Episode 3228
Mean (song)
Sat, 2026-Mar-07 01:00 UTC
Length - 3:30
Direct Link
Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.
The featured article for Saturday, 7 March 2026, is Mean (song).
"Mean" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released it to country radio in the United States as the album's third single on March 7, 2011. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Mean" is a six-string banjo-led country, country pop, and bluegrass track that incorporates fiddles, mandolins, hand claps, and multitracked vocals. In the lyrics, Swift addresses her detractors, recognizes her shortcomings, and strives to overcome the criticism and achieve success.
Some music critics deemed "Mean" an anti-bullying anthem and praised the production as airy and catchy, while others considered the narrative ineffective. Several media publications have retrospectively listed it as one of the best country songs. "Mean" won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, and also received other industry awards and nominations. The track reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, and the United States, peaking at number two on the country music charts in the latter two countries. It received certifications in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The music video for "Mean" was directed by Declan Whitebloom, who wrote its treatment with Swift. Featuring themes of self-empowerment and anti-bullying, the video received a mixed response from critics, who generally criticized its viewpoint on bullying as stereotypical and deemed its concept confusing. The video received nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and the Country Music Association Awards. Swift included "Mean" in the set lists of the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012) and the Red Tour (2013–2014), and performed it on some dates of her later tours.
Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of her back catalog, Swift re-recorded the song as "Mean (Taylor's Version)" for her third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023). The track peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:00 UTC on Saturday, 7 March 2026.
For the full current version of the article, see Mean (song) on Wikipedia.
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Until next time, I'm standard Aditi.
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