{{Short description|2021 single by Jack White}} {{Infobox song | name = Taking Me Back | cover = Jack White - Taking Me Back single cover art.jpg | type = Single | artist = Jack White | album = Fear of the Dawn | B-side = "Taking Me Back (Gently)" | released = {{Start date|2021|10|18}} | recorded = 2021 | studio = Third Man (Nashville) | genre = * Hard rock * garage rock | length = {{ubl|{{Duration|m=4|s=05}} (Single version)|{{Duration|m=3|s=59}} (Album version)}} | label = Third Man | writer = Jack White | producer = Jack White | prev_title = Ice Station Zebra | prev_year = 2018 | next_title = Love Is Selfish | next_year = 2022 }}
"'''Taking Me Back'''" is a song by American rock musician Jack White. Released on 18 October 2021, it was his first new solo music in over three years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JACK WHITE RETURNS WITH "TAKING ME BACK" {{!}} Jack White |url=https://jackwhiteiii.com/jack-white-returns-with-taking-me-back/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> The song served as the lead single from his 2022 album ''Fear of the Dawn'', and its B-side, a mellower acoustic re-recording of the song entitled "Taking Me Back (Gently)", was also the first song released from his second album of 2022, ''Entering Heaven Alive''.
== Composition == Musically, "Taking Me Back" has been described as hard rock<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zhou |first=Gomi |date=October 25, 2021 |title=Jack White — Taking Me Back |url=https://www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2021/10/music/tracks-jack-white-taking-me-back/ |access-date=February 26, 2023 |website=Euphoria}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maxwell |first=Jackson |date=October 18, 2021 |title=Jack White returns with hard-hitting, fuzz-drenched new single, Taking Me Back |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/jack-white-taking-me-back |access-date=February 26, 2023 |website=Guitar World}}</ref> and garage rock.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2021 |title=Jack White Roars Back: Listen to His Snarling New Single, "Taking Me Back," Featured in 'Call of Duty: Vanguard' |url=https://rockcellarmagazine.com/jack-white-taking-me-back-new-song-call-of-duty-vanguard/ |access-date=February 26, 2023 |website=Rock Cellar}}</ref> The song features a relatively minimal arrangement in which White himself plays every instrument, such as guitar with effects over it paired with drums and other percussion as well as various synthesizers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JACK WHITE RETURNS WITH "TAKING ME BACK" |url=https://thirdmanrecords.com/blogs/news/jack-white-returns-with-taking-me-back#:~:text=Jack%20White%20is%20back%20with,on%20all%20vocals%20and%20instruments. |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Third Man Records – Official Store | date=18 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref> ''Wall of Sound'' stated that the song's structure "crescendos into an instrumental medley which holds the track’s rhythm in a wonderful way", and the track overall was described by ''Stereogum'' as a "serrated riff-rocker with yelpy electric-shock vocals and some unhinged guitar action".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aarons |first=Ricky |date=2021-10-19 |title=Jack White Returns With Two Versions of New Single 'Taking Me Back' |url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2021/10/19/jack-white-returns-with-two-versions-of-new-single-taking-me-back/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Wall of Sound |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-18 |title=Jack White Shares New Single "Taking Me Back" From 'Call Of Duty: Vanguard': Listen |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2164380/jack-white-taking-me-back/music/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref>
== Release and promotion == Jack White first hinted at new music in an interview with ''Telegraph'' on September 30, 2021, while a more straightforward tease was made in a post on his official Instagram account on October 14.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Perry |first=Andrew |date=2021-09-30 |title=Jack White on new music, Damien Hirst and why the colour beige makes him rage |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/jack-white-new-music-damien-hirst-colour-beige-makes-rage/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBS7vLrzjY/?ig_rid=bbfa59d8-8c26-4dbc-9132-b90212395986 |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> "Taking Me Back" was officially revealed on October 18, 2021, as part of the soundtrack and promotional campaign of the video game ''Call of Duty: Vanguard'', and on that same day a lyric video featuring footage from the game was uploaded to White's YouTube channel along with a visualizer for "Taking Me Back (Gently)".<ref>{{Citation |title=Jack White – Taking Me Back (Call of Duty: Vanguard Lyric Video) | date=18 October 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9a2PKVgYY |language=en |access-date=2022-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Jack White – Taking Me Back (Gently) [Visualizer] | date=18 October 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwat6Muf8aE |language=en |access-date=2022-11-04}}</ref> The lyric video was also uploaded to the official ''Call of Duty'' YouTube channel two days later.<ref>{{Citation |title=Jack White – Taking Me Back Lyric Video {{!}} Call of Duty: Vanguard | date=20 October 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XAliyro8D0 |language=en |access-date=2022-11-04}}</ref>
On November 11, 2021, it was revealed that the songs were tied to two new upcoming studio albums, with the titles and tracklists of both ''Fear of the Dawn'' and ''Entering Heaven Alive'' being revealed on White's website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JACK WHITE UNVEILS FEAR OF THE DAWN AND ENTERING HEAVEN ALIVE + "TAKING ME BACK" OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES TODAY {{!}} Jack White |url=https://jackwhiteiii.com/jack-white-unveils-fear-of-the-dawn-and-entering-heaven-alive-taking-me-back-official-music-video-premieres-today/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |language=en-US}}</ref> Also on November 11, the official music video for "Taking Me Back" - directed by Jack White and Lauren Dunn - was premiered on White's YouTube Channel, gaining almost a million views within its first week on the site.<ref>{{Citation |title=Jack White – Taking Me Back (Official Video) | date=11 November 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8IbI626k8Y |language=en |access-date=2022-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-18 |title=Jack White – Taking Me Back (Official Video) - YouTube |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8IbI626k8Y |access-date=2022-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118071945/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8IbI626k8Y |archive-date=2021-11-18 }}</ref> On January 7, 2022, White uploaded a video of an in-studio live rehearsal of the track to YouTube to introduce the lineup of his backing band for the Supply Chain Issues Tour that he would begin on April 8 of that year in support of both ''Fear of the Dawn'' and ''Entering Heaven Alive''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shutler |first=Ali |date=2022-01-08 |title=Watch Jack White perform new single 'Taking Me Back' live |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-jack-white-perform-new-single-taking-me-back-live-3132855 |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=JACK WHITE ANNOUNCES THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES TOUR {{!}} Jack White |url=https://jackwhiteiii.com/jack-white-announces-the-supply-chain-issues-tour/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>
The song was also used by TNT and TBS for their coverage of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=National Hockey League |first=Official Twitter Account |date=6 April 2022 |title=2022 Stanley Cup Promo |url=https://twitter.com/NHL_On_TNT/status/1519030061738999808?s=20&t=F4TBhjgZAjBIl2Ckv2FXbw |website=6 November 2022}}</ref> White performed the song as part of a medley with the title track of ''Fear of the Dawn'' on the February 25, 2023, episode of ''Saturday Night Live''.<ref name="SNL">{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Alex |date=2023-02-26 |title=Jack White Was Electrifying In A Performance Of 'Taking Me Back' And 'Fear Of The Dawn' On 'SNL' |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/jack-white-taking-me-back-fear-of-the-dawn-saturday-night-live/ |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=Uproxx}}</ref>
== Reception == "Taking Me Back" was met with primarily positive reviews, and was White's first song as a solo artist to top a ''Billboard'' chart.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Rutherford |first=Kevin |date=2022-02-01 |title=Jack White Scores First Solo Radio Chart No. 1 With 'Taking Me Back' |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/jack-white-first-solo-radio-chart-topper-taking-me-back/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> In a review that gives the song a 9/10 score, ''Redbrick'' states that the "enthralling" track "boasts [the] raw, exhilarating, and electrifying energy for which [Jack White] is known and loved", describing its guitar solo as "face-melting" and concluding that White has made an "exciting, vociferous, and energetic" comeback.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-25 |title=Single Review: Jack White - Taking Me Back {{!}} Redbrick Music |url=https://www.redbrick.me/single-review-jack-white-taking-me-back/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Redbrick}}</ref> ''Wall of Sound'' commented that "White is on point more than ever and spills awesome grooves across the track", additionally stating that the song's pairing with its mellow counterpart shows "[impressive] diversity" and that "the concept of two different versions is fantastic".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aarons |first=Ricky |date=2021-10-19 |title=Jack White Returns With Two Versions of New Single 'Taking Me Back' |url=https://wallofsoundau.com/2021/10/19/jack-white-returns-with-two-versions-of-new-single-taking-me-back/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Wall Of Sound |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Premier Guitar'' called the track "incendiary", ''Pitchfork'' described it as "raging", ''The Guardian'' dubbed it "a bop", and ''NME'' envisioned it as "riding a storm of fuzz rock riffs [as it] sets out on the road to rock redemption".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jack White Releases "Taking Me Back" - Premier Guitar |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/news/jack-white-taking-me-back |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=www.premierguitar.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jack White: Fear of the Dawn |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jack-white-fear-of-the-dawn/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Empire |first=Kitty |date=2022-04-10 |title=Jack White: Fear of the Dawn review – crackles with energy |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/apr/10/jack-white-fear-of-the-dawn-review |access-date=2023-10-19 |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Beaumont |first=Mark |date=2022-04-08 |title=Jack White – 'Fear Of The Dawn' review: guitar wizard meets the audience halfway |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/jack-white-fear-of-the-dawn-review-3201182 |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> In relation to his previous work, ''Variety'' characterized the "hard rocking" track as featuring "skronking guitar effects" reminiscent of White's previous album – 2018's divisively experimental ''Boarding House Reach –'' while ''Rolling Stone'' found White to be "[back] in his wheelhouse of percussive, blown-out rock & roll".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=2021-10-18 |title=Jack White Returns With Rocking New Single, 'Taking Me Back' |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/jack-white-rocking-new-single-taking-me-back-1235091728/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=2021-10-18 |title=Jack White Returns With a Blast of Guitars on New Song 'Taking Me Back' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jack-white-taking-me-back-new-song-1243566/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Track listing == '''Digital release and 7-inch vinyl (Third Man TMR 748)''' {{Track listing | headline = Side A | title1 = Taking Me Back | length1 = 4:05 }} {{Track listing | headline = Side B | title1 = Taking Me Back (Gently) | length1 = 4:36 }}
== Personnel == * Jack White – vocals, guitar, drums, bass, synthesizer, percussion, production, engineering, and mixing * Joshua V. Smith – engineering and mixing * Bill Skibbe – mixing and mastering
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Chart performance for "Taking Me Back" ! scope="col"| Chart (2021–2022) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{single chart|Billboardcanadarock|4|artist=Jack White|rowheader=true|access-date=February 26, 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrocksongs|27|artist=Jack White|rowheader=true|access-date=February 26, 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardrockairplay|1|artist=Jack White|rowheader=true|access-date=February 26, 2023}} |}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Jack White}}
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Category:Jack White songs Category:2021 songs Category:Third Man Records singles Category:Songs written by Jack White