The Alcott

"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)	Matt Berninger Aaron Dessner Taylor Swift
Producer(s)	The National
The National singles chronology
"Eucalyptus" (2023) "The Alcott" (2023) "Alphabet City / Space Invader" (2023)
Taylor Swift singles chronology
"Lavender Haze" (2022) "The Alcott" (2023) "Karma" (2023)
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 performance for "The Alcott"

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

Release dates and formats for "The Alcott"

Region	Date	Format	Label(s)	Ref.
Italy	April 28, 2023	Radio airplay	4AD	[21]
United States	May 1, 2023	Adult album alternative		[22]

References

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 8 May 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1731. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 25, 2024.
12. "The National - Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
13. "Irish-charts.com – Discography The National". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
14. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
15. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
16. "The National Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
17. "The National Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
18. "The National Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
19. "The National Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
20. "The National Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
21. 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.
22. "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.