Champagne Problems (Taylor Swift song)

"Champagne Problems" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the second track on Swift's ninth studio album, Evermore (2020), which was released on December 11, 2020, through Republic Records. The song was written by Swift and Joe Alwyn (under the pseudonym William Bowery), and produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner.

"Champagne Problems"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Evermore
ReleasedDecember 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)
Recorded2020
GenreSoft rock
Length4:04
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"Champagne Problems" on YouTube

"Champagne Problems" is a lo-fi ballad written from the perspective of a difficult girlfriend who turns down her lover's earnest marriage proposal, built around a guitar riff and oom-pah piano. Upon the release of Evermore, the song charted inside the top 10 in Canada and Ireland; and top 20 in Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Background and composition

Swift described the song at its release as "the one where longtime college sweethearts had very different plans for the same night, one to end it and one who brought a ring".[1] "Champagne Problems" is a mournful[2] ballad[3] with spacious,[4] lo-fi instrumentals, consisting of oompah piano chords that interlace with guitar arpeggios, and choir vocals.[5] It is narrated by a difficult girlfriend whose personal issues negatively impact her romantic relationship,[6] leading her to reject her lover's earnest engagement proposal.[5] The song sees her take responsibility for the heartache caused.[7] On December 10, 2020, Swift posted the track-list of Evermore across her social media, where "Champagne Problems" placed second; the album was released on December 11, 2020.

Critical reception

The song received critical acclaim. NME critic Hannah Mylrea juxtaposed "Champagne Problems" to Swift's 2008 hit "Love Story", with the latter being a song about accepting a marriage proposal while the former is about rejecting the same.[8] Terming it a "disenchantment ballad", Madeline Crone of American Songwriter thought that, by the song's first chorus, it is "painstakingly apparent" how "different plans" play out between two lovers.[9] Entertainment Weekly's Maura Johnston praised the song's "pointillistic" details, and underscored how the opening couplet "You booked the night train for a reason/ So you could sit there in this hurt" accurately depicts "someone looking to escape from themselves, and not just their situation".[10] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis said that the song was in part a callback to the "bad-news girlfriend" of Swift's 2014 single "Blank Space", citing the lyric "She would've made such a lovely bride / What a shame she's fucked in the head" from "Champagne Problems".[11] Jon Pareles for The New York Times wrote that the music on the track was "an elaborate, evolving sigh", specifically lo-fi piano chords that progress to guitar chords in more rapid succession and looped "aah" vocals.[12]

Impact

Inspired by the track, French luxury hotel Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa offered guests a new package called "Champagne Solution", which includes a bottle of Dom Pérignon, the champagne brand mentioned in the song's lyrics.[13]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Pitchfork.[14]

  • Taylor Swift − vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Aaron Dessner − producer, recorder, piano, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, synth bass
  • William Bowery − songwriter
  • Jonathan Low − vocal recorder, mixer, recorder
  • Greg Calbi − masterer
  • Steve Fallone − masterer
  • Logan Coale − upright bass

Charts
Chart (2020–2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 12
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 6
Billboard Global 200[18] 12
Malaysia (RIM)[19] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 24
Portugal (AFP)[21] 75
Singapore (RIAS Streaming Chart)[22] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 92
UK Download (OCC)[24] 90
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 21
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[27] 3
US Rolling Stone Top 100[28] 7

Certifications
Record certifications for "Champagne Problems"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Gold 40,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Bailey, Alyssa (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Champagne Problems' Lyrics Are About A Rejected Proposal. She Answered If It's Joe Alwyn's". Elle. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  2. Johnston, Maura (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift levels up on Evermore". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  3. Lipshutz, Jason (December 14, 2020). "Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Evermore': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  4. Sodomsky, Sam (December 15, 2020). "Taylor Swift: evermore". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  5. Pareles, Jon (December 11, 2020). "'Evermore,' Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' Sequel, Is a Journey Deeper Inward". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  6. Brodie, Lancaster (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift is back, stronger than ever before". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  7. Crone, Madeline (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift 'evermore' Is Ready For Your Record Player, Radio Play Be Damned". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  8. Mylrae, Hannah (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift – 'Evermore' review: the freewheeling younger sibling to 'Folklore'". NME. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  9. Crone, Madeline (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift 'evermore' Is Ready For Your Record Player, Radio Play Be Damned". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  10. Johnston, Maura (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift levels up on Evermore". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  11. Petridis, Alexis (December 11, 2020). "Taylor Swift: Evermore – rich alt-rock and richer character studies". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  12. Pareles, Jon (December 11, 2020). "'Evermore,' Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' Sequel, Is a Journey Deeper Inward". New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  13. Leasca, Stacey (January 22, 2021). "This French Hotel Is Offering a Taylor Swift-themed 'Champagne Problems' Package for the Broken Hearted". Travel and Leisure. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  14. Minsker, Evan. "Taylor Swift Releases New Album evermore: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  15. "Australian-charts.com – Taylor Swift – Champagne Problems". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  16. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  17. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  18. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  19. "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  20. "Charts.nz – Taylor Swift – Champagne Problems". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  21. "Portuguesecharts.com – Taylor Swift – Champagne Problems". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  22. "RIAS Top Charts". Recording Industry Association Singapore. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  23. "Swisscharts.com – Taylor Swift – Champagne Problems". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  24. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  26. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  27. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  28. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  29. "Canadian single certifications – Taylor Swift – Champagne Problems". Music Canada. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
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