The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

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"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Tortured Poets Department
ReleasedApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
Studio Long Pond (New York)
Length4:05
Label Republic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Aaron Dessner
Lyric video
"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" on YouTube

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (2024). The song was written and produced by Swift and longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Global 200 and charted within the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United States.

Contents

Background

Swift revealed The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, while accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights (2022). [1] Swift revealed she worked on the album in secret through 2022 and 2023. Upon its release on April 19, 2024, fans and the media speculated that the album's songs discussed her relationships in that time frame with the English actor Joe Alwyn, the English singer-songwriter Matty Healy, and the American football player Travis Kelce. [2]

Music and lyrics

"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" was described as a breakup song and a provocative "diss track" about an unnamed ex-lover. [3] Swift's lyrics discuss a man in a "Jehovah's Witness suit", accusing him of ghosting her and attempting to buy drugs from her distant friend. [4] [5] Sonically, the track is mostly built around piano and "blinking programming". [6]

Critical reception

In a ranking of all 31 songs from The Anthology edition of The Tortured Poets Department, Billboard ranked "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" in first place, with writer Jason Lipshutz considering the song "another Taylor Swift post-breakup takedown for the ages." [6] Kaitlyn Huamani of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The bridge is one of the best on the album, with haunting lyrics and stellar production." [7]

Commercial performance

When The Tortured Poets Department was released, tracks from the album occupied the top 14 of the US Billboard Hot 100; "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" opened at its peak at the last spot and made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 14 of the chart. [8] [9] In Australia, it reached number 16 on the ARIA Singles Chart and made her the artist with the most entries in a single week with 29. [10] [11] Elsewhere, the song debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Global 200 and charted within the top 20 in New Zealand (17), [12] Canada (18), [13] and Ireland (19). [14]

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [10] 16
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [13] 18
France (SNEP) [15] 137
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [16] 18
Greece International (IFPI) [17] 28
Ireland ( Billboard ) [14] 19
Lithuania (AGATA) [18] 88
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [12] 17
Portugal (AFP) [19] 31
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [20] 97
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [21] 90
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [22] 60
Swiss Streaming (Schweizer Hitparade) [23] 42
UK Singles Downloads (OCC) [24] 76
UK Streaming (OCC) [25] 17
US Billboard Hot 100 [8] 14

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References

  1. ↑ West, Bryan (April 21, 2024). "Taylor Swift makes Grammys history with fourth album of the year win for 'Midnights'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ Puckett-Pope, Lauren; Gonzales, Erica. "Is Taylor Swift's 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived' About Matty Healy?". Elle . Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ Frost, Caroline. "Taylor Swift's "Diss Track" Sees Pop Star Ex's Family Speak Out In His Defence". Deadline . Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. ↑ Yasmin, Shahana; O'Connor, Roisin. "How Taylor Swift takes aim at Matty Healy on The Tortured Poets Department". The Independent . Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ Danhauer, Whitney. "Taylor Swift Seemingly Shades Matty Healy's Style in 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived' From 'TTPD'". Life & Style . Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Lipshutz, Jason. "Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department': All 31 Tracks Ranked". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ Huamani, Kaitlyn (April 20, 2024). "The best songs from Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department double album" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  9. ↑ 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 May 9, 2024.
  10. 1 2 "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift's New Album The Tortured Poets Department Smashes Chart Records in the US, UK and Australia". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Taylor Swift Chart History (Ireland Songs)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 16, 2024)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  17. ↑ "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  18. ↑ "2024 16-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 26, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Taylor Swift – The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  20. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202417 into search. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Taylor Swift – Fortnight" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 17". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Streaming Top 100". Schweizer Hitparade . Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
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