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"'''The 1'''"
"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|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and was [[Music recording certification|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
== Background and development ==
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"The 1" is three minutes and thirty seconds long.<ref>{{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)}}</ref> 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]], [[Teenage Engineering OP-1|OP1]], piano, and [[synth bass]]. Other musicians on the song are [[Jason Treuting]] ([[Percussion instrument|percussion]]), [[Thomas Bartlett (musician)|Thomas Bartlett]] (OP1, [[synthesizer]]), and Yuki Numata Resnick ([[viola]], violin). It was [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] by Low at Long Pond and [[Mastering (audio)|mastered]] by [[Randy Merrill]] at Sterling Sound in New York City.<ref name="Strauss-2020" />
"The 1" is a [[Folk music|folk]]<ref>{{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 (website)|Vulture]]}}</ref> and [[soft rock]]<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> tune with elements of [[indie folk]].<ref name="Wood-2020">{{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]]}}</ref> The production begins with a piano that has a bit [[Reverberation|reverb]] to it,<ref name="Nuss-2024" /> labeled by critics as "optimistic"<ref name="Leszkiewicz-2020" /> and "soft".<ref name="Johnson-2020">{{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 }}</ref> It
The lyrics of "The 1" has a theme of introspection.<ref name="Snapes" /> The song describes the narrator positively reminiscing on a past relationship during her "roaring 20s".<ref name="Leszkiewicz-2020" /><ref name="Snapes" /> 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".<ref name="Leszkiewicz-2020" /> The lyrics also addresses the narrator's languid contemplation for
== Release and commercial performance ==
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[[File:Taylor Swift Eras Tour - Arlington, TX - Folklore act 2.jpg|thumb|right|Swift performing "The 1" on [[the Eras Tour]] (2023–2024)|alt=Swift singing on a moss-covered roof]]
On July 24, 2020, "The 1" was released as the opening track on ''Folklore''.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> It was also released by [[Republic Records]] for [[Music download|download]] in Germany on October 9.<ref name="Universal" /> On November 25, Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of the track for the [[Disney+]] concert documentary ''[[Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions]]'' and [[Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions#Live album|its live album]].<ref>{{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 (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 }}</ref>
"The 1" debuted and peaked within the top 10 at number four on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], alongside the fellow album tracks "[[Cardigan (song)|Cardigan]]" and "[[Exile (song)|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.<ref name="USHot100" /><ref>{{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 (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> It also debuted and peaked on the [[Rolling Stone charts|''Rolling Stone'' Top 100]] chart at number two behind "Cardigan".<ref name="RSTop100" /> The song received a platinum [[Music recording certification|certification]] from the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).<ref name="RIAA" /> On the [[Billboard Global 200|''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''.<ref>{{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 (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 }}</ref><ref name="Global200" />
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== 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'',<ref name="Billboard-2023" /> Courteney Lacrossa of ''[[Business Insider]]'',<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020b" /> and both Allaire Nuss and [[Maura Johnston]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''<ref name="Nuss-2024" /><ref>{{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 }}</ref>}} and to set the album's tone.{{efn|Attributed to Chloe Johnson of ''[[MusicOMH]]'',<ref name="Johnson-2020" /> Michael Sumsion of ''[[PopMatters]]'',<ref name="Sumsion-2020" /> and Channing Freeman of ''[[Sputnikmusic]]''<ref name="Channing-2020" />}} Allegra Frank of ''[[Vox Media|Vox]]''
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.<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020a" /> Lacrossa believed the track was "incredibly solid" and her delivery had "a breezy attention to rhythm" that complements the narrative.<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020b" /> 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''.<ref name="Frank-2020" /> Wohlmacher was impressed by how "poignant and mature" the lyrics were.<ref name="Wohlmacher-2020" /> Johnson believed it was thoroughly written and produced.<ref name="Johnson-2020" /> ''[[The New Yorker]]'' writer [[Amanda Petrusich]] thought Swift's rumination on the track was "heartening" and "serene" in a comical manner.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph|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".<ref>{{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 Daily Telegraph|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 }}</ref> Caleb Campbell from ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' deemed the song's lyrics about a crumbling romance one of her most mature takes on the subject to date.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Under the Radar]] }}</ref>
Ellen Johnson of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' described the lyrics as "bright, vivid and occasionally funny" but in a more sophisticated way compared to Swift's previous songs.<ref name="Ellen-2020">{{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 (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref> Katie Moulton from ''[[Consequence (publication)|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.<ref name="CoS">{{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 (publication)|Consequence]]}}</ref> 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".<ref name="Leszkiewicz-2020" /> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> In contrast, Roisin O'Connor of ''[[The Independent]]'' favored the song's smaller details more than the one-liners.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Hannah Mylrea from ''[[NME]]'' wrote that the instrumentation accompanies Swift's vocals and the hook very well.<ref name="Mylrea" /> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'s}} Jonathan Keefe stated that the song's use of repetitions succeeded, along with "Invisible String".<ref>{{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 }}</ref>
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".<ref name="Kornhaber-2020" /> Jason Lipshutz of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|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.<ref name="Lipshutz-2020" /> 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.<ref name="Wood-2020" />
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== 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|
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Taylor Swift|title=The 1|award=Platinum|type=single|certyear=2024|relyear=2020|access-date=22 March 2024|refname="PMB"}}
{{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"}}
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{{notelist}}
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{{reflist}}
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