"I Did Something Bad"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Reputation
ReleasedNovember 10, 2017 (2017-11-10)
StudioMXM (Los Angeles, California & Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre
Length3:58
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback
Audio
"I Did Something Bad" on YouTube

"I Did Something Bad" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). The song was written by Swift and its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. It features a heavy electronic production that combines electro-trap, grunge and EDM elements, incorporating manipulated vocals and electronic instruments. The lyrics are about Swift's lack of remorse after acknowledging her allegedly wrongful behaviors that caused a sensation, inspired by the female characters Sansa and Arya Stark of the fantasy series Game of Thrones.

The song received mixed reviews from critics, who were either impressed by the production and Swift's self-assertion or critical of the themes of drama and vengeance. "I Did Something Bad" charted at number 14 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, an extension to the US Billboard Hot 100, and at number five on the New Zealand Heatseeker Singles, an extension to the New Zealand Singles Chart. Swift included the song on the set list of her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018) and performed it at the 2018 American Music Awards.

Background and writing

Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014 to commercial success. The album sold over six million copies in the U.S. and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood".[1][2] Swift continued to be a major target of tabloid gossip during the promotion of 1989. She had short-lived romantic relationships with Scottish producer Calvin Harris and English actor Tom Hiddleston. Her reputation was blemished from publicized disputes with other celebrities, including rapper Kanye West, media personality Kim Kardashian, and singer Katy Perry.[3] Swift became increasingly reticent on social media, having maintained an active presence with a large following, and avoided interactions with the press amidst the tumultuous affairs.[4]

She conceived her sixth studio album, Reputation, as an answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.[5] Describing the album as "cathartic", Swift followed the songwriting for her 2014 single "Blank Space", on which she satirized her perceived image. She said: "I took that template of, OK, this is what you're all saying about me. Let me just write from this character for a second."[5] The final cut of Reputation consists of 15 tracks, all of which Swift co-wrote.[6] Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback co-wrote and produced nine songs, including "I Did Something Bad".[6][7]

Composition

Swift wrote "I Did Something Bad" with its producers, Max Martin and Shellback. The song has a length of three minutes and fifty-eight seconds.[8][9] Swift initially developed the track on a piano; in an interview with iHeartRadio, Swift explained that the idea for the production came to her in a dream. She described the concept to Martin, who used Swift's voice and pitched it down to create the desired effect in the post-chorus.[10] The track was engineered at MXM Studios in Los Angeles and Stockholm. It was mixed at Mixstar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City.[6]

"I Did Something Bad"
Accompanied by a heavy electronic production featuring stomping beats and manipulated vocals, "I Did Something Bad" is Swift's answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"I Did Something Bad" was described by Billboard as "electro-trap".[11] Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield characterized it as 1990s grunge, a sound that recalls the music of Eddie Vedder and Scott Weiland.[12] Hannah Mylrae from NME, meanwhile, called it an EDM cut with a dubstep-tinged refrain.[13] The song is accompanied by a maximalist electronic production,[14] backed by a stomping beat, pulsing synthesizers, manipulated vocals, and an Auto-Tune-modified bridge.[15][16]

For the lyrics, Swift took inspiration from the season seven finale episode "The Dragon and the Wolf" of the fantasy series Game of Thrones, in which the sisters Sansa and Arya Stark together plot a scheme to murder Littlefinger for his treachery.[17] Media publications interpreted "I Did Something Bad" as Swift's answer to the tumultuous media scrutiny on her personal life and celebrity, affected by the publicized disputes and relationships with other celebrities.[16][18] In the song, Swift portrays a self-confident character who is unapologetic for her success and defies her detractors.[15] She tells a man who crossed her, "I don't regret it one bit / 'cause he had it coming."[19] She also hints that strong women often get chastised by society: "They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one / Go ahead and light me up."[15][19] Despite not being listed as explicit on digital and streaming versions of the song, the lyric "If a man talks shit then I owe him nothing" marks Swift's first lyric in which she uses profanity.[15][20]

Release and live performances

Taylor Swift performing in a black bodysuit
Swift performing "I Did Something Bad" on her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018)

"I Did Something Bad" is track number three on Reputation, which was released worldwide on November 10, 2017, by Big Machine Records.[21] Swift included the song on the set list of her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018).[22] The song debuted at number five on the New Zealand Heatseeker Singles, an extension to the New Zealand Singles Chart.[23] In the U.S., it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, a 25-position extension to the Billboard Hot 100.[24] On July 1, 2022, the song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of over 200,000 units.[25]

On October 9, 2018, Swift opened the 2018 American Music Awards with a performance of "I Did Something Bad".[26] The performance began with the song's intro as the stage appeared in red lights. Swift, accompanied by dancers, performed in front of a U-shaped structure, from which a model of a giant cobra emerged towards the end.[27] It was Swift's fifth time performing at the American Music Awards.[28] Some media publications interpreted the performance as Swift's implicit political statement, after she had publicly endorsed political candidates for the first time for the 2018 United States elections.[26][27][29] Meanwhile, Melissa Locker from Time called it "decidedly unpolitical".[30] Andrew Unterberger writing for Billboard called it one of the best performances of the award ceremony. He deemed it "appropriately massive, with brilliantly deliberate pacing, a perfect pause-for-effect after her 'If a man talks shit then I owe him nothing' lyric, and the best awards show use of a massive snake since Britney Spears in 2001".[31]

Critical reception

"I Did Something Bad" received mixed reviews. Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly noted the track as an example for Swift's new defiant attitude on Reputation, where she makes confessional songs about "seduction, alcohol, and the soul-numbing isolation of fame", which does not successfully show Swift's abilities as a songwriter.[32] Jordan Bassett from NME agreed, calling it the song that represents the album.[33] Writing for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani observed that "I Did Something Bad" is one of the songs that make Reputation "impenetrable", leaving listeners to "search for the humanity".[34] In a review for Consequence of Sound, Jeoff Nelson found the song a failed attempt at "that bigger, wider, and louder" sound in pop music, calling it an inferior version of Lorde's 2017 album Melodrama.[35]

On a positive side, Time's Raise Bruner complimented the lyrics for featuring "blazing imagery".[15] New York's Nate Jones opined that "I Did Something Bad" should have been Reputation's lead single rather than "Look What You Made Me Do", writing: "not only does 'Something Bad' sell the lack of remorse much better, it bangs harder than any other song on pop radio this summer except 'Bodak Yellow'."[20] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said: "This is just waiting for her to turn it into a head-banging live guitar monster."[12]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Reputation.[6]

Charts

Chart performance for "I Did Something Bad"
Chart (2017) Peak
position
New Zealand Heatseeker Singles (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 5
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[24] 14

Certifications

Certification for "I Did Something Bad"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Trust, Gary (July 14, 2019). "Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift's Career Sales & Streaming Totals, From 'Tim McGraw' to 'You Need to Calm Down'". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. ^ Ryan, Patrick (November 9, 2017). "5 things Taylor Swift's past USA Today interviews tell us about her 'Reputation' era". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  4. ^ Yahr, Emily (November 15, 2017). "Taylor Swift avoided – and mocked – the media with 'Reputation.' And it worked". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Hiatt, Brian (September 30, 2019). "9 Taylor Swift Moments That Didn't Fit in Our Cover Story". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Reputation (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2017. 00843930033102.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (January 29, 2018). "How Max Martin Built a Pop Sound Then Lost His Grip on the Charts". Vice. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  8. ^ "reputation by Taylor Swift on TIDAL". Tidal. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  9. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (November 10, 2017). "The Old Taylor Swift Is Hiding Within Reputation". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  10. ^ "Taylor Swift's iHeartRadio reputation Release Party: Everything We Learned". 96.1 Kiss FM. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Kelley, Caitlin (December 1, 2017). "Taylor Swift's 'I Did Something Bad' Gets a Broadway-Worthy Cover by Cynthia Erivo & Shoshana Bean". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (December 12, 2019). "All Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  13. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Caramanica, Jon (November 9, 2017). "Taylor Swift Is a 2017 Pop Machine on 'Reputation,' but at What Cost?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e Bruner, Raisa (November 10, 2017). "Analyzing Every Song on Taylor Swift's Reputation". Time. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Abad-Santos, Alex; Grady, Constance (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift's 'I Did Something Bad,' annotated: here's who the song is about". Vox. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  17. ^ Suskind, Alex (May 9, 2019). "Taylor Swift reveals how Game of Thrones (and Arya's kill list) inspired reputation". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  18. ^ Cox, Jamieson (November 13, 2017). "Taylor Swift: Reputation Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  19. ^ a b "'I Did Something Bad': Swift recrafts sound and reputation". Agence France-Presse. November 11, 2017. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2019 – via The Nation.
  20. ^ a b Jones, Nate (June 17, 2019). "Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked from Worst to Best". New York. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  21. ^ "Reputation – Taylor Swift on iTunes". US: iTunes Store. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  22. ^ Sheffield, Rob (May 9, 2018). "Why Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' Tour Is Her Finest Yet". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Top 40 Chart". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  25. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – I Did Something Bad". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  26. ^ a b Buitrago, Juan (October 10, 2018). "Did Taylor Swift do something bad? Her AMA performance speaks volumes". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  27. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (October 9, 2018). "Taylor Swift Opens American Music Awards With a Fiery 'I Did Something Bad'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  28. ^ Kaufman, Gil (October 9, 2018). "Taylor Swift Opens 2018 AMAs With Fiery 'I Did Something Bad': Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  29. ^ Reilly, Kaitlyn (October 10, 2018). "Why Taylor Swift's Fiery AMAs Performance Was Incredible & Infuriating". Refinery29. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  30. ^ Locker, Melissa (October 10, 2018). "2018 American Music Awards Recap: The Good, the Bad, the Bewildering". Time. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  31. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (October 10, 2018). "2018 American Music Awards Performances Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  32. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (November 9, 2017). "Taylor Swift is no longer America's sweetheart on reputation: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  33. ^ Bassett, Jordan (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift – 'Reputation' Review". NME. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  34. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (November 10, 2017). "Review: Taylor Swift, Reputation". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  35. ^ Nelson, Geoff (November 10, 2017). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – Reputation". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
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