The Alcott Explained

The Alcott
Type:single
Artist:the National featuring Taylor Swift
Album:First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Released:April 28, 2023
Genre:Downtempo
Studio:Long Pond (Hudson Valley)
Length:4:27
Label:4AD
Producer:The National
Chronology:The National
Prev Title:Eucalyptus
Prev Year:2023
Next Title:Alphabet City / Space Invader
Next Year:2023

"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

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. 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."

Charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[11] 26
Canada Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)[12] 20
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] 5

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel(s)
ItalyApril 28, 2023Radio airplay4AD[14]
United StatesMay 1, 2023Adult album alternative[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Redfern . Mark . April 28, 2023 . The National Share Lyric Video for Taylor Swift Collaboration 'The Alcott' . 2023-05-08 . . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230505072821/https://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/the_national_share_lyric_video_for_taylor_swift_collaboration_the_alcott . live .
  2. Web site: Pappis . Konstantinos . 2023-04-28 . Taylor Swift Joins the National on New Song 'The Alcott' . 2023-05-08 . . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230502084435/https://ourculturemag.com/2023/04/28/taylor-swift-joins-the-national-on-new-song-the-alcott/ . live .
  3. Web site: Leas . Ryan . 2023-04-28 . The National Want Their Taylor Swift Duet Played 'in Context' . limited . 2023-05-08 . . May 6, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230506123355/https://www.vulture.com/2023/04/the-national-aaron-dessner-alcott-song-meaning-taylor-swift.html . live .
  4. Web site: Benitez-Eves . Tina . 2023-04-28 . Watch: Taylor Swift and The National Release 'The Alcott' . 2023-05-08 . . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230505134156/https://americansongwriter.com/watch-taylor-swift-and-the-national-release-the-alcott/ . live .
  5. Rowley . Glenn . 2023-04-28 . Taylor Swift Sings About 'Falling Back in Love' on The National Collab . 2023-05-08 . . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230505180357/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-the-national-the-alcott-lyrics-falling-back-in-love-1235317296/ . live .
  6. Blistein . Jon . 2023-04-28 . Taylor Swift Joins the National for Aching New Ballad 'The Alcott' . limited . 2023-05-08 . . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230505135028/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-the-national-new-song-the-alcott-1234725273/ . live .
  7. Web site: Deville . Chris . 2023-04-28 . Taylor Swift & The National Share New Song 'The Alcott' . 2023-05-08 . . May 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230505012358/https://www.stereogum.com/2221887/the-national-the-alcott-feat-taylor-swift/music/ . live .
  8. Web site: Trendell . Andrew . 2023-04-26 . The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein review: their best record in a decade . 2023-05-08 . . April 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427055903/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/the-national-first-two-pages-of-frankenstein-review-3434616 . live .
  9. Web site: Shoup . Brad . April 27, 2023 . The National: First Two Pages of Frankenstein Album Review . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427050716/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-national-first-two-pages-of-frankenstein/ . April 27, 2023 . April 27, 2023 . Pitchfork.
  10. Mellen . James . April 24, 2023 . The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230424111921/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-national-first-two-pages-of-frankenstein/ . April 24, 2023 . April 26, 2023.
  11. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 8 May 2023. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1731. January 25, 2024.
  12. The National - Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales . . May 9, 2023.
  13. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2023. May 6, 2023. May 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230507163836/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=5572. live.
  14. Web site: Di Chiara . Camilla . April 28, 2023 . The National - The Alcott (feat. Taylor Swift) (Radio Date: 28-04-2023) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230428141819/https://www.earone.it/news/the_national_the_alcott_feat_taylor_swift_radio_date_28_04_2023_73408686/ . April 28, 2023 . April 28, 2023 . EarOne . it.
  15. Web site: Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501183935/https://www.allaccess.com/triple-a/future-releases . May 1, 2023 . May 1, 2023 . All Access.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Alcott".

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