"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.
| "The Alcott" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||
Music and lyrics
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
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
| 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 Top 40 (Billboard)[18] | 23 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[19] | 13 |
| US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[20] | 40 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | April 28, 2023 | Radio airplay | 4AD | [21] |
| United States | May 1, 2023 | Adult album alternative | [22] |