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Coney Island (Taylor Swift song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Coney Island
| type = single
| cover =
| border = yes
| caption =
| alt =
| artist = Taylor Swift featuring the National
| album = Evermore
| released =
| recorded = 2020
| studio =
| length = 4:35
| genre = * Alternative rock
* indie folk
| label = Republic
| writer = * Taylor Swift
* Aaron Dessner
* Bryce Dessner
* William Bowery
| producer = * Aaron Dessner
* Bryce Dessner
| chronology = Taylor Swift
| prev_title = No Body, No Crime
| prev_year = 2021
| next_title = Love Story (Taylor's Version)
| next_year = 2021
| misc =
}}
"'Coney Island'" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, featuring American rock band the National. It is the ninth track on Swift's ninth studio album, 'Evermore' (2020), released on December 11, 2020, through Republic Records. The song impacted US alternative radio on January 18, 2021.
"Coney Island" was written by Swift, Joe Alwyn (under the pseudonym William Bowery) and the National members Aaron and Bryce Dessner, with production being handled by the latter two. It is an alternative rock and indie folk duet that counterpoints Swift's melodious vocals against Matt Berninger's baritone, depicting a separated couple's memories in Coney Island, New York City.
Upon release, the song reached number 45 on the 'Billboard' Global 200 chart. "Coney Island" charted in many countries, reaching 31 in Canada, 43 in Australia, and 63 in the United States. It further reached number 12 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and number 18 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart.
Background
Taylor Swift had collaborated with the National's Aaron Dessner on her 2020 album 'Folklore', an indie folk album that departs from the upbeat pop production of her previous releases. She and Dessner worked again on her follow-up album 'Evermore', a "sister record" to 'Folklore'. This time, they also worked with Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner's twin brother.
The Dessner brothers sent Swift some of the instrumentals they made for their band, the National. One of those was what would become "Coney Island". Swift and her boyfriend, English actor Joe Alwyn, wrote its lyrics, and recorded it with her vocals. After listening to the demo, the Dessner brothers observed that the song feels very related to the National, and envisioned Matt Berninger (lead vocalist of the National) singing it, and Bryan Devendorf (drummer of the National) playing its drums. Aaron Dessner informed Berninger, who was "excited" for the idea. The band assembled, Devendorf played the drums, while his brother Scott Devendorf played the bass and pocket piano; Bryce Dessner helped produce the song.
Composition and lyrics
, an entertainment area in New York City.
"Coney Island" is an alternative rock and indie folk song. The song features the National, with frontman Matt Berninger on vocals. Berninger said that work experience with Swift was "like dancing with Gene Kelly. She made [him] look good and didn't drop [him] once". The lyrics are about the hollow feelings of losing oneself in a relationship that has gone.
Critical reception
'Spin' critic Bobby Olivier described "Coney Island" as a "wonderfully dark duet" that feels like "a lonely waltz down a Brooklyn boardwalk", and praised the fusion of Swift's "wispy" head voice with Berninger's bass. Chris Willman of 'Variety' compared the song to "Exile" (2020), another similar duet on Swift's preceding album, where former lovers take turns in blaming each other, with the opposite happening in "Coney Island". Neil McCormick of 'The Daily Telegraph' wrote that the song "offers an insight into where their aesthetics meet", counterpointing Swift's "lucid, melodious voice" aside "the mumbled intensity" of Berninger's baritone.
Tom Breihan of 'Stereogum' called "Coney Island" the "dourest" moment of Evermore, alike "The Last Time" in Swift's fourth studio album, 'Red' (2012). Craig Jenkins of 'Vulture,' complimented Berninger's baritone and Swift's delicate vocals: "you hear [the song] and you start to wonder if the low end notes on these albums are another bout of trying out other singer-songwriters' wares". In less favourable reviews, 'The Guardian' Alexis Petridis welcomed the guest appearance of Berninger, but found the lyrics to be "subpar" without "much substance". 'Pitchfork' Sam Sodomsky opined that Berninger's vocals felt out of place on the song.
Commercial performance
All of the tracks on 'Evermore' debuted inside the top 75 of the 'Billboard' Global 200 chart simultaneously; "Coney Island" was at number 45. In the US, the song opened at number 63 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The song reached number 31 on the Canadian Hot 100. It further reached number 15 on the Flemish Ultratop 100, and number 43 in Australia. Upon service to US alternative radio, "Coney Island" reached number 18 on the 'Billboard' Adult Alternative Songs chart.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.
* Taylor Swift lead vocals, songwriting
* The National featured artist
** Aaron Dessner production, songwriting, acoustic guitar, bass, drum machine programmer, electric guitar, percussion, recording engineer, studio personnel, synthesizer
** Bryce Dessner production, songwriting, piano, synthesizer
** Bryan Devendorf drum machine programmer, drums
** Scott Devendorf bass guitar, piano
** Matt Berninger vocals
* William Bowery songwriting
* Clarice Jensen cello
* Justin Treuting drums, percussion
* Greg Calbi mastering engineer
* Steve Fallone mastering engineer
* Jonathan Low mixer, recording engineer, vocal engineer
* Robin Baynton vocal engineer
* Sean O'Brien vocal engineer
* Yuki Numata Resnick violin
Charts
Release history
References
Category:2020 songs
Category:2021 singles
Category:American alternative rock songs
Category:Indie folk songs
Category:Coney Island in fiction
Category:Republic Records singles
Category:Songs about New York City
Category:Songs about islands
Category:Songs written by Aaron Dessner
Category:Songs written by Bryce Dessner
Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift
Category:Song recordings produced by Aaron Dessner
Category:Taylor Swift songs
Category:The National (band) songs
Category:Songs written by Joe Alwyn
Category:Song recordings produced by Bryce Dessner
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