The 1


"The 1" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore. "The 1" was written by Swift and Aaron Dessner, with the song being produced by the latter. It was released on July 24, 2020 by Republic Records.

Composition

"The 1" lyrically sees Swift talk about how she is doing. It has been described as both "danceable" and "slowed down", with Voxs Allegra Frank calling it a "gray-skied stroll through day-to-day". It has a "trickling" piano instrumentation that has been compared to the National's I Am Easy to Find.

Critical reception

"The 1" received positive reviews from critics. The track opens with the lyrics "I'm doin' good, I'm on some new shit". Consequence of Sounds Katie Moulton noted this as an example of "a transgression against 'radio-' and 'family-friendly' that Swift expresses on Folklore. Laura Snapes of The Guardian described the song as "a bouncy reminiscence of a lost lover from 'roaring twenties'. Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Eloise Bulmer stated that its titular line offers a glimpse into the "witty and unlucky-in-love Swift".

Commercial performance

Upon the release of Folklore, "The 1" debuted at number one on the US Spotify chart with 4.175 million streams and became the biggest debut by a female artist in the US in the platform's history. Debuting at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, it gave Swift her sixteenth top-ten single in the country.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

Release history