Jump to content

Better Man (Little Big Town song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Better Man"
Cover art of "Better Man" showing members of Little Big Town on a grassland
Single by Little Big Town
from the album The Breaker
ReleasedOctober 20, 2016 (2016-10-20)
GenreCountry
Length4:21
LabelCapitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)Jay Joyce
Little Big Town singles chronology
"One of Those Days"
(2016) 		"Better Man"
(2016) 		"Happy People"
(2017)
Music video
"Better Man" on YouTube

"Better Man" is a song by the American country music group Little Big Town. It was released on October 20, 2016, as the lead single from the group's eighth studio album, The Breaker (2017). Taylor Swift wrote the song, intending to include it on her fourth studio album, Red (2012), but it did not make the final track list. She pitched the track to Little Big Town in 2016, believing that the group's vocal harmonies suited it. Produced by Jay Joyce, "Better Man" is a country ballad about wishing one's ex-lover were a more deserving man.

Little Big Town first performed the song live at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 2, 2016, and included it in the set list of their tours in 2018 and 2024. In the US, the single peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number one on both the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. It won Song of the Year at the 51st Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2017 and Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018.[1]

Swift performed her version of "Better Man" at several concerts in 2017 and 2018. After a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of her back catalog, Swift recorded a solo version, "Better Man (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)", for her 2021 re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version). She and Aaron Dessner produced the track, which charted at number 46 on the Billboard Global 200.

Background and release

[edit]
Swift singing on a mic, dressed in red
Little Big Town performing and smiling onstage
Taylor Swift (left) wrote "Better Man" for her 2012 album Red but left it out of the cut. She offered the track to Little Big Town (right) in 2016 because of the group's vocal harmonies.

Taylor Swift wrote "Better Man" intending to include it in her fourth studio album, Red (2012).[2] She left it out of the final track listing because she wrote "too many songs [she] loved" during that time period, having to exclude some tracks out. According to her, she decided to include "All Too Well" in place of "Better Man".[3]

Although Swift did not record "Better Man" for Red, she always hoped that the song would materialize. One day, she thought of the country music group Little Big Town, and she believed their vocal harmonies suited the song;[3] she and the group had been friends since her high-school days in Nashville, Tennessee.[4] Swift sent an email to Little Big Town's Phillip Sweet informing him of the song,[5] and he played it to the other members, who were fond of the lyrics, finding them powerful.[5]

The group originally kept Swift's identity anonymous when telling their label of the song, saying that it was offered to them by a "young girl from Nashville". It was only two weeks after "Better Man" was released that both the group and Swift confirmed that she was the songwriter.[6][7] It was the first time Swift had pitched her song to other artists, and Little Big Man initially kept her identity anonymous for fears that it would influence their fans' perceptions of the track, and because Swift wanted "Better Man" to stand on its own merits as an artistic work.[8] "Better Man" was released for streaming and download on October 20, 2016, via Capitol Nashville,[9] as the lead single from the group's album The Breaker (2017).[10]

Composition

[edit]

Produced by Jay Joyce,[11] "Better Man" a country ballad[3][12] that is 4 minutes and 21 long.[9] Its pop-oriented,[13] acoustic guitar-driven arrangement incorporates a drum loop, pinging guitar effects,[11] and occasional keyboard tones.[14] The song is in a slow tempo of 72 beats per minute, written with a 4/4 time signature. It is in the key of F major, with a chord pattern of F-C-B♭-B♭2-B♭. Karen Fairchild's lead vocal spans from F3 to B♭4.[15]

The lyrics are about a painful breakup that leaves Fairchild's narrator ruminating on an ex-partner, assuming that their broken relationship would have turned out great if the ex-partner were not a terrible man.[4][16] Although the narrator admits that the relationship had its good moments, she expresses her emotional scars ("I just wish I could forget when it was magic") and resorts to escaping the relationship due to the ex-partner's abusive nature.[14][17] According to Little Big Town, the track could resonate with many people who had to face tough decisions about moving on from difficult situations, "no matter how hard that is, you just know down in your heart that it's time to do that."[18]

Music video and live performances

[edit]

An accompanying music video was directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long and premiered on November 1, 2016.[19][20] Set in a rural household, the video depicts three generations of single parents whose partners ultimately leave them. The cycle is presumably broken at the end, when Philip Sweet's character has a baby girl and makes an effort to be a better role model.[21]

Little Big Town performed "Better Man" live for the first time at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 2, 2016.[22] In 2018, they sang the track again at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards on January 27[23] and at the Grammys on the Hill on April 18.[24] The group included it in the set list of two of their tours: Breakers Tour in 2018[25] and Take Me Home Tour in 2024.[26]

Reception

[edit]

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe rated the song "A", saying that "It’s a concept that is grounded in so much truth that I’m amazed I’ve never heard it approached this way before" and "The writers do a great job of capturing both why [the song's narrator] stayed so long and why she had to leave, and all of the conflicting feelings that go along with that."[27] Taste of Country writer Billy Dukes also praised the song, saying that "This song isn’t as jarring as some of the quartet’s most recent hits. In fact, the mistreatment of women is only vaguely alluded to — there’s no one line that burns the hair off the back of your neck. Jay Joyce’s arrangement is soft but not stark. It’s among his more mainstream productions. Still, it’s clear Fairchild’s protagonist is reeling from a love that went very, very wrong."[28] Taste of Country ranked it the 42nd best country song of the 2010s.[29]

The song sold 6,000 copies on its first day of release, enough to allow the song to enter the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 41.[30][31] It sold 20,000 the following week, and rose to No. 20 in the chart.[31][32] In its third week it sold a further 47,000 copies and climbed further to No. 6.[33] On the Hot Country Songs chart dated February 11, 2017, "Better Man" reached number one, earning the group their third leader. It spent two weeks at No. 1 before being dethroned by "Body Like A Back Road" by Sam Hunt.[34] The song was certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA on August 23, 2017.[35] The song has sold 772,000 copies in the United States as of February 2018.[36]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Association Category Result
2017 Billboard Music Awards[37] Top Country Song Nominated
CMT Music Awards[38] Group Video of the Year Won
Video of the Year Nominated
CMA Awards[39] Single of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Won
Music Video of the Year Nominated
2018 Grammy Awards[40] Best Country Duo/Group Performance Won
Best Country Song Nominated
ACM Awards[41] Single Record of the Year Nominated

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal[42]

  • Little Big Town – vocals
  • Taylor Swift – songwriter
  • Jay Joyce – producer, programmer, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, mixer
  • Jaxon Hargrove – assistant recording engineer
  • Jimmy Mansfield – assistant recording engineer
  • Jason Hall – engineer
  • Richard Dodd – mastering engineer

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Better Man"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[52] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[53] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

[edit]

Swift performed "Better Man" at Club Nomadic in Houston as part of the DirecTV Special, Super Saturday Night on February 4, 2017.[54] She also performed it on March 31, 2018, at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee, and on August 25, 2018, at her Reputation Stadium Tour stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.[55] Swift performed "Better Man" as a surprise song on May 19, 2023, at the first Eras Tour show in Foxborough, Massachusetts.[56] It was also a surprise song on July 19, 2024, on the last of three nights in Gelsenkirchen, Germany as part of a mashup with her 2020 song "It's Time to Go".[57]

On February 15, 2017, Chase Bryant recorded a cover version of the song, which changed the grammatical narrative from second person to first. Bryant's rendition was described favorably by both Billboard and Rolling Stone for the change in the song's perspective, as well as the harmonies provided by Runaway June.[58][59]

"Better Man (Taylor's Version)"

[edit]
"Better Man (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Red (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedNovember 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
Studio
  • Long Pond (New York)
GenreCountry
Length4:57
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"Better Man (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

Swift recorded "Better Man", subtitled "(Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)", for her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records.[60] The re-recorded "Better Man" was produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner. It also features lap steel guitar and the London Contemporary Orchestra, arranged by Bryce Dessner.[61]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Red (Taylor's Version)[62]

Technical

Musicians

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals
  • Aaron Dessner – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, synthesizer
  • Josh Kaufman – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin
  • Jonny Byers – cello
  • Oliver Coates – cello
  • Max Ruisi – cello
  • Dave Brown – double bass
  • James Krivchenia – drums, percussion
  • Stephanie Edmundson – viola
  • Clifton Harrison – viola
  • Matthew Kettle – viola
  • Zoe Matthews – viola
  • Zara Benyounes – first violin
  • Galya Bisengalieva – first violin
  • Antonia Kesel – first violin
  • Natalie Klouda – first violin
  • Anna Ovsyanikova – first violin
  • Charlotte Reid – first violin
  • Anna de Bruin – second violin
  • Guy Button – second violin
  • Charis Jenson – second violin
  • Nicole Crespo O’Donoghue
  • Nicole Stokes – second violin
  • Eloisa‐Fleur Thom – second violin
  • Caitlin Evanson – background vocals
  • Liz Huett – background vocals

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Better Man (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[63] 36
Global 200 (Billboard)[64] 46
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[65] 98
US Billboard Hot 100[66] 51
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[67] 13

Certification

[edit]
Certification for "Better Man (Taylor's Version)"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[68] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Grammys 2018 Complete List of Nominees". Los Angeles Times. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  2. ^ "Taylor Swift Talks Newfound 'Freedom,' 'Lover' Tour Plans and So Much More". On Air with Ryan Seacrest. August 27, 2019. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Zaleski 2024, p. 98.
  4. ^ a b Yahr, Emily (November 1, 2016). "Taylor Swift did release new music this year — she wrote Little Big Town's 'Better Man'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Piner, Chris (August 1, 2024). "Little Big Town Remembers Shocking Taylor Swift When They Recorded 'Better Man'". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  6. ^ Bruner, Raisa (November 1, 2016). "Taylor Swift's Newest Song Is A Single for Little Big Town". Time. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  7. ^ Perone 2017, p. 3.
  8. ^ Parton, Chris (November 1, 2016). "Hear Song Taylor Swift Wrote for Little Big Town". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Better Man by Little Big Town". Apple Music. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  10. ^ "Little Big Town" (PDF). MusicRow. Vol. 37, no. 1. February–March 2017. p. 3.
  11. ^ a b "Hear Little Big Town's Melancholy New Song 'Better Man'". Rolling Stone. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  12. ^ "25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2017 So Far". Rolling Stone. July 5, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  13. ^ Paul, Evan; Dukes, Billy (September 16, 2022). "Little Big Town Make a Strong Case for Prioritizing Albums". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Gleason, Holly (December 6, 2016). "Little Big Town's 'Better Man'". Hits. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  15. ^ "'Better Man' sheet music". musicnotes.com. November 2016. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  16. ^ Horton, Helena (November 2, 2016). "Taylor Swift writes new break-up song: but is it about Tom Hiddleston or Calvin Harris?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  17. ^ Dukes, Billy (October 20, 2016). "Little Big Town, 'Better Man' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  18. ^ "Exclusive: Little Big Town's Meaning Behind 'Better Man'". iHeartRadio. October 17, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  19. ^ "Little Big Town | Better Man |". MTV. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  20. ^ Asker, Jim (November 8, 2016). "Little Big Town Brings Taylor Swift Back to the Hot Country Songs Top 10, As a Writer". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  21. ^ Wicks, Amanda (November 1, 2016). "Little Big Town Premiere 'Better Man' Music Video". Radio.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  22. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (November 3, 2016). "Little Big Town Perform 'Better Man' at 50th Annual CMAs". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  23. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (January 29, 2018). "Every Performance From the 2018 Grammys, Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  24. ^ "Watch Little Big Town, Erika Ender Perform At 2018 Grammys On The Hill Awards". Grammy.com. April 18, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  25. ^ Poppe, Nathan (February 9, 2018). "Concert review: Little Big Town kicks off 'Breakers Tour' with a roar and a hush". The Oklahoman. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  26. ^ Bream, Jon (November 8, 2024). "Review: Little Big Town and Sugarland bring harmony in divisive times". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  27. ^ Coyne, Kevin John (October 27, 2016). "Single Review: Little Big Town, "Better Man"". Country Universe. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  28. ^ Dukes, Billy (October 20, 2016). "Little Big Town, 'Better Man' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  29. ^ Dukes, Billy. "It's Official: We've Picked the 50 Best Country Songs of the 2010s". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  30. ^ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. November 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  31. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (November 1, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report: November 1, 2016". Roughstock. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  32. ^ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. November 12, 2016.
  33. ^ Bjorke, Matt (November 7, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart: November 7, 2016". Roughstock. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  34. ^ Asker, Jim (January 31, 2016). "Little Big Town Leads Hot Country Songs With Taylor Swift-Written 'Better Man'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  35. ^ "American single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Recording Industry Association of America.
  36. ^ Bjorke, Matt (February 5, 2017). "TOP 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: February 5, 2017". Roughstock. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  37. ^ Stefano, Angela (May 21, 2017). "2017 Billboard Music Awards Country Winners List". The Boot. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  38. ^ Stefano, Angela (June 7, 2017). "2017 CMT Music Awards Winners List". The Boot. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  39. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (September 4, 2017). "Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert Lead 2017 CMA Awards Nominees, Taylor Swift Earns First Nomination in Three Years". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  40. ^ USA Today Staff (January 28, 2018). "Grammy Awards 2018: The winners' list". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  41. ^ Stefano, Angela (April 15, 2018). "2018 ACM Awards Winners List". The Boot. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  42. ^ "The Breaker by Little Big Town". Tidal. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  43. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  44. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  45. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  46. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  47. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  48. ^ "Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  49. ^ "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  50. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  51. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  52. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Music Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  53. ^ "American single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  54. ^ Atkinson, Katie (February 5, 2017). "Taylor Swift Performs 'Better Man' & 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' for First Time at Stunning Pre-Super Bowl Set". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  55. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (May 26, 2018). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  56. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (May 20, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  57. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (May 20, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  58. ^ Aniftos, Rania (February 15, 2017). "Chase Bryant Shares Introspective Cover of Little Big Town's Taylor Swift-Penned 'Better Man': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  59. ^ Freeman, Jon (February 15, 2017). "See Chase Bryant's Solemn Cover of Little Big Town's 'Better Man'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  60. ^ Al-Heeti, Abrar (November 11, 2021). "Red (Taylor's Version): Release date, tracklist, why Taylor Swift is rerecording her albums". CNET. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  61. ^ Willman, Chris (November 12, 2021). "On Red (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift's Vault Tracks Are All Too Swell: Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  62. ^ Swift, Taylor (2021). Red (Taylor's Version) (liner notes). Republic Records.
  63. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  64. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  65. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  66. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  67. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  68. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 14, 2024.

Source

[edit]


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Better_Man_(Little_Big_Town_song)&oldid=1268322822#"Better_Man_(Taylor's_Version)""