Better Man (Little Big Town song) explained

Better Man
Cover:Little Big Town - Better Man.png
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Little Big Town
Album:The Breaker
Genre:Country
Length:
  • (album version)
    4:43 (music video version)
Label:Capitol Nashville
Producer:Jay Joyce
Prev Title:One of Those Days
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Happy People
Next Year:2017

"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. 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.[2]

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), which she co-produced with Aaron Dessner.

Background

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.[3] [4] According to Swift, the song was originally intended for her fourth studio album Red (2012).[5] An unnamed source from Us Weekly reported that she sent it to the group in July 2016.[6]

"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-B. Karen Fairchild's lead vocal spans from F to B.[7]

Swift revealed in August 2021 that she would be recording her rendition of "Better Man" for the 2021 re-recording of Red.[8] 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 E to A.

Music video

An accompanying music video was directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long and premiered on November 1, 2016.[9] Set in a rural household, the video depicts three generations of single parents whose partners ultimately leave them.[10] 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.[10]

Critical reception

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."[11] 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."[12] Taste of Country ranked it the 42nd best country song of the 2010s.[13]

Accolades

YearAssociationCategoryResult
2017Billboard Music Awards[14] Top Country Song
CMT Music Awards[15] Group Video of the Year
Video of the Year
CMA Awards[16] Single of the Year
Song of the Year
Music Video of the Year
2018Grammy Awards[17] Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Best Country Song
ACM Awards[18] Single Record of the Year

Commercial performance

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. The song has sold 772,000 copies in the United States as of February 2018.[24]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[25]

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Position
Canada Country (Billboard)[26] 8
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[27] 34
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[28] 10

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[29] 29

Other versions

Swift performed "Better Man" at Club Nomadic in Houston as part of the DirecTV Special, Super Saturday Night on February 4, 2017.[30] 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.[31] Swift performed "Better Man" as a surprise song on May 19, 2023, at the first Eras Tour show in Foxborough, Massachusetts.[32] 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.[33]

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.[34] [35]

"Better Man (Taylor's Version)"

Better Man (Taylor's Version)
Type:song
Artist:Taylor Swift
Album:Red (Taylor's Version)
Genre:Country
Length:4:57
Label:Republic
Producer:

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.[36] 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.[37]

Certification

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hear Little Big Town's Melancholy New Song 'Better Man'. rollingstone.com. October 20, 2016. July 5, 2017. November 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005408/https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/hear-little-big-towns-melancholy-new-song-better-man-w445744. live.
  2. News: Los Angeles Times Staff . Grammys 2018 Complete List of Nominees . . November 29, 2017 . November 29, 2017 . November 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171128161339/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-grammys-nominees-winners-list-2018-story.html . live .
  3. Web site: Who Did Taylor Swift Write "Better Man" About? We Investigate the Lyrics for Little Big Town's New Single. Mike. Vulpo. November 1, 2016. E! Online. December 2, 2016. May 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170514194302/http://www.eonline.com/uk/news/806391/who-did-taylor-swift-write-better-man-about-we-investigate-the-lyrics-for-little-big-town-s-new-single. live.
  4. Web site: Why didn't Taylor Swift keep 'Better Man' for herself? Little Big Town says, 'We didn't ask'. November 15, 2016. SiriusXM: Hear & Now. en. June 19, 2019. June 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190619150145/http://blog.siriusxm.com/why-didnt-taylor-swift-keep-better-man-for-herself-little-big-town-says-we-didnt-ask/. live.
  5. Web site: Taylor Swift Talks Newfound 'Freedom,' 'Lover' Tour Plans and So Much More. On Air with Ryan Seacrest. August 27, 2019. August 27, 2019. April 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200408215457/https://onairwithryan.iheart.com/featured/ryan-seacrest/content/2019-08-27-taylor-swift-talks-newfound-freedom-lover-tour-plans-and-so-much-more/. live.
  6. Book: Taylor Swift - Her Last Word. Us Weekly. 2016.
  7. Web site: 'Better Man' sheet music. musicnotes.com. November 2016. February 18, 2017. February 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170219101050/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0169637. live.
  8. Swift. Taylor. Taylor Swift. taylorswift. CSPEsteMmE5/. 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. August 6, 2021. August 6, 2021.
  9. Web site: Little Big Town Better Man Music Video MTV. MTV. Viacom. February 5, 2017. February 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170206111212/http://www.mtv.com/videos/little-big-town/1578966/better-man.jhtml. dead.
  10. News: Wicks. Amanda. Little Big Town Premiere 'Better Man' Music Video. February 5, 2017. Radio.com. CBS Corporation. November 1, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170419033728/http://radio.com/2016/11/01/little-big-town-better-man-music-video-taylor-swift/. April 19, 2017. dead.
  11. Web site: Single Review: Little Big Town, "Better Man". Coyne. Kevin John. October 27, 2016. Country Universe. February 18, 2017. February 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170219093927/http://www.countryuniverse.net/2016/10/27/single-review-little-big-town-better-man/. live.
  12. Web site: Little Big Town, 'Better Man' [Listen]]. Dukes. Billy. Taste of Country. October 20, 2016 . February 18, 2017. May 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170522092230/http://tasteofcountry.com/little-big-town-better-man/. live.
  13. Web site: It's Official: We've Picked the 50 Best Country Songs of the 2010s. Dukes. Billy. Taste of Country. en. 2019-12-16. December 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191216234043/https://tasteofcountry.com/best-country-songs-2010s/. live.
  14. News: 2017 Billboard Music Awards Country Winners List. Stefano. Angela. The Boot. May 21, 2017. September 4, 2017. November 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171127044245/http://theboot.com/2017-billboard-music-awards-winners-list. live.
  15. News: 2017 CMT Music Awards Winners List. Stefano. Angela. The Boot. June 7, 2017. September 4, 2017. June 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170606184614/http://theboot.com/2017-cmt-music-awards-winners/. live.
  16. Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert Lead 2017 CMA Awards Nominees, Taylor Swift Earns First Nomination in Three Years. Taylor. Weatherby. Billboard. September 4, 2017. September 4, 2017.
  17. News: Grammy Awards 2018: The winners' list. USA Today Staff. USA Today. January 28, 2018. January 28, 2018. March 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180311170236/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/01/28/grammy-awards-2018-winners-list/1065641001/. live.
  18. News: 2018 ACM Awards Winners List. Stefano. Angela. The Boot. April 15, 2018. April 16, 2018. May 31, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180531015311/http://theboot.com/2018-acm-awards-winners/. live.
  19. Hot Country Songs . November 5, 2016 . Billboard . subscription . December 2, 2016 . December 20, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220225151/http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2016-11-05/hot-country-songs . dead .
  20. News: Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report: November 1, 2016 . Matt . Bjorke . November 1, 2016 . Roughstock . November 3, 2016 . February 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190202212055/http://roughstock.com/news/2016/11/41025-top-30-digital-singles-sales-report-november-1-2016 . live .
  21. Hot Country Songs . November 12, 2016 . Billboard .
  22. News: Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart: November 7, 2016 . Matt . Bjorke . November 7, 2016 . Roughstock . December 2, 2016 . May 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170502002547/http://roughstock.com/news/2016/11/41042-top-30-digital-country-singles-chart-november-7-2016 . live .
  23. Asker. Jim. Little Big Town Leads Hot Country Songs With Taylor Swift-Written 'Better Man'. February 5, 2017. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 31, 2016.
  24. News: TOP 30 Digital Country Singles Sales Chart: February 5, 2017. Roughstock. Bjorke. Matt. February 5, 2017. February 8, 2017. February 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063832/http://roughstock.com/news/2018/02/42763-top-30-digital-country-singles-sales-chart-february-5-2017. live.
  25. Web site: Try the TIDAL Web Player. listen.tidal.com. en. 2019-06-27. June 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190627054444/https://listen.tidal.com/album/77555856. live.
  26. Billboard Canada Year-End Country Airplay of 2017. Billboard. December 31, 2017.
  27. Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 18, 2017.
  28. Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 18, 2017.
  29. Decade-End Charts: Hot Country Songs. Billboard. February 3, 2020.
  30. Taylor Swift Performs 'Better Man' & 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' for First Time at Stunning Pre-Super Bowl Set. Atkinson. Katie. February 5, 2017. Billboard. April 5, 2021.
  31. Iasimone . Ashley . May 26, 2018 . All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far) . live . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20180527060413/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8458025/taylor-swift-reputation-tour-b-stage-songs-list . May 27, 2018 . May 27, 2018 . subscription.
  32. Iasimone . Ashley . May 20, 2023 . All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far) . May 20, 2023 . Billboard . en-US . March 19, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230319011405/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ . live .
  33. Iasimone . Ashley . May 20, 2023 . All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far) . May 20, 2023 . Billboard . en-US . March 19, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230319011405/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-eras-tour-surprise-songs/ . live .
  34. Chase Bryant Shares Introspective Cover of Little Big Town's Taylor Swift-Penned 'Better Man': Listen. Aniftos. Rania. February 15, 2017. Billboard. February 18, 2017.
  35. See Chase Bryant's Solemn Cover of Little Big Town's 'Better Man'. Freeman. Jon. February 15, 2017. Rolling Stone. February 18, 2017. February 18, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170218035907/http://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/see-chase-bryants-cover-of-little-big-towns-better-man-w467201. dead.
  36. Web site: Red (Taylor's Version): Release date, tracklist, why Taylor Swift is rerecording her albums. CNET. Abrar. Al-Heeti. November 11, 2021. November 13, 2021. November 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211120224012/https://www.cnet.com/news/red-taylors-version-release-date-tracklist-why-taylor-swift-is-rerecording-her-albums/. live.
  37. Web site: On Red (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift's Vault Tracks Are All Too Swell: Album Review. Chris. Willman. Variety. November 12, 2021. November 12, 2021. November 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113040229/https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-album-review-all-too-well-1235110634/. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Better Man (Little Big Town song)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.