"The Best Day" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "The Best Day" is an understated song with lyrics dedicated to Swift's parents, most of the verses being to her mother. A music video containing home footage edited by Swift was released on May 1, 2009, as part of a special Mother's Day promotion through Big Machine Records.
Music critics praised "The Best Day" for its understated production and tender sentiments. The song peaked at number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, and 56 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2018 certified the track gold, denoting 500,000 units based on sales and stream.
Swift released a re-recorded version, "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)", as part of her re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version), on April 9, 2021. A new music video for "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)", was uploaded onto YouTube on the album's release date. The re-recorded version also charted on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts, and won Best Family Feature at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.
Background and writing
Taylor Swift released her second studio album, Fearless, on November 11, 2008, through Big Machine Records. Swift wrote or co-wrote all tracks and co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman. Although much of Fearless is primarily about the challenges of love from a teenage girl's perspectives, a few songs are about life lessons and family love.
Swift wrote "The Best Day" for Fearless while she was touring in summer 2008 and recorded it in secret. She dedicated the track to her family for their support of her music career, the emphasis being her mother. For the lyrics, she revisited her childhood memories and imagined what language she would use as a child, incorporating the same language into the songwriting. Swift recorded "The Best Day" and edited an accompanying home video without telling her mother Andrea so as to surprise her on Christmas. Swift's mother recalled that when her daughter showed her the song and the video on Christmas Eve, "that's when I lost it. And [...] I've lost it pretty much every time I've heard that song since." The track, as appeared on Fearless, was produced by Swift and Chapman.
Release
"The Best Day" is track number 12 on Fearless, released on November 11, 2008. Swift released her self-edited video for "The Best Day" on May 1, 2009, in celebration of Mother's Day and as part of a special promotion through Big Machine Records. The video features footage of Swift's family and childhood, featuring her parents and brother Austin.
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. The decision came after a 2019 public dispute between Swift and talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released. By re-recording them, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters.
The re-recording of "The Best Day", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of Fearless re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's Version), on April 9, 2021. The re-recorded version was produced by Swift and Christopher Rowe. On April 30, 2021, Swift released a four-minute music video for "The Best Day (Taylor's Version)", consisting of footage from home movies from Swift's childhood to young adulthood, also starring her parents and brother. The video won Best Family Feature at the 2021 CMT Music Awards.
Music and lyrics
"The Best Day" is an understated track. The track originally featured mandolin and Dobro, but Swift told the producing team to mute all of them because she wanted the song to be as simple as possible. The end product, according to the Chicago Tribune, incorporates a "coffeehouse folkish beat". It is built on gentle acoustic guitar strums. Musicologist James E. Perone remarked that "The Best Day" features a country rock arrangement that recalls the music of American rock band Eagles. The song uses the '50s progression, I–vi–IV–V, which is associated with many American pop songs from the 1950s; Perone argued that this quality lended "The Best Day" a timeless feel.