22

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22
Album	Red
Recorded	MXM Studios (Stockholm, Sweden), Conway Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Length	3:52
Writer	Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback
Producer	Max Martin, Shellback
Label	Big Machine
Previous	All Too Well
Next	I Almost Do

"22" is a song recorded by American recording artist Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift with Max Martin and Shellback. Production was handled by Martin and Shellback, with Scott Borchetta serving as executive producer. This song served as the 4th single from the album.

22 is a bubblegum pop song. The song has received positive reviews from music critics so far, complimenting Swift's collaboration with Martin and Shellback and the new pop sound they created for Swift.

Taylor Swift said that this song will be released as a single and have a music video, as seen here.

Background and release

After writing Speak Now (2010) entirely solo, she opted to collaborate with different songwriters and producers for

Fan art

Red. Thus, she called Max Martin and Shellback, two songwriters and producers whose work she admired, to discuss a possible collaboration. She told Billboard magazine: "For me, being 22 has been my favorite year of my life. I like all the possibilities of how you're still learning, but you know enough. You still know nothing, but you know that you know nothing. You're old enough to start planning your life, but you're young enough to know there are so many unanswered questions. That brings about a carefree feeling that is sort of based on indecision and fear and a the same time letting lose. Being 22 has taught me so much."

Critical reception

The song has received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Swift's new dynamic pop sound. Idolator gave the song a very positive review, saying that 22 is a thunderous pop track, kicking off with a twangy acoustic guitar riff before a propulsive beat that evokes Katy Perry‘s Teenage Dream drops to make way for verses that are cute and likably bratty".

Meanwhile, Billboard also has praises for the song saying that it is "Swift's most blatantly pop song off her career", adding "22" is all about trying to "forget about the deadlines" and embrace only the most sugary hooks available. Underneath the heel-clicking positivity and shiny production sits the line "We're happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way," a rather stunning meditation on being in your early 20s that's flicked off like a piece of pre-chorus lint. Even when she's having fun, Swift is succinctly communicating conflicting emotion.

Furthermore, Joella Estrada of the Philippines praised her ability to capture one's attention with her dynamic voice. Amy Sciaretto of PopCrush also gave it a positive review, saying that the song starts out with an acoustic guitar but quickly escalates into a fun anthem for sleepover parties. There is some requisite twang, which again might appeal to her country base, but this sounds penned for the teens when she sings about being “happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time”. It has the same cadence and energy as the lead single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and some Avril Lavigne-style sass. There is a self-referential sound bite and a clip of the phone ringing.

Chart performance

The week her album Red was released, all of the songs charted in different countries due to its strong digital sale downloads. With this, the song debuted at number 44 on Billboard Hot 100, at number 29 on the [[Canadian Hot 100 and number 129 on the UK Singles Chart.

Weekly charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	29
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)	129
US Billboard Hot 100	44

Lyrics

VERSE
It feels like a perfect night
To dress up like hipsters
And make fun of our exes Ah, ah, ah ah,
It feels like a perfect night
For breakfast at midnight
To fall in love with strangers Ah, ah, ah, ah.

BRIDGE
Yeah, we're happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time
It’s miserable and magical, oh yeah
Tonight’s the night when we forget about the deadlines, it's time


CHORUS
I don't know about you
But I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright if
You keep me next to you
You don't about me
But I'll bet you want to
Everything will be alright if
We just keep dancing like we're...22, 22


VERSE (2X)
It seems like one of those nights
This place Is too crowded
Too many cool kids Ah, ah, ah, ah.
It seems like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
And end up dreaming instead of sleeping


BRIDGE
Yeah, we're happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way
It’s miserable and magical, oh yeah 
Tonight’s the night when we forget about the heartbreaks, it's time


CHORUS (2X)
I don't know about you
But I’m feeling 22
Everything will be alright if
You keep me next to you
You don't know about me
But I’ll bet you want to
Everything will be alright if
We just keep dancing like we're...22, 22

I don’t know about you
(22, 22)


BRIDGE
It feels like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
It feels like one of those nights
We won't be sleeping
It feels like one of those nights
You look like bad news
I gotta have you
I gotta have you
Ooh, ooh, yeah


CHORUS (3X)
I don't know about you (I don't know about you)
But I’m feeling 22
Everything will be alright if (ooh)
You keep me next to you
You don't know about me (you don't know about me)
But I’ll bet you want to
Everything will be alright if
We just keep dancing like we're...22, 22 

But tonight
22 (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) 22


BRIDGE
It feels like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
It feels like one of those nights
We won't be sleeping
It feels like one of those nights
You look like bad news
I gotta have you
I gotta have you

Secret Message

Ashley Dianna Claire Selena

Official music video

Taylor Swift - 22-0