"Clean" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift and English musician Imogen Heap wrote and produced the track. It is a mix of soft rock, dreamy pop, and synth-folk music with electronic sounds. The lyrics describe the struggle of moving on from a broken relationship.
Early reviews of 1989 praised "Clean" for its meaningful lyrics and Swift's writing skills, calling it one of the album's standout songs. Later rankings have named it one of Swift's best songs. Commercially, "Clean" appeared on charts in Canada and Portugal and received certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom. Many singers have performed the song, and it was included in Swift's 1989 World Tour (2015).
A new version, called "Clean (Taylor's Version)," was released as part of 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27, 2023. This version reached number 25 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and entered the top 30 in Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States.
Background
Taylor Swift, an American singer-songwriter, was known as a country artist until she released her fourth studio album, Red, in October 2012. Although Swift and her record company, Big Machine Records, promoted Red to country radio, some songs on the album included pop and rock styles. This happened because Swift wanted to try new musical styles. This caused people in the media to discuss whether she was still a country artist. In mid-2013, she started writing songs for her next album.
Swift named her fifth studio album 1989 after the year she was born. She decided to make this album her first "official pop" record, which would change how people saw her as a pop artist and move away from the country styles of her earlier work. To achieve this, she worked with new producers, including Imogen Heap, an English musician whom Swift called "one of the most interesting and unique artists."
"Clean" was one of the last songs Swift wrote for 1989. She completed the lyrics and melody before asking Heap to help produce it. Swift said she was inspired to write "Clean" after spending two weeks in London: "It hit me that I'd been in the same city as [an ex-lover] for two weeks and I hadn't thought about it."
Heap helped finish the song by playing instruments, and they recorded it in two takes during one day at The Hideaway Studio in London. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound Studio in New York City. At a 2015 event called Grammy Pro, Swift explained that Heap used two special instruments, the mbira (a thumb piano) and boomwhackers (used for percussion), to create the unique sounds in "Clean."
Composition
"Clean" is a soft rock, dream pop, and synth-folk song. It is four minutes and thirty seconds long and has a steady beat throughout. Jem Aswad from Billboard noted that the electronic sounds were inspired by Heap's musical style. The song uses piano, keyboard, drums, mbira, vibraphone, bass, layered vocals, and a rhythm based on drum beats. Neil McCormick from The Telegraph described "Clean" as "simple" and "full of mood." Hannah Mylrea from NME said the song has "gently ringing rock instruments," while Alex Petridis from The Guardian wrote that it includes "rhythmic and flowing electronic sounds."
The lyrics use the image of a heavy storm to describe ending a harmful, addictive relationship. At one point, Swift sings about a past relationship: "You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore." She continues, "When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe / And by morning / Gone was any trace of you / I think I am finally clean." The word "clean" has two meanings: it refers to the feeling of taking a shower and to being free from an addiction.
Releases
The song "Clean" from Taylor Swift's 1989 album was released on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. It is the 13th and final track on the album. After its release, the song appeared on the Canadian Digital Song Sales chart and reached a peak position of number 45. In 2015, Swift performed "Clean" during the 1989 World Tour. Before singing it, she shared personal lessons she had learned with the audience. In 2023, she included the song as a surprise performance during two shows of the Eras Tour: one on April 1 in Arlington, Texas, and another on May 28 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In 2024, Swift performed "Clean" with a piano as part of a mashup with her songs "Welcome to New York" and "Say Don't Go" during a concert in Stockholm on May 18, and with "Is It Over Now?" and "Out of the Woods" during a concert in London on June 23. The original version of the song received platinum certification from Australia’s ARIA and silver certification from the UK’s BPI in 2023.
In November 2020, Swift signed a new contract with Republic Records and began re-recording her first six studio albums. This decision followed a public disagreement in 2019 between Swift and Scooter Braun, who owned Big Machine Records and the original recordings of her albums. By re-recording the albums, Swift gained full ownership of the new versions, allowing her to control how her songs were used commercially. The re-recorded version of "Clean," named "Taylor's Version," was released on October 27, 2023, as part of the re-recorded 1989 album, titled 1989 (Taylor's Version). The re-recorded version is longer than the original, and the same musician who helped produce the original, Heap, returned to play instruments like vibraphone, percussion, kalimba, keyboard, and drums.
"Clean (Taylor's Version)" reached number 13 in the Philippines, number 26 in Singapore, number 28 in Canada, and number 28 in New Zealand. In the United States, it entered the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, helping Swift set a record for the most top-40 chart entries by a female artist. It also appeared on the Billboard Global 200 chart, Sweden’s Heatseeker chart, and the UK’s Audio Streaming Chart, reaching peaks of 25, 17, and 33, respectively. The original version of "Clean" also charted at number 85 on Portugal’s AFP Singles Chart after the 1989 album was released.
Critical reception
The song "Clean" received mostly positive reviews when it was first released. Many critics called it one of the standout songs from 1989. Forrest Wickman from Slate said the song was "sad but ultimately hopeful" and compared its themes to other ending songs by Taylor Swift, such as "Begin Again" from the album Red. Sam Lansky from Time praised the song for showing Swift's ability to use "tight, evocative images" in her writing. Aswad from Billboard described "Clean" as "aching, bittersweet" and noted that Swift worked closely with producer Jack Antonoff compared to other collaborators on the album. Amy Pettifer from The Quietus called the lyrics "sparkling–sad and clever." Sasha Geffen from Consequence referred to "Clean" as a "bell-accounted number" and praised Swift's message about finding strength through friendship. However, Matthew Horton from NME had a less positive view, calling the song "weepy" and saying it was "a late collapse" on the album.
In later rankings, Billboard, Paste, Chris Willman from Variety, Mylrea, and Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone included "Clean" in lists of Taylor Swift's top 20 songs. Sheffield called it an "intense finale" for the album 1989. Clash named the track one of Swift's 15 best songs, with editor Sahar Ghadirian calling it a "masterclass in songwriting" and praising its emotional message as "empowering and validating." Mary Kate Carr from The A.V. Club wrote that while some of Swift's metaphors can feel overly complex, the lyrics and calming musical sounds in "Clean" create a "perfect ode to set oneself free" that acknowledges the difficulty of moving on. Alex Hopper from American Songwriter called the song a fan favorite and praised how Swift shares her personal struggles and connects deeply with listeners.
Covers
Ingrid Michaelson, a singer-songwriter, said she loved the song "Clean" when she heard it in Taylor Swift's apartment before the 1989 album was released. Michaelson asked Swift to send her the full version of the song before the album came out, but Swift said no. Michaelson performed a cover of "Clean" at the Billboard Women in Music event on December 12, 2014, to honor Swift's win for Woman of the Year. On September 21, 2015, Ryan Adams, an American rock singer, released his version of "Clean" as part of his cover of Swift's 1989 album. Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club noted that Adams' version had a "smoother" sound. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said the song sounded like a more developed version of Adams' alternative country band, Whiskeytown.
On June 9, 2021, Sara Bareilles, an American singer, performed a cover of "Clean" as a tribute to Taylor Swift at the National Music Publishers' Association meeting. On April 12, 2023, Kelly Clarkson, an American singer, sang "Clean" on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Critics described the performance as "emotional" and "stunning." Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone said Clarkson kept the song's "sense of rebirth and new beginnings."
Personnel
- Taylor Swift – vocals, background vocals, songwriter, producer
- Imogen Heap – producer, songwriter, programming, background vocals, percussion, drums, mbira, vibraphone, keyboards
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- John Hanes – mixing
- Tom Coyne – mastering
"Clean (Taylor's Version)" (2023)
- Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
- Bryce Bordone – mix engineer
- Imogen Heap – producer, songwriter, recording, vibraphone, drums, kalimba, percussion, piano, programming, keyboards, background vocals
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
Certifications
The sales and streaming numbers are determined only by certification.