In response to the ginormous success of Taylor Swift’s latest album Midnights, she has partnered with Jack Antonoff, lead singer of Bleachers and long-time songwriting collaborator, to create a revamped version of her top single “Anti-hero” off the album.
In this new version, Jack Antonoff has a larger presence as he and his bandmates from Bleachers take over a set number of verses and change lyrics that were somewhat originally met with ridicule. Allison Hussey of Pitchfork writes that “the update of the Midnights single finds the producer lamenting the presence of art bros,” switching Swift’s iconic lines from “sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby/ And I’m a monster on the hill/ too big to hang out/ slowly lurching toward your favorite city/pierced through the heart but never killed” to “ sometimes I feel like everybody is an art bro lately/And I just judge them on the hill/ Too hurt to hang out, talking shit about your famous baby/pierced through the heart of 90’s guilt.”
In addition to these changes, the revamped version of “Anti-Hero” features Bleachers’ iconic brilliance as they incorporate “the snappy drums, happily tinkling synth lines, insistent and emotive vocals, pulsing bass, and expressive guitar” into Taylor Swift’s already romantic and invigorating dilemma of self-awareness to create a song that could be regarded as even better than the original (Harmonix Music). The addition of the line “Taylor, you’ll be fine” further exemplifies this version’s capacity to be simultaneously both relatable and comforting. With these newly added dimensions, Taylor Swift and the members of Bleachers are better able to tap into the heartstrings of their listeners as the ethereal synths and warming vocals of confused desperation and shared hopelessness in themselves combine to evoke those same emotions.
Bleachers will perform at the 2022 Zona Music Festival with artists like Beach House, Waxahatchee, and more on December 3-4 in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
The band Girl Talk also created a mashup of Taylor Swift’s original “Anti-hero” and Diana Ross’ “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Listen to it here.
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
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