"Slut!"
| "Slut!" | |
|---|---|
 Slut cover | |
| Single by Taylor Swift | |
| from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version | |
| Released | October 27, 2023 |
| Length | 3:00 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
"'Slut!'"[a] is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the seventeenth track on Swift's re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), to be released on 27 October 2023. The track is also the first of five Vault tracks from the album. It was written by Swift, Jack Antonoff and Patrik Berger.[1]
Background
Prior to the release of 1989 in 2014, following a series of high-profile romances with prominent men, which she also discusses in her music, Swift was widely portrayed as a "serial dater" by the mainstream media.[2] Swift's romantic affairs were already in the spotlight prior to the release of 1989, appearing in pop culture jokes and slut-shaming by other celebrities. Blank Space, the second single on 1989, was interpreted as Swift's take on the "serial dater" stereotype created by the media.[3]
Slut! has been interpreted by fans as Swift addressing her slut-shaming during her relationships. Swift had previously addressed the slut-shaming in interviews including a 2016 episode of Vogue’s 73 Questions and interview with Zane Lowe in 2019 about her treatment when producing 1989.[3] According to Mary Kate Carr of The A.V. Club, fans speculated the quotation marks may suggest the assertion towards Swift being deemed a serial dater.[4]
Release
On 9 August 2023, Taylor Swift announced the upcoming release of her fourth re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood during her Eras Tour show. The re-recorded album's release date was set on 27 October 2023, exactly nine years to the date of the original album's release in 2014. That same day, a post regarding the album's release was shared on Swift's Instagram page.[5] A animation was released via Instagram on 19 September by Swift teasing the upcoming title of a new unreleased track. The animation featured a mashup of alphabets and punctuation marks: T-S-!-U-L emerging from a blue vault. Fans and journalists interpreted it to be a teaser for one of the five "From the Vault" tracks.[6] Possible titles Lust! or Slut! were suspected.[7] On 21 September, Swift released the track list for 1989 (Taylor's Version) on her Instagram page hence announcing the title of the song. Slut! was the first of five "from the Vault" tracks featured on the album on the order of listing.[8] While announcing 1989 (Taylor's Version), Swift said the Vault tracks “are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind,”[4]
Notes
- ^ Subtitled "(Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)"
References
- ^ Viswanath, Jake (27 October 2023). "Taylor Swift Tackles Slut-Shaming Like Never Before On "Slut!"". Bustle. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Molloy, Antonia (11 November 2014). "Taylor Swift new 'Blank Space' video: Singer plays up to serial dating media stereotype". The Independent. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Soteriou, Stephanie (22 September 2023). "It Looks Like One Of Taylor Swift's "1989" Vault Tracks Is Going To Be A Direct Response To The Slut-Shaming She Faced In Her 20s And I, For One, Am Seated". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b Carr, Mary Kate (20 September 2022). "Yes, Taylor Swift is in fact releasing a song called "Slut!" [UPDATED]". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Olson, Samantha (25 October 2023). "Now Presenting: Every Detail About '1989 (Taylor's Version)'". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Kubota, Samantha; Eley, Amy; Capadonna, Bryanna (September 20, 2023). "Taylor Swift has revealed vault track titles on '1989 (Taylor's Version)'". Today. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ Mcnamara, Bre (20 September 2023). "Is Taylor Swift's '1989' Vault Song Called Slut? Fans Are Confused". Her Campus. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Frank, Jason P. (21 September 2023). "Decoding Taylor Swift's Teeny-Tiny Handwriting". Vulture. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
