:The 1
{{short description|2020 song by Taylor Swift}}
{{about|the Taylor Swift song|other uses|The One (disambiguation)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox single
| name = The 1
| type = promo
| artist = Taylor Swift
| album = Folklore
| written = July 2020
| released = {{Start date|2020|10|9}}
| recorded =
| studio = * Long Pond (Hudson Valley)
| genre = * Folk
| length = {{duration|m=3|s=30}}
| label = Republic
| writer = * Taylor Swift
| producer = Aaron Dessner
| misc = {{External music video|1={{YouTube|KsZ6tROaVOQ|"The 1"}}|header=Lyric video|type=song}}
}}
"The 1" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the opening track from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. A folk and soft rock tune with elements of indie folk, "The 1" sets Swift's conversational vocals over a production consisting of piano and percussion. In its lyrics, the narrator fondly introspects a failed romance and details the time when she found "the one" who never came to be. Republic Records released the song for download in Germany on October 9, 2020.
"The 1" received generally positive reviews from critics, who discussed the song's significance as the album's opening track and praised the songwriting and production. Commercially, the song debuted and peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It charted within the top 10 and received certifications in several countries. Swift included "The 1" as part of the concert documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020), and the Eras Tour (2023–2024).
Background and development
The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began work on her eighth studio album, Folklore, during the COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020. She conceived the record as figments of mythopoeic visuals in her mind, as a result of her imagination "running wild" while isolating herself during lockdown.{{Cite magazine |last=Suskind |first=Alex |date=December 8, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Broke All Her Rules with Folklore — And Gave Herself a Much-Needed Escape |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-entertainers-of-the-year-2020/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312063543/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-entertainers-of-the-year-2020/ |archive-date=March 12, 2021 |access-date=November 18, 2023 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=July 24, 2020 |title='It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For Folklore |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/read-taylor-swift-primer-folklore-9423740/ |access-date=November 18, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724184421/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9423740/read-taylor-swift-primer-folklore |url-status=live }} For the album's sound, Swift recruited the first-time collaborator, Aaron Dessner, as a producer on Folklore.{{Cite web |last1=Strauss |first1=Matthew |last2=Minsker |first2=Evan |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New Album Folklore: Listen and Read the Full Credits |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releases-new-album-folklore-listen-and-read-the-full-credits/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=Pitchfork |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910132536/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releases-new-album-folklore-listen-and-read-the-full-credits/ |url-status=live }} "The 1" was one of the tracks written by both Swift and Dessner, who produced the song. Due to the lockdown, they were separated and had to send them via digital files to create the album.{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=November 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift to Release New Folklore Film, The Long Pond Studio Sessions |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-long-pond-studio-sessions-1094615/ |access-date=November 19, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124135743/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-long-pond-studio-sessions-1094615/ |url-status=live }}
Although much of the songs they worked on started from Desnner's instrumental tracks,{{Cite magazine |last=Doyle |first=Patrick |date=November 13, 2020 |title=Musicians on Musicians: Taylor Swift & Paul McCartney |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/paul-mccartney-taylor-swift-musicians-on-musicians-1089058/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130060712/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/paul-mccartney-taylor-swift-musicians-on-musicians-1089058/ |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} "The 1" was written first and then produced.{{Cite web |last=Gerber |first=Brady |date=July 27, 2020 |title=The Story Behind Every Song on Taylor Swift's Folklore |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-aaron-dessner-breaks-down-every-song.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728234347/https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-aaron-dessner-breaks-down-every-song.html |archive-date=July 28, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=Vulture}} It was one of the last two songs written for Folklore, the other being "Hoax"; Dessner thought the album was finished before Swift sent a voice memo with lyrics of "The 1" days prior to the album's release. Dessner subsequently worked on some of its production and tracked Swift's vocals, and then his brother Bryce Dessner added orchestration to the song. Aaron Dessner described the song's development as "one of the very last things [they] did" for Folklore.
Music and lyrics
{{listen
| filename = The 1 by Taylor Swift.ogg
| pos = left
| title = "The 1"
| description = A sample of "The 1", which presents the slightly echoing piano, percussion instruments, and Swift's conversational delivery.
}}
"The 1" is three minutes and thirty seconds long.{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift |date=October 27, 2014 |title=Folklore |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/folklore/1524801260 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724042203/https://music.apple.com/us/album/folklore/1524801260 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=October 6, 2023 |publisher=Apple Music (US)}} It was recorded by Aaron Dessner and Jonathan Low at Long Pond in Hudson Valley. The vocals were recorded by Laura Sisk at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles. Aaron Dessner provided drum programming and instruments for the track, including acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Mellotron, OP1, piano, and synth bass. Other musicians on the song are Jason Treuting (percussion), Thomas Bartlett (OP1, synthesizer), and Yuki Numata Resnick (viola, violin). It was mixed by Low at Long Pond and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in New York City.
"The 1" is a folk{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Craig |date=October 24, 2022 |title=Midnights{{'}} Moonlit Lessons |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031180303/https://www.vulture.com/2022/10/midnights-album-review-taylor-swift.html |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |access-date=December 6, 2022 |website=Vulture}} and soft rock{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=January 1, 2021 |title=Year in Review: The Best Songs of 2020 |url=https://variety.com/lists/best-songs-2020-year-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101212954/https://variety.com/lists/best-songs-2020-year-review/ |archive-date=January 1, 2021 |access-date=January 1, 2021 |website=Variety}} tune with elements of indie folk.{{cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |date=July 26, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's Folklore: All 16 Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-26/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329230604/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-26/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked |archive-date=March 29, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2020 |website=Los Angeles Times}} The production begins with a piano that has a bit reverb to it, labeled by critics as "optimistic" and "soft".{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Chloe |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift – Folklore {{!}} Album Reviews |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore |access-date=March 7, 2024 |website=MusicOMH |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724123506/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore |url-status=live }} It incorporates a number of percussion instruments, including sparse and crisp programmed drums,{{Cite web |last=Leszkiewicz |first=Anna |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Folklore Reveals a More Introspective Side to Taylor Swift |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2020/07/folklore-reveals-a-more-introspective-side-to-taylor-swift |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=New Statesman |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020072329/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2020/07/folklore-reveals-a-more-introspective-side-to-taylor-swift |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Sumsion |first=Michael |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Abandons Stadium-Pop for a New Tonal Approach on Folklore |url=https://www.popmatters.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-2646821264.html |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=PopMatters |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731005457/https://www.popmatters.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-2646821264.html |url-status=live }} slapped guitar strums,{{Cite magazine |last=Nuss |first=Allaire |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift's 10 Seminal Albums, Ranked |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-albums-ranked/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126041743/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-albums-ranked/ |url-status=live }} and finger-snaps;{{Cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=October 28, 2023 |title='The 1' (2020) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/the-1-2020-1093982/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308095314/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/the-1-2020-1093982/ |url-status=live }} these bring what critics deemed a lively beat to the track.{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jody |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Review: Taylor Swift's Radically Intimate Folklore Is the Perfect Quar Album |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-24/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811075211/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-07-24/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review |archive-date=August 11, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=Los Angeles Times}} Combined with the piano, this resulted in an instrumentation they thought was "bouncy",{{cite web |last=Snapes |first=Laura |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift: Folklore Review – Bombastic Pop Makes Way for Emotional Acuity |url=https://theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/24/taylor-swift-folklore-review-bombastic-pop-makes-way-for-emotional-acuity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724053655/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/24/taylor-swift-folklore-review-bombastic-pop-makes-way-for-emotional-acuity |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=July 24, 2020 |website=The Guardian}} "breezy",{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=November 8, 2023 |title=All 214 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=Vulture |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913234630/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |url-status=live }} "brooding",{{cite web |last=Mylrea |first=Hannah |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift – Folklore Review: Pop Superstar Undergoes an Extraordinary Indie-Folk Makeover |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-2714285 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828191216/https://www.nme.com/en_au/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-2714285 |archive-date=August 28, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=NME}} and one of the most upbeat on Folklore.{{Cite magazine |date=March 16, 2023 |title=The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-taylor-swift-songs/ |access-date=March 8, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=April 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411021029/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-taylor-swift-songs/ |url-status=live }} It also includes vocal harmonies. Some critics commented that aspects of the production were influenced by the music of Aaron Dessner and his bands the National and Big Red Machine.{{efn|Aaron Dessner's influence on "The 1" is attributed to Jason Lipshutz of Billboard,{{Cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's Folklore: Critic's Picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked-critics-picks-9424095/ |access-date=March 12, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123071509/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-folklore-songs-ranked-critics-picks-9424095/ |url-status=live }} Hannah Mylrea of NME, Ellen Johnson of Paste, and Allegra Frank of Vox.{{cite web |last=Frank |first=Allegra |date=July 24, 2020 |title=The 6 Songs That Explain Taylor Swift's New Album, Folklore |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/7/24/21337105/taylor-swift-folklore-lyrics-best-songs-rebekah-harkness |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725095618/https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/7/24/21337105/taylor-swift-folklore-lyrics-best-songs-rebekah-harkness |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Vox}} Mylrea and Johnson also cited the National and Big Red Machine, respectively.}}
The lyrics of "The 1" has a theme of introspection. The song describes the narrator positively reminiscing on a past relationship during her "roaring 20s". It explores on how she found "the one" at the time and wishes they could have been together: "It would have been fun, if you would've been the one". The lyrics also addresses the narrator's languid contemplation for an ideal romance: "You know, the greatest loves of all time are over now". Swift's conversational singing{{Cite web |last=Kornhaber |first=Spencer |date=July 28, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Is No Longer Living in the Present |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-review-power-storytelling/614698/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004103310/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-review-power-storytelling/614698/ |archive-date=October 4, 2020 |access-date=October 3, 2020 |website=The Atlantic}} on the track contains elliptical wording and humorous one-liners juxtaposed against the sadness.{{Cite web |last=Ahlgrim |first=Callie |date=September 15, 2020 |title=The 16 Best Songs of 2020, So Far |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-songs-released-this-year-2020-9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914205445/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/best-songs-released-this-year-2020-9 |archive-date=September 14, 2020 |access-date=September 14, 2020 |website=Business Insider}} Her voice is also "enigmatic" and clear, according to MusicOMH{{'s}} Chloe Johnson, who believed it allowed her to highlight the song's narrative and imagery. Allegra Frank of Vox thought the song was less a "kiss-off [but] more a solitary, gray-skied stroll through her day-to-day". Rolling Stone{{'s}} writer Rob Sheffield connected it to the fellow album track "Peace", opining that they "tell both sides" of the same narrative.{{Cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Leaves Her Comfort Zones Behind on the Head-Spinning, Heartbreaking Folklore |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-leaves-her-comfort-zones-behind-on-the-head-spinning-heart-breaking-folklore-1033533/ |access-date=March 15, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724155901/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-leaves-her-comfort-zones-behind-on-the-head-spinning-heart-breaking-folklore-1033533/ |url-status=live }}
Release and commercial performance
File:Taylor Swift Eras Tour - Arlington, TX - Folklore act 2.jpg (2023–2024)|alt=Swift singing on a moss-covered roof]]
On July 24, 2020, "The 1" was released as the opening track on Folklore.{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Hear Taylor Swift's New Album Folklore |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-new-album-folklore-release-date-1032962/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |magazine= Rolling Stone|archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725062452/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-new-album-folklore-release-date-1032962/ |url-status=live }} It was also released by Republic Records for download in Germany on October 9. On November 25, Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of the track for the Disney+ concert documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and its live album.{{Cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |date=November 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New Folklore Film and Live Album |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releasing-newandnbspfolkloreandnbspfilm-on-disney/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=Pitchfork |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228005714/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-releasing-newandnbspfolkloreandnbspfilm-on-disney/ |url-status=live }} "The 1" was included on the set list of Swift's Eras Tour on March 3, 2023, and was removed on May 9, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Isobel |date=April 10, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Spot Eras Tour Setlist Change amid Joe Alwyn Split Rumours |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-eras-setlist-changed-b2317057.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215062857/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-eras-setlist-changed-b2317057.html |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=The Independent}}{{Cite web |last=Savage |first=Mark |date=May 9, 2024 |title=Taylor Swift Changes Eras Tour Setlist As European Tour Kicks Off in Paris |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp0grg871dlo |access-date=May 10, 2024 |publisher=BBC News |archive-date=May 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510001926/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp0grg871dlo |url-status=live }} On July 13, Swift sang it as part of a mashup with her song "Wonderland" (2014) during an Eras Tour show in Milan.{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Katie Louise |date=November 29, 2024 |title=Every Surprise Song Performed On Taylor Swift's Eras Tour So Far |url=https://www.capitalfm.com/artists/taylor-swift/eras-tour-surprise-songs-setlist/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113011018/https://www.capitalfm.com/artists/taylor-swift/eras-tour-surprise-songs-setlist/ |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=November 29, 2024 |publisher=Capital}} On August 15, Coldplay and Maggie Roggers performed the track at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna as part of Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour, dedicating it as a tribute to the cancelled shows of the Eras Tour following the uncovering of a terror plot on the same venue earlier that month.{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=August 26, 2024 |title=Coldplay and Maggie Rogers Pay Tribute to Taylor Swift Again in Vienna with 'The 1' Cover |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/coldplay-maggie-rogers-tribute-taylor-swift-vienna-the-1-cover-1235760902/amp/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826183916/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/coldplay-maggie-rogers-tribute-taylor-swift-vienna-the-1-cover-1235760902/amp/ |archive-date=August 26, 2024 |access-date=September 10, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}}
"The 1" debuted and peaked within the top 10 at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, alongside the fellow album tracks "Cardigan" and "Exile" at numbers one and six, respectively. This made Swift the first artist to debut two songs in the top four and three songs in the top six at the same time.{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=August 3, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Debuts at No. 1 on Hot 100 with 'Cardigan,' Is 1st Artist to Open atop Hot 100 & Billboard 200 in Same Week |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9428548/taylor-swift-cardigan-folklore-debut-number-one |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803195201/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9428548/taylor-swift-cardigan-folklore-debut-number-one |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |magazine=Billboard}} It also debuted and peaked on the Rolling Stone Top 100 chart at number two behind "Cardigan". The song received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). On the Billboard Global 200, "The 1" appeared and peaked at number 114 when the chart was inaugurated on September 19, 2020, nine weeks following the release of Folklore.{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=September 15, 2020 |title=Billboard Global 200 (Week of September 19, 2020) |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-global-200/2020-09-19/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103075624/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-global-200/2020-09-19/ |url-status=live }}
Elsewhere, "The 1" reached the top 10 in the countries of Malaysia (5), Singapore (5), Canada (7), Ireland (7), and New Zealand (7). In Australia, the song debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart alongside the rest of Folklore—peaking at number four—and helped made Swift have the most debuts in one week with 16 entries.{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2020 |title='Cardigan' Lands Taylor Swift Sixth #1 Single |url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/2020/cardigan-lands-taylor-swift-sixth-1-single |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910132508/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/2020/cardigan-lands-taylor-swift-sixth-1-single |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |access-date=October 1, 2020 |website=Australian Recording Industry Association}} It was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 10 on the OCC's UK Singles Chart and increased Swift's top-10 entries to 16.{{cite magazine |last=Brandle |first=Lars |date=July 28, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Set to Land Three Folklore Tracks in U.K. Top 10 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9424846/taylor-swift-three-folklore-tracks-uk-top-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727155824/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9424846/taylor-swift-three-folklore-tracks-uk-top-10 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |access-date=July 27, 2020 |magazine=Billboard}} It received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The song additionally received certifications in Brazil (double platinum), New Zealand (platinum), and Spain (gold).
Critical reception
"The 1" received generally positive reviews from critics. They discussed the song regarding its placement on the album as the opening track, the majority of whom found its style for Folklore to deviate from her previous works{{efn|Attributed to Katie Atkinson of Billboard, Courteney Lacrossa of Business Insider, and both Allaire Nuss and Maura Johnston of Entertainment Weekly{{Cite magazine |last=Johnston |first=Maura |author-link=Maura Johnston |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Forges Her Own Path on the Confident Folklore |url=https://ew.com/music/music-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-review/ |access-date=March 13, 2024 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724213311/https://ew.com/music/music-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-review/ |url-status=live }}}} and to set the album's tone.{{efn|Attributed to Chloe Johnson of MusicOMH, Michael Sumsion of PopMatters, and Channing Freeman of Sputnikmusic}} Allegra Frank of Vox found the production danceable like her other album openers but "markedly slowed down" in comparison. Business Insider{{'s}} critics Callie Ahlgrim and Courtney Lacrossa believed the song was Swift's best opening track since "State of Grace" from her 2012 album Red.{{Cite web |last1=Ahlgrim |first1=Callie |last2=Larocca |first2=Courteney |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's Folklore Might Be the Best Album of Her Entire Career |url=https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-tracklist-breakdown-2020-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211202000949/https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-review-tracklist-breakdown-2020-7 |archive-date=December 2, 2021 |access-date=October 3, 2020 |website=Business Insider}} John Wohlmacher from Beats Per Minute found the track had a vocal melody and song structure similar to "I Forgot That You Existed"—the opener of her 2019 album Lover—but thought their aesthetics were quite distinct from each other.{{Cite web |last=Wohlmacher |first=John |date=July 27, 2020 |title=Album Review: Taylor Swift – Folklore |url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-taylor-swift-folklore/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Beats Per Minute |archive-date=July 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728162240/https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-taylor-swift-folklore/ |url-status=live }} Channing Freeman of Sputnikmusic wrote that the song's placement was a little detrimental as the rest of Folklore employs its style and believed this made the song somewhat less engaging.{{Cite web |last=Freeman |first=Channing |date=July 25, 2020 |title=Review: Taylor Swift – Folklore |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/81781/Taylor-Swift-Folklore/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Sputnikmusic |archive-date=October 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007134315/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/81781/Taylor-Swift-Folklore/ |url-status=live }}
Critics mainly praised the song's production and songwriting. Ahlgrim included the song on her mid-year list of the best songs of 2020 and lauded it as one of Swift's "most relatable and stirring" tracks. Lacrossa believed the track was "incredibly solid" and her delivery had "a breezy attention to rhythm" that complements the narrative. Frank thought it was "wistful, introspective, and impressionistic" that does not neglect Swift's signature "melodic pop" and one of the defining tracks of Folklore. Wohlmacher was impressed by how "poignant and mature" the lyrics were. Johnson believed it was thoroughly written and produced. The New Yorker writer Amanda Petrusich thought Swift's rumination on the track was "heartening" and "serene" in a comical manner.{{Cite magazine |last=Petrusich |first=Amanda |author-link=Amanda Petrusich |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's Intimate 'Indie' Album, Folklore |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/taylor-swifts-new-album-folklore |access-date=2024-03-25 |magazine=The New Yorker |issn=0028-792X |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129174031/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/taylor-swifts-new-album-folklore |url-status=live }} The Telegraph critic Neil McCormick said that the song was full of narrative details and opined that its theme of "defeated love" may "suggest Swift's social isolation has been a lonely one".{{Cite news |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |date=2020-07-24 |title=Taylor Swift, Folklore Review: An Exquisite, Empathetic Lockdown Triumph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/taylor-swift-folklore-review-exquisite-empathetic-lockdown-triumph/ |access-date=March 13, 2024 |work=The Telegraph |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910132440/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/taylor-swift-folklore-review-exquisite-empathetic-lockdown-triumph/ |url-status=live }} Caleb Campbell from Under the Radar deemed the song's lyrics about a crumbling romance one of her most mature takes on the subject to date.{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Caleb |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Folklore |url=http://undertheradarmag.com/reviews/taylor_swift_folklore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809205350/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/taylor_swift_folklore/ |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Under the Radar }}
Ellen Johnson of Paste described the lyrics as "bright, vivid and occasionally funny" but in a more sophisticated way compared to Swift's previous songs.{{Cite web |last=Ellen |first=Johnson |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Morphs Her Sound Yet Again on the Stunning Folklore |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/folklore-album-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613231137/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/taylor-swift/folklore-album-review |archive-date=June 13, 2023 |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=Paste}} Katie Moulton from Consequence thought the track was one of the first songs she did not write for radio formats and highlighted the "self-awareness and willingness to both hold herself responsible and forgive" that makes it distinguishable from other album tracks.{{cite web |last=Moulton |first=Katie |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's Folklore Dismantles Her Own Self-Mythologizing: Review |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/07/album-review-taylor-swift-folklore/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724185604/https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/07/album-review-taylor-swift-folklore/ |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=Consequence}} Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman found the lyrics "[w]istful but refreshingly lacking in regret" and believed the song blended her skill of "romantic nostalgia with a novel ease and acceptance". Eloise Bulmer from The Line of Best Fit said Swift embodied an "unlucky-in-love" character on the track and thought it showcased her wit.{{Cite web |last=Bulmer |first=Eloise |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Folklore Finds Taylor Swift Elegantly Evoking amid a Perfectly Minimalist Sound |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724093507/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |website=The Line of Best Fit}} In contrast, Roisin O'Connor of The Independent favored the song's smaller details more than the one-liners.{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's Eighth Album Folklore Is Exquisite, Piano-Based Poetry – Review |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-review-lyrics-album-stream-jack-antonoff-aaron-dessner-a9635496.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724070730/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-review-lyrics-album-stream-jack-antonoff-aaron-dessner-a9635496.html |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=The Independent}} Hannah Mylrea from NME wrote that the instrumentation accompanies Swift's vocals and the hook very well. Slant Magazine{{'s}} Jonathan Keefe stated that the song's use of repetitions succeeded, along with "Invisible String".{{Cite web |last=Keefe |first=Jonathan |date=July 27, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Folklore Review: The Album Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-with-folklore-taylor-swift-mines-pathos-from-a-widening-worldview/ |access-date=March 13, 2024 |website=Slant Magazine |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910132417/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-with-folklore-taylor-swift-mines-pathos-from-a-widening-worldview/ |url-status=live }}
A few reviewers were more reserved in their praise. Spencer Kornhaber from The Atlantic said the track was reminiscent of the English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and felt that its "solemnity [was] forced". Jason Lipshutz of Billboard listed the song at number eleventh on his ranking of the tracks from Folklore and said that it stays "unadorned" for the majority of its length. The Los Angeles Times{{'}} Mikael Wood placed the song as the weakest track on his ranking of the album and believed it was "less emotionally daring" than the rest of the tracks.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from Pitchfork.
{{div col}}
- Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriting
- Aaron Dessner – songwriting, production, drum programming, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Mellotron, OP1, piano, synth bass, synthesizer, recording
- Bryce Dessner – orchestration
- Jason Treuting – percussion, recording
- Thomas Bartlett – OP1, synthesizer, recording
- Yuki Numata Resnick – viola, violin
- Kyle Resnick – recording
- Laura Sisk – vocal recording
- Jonathan Low – mixing, recording
- Randy Merrill – mastering
{{div col end}}
Charts
Certifications
{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "The 1"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2020|certyear=2024|access-date=February 14, 2024|refname="ARIA"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|certyear=2024|relyear=2020|access-date=July 23, 2024|refname="PMB"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|award=Platinum|relyear=2020|certyear=2023|access-date=December 19, 2024|source=radioscope|refname="RMNZ"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|award=Gold|relyear=2020|certyear=2025|access-date=January 11, 2025|refname="PROMUSICAE"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|id=17489-1598-1|award=Gold|relyear=2020|certyear=2023|access-date=October 13, 2023|refname="BPI"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|award=Platinum|certyear=2022|relyear=2020|access-date=October 19, 2022|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for "The 1" |
| scope="col"| Region
! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row"|Germany
|October 9, 2020 | align="center" |{{cite web |title=The 1 (Track) |url=https://www.universal-music.de/taylorswift/musik/the-1-621856 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110123228/https://www.universal-music.de/taylorswift/musik/the-1-621856 |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |publisher=Universal Music Group |language=de}} |
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Taylor Swift songs}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1, The}}
Category:Single chart usages for Australia
Category:Single chart usages for Canada
Category:Single chart usages for Ireland4
Category:Single chart usages for Dutch100
Category:Single chart usages for New Zealand
Category:Single chart usages for Portugal
Category:Single chart usages for Scotland
Category:Single chart usages for Switzerland
Category:Single chart usages for UK
Category:Single chart usages for Billboardhot100
Category:American soft rock songs
Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift
Category:Songs written by Aaron Dessner