Taylor Swift debuts at #1 with “Anti-Hero”

Anti-Hero Taylor Swift

Writer(s): Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff (see lyrics here) Released: October 21, 2022 First Charted:October 29, 2022 Peak: 18 US, 15 BA, 15 DG, 12 ST, 5 AC, 17 A40, 16 UK, 15 CN, 16 AU, 12 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 1.2 UK, 2.89 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 221.78 video, 1321.48 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: November 5, 2022 will go down as one of the most significant dates in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor Swift’s tenth album, Midnights, hit the charts and, in a trend that has become the norm for major artists during the streaming era, all of the album’s songs debuted on the Hot 100 that week. However, Swift accomplished a chart feat that had never been done before – she locked down the entire top 10. The chart domination was led by “Anti-Hero,” the album’s first official single, debuting at #1. It was her fifth time to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. She previously accomplished the feat with “Shake It Off,” “Cardigan,” “Willow,” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).” This was her ninth trip to the pinnacle overall. The songs on the Midnights album were inspired by Swift’s nightmares and insecurities. As she said, “one of the themes…is how you’re feeling in the middle of the night…You go through these very polarizing emotions…and your brain just spirals.” SF “Anti-Hero” specifically deals with her “issues with depersonalization and self-hatred” WK as she explores self-loathing, depression, and anxiety in the lyrics. As she said, the song is a “guided tour throughout all the things I tend to hate about myself.” WK The video reenacts a nightmare she had in which she is killed by her future daughter-in-law and the family fights over her will. The video won the People’s Choice Award for Music Video of 2022. Despite the downer of a topic, the snyth-pop song, co-written with Jack Antonoff from Fun. and the Bleachers, is driven by a “catchy rhythm.” WK Billboard magazine said it is the best song from the album. WK DIY magazine said it is arguably the best lead single of Swift’s career. WK Swift said it “is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.” SF It set the opening-day streaming record on Spotify and reached #1 in more than a dozen countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Taylor Swift SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/11/2023; last updated 1/2/2024.