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The Archer (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = The Archer
| cover = Taylor Swift - The Archer.png
| alt = Cover artwork of "The Archer"
| type = promo
| artist = Taylor Swift
| album = Lover
| released =
| recorded =
| studio = Electric Lady (New York)
| genre =
* Minimal
* synth-pop
* synthwave
* dream pop
| length = 3:31
| label = Republic
| writer =
* Taylor Swift
* Jack Antonoff
| producer =
* Jack Antonoff
* Taylor Swift
| tracks =
| misc =
}}
"'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 a 1980s-influenced ambient ballad combining synth-pop, synthwave, and dream pop, 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 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'.
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. 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.
"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). The song's title "The Archer" is also a reference to the symbol of Swift's zodiac sun-sign, Sagittarius.
Composition and lyrics
"The Archer" is an airy, minimal, midtempo synth-pop, synthwave, and dream pop ballad, that features heavy and sparkling synthesizers, minimalistic sounds and a slow groove, driven by house-inflected kick drum thumps that build up to a feverish climax. 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". With the songwriting exuding existentialism, 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". 'Time'
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". 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". 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". '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). 'Spin's Jordan Sargent named "The Archer" as the "most stunning" song on 'Lover'.
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". '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. 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". In 2019, Rob Sheffield of 'Rolling Stone' ranked "The Archer" as Swift's eleventh best song.
'Stereogum' named "The Archer" as one of the top 10 best songs of 2019. 'Slant' named it the sixth-best song of 2019.
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. 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.
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.
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. The next day, she again performed the song acoustically at a SiriusXM Town Hall. The song was included in Swift's setlist for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on September 2. On September 9, Swift performed the song at the City of Lover one-off concert in Paris, France. 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. 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).
* Taylor Swift vocals, songwriter, producer
* Jack Antonoff producer, songwriter, programmer, recording engineer, keyboards
* Laura Sisk recording engineer
* John Rooney assistant recording engineer
* Serban Ghenea mixer
* John Hanes mix engineer
Charts
Certifications
Release history
References
Category:2019 songs
Category:Taylor Swift songs
Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift
Category:Songs written by Jack Antonoff
Category:Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift
Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
Category:Torch songs
Category:American synth-pop songs
Category:Synth-pop ballads
Category:Synthwave songs
Category:Dream pop songs
Category:Electropop songs
Category:Ambient songs
Category:2010s ballads
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