GRAMMYs Behind the Song: Taylor Swift 'Shake It Off'
By Annie Reuter
When Taylor Swift sat down to write her now three-time-GRAMMY-nominated hit "Shake It Off" from her "first documented official pop album," 1989, she wanted to create a song that got people out of their shells. In an interview with Radio.com, the country singer-turned-pop star explains how the song, which she cowrote with Max Martin and Shellback, came to be.
"Writing 'Shake It Off' was something that I wanted to do to basically create a song that was a song for any of us who have felt like we've been picked on or gossiped about," Swift says. "But I didn't want it to seem like we had been victimized. I wanted it to come from a perspective of strength, but I also wanted it to make people dance."
Related: Interview: Taylor Swift Reveals the Makings Of '1989'
And that she did. With its catchy beats and singable chorus, the song showcases Swift's successful entry into the pop world. "Shake It Off" stayed at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for four weeks, and it also broke the record for the highest debut ever on Adult Pop Songs radio airplay chart, where it debuted at No. 9, according to Billboard.
In the video for "Shake It Off," Swift tries out several dance genres to find herself unsuccessful at mimicking the professional dancers. Instead, she shakes it off and dances the way she knows how.
"My dream when I was writing this was, 'I hope they play this at weddings and I hope there's a wallflower who doesn't want to dance, and when this song comes in she gets up and goes to the dance floor.' I've heard some stories so far that that's been happening at weddings, and it's really nice to see it become realized," she says with a smile.
Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which air Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 pm EST on CBS.