"Would've, Could've, Should've" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift as a bonus track on the extended version (3am Edition) of her tenth studio album, Midnights, which was released three hours after the standard edition through Republic Records on October 21, 2022. The song is written and produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner. "Would've, Could've, Should've" is a pop song with elements of soft rock. The lyrics are about a protagonist's reflection of her feelings when she was younger.
"Would've, Could've, Should've" | |
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Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Midnights | |
Released | October 21, 2022 (2022-10-21) |
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Length | 4:20 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Lyric video | |
"Would've, Could've, Should've" on YouTube | |
"Would've, Could've, Should've" was highly acclaimed by critics, often picked as an album highlight. The song debuted on several charts including Canada, Greece, the Philippines, Portugal and Sweden. It peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 20, and number 21 on the Global 200.
On August 28, 2022, Swift announced her tenth studio album Midnights in her acceptance speech when she won Video of the Year for "All Too Well: The Short Film" at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.[1]
Midnights was released on October 21, 2022, at 12:00 AM EDT. Three hours later, Swift announced the surprise release of Midnights (3am Edition), which includes "Would've, Could've, Should've" as track 19.[2]
The song is written and produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner.[2] "Would've, Could've, Should've" is a pop[3] song with elements of soft rock.[4] The lyrics are about exploring a narrator's feelings when she was 19 years old and dating an older man.[5] As the song progresses, she expresses how their relationship still haunts her.[6]
Many critics have noted that "Would've, Could've, Should've" has a connection to Swift's 2010 song, "Dear John".[4] Quinn Moreland, writing for Pitchfork, names it as one of her best songs for its mature, nuanced perspective and pinpointing that the song seemed to be a sequel to "Dear John".[7] Callie Ahlgrim from Insider hailed the song as the best track on the album, comparing it to "Dear John", saying it's more "urgent-sounding" and "intricate".[4] On Insider's Midnights review, Ahlgrim also said that it should've have been track five.[8] Shirley Li from The Atlantic calls it the "finest", "most stirring" song on the extended version.[9] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone described the song as "messier", "more confused" and "more ambivalent" than "Dear John" which he collated and said that "Would've, Could've, Should've" is a "powerful" sequel.[10]
Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] | 18 |
Global 200 (Billboard)[12] | 21 |
Greece (IFPI)[13] | 49 |
Philippines (Billboard)[14] | 23 |
Portugal (AFP)[15] | 66 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 4 |
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[17] | 31 |
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[18] | 11 |
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[19] | 15 |
US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 20 |
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100)[21] | 96 |
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