Ronan (song)
| "Ronan" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Taylor Swift | ||||
| Released | September 8, 2012 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | Big Machine | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Taylor Swift | |||
| Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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"Ronan" is a charity single by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released as an iTunes-exclusive download on September 8, 2012, by Big Machine Records. The lyrics are based on a blog by Maya Thompson about her three-year-old son Ronan, who died from neuroblastoma in 2011. Swift wrote and produced the song by putting together quotes from the blog, crediting Maya Thompson as co-writer. All proceeds from sales of "Ronan" were donated for charity causes to raise awareness of and fight against cancer.
Musically, "Ronan" is a soft rock ballad instrumented by a sole finger-picked guitar with occasional piano tunes and minimal drum brushes. Music critics have lauded the song artistically, deeming it a prime example of Swift's abilities as a singer-songwriter to evoke vivid emotional sentiments through her songwriting. The single peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. A re-recorded version, "Ronan (Taylor's Version)", was included in Swift's 2021 re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version).