Mean (song)

"Mean"
Single by Taylor Swift
from the album Speak Now
Released	March 7, 2011 (2011-03-07)
Genre	Country country pop bluegrass
Length	3:57
Label	Big Machine

"Mean" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released it to country radio in the United States as the album's third single on March 7, 2011. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Mean" is a banjo-led country, country pop, and bluegrass track that incorporates fiddles, mandolins, hand claps, and multitracked vocals. In the lyrics, Swift addresses her detractors, recognizes her shortcomings, and strives to overcome the criticism and achieve success.

Some music critics saw "Mean" as an anti-bullying anthem and praised the production as airy and catchy, while others considered the narrative ineffective. Several media publications have retrospectively listed it as one of the best country songs. "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, and also received other industry awards and nominations. The track reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, and the United States, peaking at number two on the country music charts in the latter two countries. It received certifications in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The music video for "Mean" was directed by Declan Whitebloom, who wrote its treatment with Swift. Featuring themes of self-empowerment and anti-bullying, the video received a mixed response from critics, who generally criticized its viewpoint on bullying as stereotypical and deemed its concept confusing. The video received nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards. Swift included "Mean" in the set lists of the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012) and the Red Tour (2013–2014), and performed it on some dates of her later tours.

Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of her back catalog, Swift re-recorded the song as "Mean (Taylor's Version)" for her third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023). The track peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States.

Production and release

The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began working on her third studio album, Speak Now (2010), two years before its release. She conceived it as a loose concept album about the things she wanted to tell certain people but never had a chance to. Swift described the songs as "diary entries" reflecting the emotions that assisted her in navigating adulthood. The confessional lyrics she wrote for Speak Now were more straightforward and confrontational compared to those on her previous albums. Swift was inspired by her detractors to write the album's sixth track, "Mean", explaining that although she acknowledged constructive criticism, she was bothered by critics who "attack everything about a person" and were "just being mean". She wrote the song by herself and produced it with Nathan Chapman.

"Mean" was released for digital download on October 19, 2010, as part of a three-week iTunes promotional countdown for Speak Now. Big Machine Records released the track to country radio in the United States on March 7, 2011, as the third single from the album.

Music and lyrics

"Mean" is 3 minutes and 57 seconds long. Music journalists regarded it as the most country-sounding track on Speak Now and in Swift's discography. Set over a tempo of 160 beats per minute, "Mean" is a banjo-led country pop and bluegrass song that incorporates several acoustic instruments associated with country music, such as fiddle and mandolin. The production features an upbeat arrangement, acoustic guitar strums, brush-played drums, hand claps, multitracked vocals, and roots music influences. The music critic Annie Zaleski described Swift's country vocal twang in the song as "overly saccharine". Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic thought that the country-leaning composition evoked the music of the Dixie Chicks.

The musicologist James E. Perone deemed "Mean" the only Speak Now track that aligns with Swift's self-identity as a country musician, contrasting with the album's dominant mainstream pop and rock music styles. Analyzing the song structure, Perone noted the instrumental sliding up a whole step in open fifths at the end of each refrain, as well as the whole-step slide up from the lowered-seventh scale-step to tonic, which evokes the Mixolydian mode typically found in Anglo-American folk music. According to Perone, the refrain uses a short melodic motif, which creates its catchiness. Toward the end of the bridge ("drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing"), Swift incorporates a three-note motif in the lyric "I can't sing"; for each word, the three notes descend a short distance (B−G♯) before dropping significantly (G♯−C♯). The musicologists Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding viewed this variation as Swift's signature melodic motif and thought that it captured "the sad cycle of bullying" in "Mean".

The lyrics address the critics who questioned Swift's vocal ability following her live performances in 2009 and 2010. During the verses, she accuses them of pointing out the flaws of which she is self-aware, which makes her walk "with [her] head down" and feel "wounded". In the refrain, Swift promises her detractors that she will achieve success to the point that their comments will no longer affect her; she asserts that she will move to a "big old city" one day, which Perone noted as congruent with a recurring theme in Appalachian music of poor people moving to big cities to escape poverty. Swift concludes by directly confronting her critics at the song's climax: "All you are is mean / And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life." Writing for the Los Angeles Times, the music critic Ann Powers viewed the track as a reflection on the implications of mean behavior.

Critical reception

Critics praised "Mean" for its airy bluegrass and country production; Mandi Bierly from Entertainment Weekly believed that it rendered Swift's emotions more authentic and emphasized the lyrical narrative. The Village Voice's Theon Weber described the track as "huge, and hugely compassionate, and fearless". Now's Kevin Ritchie and Entertainment Weekly's Seija Rankin picked it as the best Speak Now song, and South China Morning Post's Finley Liu considered it one of the album's standout tracks. Several journalists lauded "Mean" for its themes of self-empowerment and deemed it an anti-bullying anthem. Glenn Rowley from Billboard dubbed it an "anthem tailor-made for every starry-eyed dreamer who was ever bullied for not belonging". Variety's Chris Willman and Taste of Country's Billy Dukes similarly commended its ability to resonate with various bullying experiences. Critics also praised the production as catchy; Dukes particularly highlighted the "irresistible" hook.

Some commentators regarded the narrative of "Mean" as ineffective. Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe stated that the song showcased Swift's "lack of self-awareness", criticizing her for focusing on the people who highlighted her vocal issues rather than improving her vocal pitch. Scott Hansen of the Wausau Daily Herald described the track as "counterproductive" and similarly criticized it for "calling out bullies in a way that makes Swift a bully." Kim Hong Nguyen, an associate professor in communication arts, regarded "Mean" as a representation of "mean girl feminism" and how white women can reclaim negative traits to assert a feminist identity while simultaneously distancing themselves from the implications of racism.

"Mean" appeared in rankings of Swift's discography by Willman (13 out of 75), Vulture's Nate Jones (18 out of 245), NME's Hannah Mylrea (28 out of 161), Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield (72 out of 286), and Paste's Jane Song (82 out of 158). Rolling Stone ranked "Mean" at number 24 on its 2014 list of the "100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time", the highest ranking for a song released in the 21st century. Perone stated that while the ranking was "particularly noteworthy", it was "surprising and at least a little controversial", given that the song achieved a high position in less than five years. In a 2024 update, Rolling Stone placed the track at number 20 on its revised list of the "200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Taste of Country named "Mean" the 15th-best country song of the 2010s, and Parade considered it the 50th-best country track of all time. The Tennessean included the song in a 2019 unranked list of the 100 best country songs of all time.

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Mean" debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated October 30, 2010, the highest debut of the week. This made Swift the first artist to have the Hot 100's highest chart entry in three consecutive weeks, following the debuts of "Speak Now" and "Back to December". The track debuted at number 55 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated November 13, 2010, the highest entry of the week. It reached number nine on the week ending May 14, 2011, making Swift the second female artist to have 13 singles reach the top 10 of the chart. "Mean" reached its peak position of number two on the Hot Country Songs chart issued for June 25, 2011.

In August 2011, "Mean" became Swift's thirteenth song to sell more than one million copies in the United States—more than any other country music artist in digital history. By the end of 2011, "Mean" had sold 1.2 million digital copies and reached number 24 on the year-end Hot Country Songs chart. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in August 2014. As of November 2017, "Mean" had sold 2.5 million digital copies in the United States, the best-selling Speak Now track.

"Mean" reached number 2 on the Canada Country chart and number 10 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, receiving a gold certification from Music Canada. It peaked at number 45 on the Australian Singles chart and was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. "Mean" was certified platinum in New Zealand, gold in Brazil, and silver in the United Kingdom.

Music video

Synopsis

The music video begins with Swift playing a banjo guitar in a theater alongside her band, all dressed in vintage-style outfits. The video then shows a young male who is being bullied by football team members for reading a fashion magazine. Swift is seen donning a white 1920s-inspired dress, tied to railroad tracks by an antagonist who mocks her with his friends. A young female (played by Cash), earning money for college by wearing a costume to promote a fast food restaurant, is shown being bullied by her peers who throw food at her. Another girl (played by King) cannot join a group of girls during lunch because she is wearing a different colored ribbon around her waist and is forced to eat in the school bathroom.

The theater stage transforms into a luxurious nightclub, with Swift wearing a sparkling flapper dress and performing with her band. The video then reveals that the male who was reading a fashion magazine is now a renowned fashion designer, the restaurant employee has become an executive, and the female with the unique-colored ribbon is the only audience member in the theater, watching and applauding as Swift finishes her performance.