"Blank Space" is a song by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift and the secondsingle from her fifth studio album,1989 (2014). Swift wrote the song with its producers,Max Martin andShellback. Inspired by the media scrutiny on Swift's love life that affected hergirl-next-door reputation, "Blank Space" portrays a flirtatious woman with multiple romantic attachments. It is anelectropop track with a minimal arrangement consisting ofsynthesizers,hip hop–influenced beats, and layered vocals.
Inspired by 1980ssynth-pop withsynthesizers,drum pads, and overlapped vocals,Taylor Swift abandoned thecountry stylings of her previous releases to incorporatepop production for her fifth studio album,1989, which was released in 2014.[1][2][3] Swift began writing songs for the album in mid-2013 concurrently with the start of Swift's headliningworld tour in support of her fourth studio albumRed.[4] On1989, Swift and the Swedish producerMax Martin served asexecutive producers.[2] Martin and his frequent collaboratorShellback produced seven out of 13 songs on the album's standard edition.[5]
Having been known as "America's Sweetheart" thanks to her wholesome and down-to-earthgirl next door image,[6][7] Swift saw her reputation blemished due to her history of romantic relationships with a series of high-profile celebrities.The New York Times asserted in 2013 that her "dating history [had] begun to stir what feels like the beginning of a backlash", questioning whether Swift was in the midst of aquarter-life crisis.[8] TheTampa Bay Times observed that until the release of1989, Swift's love life had become a fixed tabloid interest and overshadowed her musicianship.[7] Swift disliked the media portrayal of her as a "serial-dater", feeling that it undermined her professional works, and became reticent to discuss her personal life in public.[9][10] The tabloid scrutiny on her image prompted her to write satirical songs about her perceived image, in addition to her traditional romantic themes.[11]
Anelectropop song set over minimalhip hop-influenced beats, "Blank Space" satirizes Swift's image as a seductive woman with a long history of relationships.
Talking toGQ in 2015, Swift said that she envisioned "Blank Space" to be a satirical self-referential nod to the media perception of her image as "a girl who's crazy but seductive but glamorous but nuts but manipulative".[12] She admitted that she had felt personally attacked for a long time before realizing "it was kind of hilarious".[12] She co-wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback.[5]
"Blank Space" follows theverse–chorus song structure.[13] The lyrics in theverses are clipped, "Magic, madness, heaven, sin", which themusicologist Nate Sloan said set a mysterious and dreadful tone.[13] At one point, Swift describes herself as a "nightmare dressed like a daydream".[14] Therefrain alludes to Swift's songwriting practice taking inspiration from her love life: the lyrics, "Got a long list of ex-lovers They'll tell you I'm insane But I've got a blank space, baby", are followed by a brief silence and then a clickingretractable pen sound, and Swift concludes the refrain: "And I'll write your name."[15] After the song's release, the line "Got a long list of ex-lovers" wasmisheard by some audience as "All the lonely Starbucks lovers", which prompted internet discussions including a response fromStarbucks themselves.[16][17]
Swift toldNME in 2015 that when "Blank Space" was released, "[half] the people got the joke, half the people really think that [she was] really owning the fact that [she was] a psychopath".[18] According to Sloan, the narrator of "Blank Space" isunreliable, and therefore it is open to interpretation whether the song is a true portrayal of Swift's character or not.[19] In contemporary publications, journalists commented that the track represented1989's lighthearted view on failed relationships and departed from the idealized romance on Swift's past albums.[20][21][22] Others wrote that Swift made fun of her image and the media discourse surrounding her celebrity, which later served as the foundation for her sixth studio albumReputation (2017), an album exploring her public experiences and the media gossip.[23][24]
Martin and Shellback employed a sparse production for "Blank Space" as Swift wanted the song to emphasize the lyrics and vocals.[2] Musically, "Blank Space" is anelectropop song[25][26] that is set over minimalhip hop–influenced beats.[27]Annie Zaleski said that the beats resonate like the sounds of agrandfather clock.[26] The song incorporatessynthesizers, percussionedguitarstrums, and layered backing vocals.[21][28] Swiftsing-speaks the verses[26] and, in the refrain, sings in her higherregister as the productioncrescendos with faster programmeddrums.[13] Some critics compared the song's minimal production to the music ofLorde, specifically her 2013 albumPure Heroine.[14][21][29] According toSpin's Andrew Unterberger, "Blank Space" embraces 1980s pop music authenticity, but with a modern twist.[29]
"Blank Space" debuted at number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart dated November 15, 2014.[35] The single reached number one in its third week on the chart, supported by the release of its music video. It took the number-one position from1989's lead single "Shake It Off", making Swift the first woman to succeed herself at the top spot.[36] "Blank Space" remained atop theBillboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.[37] In August 2023, "Blank Space" re-entered the Hot 100 and reached number 46 after it increased in streams; this was brought by Swift's announcement of the re-recorded album1989 (Taylor's Version) and her performances of the song on herEras Tour.[38][39] TheRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified "Blank Space"eight-times platinum, which denotes eight million units based on sales and track-equivalent on-demand streams, in July 2018,[40] and the single had sold 4.6 million digital copies in the United States by October 2022.[41]
The single also reached number one in Australia,[42] Canada,[43] South Africa,[44] and Scotland.[45] It peaked atopBillboard'sEuro Digital Song Sales[46] and the Finnish Download Chart.[47] "Blank Space" charted within the top five of national record charts, at number two in New Zealand,[48] Poland,[49] Slovakia,[50] number three in Bulgaria,[51] number four in the Czech Republic,[52] Ireland,[53] Israel,[54] the United Kingdom,[55] and number five in Lebanon.[56] The track received multi-platinum certifications in many countries, including fourteen-times platinum in Australia[57] and four-times diamond in Brazil.[58] It was certified four-times platinum in Canada,[59] Poland,[60] and New Zealand;[61] triple platinum in the United Kingdom;[62] and double platinum in Austria[63] and Portugal.[64] According to theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Blank Space" was the eighth-best-selling song of 2015, selling 9.2 million units.[65]
The song received widespread acclaim. Upon the release of1989, Shane Kimberline ofmusicOMH called "Blank Space" one of the album's best songs.[66]PopMatters's Corey Baesley lauded it as "easily a candidate for the best pop song of 2014", writing that the minimal production may "sound bright and easy" but was in fact "weapons-grade, professional pop".[21] Sydney Gore fromThe 405 deemed "Blank Space" the album's highlight,[14] and Aimee Cliff fromFact labeled it one of Swift's "most enjoyable songs to date" for portraying Swift's love life in a larger-than-life manner.[67]Drowned in Sound's Robert Leedham wrote that Swift succeeded in experimenting with new musical styles on1989, specifically choosing "Blank Space" as an example.[68]
The Observer criticKitty Empire picked "Blank Space" as a song that showcased Swift's musical and lyrical maturity, calling it "an out-and-out pop song with an intriguingly skeletal undercarriage".[69] Writing for theLos Angeles Times, Mikael Wood selected the track as one of the album's better songs because of Swift's songwriting craftsmanship.[27]The New York Times criticJon Caramanica deemed the song "Swift at her peak" that "serves to assert both her power and her primness".[70]The Independent's Andy Gill was less enthusiastic, calling it a "corporate rebel clichéd [sic]" song.[25]
Retrospective reviews of "Blank Space" have been positive.Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian in 2019 declared "Blank Space" the best single Swift had released, praising its success in transforming Swift's image from a country singer-songwriter to a pop star thanks to its "effortless" melody and witty lyrics.[28]Rolling Stone reviewerRob Sheffield wrote: "Every second of 'Blank Space' is perfect."[71]Paste in 2020 described the song as "remarkably well-made, infectiously catchy, and legitimately funny", and named it the best song on1989.[72] Selja Rankin fromEntertainment Weekly also dubbed "Blank Space" the best track on the album, praising the over-the-top lyrics and its catchy 1980s pop sound.[73]The Recording Academy in 2023 picked "Blank Space" as one of Swift's 13 essential songs that represented her songwriting and musicianship.[74]
Rolling Stone ranked "Blank Space" sixth on their list of the best songs of 2014,[75] 73rd on their list of the best songs of the 2010s decade,[76] 357th on their 2021 revision of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[77] and later at 320 in their 2024 revised list.[78]Time named it as the ninth best song in their year-end list.[79] The song placed at number three onThe Village Voice's annual year-endPazz & Jop critics' poll of 2014.[80]Stereogum[81] andUproxx[82] ranked the song at numbers 49 and 72 on their lists of the best songs of the 2010s decade, respectively.Billboard named it one of the 100 "Songs That Defined the Decade". Katie Atkinson wrote that the single consolidated Swift's trademark autobiographical storytelling in music while "setting the standard for a new, self-aware pop star" in poking fun at her perceived image.[83] OnSlant Magazine's list of the 100 best singles of the 2010s, "Blank Space" ranked 15th.[84]
Joseph Kahn directed the music video for "Blank Space". According to Kahn, Swift conceptualized the video to "[address] this concept of, if she has so many boys breaking up with her maybe the problem isn't the boy, maybe the problem is her".[89] Photography took place at two locations onLong Island: primary shooting took place atOheka Castle, with a few additional scenes shot atWoolworth Estate. The video was shot over three days in September 2014.[90] The last day was dedicated to filmAmerican Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, an interactive360° mobile app in collaboration withAmerican Express.[91] Kahn toldMashable that Swift was thorough in choosing the visual devices and imagery: "When you have an artist wanting to test her imaging, it's always great territory to be in."[89]
Kahn took inspirations fromStanley Kubrick's 1971 filmA Clockwork Orange for the video's symmetrical framing style.[91] The video begins as the male love interest (Sean O'Pry) drives anAC Cobra towards the mansion of Swift's character. They quickly become a loving couple: they dance together, paint a portrait of the boyfriend, walk along the estate grounds, and ride horses.[92] Halfway through the video, Swift's character notices him texting someone, and the couple begins to fall apart: they begin to fight and Swift's character shows erratic behaviors such as throwing vases, slashing the painted portrait, and burning her boyfriend's clothes, which drives him to end the relationship.[92] Before the boyfriend leaves the mansion, Swift's character smashes her boyfriend's car using a golf club, a reference toTiger Woods's 2009 cheating scandal.[89] After he drives away, a new man (Andrea Denver) approaches, offering Swift a new hope for love.[92]
Swift planned to premiere the video onGood Morning America on November 11, 2014, butYahoo! accidentally leaked it a day before; Swift posted the video onto herVevo account quickly afterwards.[93] The interactive appAmerican Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, featuring the 360° video version of "Blank Space", was released for free onto mobile app stores. The user can choose to either follow Swift and her love interest throughout the linear storyline, or leave the storyline to explore other rooms in the mansion and find interactiveeaster eggs, such as Swift's childhood photos.[94][95] Kahn toldRolling Stone that the app was created with "superfans" who wanted to "feel even closer to Swift" in mind.[90]
Some media outlets compared the narrative of "Blank Space" to that ofGone Girl, citing that both Swift's character andGone Girl's protagonist "[strip] away the romantic sheen she's given all her relationships in the past".[96] Randall Roberts from theLos Angeles Times wrote that Swift delivered an "Oscar-worthy" performance.[92]Billboard praised the video's cinematic quality and aesthetics and found Swift's self-referential portrayal amusing, which served as "icing on the blood-filled cake".[97]The Guardian's columnistJessica Valenti complimented Swift's portrayal of her perceived image and dubbed the video "a feminist daydream", where "the narrow and sexist caricatures attached to women are acted out forour amusement, their full ridiculousness on display".[98]
USA Today andSpin in 2017 deemed "Blank Space" the greatest video Swift had done;[99] the latter praised the aesthetics as glamorous and lauded the hilarious depiction of Swift's reputation.[100]Entertainment Weekly in 2020 picked "Blank Space" as the best video among the1989 singles, describing it as "the only music video that can be earnestly described as 'Kubrickian'".[101] It wonBest Pop Video andBest Female Video at the2015 MTV Video Music Awards[102] and earned a nomination for Best International Female Video at theMTV Video Music Awards Japan.[103] TheAmerican Express Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience app won Original Interactive Program at the67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[104]Rolling Stone placed "Blank Space" at number 67 on its list of the 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time.[105]
On February 25, 2015, Swift opened the2015 Brit Awards with a rendition of "Blank Space". At the beginning of the performance, Swift sang the song in front of a white background featuringsilhouettes of backup dancers.[111] The song was part of the set lists for three of Swift's concert tours—the 1989 World Tour (2015),[112]Reputation Stadium Tour (2018),[113] andthe Eras Tour (2023–2024).[114] On September 9, 2019, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris, France.[115] She performed the song again at the We Can Survive charity concert on October 19, 2019, in Los Angeles.[116] At the2019 American Music Awards, where Swift was honored Artist of the Decade, she performed "Blank Space" as part of a medley of her hits.[117] She again performed the song at Capital FM'sJingle Bell Ball 2019 in London,[118] and at iHeartRadioZ100's Jingle Ball 2019 in New York City.[119]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
After signing a new contract with Republic Records in 2018, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[224] The decision followed apublic 2019 dispute between Swift and the music executiveScooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including themasters of Swift's albums which the label had released.[225][226] By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs forcommercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.[227]
The re-recording of "Blank Space", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of1989's re-recording,1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023.[228] Swift produced "Blank Space (Taylor's Version)" withChristopher Rowe, who had produced her previous re-recordings.[229] The track wasengineered by Derek Garten at Prime Recording Studio inNashville, Tennessee; mixed by Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and mastered byRandy Merrill atSterling Sound inEdgewater, New Jersey. Rowe and Sam Holland recorded Swift's vocals atConway Recording Studios in Los Angeles and Kitty Committee Studio in New York.[230]
While giving positive reviews, music critics had different opinions on the re-recording's production.The Line of Best Fit journalist Kelsey Barnes commented that "Blank Space (Taylor's Version)" sounded like an "exact replica",[231] butThe Independent's Adam White wrote that the re-recorded song features Swift's matured vocals that eroded the "raw mania" of the original song.[232] InNME, Hollie Geraghty praised the re-recording for showcasing one of the album's "deliciously polished belters that still feel brand new nearly a decade later".[233] "Blank Space (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number nine on theBillboard Global 200 chart.[234] On national singles charts, the re-recorded song peaked within the top 20 in Australia (9),[235] Canada (11),[43] New Zealand (12),[236] and the United States (12).[237]
^abMompellio, Gabriel."Taylor Swift 'Blank Space'".radiodate.it (in Italian).Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2022.
^ab"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 07. týden 2015 in the date selector. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
Sloan, Nate; Harding, Charlie; Gottlieb, Iris (2019). "A Star's Melodic Signature: Melody: Taylor Swift—'You Belong with Me'".Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters.Oxford University Press. pp. 21–35.ISBN978-0-19-005668-1.
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