Peace (Taylor Swift song) explained

Peace
Artist:Taylor Swift
Album:Folklore
Studio:
Label:Republic
Producer:Aaron Dessner

"Peace" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. According to Swift, "Peace" is her most personal song on Folklore. It has a minimal composition of a soft piano and harmonized guitars over an electric pulse, combining elements of R&B, funk, and jazz. In the lyrics, Swift's character pledges her commitment to a lover while acknowledging the downsides she might bring to their relationship.

Music critics who praised "Peace" found the song to contain emotional lyrics, Swift's elastic vocal performance, and a stripped-down production. Some critics named it one of the best-written songs by Swift. Commercially, the track peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted in Australia and Canada. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) gave it a gold certification. Swift performed the song for the concert documentary (2020) and her Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Background and production

The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began work on her eighth studio album, Folklore, during the COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020.[1] She recruited Aaron Dessner as a producer on the album. Swift co-wrote nine songs with Dessner, who produced all of them, including "Peace". It was the third track the duo wrote, following the fellow Folklore tracks "Cardigan" and "Seven". Due to the lockdown, Swift and Dessner were separated and had to create the album by exchanging digital files;[2] the songs they worked on were originally Dessner's instrumental tracks that he would send to Swift to pen the melody and lyrics over.[3]

For "Peace", its instrumental consisted of harmonized basslines, a drone, and a pulse—the last one was provided by the American singer-songwriter Justin Vernon.[4] When Swift heard the instrumental, she found an "immediate sense of serenity" and a feeling of being at peace, but thought that it would be very literal to sing about finding peace. Instead, Swift wrote about complex "conflicted" feelings that would contrast to the track's calming sound. She recorded it in one take at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles.[5] The song and its instruments were recorded at Long Pond Studios in Hudson Valley and April Base Studios in Wisconsin. It was mixed at Long Pond and was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City.

Music and lyrics

Characterized by a sparse,[6] lo-fi instrumentation, "Peace" is a minimal R&B-influenced song with a slow funk bassline,[7] consisting of three lushly harmonized electric guitars juxtaposed over a ticking pulse,[8] [9] further textured by subtle synthesizers and a drizzle of soft piano notes.[10] Swift employs her soulful jazzy vocals in the "Peace", via a complex vocal melody, ranging between F3 to A4.[11] The song is written in the key of F major and has a moderately fast tempo of 150 beats per minute.[12]

The song structure of "Peace" is an ode reminiscent of a prayer. Its lyrics discuss the effects of Swift's hectic superstardom on her private life, and is directly addressed to her lover, warning them of the challenges that come with them being a part of her hyper-publicized life.[13] [14] The song's title is deceptive, since "Peace" is about failing to achieve peace, seeing Swift confess that "tranquility is the only thing she can't promise" her lover. After witnessing the dissection of her personal life by the press for over a decade, especially tabloid media, Swift was tight-lipped and private about her boyfriend from 2016 to 2023, English actor Joe Alwyn, who co-wrote and co-produced several tracks on Folklore. "Peace" channels the balance Swift struck between her private and public lives and is rooted in her personal life, unlike much of the fictional material in Folklore.[15]

Notable details in the song's lyrics include Swift's mention of Alwyn's younger brother in the lyric "Family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother", the second time she mentions him in her discography, after the track "Paper Rings" from her 2019 album Lover.[16] An Insider critic opined that the lyric "But there's robbers to the east / clowns to the West" is a mention of her famous feuds, underscoring "the spectacle of Swift's everyday and her inability to escape the trappings of public life"; "robbers" referring to Scott Borchetta, who sold the masters of Swift's first six albums to Scooter Braun, while the "clowns to the West" refers to Kanye West and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

Release and live performances

Folklore was released on July 24, 2020, via Republic Records. In the standard track-list, "Peace" sits at number 15 as the penultimate track.[17] The song debuted in the United States's Billboard Hot 100 and Rolling Stone Top 100, with peaks of number 58 and number 25 respectively. On Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, it reached number 12 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks. The song also appeared on the chart's 2020 year-end chart, where it landed at number 53. Elsewhere, the track reached on the national charts of Australia (33) and Canada (46), and the Audio Streaming Chart of the United Kingdom (53). It received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for reaching 35,000 units.

After the album's release, on November 25, 2020, Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of "Peace" for the Disney+ concert documentary and its live album.[18] On February 23, 2024, Swift performed the song as a mashup with her song "New Year's Day" (2017) for the Sydney stop of her Eras Tour (2023–2024).[19]

Critical reception

Sarah Carson of i remarked "Peace" as "the most romantic song" Swift has ever written, containing the "storybook poetry hallmarks" of her early country career, and underlined the lyric "All these people think love's for show / But I would die for you in secret." Variety critic Chris Wilman called "Peace" the "champion romance song", and along with fellow track "Invisible String", found it a suitable addition that contrasts the overaching sadness of Folklore. He thought "Peace" is a "realistic" love ballad that "renders all the compensatory vows of fidelity and courage all the more credible and deeply lovely".[20] The Guardian Laura Snapes complimented the "deep dedication" Swift expresses in "Peace".[21]

Writing for Vulture, Nate Jones felt that "Peace" is "more clearly autobiographical than much of the album", having Swift apologize to her lover for "the stress that comes with dating one of the world's most famous women". He added that the song's purpose can come off as "an insufferable flex", but "her unassuming authenticity keeps it far away from humblebrag territory".[22] Callie Ahlgrim of Insider said the song has Swift promise to give her partner "passion and warmth and undying loyalty" but yet "wrestles with her inability to promise peace".[23] Also writing for Insider, Courteney Larocca admired the song's "gut-wrenchingly vulnerable" lyrics, "stunning" musical composition, and Swift's "crisp" vocal performance. She also drew lyrical parallels between "Peace" and Swift's older songs "Call It What You Want" (2017) and "The Archer" (2019).[24]

WRVU stated that "Peace" is one of the "most exquisite" songs Swift has ever written, representing a love song in "the absolute purest and most devoted sense", with some of the "lushest" lyrics she has ever written. The review praised the "improvisational" song structure of "Peace", deviating from standard pop structures of "a regular verse-chorus-bridge", and pinpointed that the song's central theme is a derivative of Swift's sixth studio album, Reputation.[25] In a mixed commentary, Kathryn Flynn of Consequence felt the song's slow pace and muted R&B sound does not fit the overall texture of Folklore.[26]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[27] and Pitchfork[28]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Peak
position
US Rolling Stone Top 100[29] 25

Year-end chart

Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[30] 53

Notes and References

  1. Suskind . Alex . December 9, 2020 . Taylor Swift Broke All Her Rules with Folklore — And Gave Herself a Much-Needed Escape . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210312063543/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-entertainers-of-the-year-2020/ . March 12, 2021 . June 11, 2021 . Entertainment Weekly.
  2. Blistein . Jon . November 24, 2020 . Taylor Swift to Release New Folklore Film, The Long Pond Studio Sessions . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201124135743/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-long-pond-studio-sessions-1094615/ . November 24, 2020 . October 24, 2023 . Rolling Stone.
  3. Doyle . Patrick . November 13, 2020 . Musicians on Musicians: Taylor Swift & Paul McCartney . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201130060712/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/paul-mccartney-taylor-swift-musicians-on-musicians-1089058/ . November 30, 2020 . October 20, 2023 . Rolling Stone.
  4. Web site: Gerber . Brady . July 27, 2020 . The Story Behind Every Song on Taylor Swift's Folklore . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200728234347/https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-aaron-dessner-breaks-down-every-song.html . July 28, 2020 . October 20, 2023 . Vulture.
  5. Web site: Sodomsky . Sam . July 24, 2020 . The National's Aaron Dessner Talks Taylor Swift's New Album Folklore . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200725001630/https://pitchfork.com/news/the-nationals-aaron-dessner-talks-taylor-swifts-new-album-folklore/ . July 25, 2020 . June 11, 2021 . Pitchfork.
  6. Web site: Mapes. Julian. July 27, 2020. Taylor Swift: folklore. June 11, 2021. Pitchfork. August 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200828191233/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore/. live.
  7. Web site: Wood. Mikael. July 26, 2020. Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': All 16 songs, ranked. June 11, 2021. Los Angeles Times. March 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210329230604/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-26/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked. live.
  8. Web site: Carsom. Sarah. July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift, Folklore, review: a dazzling, timeless surprise album. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724041853/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-folklore-review-dazzling-timeless-surprise-new-eighth-album-folk-cardigan-lyrics-561733. July 24, 2020. June 11, 2021. i.
  9. Blistein . Jon . July 24, 2020 . How Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift Stripped Down Her Sound on Folklore . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200729093538/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/aaron-dessner-taylor-swift-interview-folklore-1033870/ . July 29, 2020 . July 31, 2020 . Rolling Stone.
  10. Web site: Sumsion. Michael. July 29, 2020. Taylor Swift Abandons Stadium-Pop for a New Tonal Approach on 'Folklore'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200731005457/https://www.popmatters.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-2646821264.html. July 31, 2020. June 11, 2021. PopMatters.
  11. Web site: July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift "peace" Sheet Music in F major. June 11, 2021. Musicnotes.com. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210611072702/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0214787. live.
  12. Web site: Key & BPM for "peace" by Taylor Swift. June 11, 2021. TuneBat. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210611072700/https://tunebat.com/Info/peace-Taylor-Swift/7MbT4I8qGntX4fMdqMQgke. live.
  13. Web site: Gardner. Abby. July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift Folklore Album Review: Breaking Down All the References and Easter Eggs. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806063805/https://www.glamour.com/story/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review. August 6, 2020. June 11, 2021. Glamour.
  14. Web site: Gutowitz. Jill. July 24, 2020. What Is Every Song on Taylor Swift's Folklore Actually About?. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200730194750/https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-every-folklore-song-explained.html. July 30, 2020. June 11, 2021. Vulture.
  15. Web site: November 13, 2020. Taylor Swift shares rare insight into relationship with Joe Alwyn. June 11, 2021. Capital FM. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210611075832/https://www.capitalfm.com/news/taylor-swift-boyfriend-joe-alwyn-peace/. live.
  16. Web site: Sager. Jessica. November 3, 2020. We Broke Down All the Easter Eggs from Taylor Swift's Folklore So You Don't Have To. June 11, 2021. Parade.com. October 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221020204640/https://parade.com/1065923/jessicasager/taylor-swift-folklore-easter-eggs-lyrics-explained/. live.
  17. Web site: Walsh. Savannah. December 11, 2020. Breaking Down Every Easter Egg in Taylor Swift's Time-Traveling 'Willow' Music Video. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201213232232/https://www.elle.com/culture/music/g34943325/taylor-swift-willow-music-video-easter-eggs/. December 13, 2020. June 11, 2021. Elle.
  18. Web site: Monroe . Jazz . 2020-11-24 . Taylor Swift Releases New folklore Film and Live Album . October 27, 2023 . Pitchfork . en-US . February 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230228005714/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releasing-newandnbspfolkloreandnbspfilm-on-disney/ . live .
  19. Web site: Peters . Mitchell . February 24, 2024 . Taylor Swift Performs More Surprise Songs Mashups at Second Eras Tour Concert in Sydney . March 1, 2024 . Billboard.
  20. Web site: Willman. Chris. July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': Album Review. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200724065836/https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-1234715520/. July 24, 2020. June 11, 2021. Variety.
  21. Web site: Snapes. Laura. July 24, 2021. Taylor Swift: Folklore review – bombastic pop makes way for emotional acuity. June 11, 2021. The Guardian. April 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210429131637/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/24/taylor-swift-folklore-review-bombastic-pop-makes-way-for-emotional-acuity. live.
  22. Web site: Jones. Nate. January 11, 2021. All 179 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked. June 11, 2021. Vulture. September 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190913234630/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html. live.
  23. Web site: Ahlgrim. Callie. July 31, 2020. Every detail and Easter egg you may have missed on Taylor Swift's new album 'Folklore'. June 11, 2021. Insider. December 2, 2021. https://archive.today/20211202000344/https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-lyrics-easter-eggs-2020-7. live.
  24. Web site: Larocca. Courteney. July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' might be the best album of her entire career. June 11, 2021. Insider. December 2, 2021. https://archive.today/20211202000949/https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-tracklist-breakdown-2020-7. live.
  25. Web site: October 2, 2020. A Long Overdue Track-by-Track Review of Taylor Swift's folklore. June 11, 2021. WRVU. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210611102949/https://wrvu.org/folklore/. live.
  26. Web site: Siroky. Mary. November 9, 2021. Every Taylor Swift Album Ranked from Worst to Best. November 10, 2021. Consequence. March 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220328011127/https://consequence.net/2021/11/taylor-swift-albums-ranked-list/. live.
  27. Folklore. Taylor Swift. 2020. booklet. Republic Records. B003271102. United States.
  28. Web site: Strauss . Matthew . Minsker . Evan . July 24, 2020 . Taylor Swift Releases New Album Folklore: Listen and Read the Full Credits . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200910132536/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releases-new-album-folklore-listen-and-read-the-full-credits/ . September 10, 2020 . June 11, 2021 . Pitchfork.
  29. Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 - July 30, 2020. Rolling Stone. June 11, 2021. September 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200930183616/https://www.rollingstone.com/charts/songs/2020-08-04/. live.
  30. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020. Billboard. January 2, 2013. July 26, 2021. January 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210111060621/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/hot-rock-songs. live.