Better Man (Little Big Town song)

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"Better Man"
Single by Little Big Town
from the album The Breaker
ReleasedOctober 20, 2016 (2016-10-20)
GenreCountry
Length
  • 4:21 (album version)
    4:43 (music video version)
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 American country 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). American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote the song, intending to include it on her fourth studio album, Red (2012), but the song did not make the final track list. She passed the song to Little Big Town in 2016, believing the group's vocal harmonies suited it.

Produced by Jay Joyce,[1] "Better Man" was first performed live at the 50th CMA Awards on November 2, 2016. The song won Song of the Year and was nominated for Single of the Year, and Music Video of the Year at the 2017 CMA Awards.[2] The song won a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and was nominated for Best Country Song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.[3]

Swift recorded her version of "Better Man", subtitled in parentheses "(Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)", for her 2021 re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version). The version was produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner.

Background[edit]

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is the sole writer of "Better Man", which was written for her 2012 album Red but not included on the final tracklist. She would later record her rendition of the song for her re-recording of the album.

The song was written by Taylor Swift. According to group member Karen Fairchild, Swift thought of the group because of the harmonies, and sent the song to them.[4][5] According to Swift, the song was originally intended for her fourth studio album Red (2012).[6] An unnamed source from Us Weekly reported that she sent it to the group in July 2016.[7]

"Better Man" has a play length of 4 minutes and 21 seconds. 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.[8]

Swift revealed in August 2021 that she would be recording her rendition of "Better Man" for the 2021 re-recording of Red.[9] With it comes a 36-second longer recording and a downward transposition to E major. With the same tempo and time signature, Swift's vocals range E3 to A4.

Music video[edit]

An accompanying music video was directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long and premiered on November 1, 2016.[10] Set in a rural household, the video depicts three generations of single parents whose partners ultimately leave them.[11] 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.[11]

Critical 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."[12] 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."[13] Taste of Country ranked it the 42nd best country song of the 2010s.[14]

Accolades[edit]

Year Association Category Result
2017 Billboard Music Awards[15] Top Country Song Nominated
CMT Music Awards[16] Group Video of the Year Won
Video of the Year Nominated
CMA Awards[2] Single of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Won
Music Video of the Year Nominated
2018 Grammy Awards[17] Best Country Duo/Group Performance Won
Best Country Song Nominated
ACM Awards[18] Single Record of the Year Nominated

Commercial performance[edit]

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.[19][20] It sold 20,000 the following week, and rose to No. 20 in the chart.[20][21] In its third week it sold a further 47,000 copies and climbed further to No. 6.[22] 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.[23] The song was certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA on August 23, 2017.[24] The song has sold 772,000 copies in the United States as of February 2018.[25]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[26]

  • 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)[36] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[37] 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.[38] 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.[39] Swift performed "Better Man" as a surprise song on May 19, 2023, at the first Eras Tour show in Foxborough, Massachusetts.[40]

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.[41][42]

"Better Man (Taylor's Version)"[edit]

"Better Man (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Red (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedNovember 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
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.[43] 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.[44]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "Better Man (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[45] 36
Global 200 (Billboard)[46] 46
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[47] 98
US Billboard Hot 100[48] 51
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[49] 13

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Hear Little Big Town's Melancholy New Song 'Better Man'". rollingstone.com. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ Los Angeles Times Staff (November 29, 2017). "Grammys 2018 Complete List of Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  4. ^ Vulpo, Mike (November 1, 2016). "Who Did Taylor Swift Write "Better Man" About? We Investigate the Lyrics for Little Big Town's New Single". E! Online. Archived from the original on May 14, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  5. ^ "Why didn't Taylor Swift keep 'Better Man' for herself? Little Big Town says, 'We didn't ask'". SiriusXM: Hear & Now. November 15, 2016. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ Taylor Swift - Her Last Word. Us Weekly. 2016.
  8. ^ "'Better Man' sheet music". musicnotes.com. November 2016. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  9. ^ Swift, Taylor [@taylorswift] (August 6, 2021). "I know some of you thought that would be like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer BUT...you played it good & right. Congrats pals, you guessed the correct titles and feature artists on Red (my version). The vault tracks will feature @chrisstapleton, @phoebebridgers, @markfoster and the first song @teddysphotos and I ever wrote together the first time we met in 2012❗️I can't express my gratitude enough to these artists for helping me bring these songs to life. I can't wait til we can dust off our highest hopes and relive these memories together. We'll also be making a bunch of new ones too, since Red (Taylor's Version) includes so many songs you haven't heard yet. Til then, I'll be counting down and picturing it all in my head. In burning red. Red (Taylor's Version) out November 19. Pre-order now". Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via Instagram.
  10. ^ "Little Big Town | Better Man | Music Video | MTV". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Wicks, Amanda (November 1, 2016). "Little Big Town Premiere 'Better Man' Music Video". Radio.com. CBS Corporation. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Stefano, Angela (April 15, 2018). "2018 ACM Awards Winners List". The Boot. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  19. ^ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. November 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. November 12, 2016.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ "American single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Recording Industry Association of America.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player". listen.tidal.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  27. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  28. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  29. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  30. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  31. ^ "Little Big Town Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  32. ^ "Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  33. ^ "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  34. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  35. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  36. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Music Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Little Big Town – Better Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ 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.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ 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.
  43. ^ 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.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  46. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  47. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  48. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  49. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
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