Welcome to New York

"Welcome to New York" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Written by Swift and Ryan Tedder, the song was inspired by Swift's relocation to New York City in April 2014. Its lyrics explore her newfound freedom and lighthearted attitude towards past heartbreaks. Swift, Tedder, and Noel Zancanella produced "Welcome to New York", a track driven by pulsing synthesizers, programmed drums, and multitracked vocals. Music critics described the genre as synth-pop, electropop, and disco. The song was released for download on October 20, 2014, a week ahead of 1989's release. "Welcome to New York" received mixed reviews from critics, most of whom criticized the lyrics as unsophisticated for a New York tribute song. Some defenders praised the production as bright and catchy and interpreted the lyrics as being supportive of LGBT rights. The song peaked within the top 20 of music charts in Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland. In the U.S., it reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift donated all proceeds from the sales to the New York City Department of Education. She included the track in the set list of the 1989 World Tour (2015) and performed it on certain dates of her later tours. Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "Welcome to New York (Taylor's Version)" for her re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).