Begin Again (Taylor Swift song)

Swift quipped that the song is "about when you've gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup, and the vulnerability that goes along with all that".[1] She previewed it on Good Morning America on September 24, 2012,[2] and was released digitally on iTunes the next day, September 25.[3] The song initially served as a promotional single, the first of four tracks to be released during the four weeks preceding the release of her fourth studio album Red.[4] It was later announced that the song would be the second single from Red. An individually numbered CD single was released on October 23, 2012, exclusively to Amazon.com and Swift's official store.[5][6]

Produced by Swift, Dann Huff, and Nathan Chapman, "Begin Again" is a country[7] and soft rock ballad.[8] It incorporates steel guitar, arpeggiated acoustic guitar, and gentle percussion in its production. Marc Hogan from Spin remarked that the instruments resemble the music of 1970s soft rock singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, the latter of whom is referenced to in the lyrics, "You said you never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you / But I do".[9] The country-music production is accentuated by mandolin and banjo.[10] Lindsay Zoladz from The New York Times found the song to feature a "coffee shop folksiness".[11]

The lyrics of "Begin Again" are about a protagonist falling in love again after a failed relationship.[9] Swift told Good Morning America about the song's content, "It's actually a song about kind of when you've gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup and the vulnerability that goes along with all of that."[12] The narrator compares her ex-lover to a new love interest, "I think it's strange that you think I'm funny, because he never did."[9][12] Billy Dukes from Taste of Country remarked that the narrator of "Begin Again" is willing to reveal her vulnerability to the new lover, which makes the song touching.[13]

As noted by critics, "Begin Again" finds Swift writing about optimism and hope in a new love after enduring heartbreak and tumultuous feelings from toxic relationships.[9][14] Musicologist James E. Perone observed that "Begin Again", placing as the final track on the standard edition of Red, serves as the thematic conclusion to the album—after exploring the intensity of new relationships on the first tracks and the messy complications of such "red" tumultuous relationships on the following songs, the album concludes with a song focusing on a relationship that is deeper and potentially more lasting. The country-music production, according to Perone, confirms the significance of Swift's country roots on the genre-spanning, pop-oriented Red.[7]

"Begin Again" received widespread acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised Swift's songwriting. Perone found the lyrics "wide-ranging and free-ranging" and deemed the track an appropriate album closer for Red.[7] Writing for Taste of Country, Billy Dukes gave the song a four star rating out of five, describing it as "a cleansing breath that hopefully foreshadows the true tone of her album".[13] Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly wrote the song is "a well-crafted love story" and noted Swift's talent "at taking a single moment in time and letting it unfold like a pop-up storybook."[15] Matt Bjorke gave four out of five stars as well for Roughstock, complimenting that "The song is a vast improvement for Taylor. A ballad that's neither in-your-face or sounding like its from a twelve year old".[16]

The Boot noted that the story Swift painted was "sweet" and it's a "beautiful ballad".[1] MuchMusic lauded Swift, stating "while she is more than capable of releasing the carefree, jump-around-your-room-with-a-hairbrush break up songs like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," she also has the pen of a poet and knows how to craft emotionally gut-wrenching songs that speak to her millions of fans."[17] Billboard magazine ranked "Begin Again" at number six on their list of the best songs of 2012, praising Swift's artistic maturity.[18] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone called the track "a deceptively simple ballad that sneaks up and steamrolls all over you".[19]

Swift performing "Begin Again" during the Red Tour in 2013

Upon release, "Begin Again" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart with first-week sales of 299,000 digital copies; it was Swift's fifth chart topper.[24] On October 4, 2012, it debuted and peaked at number seven the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Swift's 12th top-10 entry as well as her ninth top-10 debut.[25][26] On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated October 13, 2012, "Begin Again" opened at number 37 with three million airplay impressions.[26] For the next week's issue, Billboard incorporated digital sales and streaming data to the Hot Country Songs chart, in addition to only airplay data as previously done. As a result, "Begin Again" jumped to number 10 on Hot Country Songs (which would be its peak position),[27] and appeared at number 29 on the newly-revamped Country Airplay chart, which replaced the aforementioned chart as the country-airplay-only ranking.[28] It ultimately peaked at number three and spent 22 weeks on the chart.[29] On March 29, 2013, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[30]

In Canada, it reached number four on the Canadian Hot 100 and number seven on Billboard's Canada Country airplay chart.[31][32] On May 31, 2013, "Begin Again" received a gold certification from Music Canada.[33] Elsewhere, the song debuted on the charts in several territories, peaking within the top 40 of New Zealand (11),[34] Australia (20),[35] Ireland (25),[36] Scotland (27),[37] the United Kingdom (30),[38] and Spain (35),[39] and further reaching Italy (72).[40]

The music video for "Begin Again" premiered on MTV on October 23, 2012.[41] Swift chose to film the video in Paris as a "love letter" in tribute to the city, " 'Cause it's just the city and this storyline of somebody moving on and finding yourself again."[41] The video starts with Swift standing on a bridge while pensively gazing across the water and remembering a lost love. She then takes a walk along the Seine,[10] wearing a Red dress with white flower appliques and blue peep toes and sits beside the river Seine. The video draws comparison to that of singer Adele's music video "Someone Like You" and Swift's own "Back to December".[42]

Swift then rides a bicycle, wearing a blue and white floral skirt with white cat flats with sun glasses on and bikes down a Cobblestone street. She goes shopping and tries on new clothes, which is spliced with shots of Swift singing to a man (Vladimir Perrin). In a flashback, she recalls her first meeting with the man at a café while sipping cappuccino. He starts taking snapshots of her with his Leica M6. They then have a bitter-sweet conversation, laughing and giggling at each other. The following clips shows Swift sitting at a park and sampling pastries. It also shows Swift walking by the Seine. The clip ends with the two walking side by side, as Swift allows herself to "begin again."

Directed by Philip Andelman and produced by Arthur Cantin,[43] the story in the video deviates from the song's lyrical narrative in several respects. While the lyrics recount the narrator's (Swift) trepidation of a first date after a bad breakup, the video instead relates a chance meeting in a cafe in Paris. In the video, Swift is seated at a booth, doodling in a small notebook when a Frenchman at another table takes interest and introduces himself. Missing from the video are the Swift's initial moments in the cafe, where her date has arrived early to wait for her, greets her, then helps her into her chair, displaying kindness and respect that was apparently absent from her former relationship. Late in the song, the restaurant encounter draws to a conclusion while the couple walks to Swift's car.

Entertainment Weekly thought the video was “another classic bittersweet Swift joint,” writing: “Though her boyfriend doesn't laugh at her jokes and bores her with stories about his family’s Christmas movie-watching traditions, she finds the ultimate salve: Wandering through the streets of Paris, chuckling with handsome dudes in a café (and probably snacking on snails or something). It’s a lovely clip, but a little bit sleepy. Also, there’s something about it that recalls ’Back to December’ — is it the color palette, or just the general moodiness?”.[44][45]

Swift performed "Begin Again" at the 2012 Country Music Association Awards on November 1, in Nashville. The performance mirrored the music video, with Swift, dressed in red, singing on a Parisian café-inspired stage with an accordion player.[46] Grady Smith from Entertainment Weekly said that although Swift does not possess a powerful voice like her contemporaries, "when it's set in the right place ... I find Swift's tone gently evocative and rather soothing".[46] In 2023, Swift sang "Begin Again" as a surprise song during the third Houston show of the Eras Tour.[47]

Adapted from Red album liner notes[48]

A re-recorded version of "Begin Again", titled "Begin Again (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of Swift's re-recording album Red (Taylor's Version), on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records.[54] The re-recording peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Global 200.

• List of number-one digital songs of 2012 (U.S.)