Soon You'll Get Better: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{short description|2019 song by Taylor Swift featuring the Dixie Chicks}}

{{Infobox song

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"'''Soon You'll Get Better'''" is a song by the American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] ~~from~~featuring ~~her~~the ~~seventh~~American ~~studio album, ''~~[[~~Lover~~Country ~~(album)~~music|~~Lover~~country]]~~'' (2019). Swift and [[Jack Antonoff]] wrote and produced the song, which features background vocals and instruments from the American~~ band [[the Dixie Chicks]].{{Efn|The Dixie Chicks renamed to [[the Chicks]] in 2020, and they appeared under their old name on the credits for "Soon You'll Get Better".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-career-altering-band-name-change-the-dixie-chicks-to-the-chicks/|title=Behind the Career Altering Band Name Change The Dixie Chicks to The Chicks|last=Uitti|first=Jacob|date=May 16, 2023|website=[[American Songwriter]]|access-date=January 24, 2024|archive-date=January 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124043926/https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-career-altering-band-name-change-the-dixie-chicks-to-the-chicks/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/16/lover-tracklist-taylor-swift-collaborates-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better/2033793001/|title=Taylor Swift confirms Dixie Chicks collaboration on ''Lover''|website=[[The Tennessean]]|first=Matthew|last=Leimkuehler|date=August 16, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2024|archive-date=May 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517043805/https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/16/lover-tracklist-taylor-swift-collaborates-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better/2033793001/|url-status=live}}</ref>|name="Chicks"}} Swift and [[Jack Antonoff]] wrote and produced the song for the former's seventh studio album, ''[[Lover (album)|Lover]]'' (2019). "Soon You'll Get Better" is a ~~[[Country music|~~country]] [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]] featuring [[slide guitar]], [[banjo]], and [[fiddle]] alongside [[Vocal harmony|vocal harmonies]]. The lyrics were inspired by Swift's parents' cancer diagnoses.

Music critics acclaimed the vulnerable songwriting of "Soon You'll Get Better" and deemed Swift's vocals emotional; they compared the tone of the song to prayers and [[Lullaby|lullabies]]. The track peaked at number 63 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and marked the Dixie Chicks' first [[Hot Country Songs]] entry in 13 years. It also entered the singles charts of Australia, Canada, and Scotland. ~~and~~It ~~received a gold~~was [[~~Gold~~List ~~Certification~~of music recording certifications|~~certification~~certified]] ~~from~~gold ~~the~~in ~~[[Australian~~Australia ~~Recording Industry Association]]~~and ~~(ARIA)~~Brazil. On April 18, 2020, Swift performed a solo piano rendition of the song as part of the ''[[Together at Home|One World: Together at Home]]'' livestream charity event.

== Background and recording ==

[[File:DixieChicksMSG062003.jpg|thumb|"Soon You'll Get Better" features instruments and backing harmonies by [[the Dixie Chicks]] (pictured).]]

[[Taylor Swift]] conceived her seventh studio album, ''[[Lover (album)|Lover]]'', as a "love letter to love" itself that explores the many feelings evoked by love. The album was influenced by the connections she felt with her fans on ~~her~~the [[Reputation Stadium Tour]] (2018), which helped her recalibrate her personal life and artistic direction after the media controversies surrounding her celebrity at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Suskind |first=Alex |date=May 9, 2019 |title=New Reputation: Taylor Swift shares intel on TS7, fan theories, and her next era |url=https://ew.com/music/2019/05/09/taylor-swift-cover-story/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812135902/https://ew.com/music/2019/05/09/taylor-swift-cover-story/ |archive-date=August 12, 2019 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite ~~web~~magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=August 8, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Calls ''Lover'' Album Her 'Love Letter to Love,' Details 2 Unreleased Tracks |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-vogue-intereview-lover-two-new-songs-8526948/ |access-date=April 16, 2024 |~~website~~magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=June 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612104220/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-vogue-intereview-lover-two-new-songs-8526948/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Republic Records]] released ''Lover'' on August 23, 2019. It was Swift's first album under Republic after ~~she ended~~ her previous contract with [[Big Machine Records|Big Machine]] ended.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coscarelli |first=Joe |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Releases ''Lover'' the Old-Fashioned Way |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/arts/music/taylor-swift-lover.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828234348/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/arts/music/taylor-swift-lover.html |archive-date=August 28, 2019 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> "Soon You'll Get Better" is a song that Swift said was the album's hardest track to write.<ref name="iHeart">{{cite web |last=Mastrogiannis |first=Nicole |date=August 24, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Shares Intimate Details of ''Lover'' Songs During Secret Session |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-08-23-taylor-swift-shares-intimate-details-of-lover-songs-during-secret-session/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825122533/https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-08-23-taylor-swift-shares-intimate-details-of-lover-songs-during-secret-session/ |archive-date=August 25, 2019 |access-date=August 25, 2019 |website= |publisher=[[iHeartMedia]]}}</ref> It was inspired by the [[cancer]] diagnoses that Swift's parents received: "My dad got cancer when I was 13 and he got better, and it wasn't a very long process, but things with my mom have been very different."<ref name="iHeart" /><ref name="Feller-2019">{{Cite web |last=Feller |first=Madison |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Soon You'll Get Better' Lyrics Reveal the Struggle of Watching Her Parents Battle Cancer |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a28787408/taylor-swift-soon-you-get-better-lyrics-meaning-mom/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903011336/https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a28787408/taylor-swift-soon-you-get-better-lyrics-meaning-mom/ |archive-date=September 3, 2019 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |website=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]}}</ref> In a live video broadcast on [[YouTube]] the day before the album's release, Swift said that she and her family had a discussion before deciding to publish and release "Soon You'll Get Better", because of how personal the song was.<ref name="Feller-2019" />

The country band [[The Dixie Chicks|Dixie Chicks]] featured on "Soon You'll Get Better".{{Efn|name="Chicks"}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2019 |title=This New Taylor Swift Song Is All About Her Mom, So You'll Want To Grab Some Tissues |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/the-meaning-of-taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-will-break-your-heart-18693155 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914012430/https://www.bustle.com/p/the-meaning-of-taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-will-break-your-heart-18693155 |archive-date=September 14, 2019 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |website=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]}}</ref> Swift asked the Dixie Chicks to collaborate with her around the time when [[Jack Antonoff]], a producer for ''Lover'', was also working with them.<ref name="iHeart" /> She explained that the Dixie Chicks were "the band that made [her] wanna do this", ~~and~~saying ~~spoke~~that ofthey ~~their influence on~~taught her: ~~"The~~to ~~Dixie~~have ~~Chicks taught me that you can have~~both a "strong female voice~~, saying whatever she wants in music,~~" and ~~experimenting with having~~ a "very feminine aesthetic~~, but very tough resilience to them~~"."<ref name="iHeart" /> Because of the track's personal nature, Swift said having the Dixie Chicks on the song was because of how "they were such a big part of [her] life".<ref name="iHeart" /> In a July 2020 interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', the band admitted that collaborating with Swift "felt like a lot of pressure" because they worried if they would dislike the track, but they ended up loving it and credited Swift with helping "so many girls for the future [...], just showing that vulnerable place of figuring this shit out for herself".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Melinda |date=July 17, 2020 |title=How the Music Industry Finally Caught Up to The Chicks |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/9419501/the-chicks-gaslighter-interview |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023023949/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/9419501/the-chicks-gaslighter-interview/ |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |access-date=July 21, 2020 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>

== Composition ==

Swift wrote and produced "Soon You'll Get Better" with Antonoff, who recorded the track with Laura Sisk at [[Electric Lady Studios]] in New York City.<ref name="Tidal">{{cite web |title=''Lover'' by Taylor Swift |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/115983325 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823042807/https://listen.tidal.com/album/115983325 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |website= |publisher=[[Tidal (service)|Tidal]]}}</ref> "Soon You'll Get Better" is a [[Country music|country]] [[sentimental ballad|ballad]]<ref name="Bruner-2019">{{Cite magazine |last=Bruner |first=Raisa |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Let's Discuss the Lyrics to Every Song on Taylor Swift's ''Lover'' |url=https://time.com/5651207/taylor-swift-lover-songs-explained/ |access-date=April 16, 2020 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609233017/https://time.com/5651207/taylor-swift-lover-songs-explained/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Petridis-2019" /> with a stripped-down [[acoustic music|acoustic]] production instrumented by sparse, [[Fingerpick|fingerpicked]] [[string instrument|strings]]<ref name="Shaffer-2019">{{Cite magazine |last=Shaffer |first=Claire |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Hear Taylor Swift, Dixie Chicks Team for Heartfelt Song 'Soon You'll Get Better' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-song-listen-875304/ |url-access=limited |access-date=August 23, 2019 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205052216/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-song-listen-875304/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Height-2019">{{Cite news |last=Height |first=Jewly |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift and the Dixie Chicks Come Full Circle on the Devastating 'Soon You'll Get Better |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-review.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823192141/https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-review.html |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> such as [[Slide guitar|slide guitars]], [[banjo]] played by [[Emily Strayer]], and [[fiddle]] played by [[Martie Maguire]].<ref name="Tidal" /><ref name="Petridis-2019" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |date=August 23, 2019 |title=On ''Lover'', Taylor Swift is an artist excited to be earnest again – review |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-review-lover-album-tracklist-stream-lyrics-joe-alwyn-london-boy-a9075376.html |url-access=limited |access-date=February 27, 2024 |website=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823061946/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-review-lover-album-tracklist-stream-lyrics-joe-alwyn-london-boy-a9075376.html |url-status=live }}</ref> All members of the Dixie Chicks (Strayer, Maguire, [[Natalie Maines]]) sing [[Vocal harmony|vocal harmonies]].<ref name="Height-2019" /><ref name="Wilson">{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Wilson (writer) |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Lover'' Is a More Mature (Mostly) Successor to ''Red'' |url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/08/taylor-swift-lover-album-review.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121100740/https://slate.com/culture/2019/08/taylor-swift-lover-album-review.html |archive-date=November 21, 2019 |access-date=April 30, 2020 |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref> [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']]'s [[Dana Schwartz]] described the track as a "tilt back to [Swift's] country roots"<ref name="Schwartz-2019">{{Cite magazine |last=Schwartz |first=Dana |author-link=Dana Schwartz |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Review: On ''Lover'', Taylor Swift Lays Down Her Armor |url=https://time.com/5659097/taylor-swift-lover-review/ |access-date=August 23, 2019 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214022306/https://time.com/5659097/taylor-swift-lover-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[USA Today]]''<nowiki/>'s Meave McDermott said it had a "Nashville feel".<ref name="McDermott-2019">{{Cite web |last=McDermott |first=Maeve |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift and Dixie Chicks' new song 'Soon You'll Get Better' is one of Swift's saddest ever |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/23/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-break-your-heart/2066168001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726160743/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/08/23/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better-break-your-heart/2066168001/ |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Swift sings with understated vocals;<ref name="Himes-2019" /> Roisin O'Connor of [[The Independent|''The Independent'']] described them as "half-whispers" and said that she sang the song as if she were "on the verge of tears".<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |date=July 23, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's 100 album tracks – ranked |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/taylor-swift-lover-best-songs-1989-reputation-red-lyrics-music-videos-a9076476.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203140818/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/taylor-swift-lover-best-songs-1989-reputation-red-lyrics-music-videos-a9076476.html |archive-date=December 3, 2019 |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

The lyrics detail Swift's emotions after learning about her mother's cancer diagnosis, starting with a scene where she and her mother are in a doctor's office ("The buttons of my coat were tangled in my hair in doctor's office lighting")<ref name="Himes-2019">{{Cite web |last=Himes |first=Geoffrey |date=October 22, 2019 |title=The Curmudgeon: Taylor Swift and the Path of Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/the-curmudgeon-taylor-swift-and-the-path-of-bruce |access-date=February 26, 2024 |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226153545/https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/the-curmudgeon-taylor-swift-and-the-path-of-bruce |url-status=live }}</ref> before proceeding with Swift's prayers to God ("Holy orange bottles, each night, I pray to you/ Desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus too")<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Huff |first=Lauren |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Everything to know about Taylor Swift's emotional collaboration with the Dixie Chicks |url=https://ew.com/music/2019/08/23/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better/ |access-date=February 27, 2024 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227073249/https://ew.com/music/2019/08/23/taylor-swift-dixie-chicks-soon-youll-get-better/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but also expressing her doubts in religion.<ref name="Wilson" /><ref name="Zoladz">{{cite web |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay |date=August 26, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Is a ''Lover'' and a Fighter |url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/8/26/20833037/taylor-swift-lover-album-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001448/https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/8/26/20833037/taylor-swift-lover-album-review |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=June 9, 2022 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]}}</ref> She is in denial of her mother's illness, but she admires how her mother stays positive ("You like the nicer nurses, you make the best of a bad deal").<ref name="Wilson" /> She tells herself of happy endings but realizes they are delusional ("I know delusion when I see it in the mirror [...] This won't go back to normal").<ref name="Himes-2019" /> In the [[Bridge (music)|bridge]], Swift details her thought spirals ("I hate to make this all about me/ But who am I supposed to talk to?/ What am I supposed to do/ If there's no you?").<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Craig |date=August 23, 2019 |title=The Old Taylor Is Back on ''Lover'' and the Best She's Been in Years |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/taylor-swift-lover-album-review.html |url-access=limited |access-date=February 26, 2024 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |archive-date=December 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201160219/https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/taylor-swift-lover-album-review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Irish Times]]''<nowiki/>'s Louise Bruton thought that the track captured "the fear and the silence of a hospital room".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bruton |first=Louise |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Lover'' review – It's not bitter but her grudges smudge her star power |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/taylor-swift-lover-review-it-s-not-bitter-but-her-grudges-smudge-her-star-power-1.3995116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225135920/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/taylor-swift-lover-review-it-s-not-bitter-but-her-grudges-smudge-her-star-power-1.3995116 |archive-date=December 25, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==

"Soon You'll Get Better" received acclaim from critics, who praised both the tender sound and emotional lyrics. Dermott, Raisa Bruner from [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']], and Mikael Wood from the [[Los Angeles Times|''Los Angeles Times'']] compared the tone of the track to prayers, [[Lullaby|lullabies]], and [[Hymn|hymns]].<ref name="Bruner-2019" /><ref name="McDermott-2019" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |date=2019-08-25 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Lover'': All 18 songs, ranked |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-08-25/taylor-swift-lover-songs-ranked |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]~~}}</ref> ''[[The Irish Times]]''<nowiki/>'s Louise Bruton thought that the track captures "the fear and the silence of a hospital room".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bruton |first=Louise~~ |archive-date=~~August~~September 2314, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Lover'' review – It's not bitter but her grudges smudge her star power |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/taylor-swift-lover-review-it-s-not-bitter-but-her-grudges-smudge-her-star-power-1.3995116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/~~20191225135920~~20190914082330/https://www.~~irishtimes~~latimes.com/~~culture~~entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-08-25/taylor-swift-lover-~~review~~songs-~~it-s-not-bitter-but-her-grudges-smudge-her-star-power-1.3995116~~ranked |~~archive~~url-~~date~~status=~~December~~live ~~25, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]~~}}</ref> Bruner said that the soft melody was contrasted by the "brutal stanzas" about the health conditions of Swift's mother, which elevated the song's emotional impact.<ref name="McDermott-2019" /> Wood ranked the track as the second -best on ''Lover'', behind "[[Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift song)|Cruel Summer]]".<ref name=":0" /> [[New York (magazine)|''Vulture'']]'s Jewly Height described the vocals as "hushed" and said that Swift's storytelling perspective was "like [that of] a cinematographer—first the focus on a tiny detail [...], then a zoomed-out shot of the settings where the trouble's playing out".<ref name="Height-2019" /> Height praised Swift's delivery for exhibiting "breathiness, crisp enunciation, and telegraphed sincerity", which he deemed a welcoming sign of a return to the country roots of her earlier music after the "various shades of rhythmic, electronic-based pop" on her past albums.<ref name="Height-2019" />

''[[Consequence of Sound]]''<nowiki/>'s Natalia Barr picked "Soon You'll Get Better" as one of the album's "essential" tracks, highlighting its acoustic production and "the most heavenly harmonies of [Swift's] career".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barr |first=Natalia |date=August 26, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Takes the High Road on the More Mature ''Lover'' |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/08/album-review-taylor-swift-lover/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829173136/https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/08/album-review-taylor-swift-lover/ |archive-date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=[[Consequence of Sound]]}}</ref> Claire Shaffer of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and [[Jon Pareles]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the Dixie Chicks' harmony vocals for complementing the emotional impact; the former thought that the understated production ~~highlights~~highlighted Swift's lyrics,<ref name="Shaffer-2019" /> which the latter found to contain "jolting specificity".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Caramanica |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Emerges From the Darkness Unbroken on ''Lover'' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/arts/music/taylor-swift-lover-review.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824211014/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/arts/music/taylor-swift-lover-review.html |archive-date=August 24, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Sam Brooks of ''[[The Spinoff]]'' described those harmonies as "literal angels coming around Swift as she grieves her mother's cancer" and said that Swift's vocals had improved, as shown by "the way she's played around with her phrasing and the limitations of her voice".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Sam |last2=Greive |first2=Duncan |last3=Casey |first3=Alex |last4=Adams |first4=Josie |date=August 26, 2019 |title=The Spinoff reviews all 18 songs on Taylor Swift's Lover |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/26-08-2019/the-spinoff-reviews-all-18-songs-on-taylor-swifts-lover/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803194941/https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/26-08-2019/the-spinoff-reviews-all-18-songs-on-taylor-swifts-lover/ |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=[[The Spinoff]]}}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''<nowiki/>'s [[Alexis Petridis]] described the track as "gorgeous" and suitable for "those who think it all went wrong when she left Nashville" to "console themselves with".<ref name="Petridis-2019">{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Petridis |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift: ''Lover'' review – pop dominator wears her heart on her sleeve |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/23/taylor-swift-lover-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823042510/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/23/taylor-swift-lover-review |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Anna Gaca of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' said that the position of "Soon You'll Get Better" in ''Lover''<nowiki/>'s track list after the "relentlessly upbeat" "[[London Boy (song)|London Boy]]" brings forth a "mood swing [that] will knock you sideways".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaca |first=Anna |date=August 26, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift ''Lover'' |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-lover/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826051751/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-lover/ |archive-date=August 26, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]}}</ref>

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named "Soon You'll Get Better" as one of the ten "most emotionally devastating" songs of the 2010s decade and stated that the "heartbreaking" lyrics showcase Swift's pain and worry effectively. They also labelled the bridge of the song as "the saddest" bridge in Swift's discography.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Holub |first1=Christian |last2=Barlow |first2=Eve |date=June 10, 2022 |title=The most emotionally devastating songs of the 2010s |url=https://ew.com/music/2019/12/04/the-most-emotionally-devastating-songs-of-the-2010s/ |access-date=December 4, 2019 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=July 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728150226/https://ew.com/music/2019/12/04/the-most-emotionally-devastating-songs-of-the-2010s/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Nate Jones of ''Vulture'' placed the song 65th on his ranking of Swift's 214 songs as of November 2022, calling it "simple, sincere, and affecting".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=2023-11-08 |title=All 214 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |language= |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913234630/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Commercial performance==

Upon the release of ''Lover'', "Soon You'll Get Better" debuted at number 63 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. It was the Dixie Chicks' first entry on the Hot 100 since "[[Not Ready to Make Nice]]" (2007). The song reached number 10 on [[Hot Country Songs]], where it became Swift's 21st top-10 entry and her first since the collaboration with [[Sugarland]] on "[[Babe (Sugarland song)|Babe]]" (2018). For the Dixie Chicks, it was their first appearance on the chart since "[[Everybody Knows (Dixie Chicks song)|Everybody Knows]]" (2006).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8528953/taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-hot-country-songs|title=Taylor Swift & Dixie Chicks Debut in Hot Country Songs Top 10 With 'Soon You'll Get Better'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=September 3, 2019|access-date=September 3, 2019|first=Jim|last=Asker|archive-date=September 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903180016/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8528953/taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-hot-country-songs|url-status=live}}</ref> Elsewhere, "Soon You'll Get Better" reached the singles charts of Canada (71)<ref name="Canada" /> and Scotland (97).<ref name="Scotland" /> In Australia, the song peaked at number 54 on the [[ARIA Singles Chart]]<ref name="Australia" /> and was [[Music recording certification|certified]] gold by the [[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA).<ref name="ARIA" /> In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 98 on the ~~[[Official Charts Company|OCC]]'s~~ [[Official Audio Streaming Chart|Audio Streaming Chart]].<ref name="UKstreaming" />

== Live performance ==

On April 18, 2020, Swift performed a solo piano rendition of "Soon You'll Get Better" as part of the ~~[[Lady Gaga]]-curated~~ ''[[Together at Home#Television special|One World: Together At Home]]'' television special, a [[Benefit concert|benefit event]] by [[Global Poverty Project#Global Citizen|Global Citizen]] to raise funds for the [[World Health Organization]]'s [[COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9361327/one-taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-world-togher-at-home-concert|title=Taylor Swift Sings Heart-Rending 'Soon You'll Get Better' During 'One World' Concert|last=Havens|first=Lyndsey|date=April 18, 2020|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=April 19, 2020|archive-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419024535/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9361327/one-taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-world-togher-at-home-concert|url-status=live}}</ref> It was her first time performing this track, ~~with~~after ~~her~~she previously ~~stating~~stated that she would not perform it because of how "difficult" it is for her to "emotionally deal" with its meaning.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elassar |first=Alaa |date=April 19, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift performs 'Soon You'll Get Better' for the first time on ''One World: Together at Home'' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/19/us/taylor-swift-one-world-together-at-home-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419184108/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/19/us/taylor-swift-one-world-together-at-home-trnd/index.html |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 20, 2020 |website= |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Media publications deemed the performance "moving".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=April 19, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Delivers Moving 'Soon You'll Get Better' on ''Together at Home'' Special |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-together-at-home-global-citizen-986536/ |url-access=limited |access-date=April 19, 2020 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420025439/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-soon-youll-get-better-together-at-home-global-citizen-986536/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=April 19, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Performs a Moving Version of 'Soon You'll Get Better' for ''Together at Home'' |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-together-at-home-soon-youll-get-better-1234584337/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419043818/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-together-at-home-soon-youll-get-better-1234584337/ |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Jem Aswad of [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] thought that the track was suitable for "countless people praying for the recovery of loved ones affected by the coronavirus pandemic that the show is working to rally relief for".<ref name=":1" /> In [[MTV News]], Trey Alston praised Swift's piano rendition for "bringing [the song] to life" and highlighted the simplicity of her performance: "There aren't any smiles, winks, or any other theatrics. It's just Swift and her instrument, working to immerse viewers in the moment with her."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alston |first=Trey |date=April 18, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Together At Home'' Performance Was Pastel Pink Perfection |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3163734/taylor-swift-one-world-together-at-home-soon-youll-get-better-performance/ |url-status=~~live~~dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419131757/http://www.mtv.com/news/3163734/taylor-swift-one-world-together-at-home-soon-youll-get-better-performance/ |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |website= |publisher=[[MTV]]}}</ref>

Many publications considered "Soon You'll Get Better" one of the best moments of the ''Together At Home'' special.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allaire |first=Christian |date=April 20, 2020 |title=The 10 Best Performances From the 'One World: Together at Home' Concert |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/global-citizen-coronavirus-concert-best-performances |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419235246/https://www.vogue.com/article/global-citizen-coronavirus-concert-best-performances |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |website=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |date=2020-04-19 |title=All the best bits from the ''One World Together At Home'' concert |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/one-world-together-at-home-concert-highlights-best-bits-performances-video-a9472651.html |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=[[The Independent]] |language= |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515040953/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/one-world-together-at-home-concert-highlights-best-bits-performances-video-a9472651.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-19 |title=Taylor Swift, J. Lo, Billie Eilish star on ''One World: Together at Home'' concert |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/liveblog/global-citizen-one-world-together-at-home-concert |url-access=limited |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515040618/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/liveblog/global-citizen-one-world-together-at-home-concert |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Billboard'' commended that Swift "effectively ripped our hearts out and reminded us of the power of music to both reflect and ease our pain", describing the moment as "tough, lovely and cathartic".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lynch |first=Joe |date=April 18, 2020 |title=''One World: Together at Home'': 10 Best Moments |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9361401/one-world-together-at-home-concert-the-10-best-moments |access-date=April 19, 2020 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419054434/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9361401/one-world-together-at-home-concert-the-10-best-moments |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Radio Times]]'' wrote that she "powered through the song [...], having to keep her eyes clenched throughout".<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2020 |title=The 8 best moments of the ''One World: Together at Home'' concert |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-19/one-world-together-highlights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423182905/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-04-19/one-world-together-highlights/ |archive-date=April 23, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |website=[[Radio Times]]}}</ref> ''Variety''<nowiki/>'s Chris Willman lauded Swift as "sober truth-teller at nearly the last minute" and said of the song: "there couldn't have been a more appropriate song for all the families of [[Intensive care unit|ICU]] patients sitting at home."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=April 19, 2020 |title=''One World: Together at Home'': TV Review |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/one-world-together-at-home-tv-review-taylor-swift-rolling-stones-lady-gaga-1234584371/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419105903/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/one-world-together-at-home-tv-review-taylor-swift-rolling-stones-lady-gaga-1234584371/ |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> "Soon You'll Get Better" was among the top three sellers from the show, along with [[Maluma (singer)|Maluma]]'s "[[Carnaval (song)|Carnaval]]" and [[Kacey Musgraves]]'s "[[Rainbow (Kacey Musgraves song)|Rainbow]]"; these three songs together accounted for 42% of the total song sales generated by the show. "Soon You'll Get Better" sold more than 1,000 downloads on April 18, 2020, compared to negligible sales the day before.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=April 19, 2020 |title=''One World: Together at Home'' Concert Yields Sales Gains for Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves & More |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9361488/one-world-together-at-home-concert-yields-sales-gains-for-taylor-swift-kacey-musgraves-more |access-date=April 19, 2020 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=April 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419194559/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9361488/one-world-together-at-home-concert-yields-sales-gains-for-taylor-swift-kacey-musgraves-more |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Personnel ==

Line 80 ⟶ 81:

==~~Certification~~Certifications==

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Soon You'll Get Better"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Gold|number=1|type=single|relyear=2019|certyear=2024|access-date=February 14, 2024|~~certref~~refname=~~<ref name="~~ARIA">{{cite web|url=https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k9o2q7p7o4awhqx/AACWCcZE90sw8zo9jhynnKd7a/Jan%202024%20Single%20Accreds.pdf?e=1&dl=0|title=Jan 2024 Single Accreds|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]]|access-date=February 14, 2024}}</ref>}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Taylor Swift|title=Soon You'll Get Better|award=Gold|type=single|certyear=2024|relyear=2019|access-date=July 22, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}