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Fresh Out the Slammer

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"Fresh Out the Slammer"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Tortured Poets Department
ReleasedApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
Studio
Genre
Length3:30
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
Lyric video
"Fresh Out the Slammer" on YouTube

"Fresh Out the Slammer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024). Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, it has a Western, country pop, and country rock production driven by twangy guitars, looping synths, and a hazy atmosphere. In the lyrics, a narrator contemplates on how her past relationship made her feel trapped and uses another lover as a means to escape immediately after that relationship ends.

Several critics were fascinated by the production and storytelling lyrics, while some others found the track overwritten. "Fresh Out the Slammer" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top 20 of charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. In 2024, Swift performed the song live twice on her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour.

Background and release

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Swift started working on The Tortured Poets Department immediately after she submitted her tenth studio album, Midnights, to Republic Records for release in 2022. She continued working on it in secrecy throughout the US leg of the Eras Tour in 2023.[1] The album's conception took place when Swift's personal life continued to be a widely covered topic in the press: her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn and short-lived romantic linking with Matty Healy were heavily publicized.[2] She described The Tortured Poets Department as her "lifeline" album which she "really needed" to make.[3] Republic Records released it on April 19, 2024; "Fresh Out the Slammer" is seventh on the track list.[4][5]

In 2024, Swift performed "Fresh Out the Slammer" twice on her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour.[6] At the concert in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 24, she performed the song as part of a mashup with "High Infidelity" from Midnights (2022) on piano.[7] She sang the track again as part of a guitar mashup with "You Are in Love" from 1989 (2014) at the concert in Munich, Germany, on July 27.[8]

Music and lyrics

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"Fresh Out the Slammer"
"Fresh Out the Slammer" combines Western and country, incorporating twangy guitars, looping synthesizers, and a hazy atmosphere.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "Fresh Out the Slammer" has a production that critics categorize into genres such as Western,[9] country rock,[10] and country pop.[11] Its production displays elements of country[12] and old-time music,[9] driven by prominent twangy guitars and a hazy atmosphere[13] that is facilitated by heavy reverberation[14] and looping synths.[15] A few critics thought that the guitars were inspired by Orville Peck.[13][16] The Times' Dan Cairns characterized the genre as "pop-noir" reminiscent of the music by Lana Del Rey.[17] Annie Zaleski compared the production of "Fresh Out the Slammer" to that of "Cowboy like Me" from Swift's 2020 album Evermore, citing the similar "desolate, cowboys-duel-at-dawn vibe" with "dusty, twangy riffs" and "a loping tempo".[18]

In the lyrics, a female narrator escapes from an intoxicating relationship.[19][20][21] They heavily use clipped phrasings[22] and internal rhymes ("Camera flashes, welcome bashes, get the matches, toss the ashes off the ledge"), which Swift sings with a "bouncy" cadence, according to Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times.[23] The first verse details the end of a previous relationship before Swift's narrator enters another: "Now, pretty baby, I'm running back home to you/ Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to."[20] The first refrain relates that past relationship to jail time: the narrator felt that she was stuck in an endless cycle of catering to the ex-lover's needs and keeping her sanity ("Years of labor, locks, and ceilings/ In the shade of how he was feeling/ But it's gonna be alright, I did my time").[20] In the final lines, Swift's character dreams about being the "girl of his American Dream" to the other man and reminisces about their memories.[20] Rob Sheffield thought that the song contains imagery inspired by the novel The Great Gatsby (1925).[24]

The lyrical imagery of being held in prison is exemplary of the many similar sentiments about mental health throughout other tracks on the album.[23][25] Several critics interpreted the song to be about a rebound;[20] Beats Per Minute's John Wohlmacher thought that the lyric, "Swirled you into all of my poems", suggested that Swift had written about the same man in some previous songs.[12] For Billboard's Jason Lipshutz, the songwriting in "Fresh Out the Slammer" embodies free association that differs from the more structural songwriting elsewhere in the album.[22] "Fresh Out the Slammer" ends with a coda that has a different tempo than the rest of the song.[26][27] According to American Songwriter's Alex Hopper, the track separates the two relationships through both the lyrics and the melodic change, hinting at how "[Swift] feels about them instantly".[20]

Critical reception

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There were mixed critical opinions about "Fresh Out the Slammer". In a positive review, Wohlmacher thought that the lyrics were "emotionally revealing" and the sound was "breezy and a nice listen, all sensual anticipation".[12] Maria Sherman of the Associated Press praised the tone of the guitars and called the production "wind-blown".[28] SLUG's Palak Jayswal and The Arts Desk's Ellie Roberts contended that the track was one of the album highlights;[9] the latter considered "Fresh Out the Slammer" a thematic transition between the gradual end of a relationship in "So Long, London" and the sudden, violent occurrence of a new romantic fling in "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived".[11] Commenting on the lyrics and theme, Callie Ahlgrim of Business Insider summed up the song as "a fascinating tale of freedom and lust".[16] Sheffield wrote that although the track was "easy to overlook at first" because of its "understated" and "[not] hyperdramatic" qualities, it turned out to be a "sneakily durable gauze-rocker with heist-flick guitar twang".[24]

On a less enthusiastic side, Konstantinos Pappis of Our Culture Mag called the track "slumbering" that could not keep his attention.[29] Zoladz thought that the lyrical imagery of prison was too much and the tight internal rhymes were suffocating.[23] Paste's Grace Byron described the melodic change in the song as "bizarre" and described the track as one of the album's "snoozers".[14] Lipshutz ranked the song 23th out of the entire 31 tracks of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, saying that it serves "more as connective tissue" in-between the album's more "towering moments".[22]

Commercial performance

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Upon the release of The Tortured Poets Department, "Fresh Out the Slammer" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Global 200.[30] In the United States, "Fresh Out the Slammer" debuted at its peak of number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song alongside 13 tracks from the album made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 14 of the Hot 100.[31][32] In Australia, the track peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Singles Chart[33] and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[34] The song peaked within the top 40 of singles charts in New Zealand (15),[35] Canada (16),[36] the Philippines (22),[37] and Portugal (33).[38]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Tortured Poets Department[5]

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Jack Antonoff – producer, songwriter, programming, acoustic guitar, drums, electric guitar, organ, percussion, synthesizer, DX7, M1
  • Oli Jacobs – recording
  • Christopher Rowe – lead vocals recording
  • Laura Sisk – recording, lead vocals recording
  • Jesse Solon Snider – assistant engineer
  • Jack Manning – assistant engineer
  • Jon Sher – engineer
  • Bryce Bordone – engineer for mix
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing

Charts

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Chart performance for "Fresh Out the Slammer"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[33] 14
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[36] 16
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[39] 80
France (SNEP)[40] 115
Global 200 (Billboard)[30] 15
Greece International (IFPI)[41] 35
Ireland (Billboard)[42] 23
Lithuania (AGATA)[43] 79
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 15
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[44] 93
Philippines (Billboard)[37] 22
Portugal (AFP)[38] 33
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 51
Swiss Streaming (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 35
UK Streaming (OCC)[47] 18
US Billboard Hot 100[32] 11

Certification

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Certification for "Fresh Out the Slammer"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Blistein, Jon (February 7, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals Tortured Poets Department Back Up Plan In Case She Didn't Win a Grammy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  2. ^ Sisario, Ben (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Arrives With a Promotional Blitz". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  3. ^ Bonner, Mehera (February 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals Bonus Track Title and New Album Cover for The Tortured Poets Department". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "As The Tortured Poets Department drops, here's all Taylor Swift's albums ranked by sales". Music Week. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Swift, Taylor (2024). The Tortured Poets Department (liner notes). Republic Records.
  6. ^ Smith, Katie Louise (November 4, 2024). "Here's every surprise song performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour". Capital. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  7. ^ West, Bryan (May 25, 2024). "Taylor Swift performs several mashups during acoustic set in Lisbon". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Phillipp, Charlotte (July 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift Is Amazed by Massive Crowds Tailgating at Munich Eras Tour Show: 'I Feel So Incredibly Welcomed'". People. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Jayswal, Palak (May 5, 2024). "Review: Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". SLUG. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (April 26, 2024). "Taylor Swift new album The Tortured Poets Department is getting mixed reviews — here's what critics are saying". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Roberts, Ellie (April 20, 2024). "Album: Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Wohlmacher, John (April 23, 2024). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Rosenbloom, Alli (April 20, 2024). "The Tortured Poets Department: A track-by-track listener's guide to Taylor Swift's 31-song double album". CNN. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Byron, Grace (April 23, 2024). "The Masochistic Acrobatics of Taylor Swift". Paste. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "The Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department Exit Survey". The Ringer. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Ahlgrim, Callie (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  17. ^ Cairns, Dan (April 19, 2024). "Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift review — a five-star pleasure". The Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Zaleski 2024.
  19. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department review — heartbreak inspires anguish, anger and a career highlight". Financial Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Hopper, Alex (June 11, 2024). "Behind the Meaning of 'Fresh Out The Slammer' by Taylor Swift". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'Fresh Out the Slammer' Lyrics Explain Why She Dated Matty Healy After Joe Alwyn". Elle. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Lipshutz, Jason (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department: All 31 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Zoladz, Lindsay (April 19, 2024). "On The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift Could Use an Editor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (April 25, 2024). "All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  25. ^ D’Souza, Shaad (April 19, 2024). "8 Takeaways From Taylor Swift's New Album The Tortured Poets Department". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  26. ^ Willman, Chris (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 75 Best Songs, Ranked". Variety. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Jones, Nate (May 20, 2024). "All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Sherman, Maria (April 19, 2024). "Music Review: Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is great sad pop, meditative theater". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  29. ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (April 22, 2024). "Album Review: Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  31. ^ Trust, Gary (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift Claims Record Top 14 Spots on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Fortnight' with Post Malone". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – Fresh Out the Slammer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – Fresh Out the Slammer". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  37. ^ a b "Philippines Songs - Week of May 4, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  38. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – Fresh Out the Slammer". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  39. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 17. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  40. ^ "Taylor Swift – Fresh Out the Slammer" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  41. ^ "IFPI Charts". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  42. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Ireland Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  43. ^ "2024 17-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  44. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 17. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  45. ^ "Taylor Swift – Fresh Out the Slammer". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  46. ^ "Streaming Top 100". Schweizer Hitparade. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  47. ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.

Source

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