"The Alcott" | ||||
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Single by the National featuring Taylor Swift | ||||
from the album First Two Pages of Frankenstein | ||||
Released | April 28, 2023 | |||
Studio | Long Pond (Hudson Valley) | |||
Genre | Downtempo | |||
Length | 4:27 | |||
Label | 4AD | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | The National | |||
The National singles chronology | ||||
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Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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Lyric video | ||||
"The Alcott" on YouTube |
"The Alcott" is a song by American band the National featuring American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song appears on the band's album First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023), and it was released as a single on April 28, 2023.[1][2] It is a downtempo ballad with prominent piano.[3] It was produced at Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley.
Music and lyrics
[edit]Produced at Long Pond studio in Hudson Valley,[4] "The Alcott" is a downtempo ballad.[5][6] It incorporates prominent piano in its production.[7] Andrew Trendell of NME described the song as "arena-ready lighters-up".[8] Pitchfork critic Brad Shoup found the track to feature a "subliminal industrial rapping".[9] Towards the end, Swift performs with her solo vocals.[10]
Reception
[edit]In Clash, James Mellen picked "The Alcott" as a "truly stunning" track that showcases Swift's "immaculate" vocals and Berninger's "universal" performance.[10] In a mixed review, Shoup found the track to be mostly of Swift's artistry and labelled it "the National (Taylor's Version)", and wrote: "The mess is there, just not the chaos."[9]
Charts
[edit]Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[11] | 26 |
Canada Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)[12] | 20 |
Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 63 |
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[14] | 5 |
UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 90 |
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] | 11 |
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17] | 9 |
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[18] | 23 |
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[19] | 13 |
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[20] | 40 |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Format | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | April 28, 2023 | Radio airplay | 4AD | [21] |
United States | May 1, 2023 | Adult album alternative | [22] |
References
[edit]- ^ Redfern, Mark (April 28, 2023). "The National Share Lyric Video for Taylor Swift Collaboration 'The Alcott'". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (April 28, 2023). "Taylor Swift Joins the National on New Song 'The Alcott'". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Leas, Ryan (April 28, 2023). "The National Want Their Taylor Swift Duet Played 'in Context'". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (April 28, 2023). "Watch: Taylor Swift and The National Release 'The Alcott'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (April 28, 2023). "Taylor Swift Sings About 'Falling Back in Love' on The National Collab". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (April 28, 2023). "Taylor Swift Joins the National for Aching New Ballad 'The Alcott'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Deville, Chris (April 28, 2023). "Taylor Swift & The National Share New Song 'The Alcott'". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Trendell, Andrew (April 26, 2023). "The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein review: their best record in a decade". NME. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Shoup, Brad (April 27, 2023). "The National: First Two Pages of Frankenstein Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Mellen, James (April 24, 2023). "The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein". Clash. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 8 May 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1731. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 25, 2024.
- ^ "The National - Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The National". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "The National Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "The National Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ "The National Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "The National Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "The National Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Di Chiara, Camilla (April 28, 2023). "The National - The Alcott (feat. Taylor Swift) (Radio Date: 28-04-2023)". EarOne (in Italian). Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.