it first on his list of the best songs of 2017: "At heart, 'Delicate' is a story about a girl in her room, hearing an electro-beat that lures her to go seek some scandalous adventures in the city lights. In other words, the story of pop music."[59] He ranked "Delicate" fourth on his 2021 ranking of all the 199 songs in Swift's discography.[60] The song featured on 2018 year-end lists by Slant Magazine (9th),[61]Rolling Stone (12th),[15] and Billboard (35th).[62] "Delicate" was one of the award-winning songs at the BMI Pop Awards (2019),[63] and the ASCAP Awards (2019 and 2020).[64][65]
Commercial performance
"Delicate" was a sleeper hit in the United States.[66][67] Upon its single release in March 2018, it entered at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 32 on the Pop Songs chart.[29] By May, the single entered the top 40 of the Hot 100, fueled by gains in airplay, giving Swift her 56th top-40 entry. In doing so, it extended Swift's record as the woman with the most Hot 100 top-40 entries.[68] In its sixteenth charting week by July, "Delicate" rose to the Hot 100's top 20, driven primarily by strong airplay.[69][70] It was the second single from Reputation to enter the top 10 of Billboard'sRadio Songs chart (peaking at number two), after the lead single "Look What You Made Me Do".[71][72] A radio-driven hit, "Delicate" peaked atop the Pop Songs chart[73] and was Reputation's first number-one single on the Adult Pop Songs[74] and Adult Contemporary charts.[75] It was the most successful radio single from Reputation.[69]
"Delicate" peaked at number 12 and spent 35 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the longest-charting single from Reputation.[76] The single was one of the 10 most successful songs on US airplay of 2018, culminating 2.509 billion radio audience impressions.[77][note 2] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes two million units consisted of sales and on-demand streaming.[79] Philip Cosores from Uproxx claimed that the single was Reputation's biggest hit, surpassing the Hot 100 number one "Look What You Made Me Do", which "found a place in cultural ubiquity, but ... felt more like an obligation than an outright choice".[80] Writing for Billboard, Andrew Unterberger described the chart success of "Delicate" as a "turnaround in momentum" for Swift during the Reputation era. While the preceding singles did not chart more than 20 weeks, "Delicate" continued to grow, especially in airplay, and got "bigger the longer audiences have spent with it". Unterberger attributed the single's success to its vulnerable sentiment and production, a departure from the "outwardly vindictive" sentiments of its preceding singles, which proved that "[the audience] too still like Taylor for Taylor".[69]
"Delicate" peaked within the top 20 on singles charts of Iceland (3),[81] Honduras (11),[82] Malaysia (14),[83] the Czech Republic (19),[84] and Canada (20).[85] It was a top-40 chart entry in Greece,[86] Hungary,[87] Ireland,[88] New Zealand,[89] Norway (where it was certified gold),[90] and Australia (where it was certified five-times platinum).[91] The single was certified double platinum in Brazil,[92] and platinum in Portugal,[93] and the United Kingdom,[94] where it charted outside the top 40.[95][96]
Live performances and covers
Swift included "Delicate" on the set list of her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018).[97] During the concerts, she performed the song while standing in a golden balloon basket that floated above across the crowd.[98] Swift performed an acoustic version of the song on a guitar at BBC Radio 1's Biggest Weekend on May 27, 2018, in Swansea.[99] On December 6, 2018, Swift made an unannounced appearance at the Ally Coalition Talent Show, a benefit concert organized by producer Jack Antonoff in New York, where she performed an acoustic rendition of "Delicate" with Hayley Kiyoko.[100]
On April 23, 2019, Swift performed an acoustic version of the song at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during the Time 100 Gala, where she was honored as one of the "100 most influential people" of the year.[101] During promotion of her seventh studio album Lover in 2019, Swift performed the song at the Wango Tango festival on June 1,[102] at the Amazon Prime Day concert on July 10,[103] and at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris on September 9.[104] "Delicate" was included on the set list of Swift's sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).[105]
^ ab"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 25. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 14. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 1. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 15. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
Presidente della Repubblica di Haiti Président de la République d'Haïti Prezidan Repiblik Ayiti Ariel Henry, attuale Presidente della Repubblica di Haiti ad interim Stato Haiti TipoCapo dello Stato In caricaAriel Henry(ad interim) da20 luglio 2021 Istituito17 febbraio 1807 PredecessoreImperatore di Haiti Durata mandatocinque anni, rinnovabili una volta non consecutivamente SedePalazzo Nazionale, Port-au-Prince Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale Questa pagina elenca i capi di Stato d...
Jalan Tol Layang Dalam Kota JakartaPanjang69,77 kmDibangun2015-sekarangPengelolaPT Jakarta Tollroad Development (JTD) Jalan Tol Layang Dalam Kota Jakarta (Bahasa Inggris: Jakarta Inner Ring Road 2, disingkat JIRR 2) atau sering disebut dengan 6 Ruas Jalan Tol Dalam Kota Jakarta adalah jalan tol yang akan mengadopsi konstruksi jalan layang penuh dengan integrasi dengan transportasi umum (BRT). Jalan tol ini terdiri dari 6 ruas dan secara keseluruhan memiliki panjang 69,77 kilometer. Jalan Tol ...
B-24 beralih ke halaman ini. Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat B-24 (disambiguasi). B-24 Liberator Consolidated B-24D Liberator milik Pasukan Udara Angkatan Darat Amerika Serikat terbang di atas Maxwell Field, Alabama. Jenis Pembom beratPerang anti-kapal selamPesawat patroli maritim Pembuat Consolidated Aircraft Penerbangan perdana 29 Desember 1939 Diperkenalkan 1941 Dipensiunkan 1968 (Indian Air Force)[1] Pengguna utama United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Navy Royal Air Force Ro...
FCSBNama lengkapSC Fotbal Club FCSB SAJulukanSteliștiiRoș-albaștrii (Merah dan Biru)Viteziștii (The Speedsters)Nama singkatFCSBBerdiri7 Juni 1947; 76 tahun lalu (1947-06-07)sebagai ASA BucureștiStadionArena Națională(Kapasitas: 55,634[1])PemilikGeorge BecaliPresidenValeriu ArgăsealăPelatihDinu TodoranLigaLiga I2022–23Liga I, 2Situs webSitus web resmi klub Kostum kandang Kostum tandang Musim ini FCSB atau Steaua adalah sebuah klub sepak bola profesional Rumania yan...
Communications protocol ProfibusProtocol InformationType of NetworkDevice Bus, Process ControlPhysical MediaTwisted pair, fiberNetwork TopologyBusDevice AddressingDIP switch or hardware/softwareGoverning BodyPROFIBUS&PROFINET International (PI)Websitewww.profibus.com Profibus electrical connector Profibus (usually styled as PROFIBUS, as a portmanteau for Process Field Bus) is a standard for fieldbus communication in automation technology and was first promoted in 1989 by BMBF (German depa...
Halaman Plutonik dan Batuan plutonik dan Batuan beku plutonik diarahkan ke sini. Untuk planet katai, lihat Pluto. Untuk unsur kimia, lihat plutonium. Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat Pluto (disambiguasi). Sebuah pluton monzonit pada zaman jurasik, di Utah, Amerika Serikat. Dalam geologi, pluton adalah tubuh batuan beku intrusif (yang disebut batuan plutonik) yang mengkristal dari magma yang perlahan mendingin di bawah permukaan bumi. Anggota pluton termasuk batolit, stok, dike, sill, Lakolit, lopol...
Battleship formation of the Royal Navy For the German counterpart during World War I, see II Battle Squadron. 2nd Battle Squadron2nd Battle Squadron in 1914Active1912–1944Country United KingdomBranch Royal NavySizeSquadronEngagementsBattle of JutlandMilitary unit The 2nd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted ...
British country music duo This biography of a living person relies too much on references to primary sources. Please help by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.Find sources: The Shires duo – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The S...
Regulations to reduce increases in housing rents Rent control redirects here. For other uses, see Rent control (disambiguation). Part of a series onLiving spaces MainHouse (detached) • Apartment • Housing projects • Human outpost • Tenement • Condominium • Mixed-use development (live-work) • Hotel • Hostel (travellers' hotel) • Castles • Public housing • Squat • Flophouse • Green home • Shack • Slum • Shanty town IssuesAffordability • Executive housing • En...
هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (أكتوبر 2021) تدخل بوليسلاف الأول في أزمة خلافة الحكم في كييف التاريخ 1018 الموقع كييف روس تعديل مصدري - تعديل كان تدخل الحاكم الپولندي بوليسلاف الشجاع في أزم...
Pusaran Pasifik Selatan Pusaran Pasifik Selatan adalah bagian dari sistem arus samudra dunia. Arus ini berbatasan dengan khatulistiwa di utara, Australia di barat, Arus Lingkar Kutub Antarktika di selatan, dan Amerika Selatan di timur.[1] Di tengah pusaran ini terdapat tempat yang paling terpencil dari daratan Bumi dan lautan produktif dan diakui sebagai gurun laut terbesar di dunia.[2] Seperti empat pusaran lainnya, pusaran ini memiliki kandungan plastik pelagik, limbah kimia...
جغرافيا باكستانمعلومات عامةالبلد باكستان القارة آسيا الحدود أفغانستانالهندالصينإيران الإحداثيات 30°N 70°E / 30°N 70°E / 30; 70 الأرض والتضاريسالمساحة 881٬913 كم² أعلى نقطة جبل كي 2 أدنى نقطة بحر العرب تعديل - تعديل مصدري - تعديل ويكي بيانات جغرافيا باكستان القارة آسيا ال�...
1996 single by Monica featuring Treach (from Naughty by Nature)Ain't NobodySingle by Monica featuring Treach (from Naughty by Nature)from the album The Nutty Professor ReleasedMay 21, 1996 (1996-05-21)Recorded1995Genre R&B hip hop soul Length4:30Label Def Jam Rowdy Arista Songwriter(s) Dallas Austin Anthony Criss Dale Warren Producer(s)Dallas AustinMonica singles chronology Before You Walk Out of My Life/Like This and Like That (1995) Why I Love You So Much / Ain't Nobo...
Brazilian football club Football clubCaxias Full nameCaxias Futebol ClubeNickname(s)GualichoAlvinegroFoundedOctober 12, 1920 (103 years ago) (1920-10-12)GroundErnestão, Joinville (SC)Capacity5,000WebsiteClub website Home colours Away colours Caxias Futebol Clube is a Brazilian football club based in Joinville, with a population of more than half a million the largest city of the south Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The club, founded on October 12, 1920, won in the years 192...
Dominican baseball player (born 1973) Baseball player Neifi PérezPérez with the Chicago Cubs in 2006ShortstopBorn: (1973-06-02) June 2, 1973 (age 50)Villa Mella, Dominican RepublicBatted: SwitchThrew: RightMLB debutAugust 31, 1996, for the Colorado RockiesLast MLB appearanceJuly 5, 2007, for the Detroit TigersMLB statisticsBatting average.267Home runs64Runs batted in489 Teams Colorado Rockies (1996–2001) Kansas City Royals (2001–2002) San Francisco Gia...
For the New York City Subway station, see President Street (IRT Nostrand Avenue Line). United States historic placePresident Street StationU.S. National Register of Historic PlacesBaltimore City Landmark An 1856 illustration of President Street Station in BaltimoreLocationPresident Street at Fleet Street (southeast corner)Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.Coordinates39°17′2.4″N 76°36′8.8″W / 39.284000°N 76.602444°W / 39.284000; -76.602444Arealess than one acreBuilt1...
20th century systems for compulsory military service in the United Kingdom Conscription1780 caricature of a press gang Related concepts Alternative civilian serviceCivil conscriptionConscientious objectorConscription crisisCounter-recruitmentDraft-card burningDraft evasionImpressmentMilitary serviceNational serviceWar resister By historical country Ottoman EmpireRussian EmpireSoviet Union By modern country AustraliaAzerbaijanBermudaBrazilCanadaChinaCongo-Kinshasa (child soldiers)CubaCyprus (r...
French publishing house You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (December 2009) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the French article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated tex...