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]