Welcome to New York (song)
"Welcome to New York" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Written by Swift and Ryan Tedder, the song was inspired by Swift's relocation to New York City in April 2014. Its lyrics explore a newfound freedom in the city and a lighthearted attitude towards past heartbreaks.
Not to be confused with Welcome to New York City."Welcome to New York"
Swift, Tedder, and Noel Zancanella produced "Welcome to New York", a track driven by pulsing synthesizers, programmed drums, and multitracked vocals. Music critics described the genre as synth-pop, electropop, and disco. The song was released for download on October 20, 2014, a week ahead of 1989's release. "Welcome to New York" received mixed reviews from critics, most of whom criticized the lyrics as unsophisticated for a New York tribute song. Some defenders praised the production as bright and catchy and interpreted the lyrics as being supportive of LGBT rights.
The song peaked within the top 20 of music charts in Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland. In the U.S., it reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Swift donated all proceeds from the sales to the New York City Department of Education. She included the track in the set list of the 1989 World Tour (2015) and performed it on a few dates of her later tours. Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "Welcome to New York (Taylor's Version)" for her re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).
Writing and production[edit]
"Welcome to New York" encapsulates Swift's feelings when she first moved to New York. She put it first on 1989's track list because she wanted to highlight New York as a memorable event in her life and a formative aesthetic influence of the album.[9][11] In the lyrics, a narrator expresses their newfound sense of freedom ("Everybody here was someone else before")[12] and compares living in New York to having a nice beat they could dance to.[13] They move on from past heartbreaks ("Took our broken hearts, put them in a drawer"),[14][15] celebrate the bright lights and energy,[16] but maintain their identity ("The lights are so bright / But they never blind me, me")—Vogue's Alex Frank interpreted this as an answer to "Empire State of Mind" (2009) by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.[17] The second verse's lyrics, "And you can want who you want / Boys and boys and girls and girls", generated interpretations from some publications as Swift's support for diversity and LGBT rights.[16] The music scholar Eric Smialek contended that the lyrics received media attention due to "popular belief" that Swift was politically inactive. According to Smialek, the LGBT representation is "not foregrounded" but displays "at least incidental awareness and advocacy".[18]
Because Swift wanted a 1980s-influenced sound, Tedder programmed the song with a Juno-106 synthesizer, which he described as a "very 1980s" instrument. He finished the first draft in three hours and completed the first demo later that week. While touring in Switzerland, Tedder produced four other versions. Though he preferred one later version, Swift chose the one closest to the first demo as the final version.[19] Swift and Tedder produced "Welcome to New York" with Noel Zancanella, who played additional synthesizers and programmed the drums. Tedder and Smith Carlson recorded the track at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound Studios in New York. The track is 3 minutes and 32 seconds long.[20]
"Welcome to New York" opens with pulsing synthesizers and programmed drum machines that create clapping-like rhythms.[16][21] Swift's vocals are multitracked and processed with electronic elements.[16][21] According to the musicologist James E. Perone, the composition is monothematic, demonstrated by repetitions of one single pitch throughout both the verses and the refrains.[16] In contemporary reviews, music critics characterized the genre as synth-pop.[a] Lindsay Zoladz from Vulture described it as electropop,[25] and Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone deemed it a "disco ode" to New York, the birthplace of disco.[26] The song's pulsing synth production sets the tone for 1989's 1980s-indebted sound.[27] There were comparisons to music by other artists: Perone said the synthesizers and drum machines called to mind 1980s artists Cyndi Lauper and Prince,[16] NME's Matthew Horton wrote the "synth jab" evoked the band OMD,[28] and The New Zealand Herald found the production reminiscent of Robyn.[29]
"Welcome to New York (Taylor's Version)"
Critical reception[edit]
"Welcome to New York" received a mixed reaction from critics. Most criticisms regarded the lyrics as unsophisticated and superficial for a New York tribute song[16][24] and subpar for Swift's artistry.[63] They added that Swift's depiction and love of New York neglected the real-life socioeconomic issues that most city residents had to face.[64][65] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote: "while Swift perkily admires [the city], she doesn't remark on the subway rats or waking up in closet-sized bedrooms."[66] The synth production also received negative comments from two Time critics as being "cheesy" and "lifeless".[16] Jon Caramanica from The New York Times described the track as "shimmery [...] if slightly dim",[12] and Fact's Aimee Cliff complained how the song "manages to reduce an entire city to a pristine skyline seen from a top floor window".[67] Caramanica, Cliff, and Zoladz picked "Welcome to New York" as one of 1989's weakest tracks,[12][67][25] as did Parade's Samuel R. Murrian and Spin's Al Shipley in retrospective reviews.[68][69]
Speaking to Billboard regarding the reaction, Swift said it made her think differently but defended the song because she was focusing on how to capture a "momentary emotion". She added, "To take a song and try to apply it to every situation everyone is going through—economically, politically, in an entire metropolitan area—is asking a little much of a piece of a [sic] music."[64] There were some sympathetic comments.[70] Robert Christgau said, "I think it's silly to demand sociology from someone who can't stroll Central Park without bodyguards."[65] PopMatters reviewer Corey Baesley wrote that "Welcome to New York" was both "undeniably catchy" and "completely unlistenable", but the song was a reasonable album opener because "it's a manifesto, not an overture".[71] In Consequence of Sound, Sasha Geffen opined that the track is not about New York City itself but "New York City the idea—an aspirational playground always situated slightly out of reach".[14] Daniel D'Addario of Time highlighted the LGBT implications and described the song as a "new kind of equality anthem".[72]
Some reviews were more appreciative. Roison O'Connor from The Independent contended that the song received an "unfair rap" from critics and complimented it as "a blast of fresh air".[63] Spin magazine's Andrew Unterberger highlighted the track as a representation of Swift's adulthood and mature perspective,[73] and Marah Eakin of The A.V. Club deemed it catchy.[74] Perone labeled the track as "an engaging, popular, and very interesting song within the Swift canon".[16] Reviewing the re-recording "Taylor's Version", some critics commented that its production and energy remained the identical to those of the original song.[75][76] The Independent's Adam White said the re-recorded track "goes harder with its synths",[77] and the Financial Times' Ludovic Hunter-Tilney labelled it an "irresistibly bright tribute" to New York City.[78] "Welcome to New York" featured as one of Swift's best songs on lists by Clash (2021)[79] and Billboard (2023).[80]