The Archer (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Archer"
Taylor Swift - The Archer.png
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album Lover
ReleasedJuly 23, 2019 (2019-07-23)
Studio
  • Electric Lady Studios (New York City)
  • Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
  • Sterling Sound (New York City)
Genre
Length
  • 3:31 (Original version)
  • 3:32 (Live version)
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jack Antonoff
  • Taylor Swift
Lyric video
"The Archer" on YouTube

"The Archer" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. As the fifth track on her seventh studio album Lover (2019), the song was written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff. On July 23, 2019, it was released as the only promotional single from the album. "The Archer" is an alternative, synth-pop, dream pop, and electropop ballad with an ambient synthwave sound and 1980s sensibility, incorporating heavy skittering synthesizers, soft house beats, minimalistic elements and a slow groove. Praised for its artful lyrics expressing vulnerability, the song introspects on Swift's insecurities, anxiety and existential crisis.

"The Archer" received critical acclaim upon release, with music critics complimenting the poetic lyrics and dreamy production and comparing it to Swift's 2012 song "All Too Well", the fifth track on her fourth studio album Red. On the Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at number 69 and eventually peaked at number 38. A lyric video was also released on YouTube, accompanying the song's release.

Background[]

"The Archer" is not the next single. It's just a song I love on the album [Lover]. I haven't made a video for it or anything. This is just sort of a glimpse into another side of the album I wanted to show you.

— Swift on her Instagram live-stream, Elle[1]

The song was first teased as one of the easter eggs in the music video of "You Need to Calm Down", the second single from Lover. In the video, Hayley Kiyoko appears to be wielding a bow and arrow, hitting a bullseye in the center, which has the number 5 stamped on it; fans interpreted it as something to do with the fifth track on Lover. On July 22, 2019, the fifth track on the album was revealed to be a song entitled "The Archer", through an accidental leak in the pre-order tracklist of the album on Apple Music. The following day, "The Archer" was released as the only promotional single from Lover.[2][3]

Regarding placement of "The Archer" at number five on the Lover tracklist, Swift explained that she puts the most "honest, emotional, vulnerable, and personal" tracks at the position.[4] Swift also stated that the song would not be a single and it was meant to showcase a side of the album unseen by fans with the first two singles ("Me!" and "You Need to Calm Down"). Swift went on to say that the song would not receive an accompanying music video; however, a lyric video accompanied the song's release.[1][5]

"The Archer" was written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff within two hours, when they were in California. The two have also previously collaborated on "Sweeter than Fiction" (2013), 1989 (2014), "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (2016) and Reputation (2017).[6] The song's title "The Archer" is also a reference to the symbol of Swift's zodiac sun-sign, Sagittarius.[7][8]

Composition and lyrics[]

"The Archer" interpolates lyrics from "Humpty Dumpty", an eighteenth century nursery rhyme.

"The Archer" is an airy, minimal,[9] midtempo synth-pop,[10][11] dream pop,[12] alternative,[8] electropop[13] and ambient synthwave[14] ballad that features heavy and sparkling synthesizers,[7][15] minimalistic sounds and a slow groove,[10][16][17] driven by house-inflected kick drum thumps that build up to a feverish climax.[4][18][19] The song, described as "darker and more introspective" than preceding singles, showcases a "more vulnerable and confessional" side of the singer, as it features her as "both hunter and hunted".[20] With the songwriting exuding existentialism,[8] Swift also interpolates lyrics from the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty" to "describe her emotional anguish", then "brings it all back to how her life has been marked by haters and betrayal".[4] Time's Raisa Bruner stated that "The Archer" showcases Swift's introspective side, over a "skittering" synth line, and that it has the 80s sensibility, typical of Antonoff's works.[21]

Critical reception[]

"The Archer" received widespread critical acclaim upon release. Rolling Stone's Claire Shaffer called the song "a somber, synth-heavy ballad centered around the metaphor of the archer".[7] Rania Aniftos of Billboard opined that it is "sparkling, airy", and that Swift "tears down the wall she puts up, asking the person she loves to accept all of her as she chants".[15] Writing for Forbes, Caitlin Kelley stated that the lyrics of "The Archer" scan "as a more nuanced acknowledgment of the well-documented highs and lows of her high-profile relationships", adding that "the song's biggest strength is the artfulness of [its] lines".[22] NME's Sofiana Ramli wrote that "the song exposes the singer's insecurities", describing it as "delicate and dreamy in the same minimalistic vein" as "All Too Well" (2012).[23] Spin's Jordan Sargent named "The Archer" as the "most stunning" song on Lover.[18]

Chris Willman of Variety opined that its "lyrics reflect a suspicious state of mind in a seemingly happy relationship where old fears arise easily", and also drew comparisons to "All Too Well".[24] Medium's TJ Lovell labelled the song as Swift's "most delicate song" and stated that Swift "slows things down and indulges in her most romantic tendencies", over a production of "competing synths that simultaneously twinkling and rumble open the song before giving way to an incessant, house-lite beat, creating a feeling of urgency as the track propels itself forward".[19] Vox's Constance Grady wrote that the song "is spare and minimalist, and it's a little bit self-hating in the way Swift can occasionally get when she's at her most vulnerable as a songwriter", adding that it is "exponentially more emotional and powerful" than preceding singles.[25] Writing for V Magazine, Alex Kazemi called the song "a beautiful classic Taylor Swift ballad, that is both violent and exquisite". He stated that the lyrics are "full of heart-stabbers" that "attest to the songwriting skills and poetics" of Swift, and complimented the "goth-epigrams and glossier production" which "paint a vivid landscape".[8] In 2019, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone ranked "The Archer" as Swift's eleventh best song.[26]

Stereogum named "The Archer" as one of the top 10 best songs of 2019.[27] Slant named it the sixth-best song of 2019.[28]

Commercial performance[]

In the United States, "The Archer" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 69, becoming Swift's 80th song to enter the chart, later repeaking at number 38 after the release of Lover—becoming one of the seven top-forty hits from the album. The song also debuted and peaked at number six in the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart.[29] The song debuted at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart, later peaking at number 43. Additionally, the song entered and peaked at number 17 in Scotland and number 31 in Ireland. Other places where it charted include number 28 in New Zealand and number 41 on the Canadian Hot 100. In Australia, the song debuted at number 55 and moved to number 19 the following week.[30]

Lyric video and live performances[]

On July 23, 2019, a lyric video for the song was released on YouTube. The lyrics in the video use a handwritten font, while the background of the video is made up of colorful clouds moving. At the end, there are a few seconds of snow falling down. The lyric video has surpassed 20 million views on YouTube.[31]

Swift's first live performance of the song was an acoustic rendition on the "Lover's Lounge", a Q&A session live streamed on YouTube on August 22, 2019.[32] The next day, she again performed the song acoustically at a SiriusXM Town Hall.[33] The song was included in Swift's setlist for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on September 2.[34] On September 9, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris, France.[35] The audio was later released on digital music platforms on May 17, 2020 along with the premiere of the concert film on ABC.

Credits, personnel and locations[]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[36] According to the Lover CD booklet, the song was recorded at Electric Lady Studios (New York City, NY, USA), mixed at Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA) and mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).[37]

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Jack Antonoff – producer, songwriter, programmer, recording engineer, keyboards, studio personnel
  • Laura Sisk – recording engineer, studio personnel
  • John Rooney – assistant recording engineer, studio personnel
  • Serban Ghenea – mixer, studio personnel
  • John Hanes – mix engineer, studio personnel

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Gold 35,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Country Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various July 23, 2019
Original Republic [2]
Australia August 1, 2019 Contemporary hit radio [58]
Russia August 2, 2019 Universal [59]
Various May 17, 2020
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Live Republic [60]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Bailey, Alyssa (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift's 'The Archer' Lyrics Are A Raw Look At Her Struggles With Friends And Relationships". Elle. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Kenneally, Cerys (July 23, 2019). "Apple Music has accidentally leaked the title of Taylor Swift's next single". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Bruner, Raisa (July 23, 2019). "Here's Your Guide to the References in Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" Video". Time. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Goldfine, Jael (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift's Big, Sad Jack Antonoff-Produced Ballad Is Here". Paper. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  5. ^ Taylor Swift (July 23, 2019), Taylor Swift – The Archer (Lyric Video), archived from the original on July 23, 2019, retrieved July 5, 2020
  6. ^ Spruch, Kirsten (July 24, 2019). "Jack Antonoff Reveals Taylor Swift's 'The Archer' Took 'About 2 Hours' to Create". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Shaffer, Claire (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift Releases Intimate New Song 'The Archer'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Kazemi, Alex (July 24, 2019). "WE BREAK OUR OWN HEARTS ON TAYLOR SWIFT'S THE ARCHER". V Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Stavropoulos, Laura (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift Shares New Synth-Pop Single 'The Archer'". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Levine, Nick (August 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift - 'Lover' review". NME. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (August 23, 2019). "Review: Taylor Swift's Lover Course Corrects in Multiple Directions". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Ferla, Lisa-Marie (August 24, 2019). "CD: Taylor Swift - Lover". The Arts Desk. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Parreira, Amelia (August 26, 2019). "ALBUM REVIEW: Taylor Swift rediscovers herself on 'Lover'". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Aniftos, Rania (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift Unveils Vulnerable New Song 'The Archer'". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  16. ^ McHenry, Jackson (July 24, 2019). "Ready, Aim, Listen to Taylor Swift's New Song 'The Archer' From Lover". Vulture. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Burks, Tosten (July 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift – 'The Archer'". Spin. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Sargent, Jordan (August 26, 2019). "Taylor Swift's 'Lover' Shines in Its Quietest Moments". Spin. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Lovell, TJ (July 24, 2019). "Review: "The Archer" — Taylor Swift". Medium. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  20. ^ Murphy, Rhodes (July 24, 2019). "In Her New Song, Taylor Swift Interrogates the Fragility of Identity". Slate. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  21. ^ Bruner, Raisa (August 23, 2019). "Let's Analyze the Lyrics to Every Song on Taylor Swift's Lover". Time. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  22. ^ Kelley, Caitlin (July 24, 2019). "Taylor Swift Releases Vulnerable New Song 'The Archer'". Forbes. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  23. ^ Ramli, Sofiana (July 24, 2019). "Taylor Swift gets real on honest new song, 'The Archer'". NME. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  24. ^ Willman, Chris (July 24, 2019). "Taylor Swift Turns 'Red' Again With Third Song from New Album: 'The Archer'". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  25. ^ Grady, Constance (July 24, 2019). "Taylor Swift's new single, 'Archer,' is Swift at her most intimate and vulnerable". Vox. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  26. ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 12, 2019). "All 153 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  27. ^ Breihan, Tom (December 10, 2018). "Stereogum's 100 Favorite Songs Of 2019". Stereogum. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  28. ^ "The 50 Best Songs of 2019". Slant Magazine. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  29. ^ https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1155940524009775104
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b "Australian-charts.com – Taylor Swift – The Archer". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  31. ^ Swift, Taylor (July 23, 2019), "Taylor Swift - The Archer (Lyric Video)", YouTube, retrieved October 13, 2019
  32. ^ Tingley, Anna (August 22, 2019). "Taylor Swift Debuts 'Lover' Video, Sings 'Archer' During YouTube Livestream (Watch)". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  33. ^ Warner, Denise (August 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift Reveals Which 'Lover' Song She May Never Play Live During SiriusXM Town Hall". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  34. ^ Hussey, Allison; Monroe, Jazz (September 2, 2019). "Taylor Swift Covers Phil Collins' "Can't Stop Loving You": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  35. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 10, 2019). "Taylor Swift's The City of Lover concert: a triumphant yet intimate celebration of her fans and career". NME. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  36. ^ "Lover by Taylor Swift". Tidal. United States. August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  37. ^ Lover (CD booklet). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2019. p. 6. 00602577928680.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ^ "Ultratop.be – Taylor Swift – The Archer" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  39. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  40. ^ "China Airplay Chart/Foreign Language - 29/07/2019". Billboard China (in Chinese). Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  41. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201932 into search. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  42. ^ "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Kuidas on lood Maxtracti staminaga?" (in Estonian). Eesti Ekspress. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  43. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  44. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 30/2019". IFPI Greece. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  45. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  46. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  47. ^ "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 3, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  48. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  49. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  50. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 31". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on August 7, 2019.
  51. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201932 into search. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  52. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 31". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  53. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  54. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  55. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  56. ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  57. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  58. ^ Tuskan, Peter (August 22, 2019). "It's a milestone week for Taylor Swift at Australian radio". The Music Network. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  59. ^ "Taylor Swift - The Archer(listen to the song, watch the music video)". Tophit. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  60. ^ "Love, Taylor: Lover Enhanced Album". Spotify. May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
Retrieved from ""