Better Man ( Little Big Town song ) - wikipedia Better Man ( Little Big Town song ) `` Better Man '' Single by Little Big Town from the album The Breaker Released October 20, 2016 ( 2016 - 10 - 20 ) Format Digital download Genre Country Length 4 : 21 Label Capitol Nashville Songwriter ( s ) Taylor Swift Producer ( s ) Jay Joyce Little Big Town singles chronology `` One of Those Days '' ( 2016 ) `` Better Man '' ( 2016 ) `` Happy People '' ( 2017 ) `` One of Those Days '' ( 2016 ) `` Better Man '' ( 2016 ) `` Happy People '' ( 2017 ) Music video `` Better Man '' on YouTube `` Better Man '' is a song written by American singer - songwriter Taylor Swift and performed by American country group Little Big Town, released on October 20, 2016. It served as the lead single from the group 's eighth studio album, The Breaker, which was released on February 24, 2017. `` Better Man '' was first performed live at the 50th CMA Awards on November 2, 2016. The song won Song of the Year and was nominated for Single of the Year, and Music Video of the Year at the 2017 CMA Awards. Contents 1 Background 2 Music video 3 Reception 3.1 Accolades 4 Commercial performance 5 Other versions 6 Charts and certifications 6.1 Charts 6.2 Certifications 7 References Background The song was written about the breakup of a relationship by Taylor Swift. According to group member Karen Fairchild, Swift thought of the group because of the harmonies, and sent the song to them. `` Better Man '' has a play length of 4 minutes and 21 seconds. The song is in a slow tempo of 72 beats per minute, written with a 4 / 4 time signature. It is in the key of F major, with a chord pattern of F-C-B ♭ - B ♭ - B ♭. Karen Fairchild 's lead vocal spans from F to B ♭. Music Video An accompanying music video was directed by Becky Fluke and Reid Long and premiered on November 1, 2016. Set in a rural household, the video depicts three generations of single parents whose partners ultimately leave them. The cycle is presumably broken at the end, when Philip Sweet 's character has a baby girl and makes an effort to be a better role model. Reception Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe rated the song `` A '', saying that `` It 's a concept that is grounded in so much truth that I 'm amazed I 've never heard it approached this way before '' and `` The writers do a great job of capturing both why ( the song 's narrator ) stayed so long and why she had to leave, and all of the conflicting feelings that go along with that. '' Taste of Country writer Billy Dukes also praised the song, saying that `` This song is n't as jarring as some of the quartet 's most recent hits. In fact, the mistreatment of women is only vaguely alluded to -- there 's no one line that burns the hair off the back of your neck. Jay Joyce 's arrangement is soft but not stark. It 's among his more mainstream productions. Still, it 's clear Fairchild 's protagonist is reeling from a love that went very, very wrong. '' Accolades Year Association Result 2017 Billboard Music Awards Top Country Song Nominated CMT Music Awards Group Video of the Year Won Video of the Year Nominated CMA Awards Single of the Year Nominated Song of the Year Won Music Video of the Year Nominated Commercial performance The song sold 6,000 copies on its first day of release, enough to allow the song to enter the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 41. It sold 20,000 the following week, and rose to No. 20 in the chart. In its third week it sold a further 47,000 copies and climbed further to No. 6. On the Hot Country Songs chart dated February 11, 2017, `` Better Man '' reached number one, earning the group their third leader. It spent two weeks at No. 1 before being dethroned by `` Body Like A Back Road '' by Sam Hunt. The song was certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA on August 23, 2017. The song has sold 741,000 copies in the United States as of November 2017. Other versions On February 4, 2017, Taylor Swift performed it at Club Nomadic in Houston as part of the DirecTV Special, Super Saturday Night. On February 15, 2017, Chase Bryant recorded a cover version of the song, which changed the grammatical narrative from second person to first. Bryant 's rendition was described favorably by both Billboard and Rolling Stone for the change in the song 's perspective, as well as the harmonies provided by Runaway June. Charts and certifications Charts Chart ( 2016 -- 17 ) Peak position Canada ( Canadian Hot 100 ) 56 Canada Country ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 34 US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Canada ( Music Canada ) Gold 5,000 United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 741,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone References Jump up ^ `` Hear Little Big Town 's Melancholy New Song ' Better Man ' ''. rollingstone.com. Retrieved July 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Black, Lauren Jo ( November 1, 2016 ). `` Little Big Town Reveals Taylor Swift as ' Better Man ' Songwriter ''. Sounds Like Nashville. SpinMedia. Retrieved November 2, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Better Man - Little Big Town Release Info ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 2, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Weatherby, Taylor ( September 4, 2017 ). `` Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert Lead 2017 CMA Awards Nominees, Taylor Swift Earns First Nomination in Three Years ''. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Vulpo, Mike ( November 1, 2016 ). `` Who Did Taylor Swift Write `` Better Man '' About ? We Investigate the Lyrics for Little Big Town 's New Single ``. E ! Online. Jump up ^ `` ' Better Man ' sheet music ''. musicnotes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Better Man Music Video MTV ''. MTV. Viacom. Retrieved February 5, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Wicks, Amanda ( November 1, 2016 ). `` Little Big Town Premiere ' Better Man ' Music Video ''. Radio.com. CBS Corporation. Retrieved February 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Coyne, Kevin John ( October 27, 2016 ). `` Single Review : Little Big Town, `` Better Man '' ``. Country Universe. Retrieved February 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Dukes, Billy. `` Little Big Town, ' Better Man ' ( Listen ) ''. Taste of Country. Retrieved February 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Stefano, Angela ( May 21, 2017 ). `` 2017 Billboard Music Awards Country Winners List ''. The Boot. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Stefano, Angela ( June 7, 2017 ). `` 2017 CMT Music Awards Winners List ''. The Boot. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Hot Country Songs ''. Billboard. November 5, 2016. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). ^ Jump up to : Bjorke, Matt ( November 1, 2016 ). `` Top 30 Digital Singles Sales Report : November 1, 2016 ''. Roughstock. Jump up ^ `` Hot Country Songs ''. Billboard. November 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt ( November 7, 2016 ). `` Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart : November 7, 2016 ''. Roughstock. Jump up ^ Asker, Jim ( January 31, 2016 ). `` Little Big Town Leads Hot Country Songs With Taylor Swift - Written ' Better Man ' ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 5, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` American single certifications -- Little Big Town -- Better Man ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 22, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH ^ Jump up to : Bjorke, Matt ( November 22, 2017 ). `` Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart : November 21, 2017 ''. Roughstock. Retrieved November 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Aniftos, Rania ( February 15, 2017 ). `` Chase Bryant Shares Introspective Cover of Little Big Town 's Taylor Swift - Penned ' Better Man ' : Listen ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Freeman, Jon ( February 15, 2017 ). `` See Chase Bryant 's Solemn Cover of Little Big Town 's ' Better Man ' ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Chart History ( Canadian Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved January 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Chart History ( Canada Country ) '' Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Chart History ( Country Airplay ) '' Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Little Big Town Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) '' Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Canadian single certifications -- Little Big Town -- Better Man ''. Music Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2017. Preceded by `` Dirt on My Boots '' by Jon Pardi Billboard Canada Country number - one single March 11 -- 18, 2017 Succeeded by `` Fast '' by Luke Bryan Preceded by `` Blue Ai n't Your Color '' by Keith Urban Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one single February 11 -- 18, 2017 Succeeded by `` Body Like a Back Road '' by Sam Hunt Preceded by `` Seein ' Red '' by Dustin Lynch Billboard Country Airplay number - one single March 4 -- 11, 2017 Succeeded by `` Sober Saturday Night '' by Chris Young featuring Vince Gill Little Big Town Studio albums Little Big Town The Road to Here A Place to Land The Reason Why Tornado Pain Killer Wanderlust The Breaker Notable singles `` Do n't Waste My Time '' `` Boondocks '' `` Bring It On Home '' `` Good as Gone '' `` A Little More You '' `` I 'm with the Band '' `` Fine Line '' `` Little White Church '' `` Pontoon '' `` Tornado '' `` Your Side of the Bed '' `` Sober '' `` Day Drinking '' `` Girl Crush '' `` Pain Killer '' `` Better Man '' `` Happy People '' Guest singles `` Smokin ' and Drinkin ' '' ( with Miranda Lambert ) Karen Fairchild 's Guest singles `` Home Alone Tonight '' ( with Luke Bryan ) Other songs `` Go Tell It on the Mountain '' `` Life in a Northern Town '' ( with Sugarland and Jake Owen ) Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Better_Man_(Little_Big_Town_song)&oldid=811772854 '' Categories : 2016 songs 2016 singles Little Big Town songs Songs written by Taylor Swift Song recordings produced by Jay Joyce Capitol Records Nashville singles Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content Use mdy dates from July 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canada Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcanadacountry Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardcountryairplay Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Certification Table Entry usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Italiano Português Русский Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 23 November 2017, at 21 : 22. 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Question: who wrote a better man by little big town
Answer: Taylor Swift