Begin Again (Taylor Swift song)

Did You Know?

• Swift previewed "Begin Again" on Good Morning America on September 24, 2012, and it was released for download onto iTunes the next day.
• The song debuted at number one on the Hot Digital Songs chart with first-week sales of 299,000 digital copies.
• Swift first performed "Begin Again" at the 2012 Country Music Association Awards in Nashville on a Parisian café-inspired stage with an accordion player.

Composition and lyrics

"Begin Again" is a country, folk-pop, and soft rock ballad featuring mandolin, banjo, steel guitar, arpeggiated acoustic guitar, and gentle percussion. Marc Hogan of Spin likened the instruments to 1970s soft-rock singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, the latter referenced in the lyric "You said you never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you/ But I do." Annie Zaleski noted stylistic similarities to James Taylor and Kris Kristofferson, whom Swift cited as influences.

Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times described a "coffee shop folksiness." Musicologist James E. Perone believed the production confirms Swift's country roots on the genre-spanning Red. The lyrics concern a protagonist falling in love again after a failed relationship. Swift told Good Morning America the song is about "when you've gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup."

The narrator compares her ex-lover to a new love interest, as in "I think it's strange that you think I'm funny, because he never did." Billy Dukes of Taste of Country remarked that the narrator's willingness to reveal vulnerability makes the song touching. Perone observed that the track serves as the thematic conclusion to Red, focusing on a deeper, potentially more lasting relationship.

Critical reception

Critics praised "Begin Again" as a showcase of Swift's mature songwriting. Perone found the lyrics "wide-ranging and free-ranging" and deemed it an appropriate album closer. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave four stars out of five, describing it as "a cleansing breath that hopefully foreshadows the true tone of her album." Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly called it "a well-crafted love story" and noted Swift's talent "at taking a single moment in time and letting it unfold like a pop-up storybook."

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave four out of five stars, stating "The song is a vast improvement for Taylor. A ballad that's neither in-your-face or sounding like its from a twelve year old." The Boot called it "sweet" and a "beautiful ballad." MuchMusic lauded Swift's ability to craft "emotionally gut-wrenching songs."

Billboard ranked it number six on its list of the best songs of 2012, praising Swift's artistic maturity. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called it "a deceptively simple ballad that sneaks up and steamrolls all over you." The song was nominated for Best Country Song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

Music video

The music video for "Begin Again" debuted on MTV on October 23, 2012. Swift decided to shoot it in Paris, calling it a "love letter" to the city, explaining that the location matched the theme of "somebody moving on and finding yourself again." The clip opens with Swift on a bridge, looking thoughtfully over the water while reflecting on a past relationship. She later strolls along the Seine, dressed in a red dress with white flower appliques and blue peep-toe shoes, and sits by the riverbank.

Critics have noted similarities to Adele's "Someone Like You" video and Swift's own "Back to December." Philip Andelman directed the video, with Arthur Cantin producing, and its story differs from the song's lyrics in key ways. The lyrics describe the narrator's nervousness about a first date after a rough breakup, but the video shows a spontaneous meeting in a Parisian cafe. In the video, Swift sits in a booth, sketching in a notebook, when a French man at a nearby table notices her and introduces himself.

The video leaves out the song's opening scene where her date arrives early, greets her, and pulls out her chair, showing a kindness missing from her old relationship. Toward the end of the song, the cafe encounter wraps up as the couple walks to Swift's car. Entertainment Weekly called the video "another classic bittersweet Swift joint," though they found it "a little bit sleepy." It earned nominations for Video of the Year at the 2013 American Country Awards and Female Video of the Year at the 2013 CMT Music Awards.