Mr. Perfectly Fine

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"Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Cover artwork of "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album Fearless (Taylor's Version)
Written2008
ReleasedApril 7, 2021 (2021-04-07)
Studio
Genre
Length4:37
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"Mr. Perfectly Fine" on YouTube

"Mr. Perfectly Fine"[a] is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her first re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021). It is one of the album's "From The Vault" tracks that was intended for but excluded from her second studio album, Fearless (2008). To promote the re-recording, Republic Records released the song for download and streaming on April 7, 2021. Swift wrote "Mr. Perfectly Fine" in 2008, a track that incorporates wordplay and tells the story of a narrator's heartbreak and fallout with a lover she presumed was the ideal figure for her.

Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" has an upbeat and midtempo production and acoustic instrumental. Critics described its genre as pop rock and country pop. When it was released, they viewed the song as a classic Swift song and praised the songwriting and production. Critics have ranked it highly among her "From the Vault" tracks. Commercially, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the Billboard Global 200. It reached the top 50 and received certifications in several countries. Swift performed the song during a Pittsburgh concert of her Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Background and release[edit]

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Taylor Swift began re-recording her six studio albums in November 2020.[2] The decision followed a public dispute in 2019 between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of her albums which the label had released.[3][4] On February 11, 2021, Swift announced the first of her re-recorded albums, Fearless (Taylor's Version), a re-recording of her second studio album Fearless (2008).[5] The record additionally contained six previously unreleased "From the Vault" tracks, which are songs written for the original album that did not make the cut.[5][6] One such song was "Mr. Perfectly Fine", which Swift wrote in 2008 for Fearless, but ultimately excluded it from the final track-list.[7]

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" was released for download and streaming on April 7, 2021. It was the third song from Fearless (Taylor's Version) released by Republic in order to promote the album; the other two are "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" and "You All Over Me".[8] The song is listed as track number 22 on the album, which came out on April 9.[9] In the following weeks, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was featured on the Fearless (Taylor's Version)-themed streaming compilations The Halfway Out the Door Chapter[10] and The From the Vault Chapter.[11] On June 16, 2023, Swift performed the song at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, as part of her Eras Tour (2023–2024).[12]

Composition and lyrics[edit]

"Mr. Perfectly Fine"
A pop rock and country pop song, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" features an upbeat and midtempo production and an acoustic instrumental.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" is 4 minutes and 37 seconds long.[9] Swift produced the song with Jack Antonoff, who recorded it with Laura Sisk at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Rough Customer Studio in Brooklyn. Christopher Rowe recorded Swift's vocals at Kitty Committee Studio in London and Antonoff provided programming and background vocals. Antonoff played acoustic, bass, and electric guitars, keyboards, modular synthesizers, and percussion, Evan Smith played saxophones and synthesizers, Michael Riddleberger played percussion, Mikey Freedom Hart played 12-string, electric, and pedal steel guitars, and Hammond B-3, and Sean Hutchinson played drums. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in Edgewater.[1]

"Mr. Perfectly Fine" has an upbeat and midtempo production with an acoustic instrumental.[13][14] Critics generally categorized the song as a pop rock tune,[15][16][17] while Madeline Crone of American Songwriter believed that it featured the country pop production she thought defined the original Fearless.[8] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard, Lucy Habron of Clash, and Justin Curto of Vulture believed that the song was pop.[18][19][20] Other critics believed it evoked styles of country, pop, and rock. In Rolling Stone, Claire Shaffer wrote that the track mixed country and pop with elements of rock.[21] The Line of Best Fit's Horton Ross said that it featured a little bit of both country and rock and roll.[22] Lipshutz stated that the song had similarities with Fearless and Speak Now (2010), highlighting the country pop-styled drums.[18] For The Independent, Alexandra Pollard thought it evoked "late-Noughties country-pop".[23] Jordan Moreau from Variety said the song recalled the country pop aesthetic of Fearless.[24]

In the lyrics, a narrator experiences heartbreak after a fallout with a lover she thought was the ideal figure for her.[21][24] The song uses wordplay to describe the contrasting emotions between the two characters. In the chorus, the narrator recalls the tumultuous feelings the former lover gave her ("I've been Miss Misery since your goodbye") and displays him as indifferent of the situation ("And you're Mr. 'Perfectly fine").[21][24][25] Later in the song, she discovers that he has a new lover and tries to ignore it, but she ultimately says that he will miss her and be too late when he realizes.[14] A few critics highlighted the lyric, "Mr. casually cruel", to resemble the lyric "So casually cruel in the name of being honest" in "All Too Well" from Swift's 2012 album Red.[8][26][27]

Critical reception[edit]

Critics considered "Mr. Perfectly Fine" a classic Swift song,[22][28][20] many of whom attributed it to the songwriting and production.[14][8][21] Katie Moulton from Consequence said that the song "resurrects Swift's delightfully petty side".[13] Hannah Mylrea of NME deemed it a "bop" laden with "swooning melodies and typically Swiftian lyrics".[15] Bobby Olivier from Spin wrote that the song is "deviously addictive" and believed the music evokes "the best of Kelly Clarkson and Shania Twain" and the lyrics' subject refreshing.[16] Crone thought it "reflects her roots" with an evolved musicianship.[8] Harbon stated that it was "a perfect collaboration between her old and new self" that builds her old country songwriting with the more complex compositions from her indie works.[19] Zoe Haylock of Vulture dubbed it "a 2008 time capsule" and praised the "magic and curiosity" that was reminiscent of Fearless.[29] Curto said that the song is one of the more "cheekier takes" of Swift's breakup songs and believed that its "lyrical formula that could be cheesy in someone else's hands" created the song's well-made catchiness.[20]

In a ranking of all the "From the Vault" tracks of Fearless (Taylor's Version), Lipshutz placed the song second and said that it "pay homage to some of Swift's grandest breakup songs".[18] Pollard wrote that it allowed to release her "mortally wronged-in-love" side that "she wore so well but has quietly retired".[23] Kitty Empire of The Guardian believed that it had the "brighter, more direct songcraft" of the original Fearless that complements the "watercolor production" of her album Folklore (2020).[28] Also from The Guardian, Alexis Petridis highlighted the "relish" in Swift's voice expressed a satisfaction that mitigates her anger.[30] Dani Blum of Pitchfork called the song a "delightful, strumming takedown"[31] and Jess Cohen from E! News opined that the lyrics "don't disappoint".[26] In a less enthusiastic review, The Telegraph's journalist Neil McCormick felt that it was a bit "too aggressive for [Swift's] teenage image" and songwriting.[17]

Critics have included "Mr. Perfectly Fine" in their lists of Swift's "From the Vault" tracks. It was ranked among her ten best vault tracks by Lipshutz,[32] Jack Viswanath of Bustle,[33] Nylon,[34] Time,[35] and Josh Kurp of Uproxx.[36] Viswanath lauded the song as one of the "most clever, witty, and catchy songs Swift has ever written".[33] Time wrote that it was "Swift at her best, enraged, snarky, and not for a moment taking herself too seriously".[35] For Kurp, the song proved that they were not excluded from the original's track-list because they were not good enough.[36] "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was featured in a mid-year list of the 50 best songs of 2021 by Billboard; the publication commended the "bitingly clever" lyrics and "boopy" production and viewed the song as "vintage Taylor Swift that still feels fresh in 2021."[37]

Accolade[edit]

Awards and nominations for "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2022 RTHK International Pop Poll Awards Top Ten International Gold Songs Won [38]

Commercial performance[edit]

With 14.2 million streams, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" reached atop the US Billboard Country Streaming Songs and marked Swift's fifth number-one entry.[39][40] The song rose to its peak of number two on Hot Country Songs from its opening week at number 30 and became her 26th top-10 chart entry. The song along with 18 tracks from Fearless (Taylor's Version) extended her record of the most entries in one week, surpassing her own 12 with the album Red (2012).[41][40] On the overall Billboard Hot 100, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" climbed and peaked at number 30, when it begun at number 90. The song became Swift's 80th top-40 entry on the chart and extended her record for the most top-40 entries among women.[42][40] It peaked at number 11 on the Rolling Stone Top 100 when it garnered 12.7 million streams and sold 106,800 units.[43]

Elsewhere, "Mr. Perfectly Fine" peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Global 200 (19),[44] Singapore (11),[45] Ireland (15),[46] Canada (23),[47] New Zealand (25),[48] and Venezuela (49).[49] In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Singles Chart upon the album's release.[50][51] It received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[52] In the United Kingdom, the song reached within the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart[53] and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[54] "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was the most streamed track from Fearless (Taylor's Version) in 2021, ending the year with 98.8 million streams.[55]

Personnel[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Fearless (Taylor's Version).[1]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

List of release dates and formats for "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various April 7, 2021
Republic [61][62]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Subtitled as "(From the Vault)".[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Fearless (Taylor's Version) (liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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