Invisible String: Difference between revisions

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"'''Invisible String'''" (stylized in [[Letter case#All lowercase|all lowercase]]) is a song by the American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] from her eighth studio album, ''[[Folklore (Taylor Swift album)|Folklore]]'' (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, [[Aaron Dessner]]. The lyrics are about how fate brings two soulmates together and refer to specific moments from their lives, containing references to the literature classics [[Jane Eyre|''Jane Eyre'']] and [[The Sun Also Rises|''The Sun Also Rises'']]. Musically, "Invisible String" is a [[Folk music|folk]] tune with elements of [[blues]], [[Pop music|pop]], and [[Country music|country]]. Its spare acoustic arrangement is driven by acoustic guitar [[Strum|strums]] on a rubber bridge and vocal [[Backbeat|backbeats]].
 
Music critics lauded "Invisible String" for showcasing what they deemed a masterful songcraft with endearing sound and lyrics; some picked it as an album highlight. [[NPR Music|NPR]] named it one of the best songs of 2020. Commercially, "Invisible String" peaked at number 36 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and on charts of Australia, Canada, Portugal, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, where it received a silver [[Music recording certification|certficationcertification]]. Swift performed "Invisible String" on the first four shows of her sixth headlining concert tour, [[the Eras Tour]], in 2023.
 
== Background and release ==
The American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] conceived her eighth studio album, ''[[Folklore (Taylor Swift album)|Folklore]]'', while quarantining amidst the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with producers [[Jack Antonoff]] and [[Aaron Dessner]] of [[The National (band)|the National]].<ref name="EW">{{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 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=EN |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=December 9, 2020}}</ref> Swift developed songs from figments of [[Mythopoeia|mythopoeic]] visuals in her mind, a result of her imagination "running wild" while isolating herself. In a premise for ''Folklore'' that Swift posted ontoon her social media, one such imagery was of "a single thread that, for better or for worse, ties you to your fate".<ref name="Primer2">{{cite magazine |date=July 24, 2020 |title='It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For ''Folklore'' |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9423740/read-taylor-swift-primer-folklore |url-status=live |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724184421/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9423740/read-taylor-swift-primer-folklore |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref> [[Republic Records]] released ''Folklore'' on July 24, 2020, [[Surprise album|with no prior promotion]]; "Invisible String" is number 11 on the standard track listing.<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/ |url-access=limited |access-date=December 15, 2023 |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>
 
"Invisible String" charted in Australia (19),<ref name="Australia" /> Singapore (19),<ref name="Singapore" /> Canada (29),<ref name="Canada" /> and Portugal (134).<ref name="Portugal" /> In the United States, the track peaked at number 37 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="BHot100" /> and number 12 on the [[Rolling Stone Top 100|''Rolling Stone'' Top 100]].<ref name="RSTop100" /> In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 43 on the [[Official Charts Company|OCC]]'s [[Official Audio Streaming Chart|Audio Streaming Chart]]<ref name="UKStreaming" /> and received a silver [[Music recording certification|certification]] from the [[British Phonographic Industry]] (BPI).<ref name="BPI" /> In March 2023, Swift performed "Invisible String" as the opening song for the ''Folklore'' act at the first four concerts of her sixth headlining tour, [[the Eras Tour]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=April 1, 2023 |title=See Taylor Swift Deliver Debut Performance of 'The 1' at Arlington Concert |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-debut-performance-the-1-arlington-concert-1234707820/ |url-access=limited |access-date=December 15, 2023 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408174556/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-debut-performance-the-1-arlington-concert-1234707820/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Starting from the March 31, 2023, show in [[Arlington, Texas]], she replaced it with "[[The 1]]".<ref>{{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 |access-date=December 15, 2023 |website=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |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 |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2023, in celebration of the Eras Tour's [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] shows, [[List of mayors of Nashville, Tennessee|Mayor]] [[John Cooper (Tennessee politician)|John Cooper]] issued a proclamation recognizing "Taylor Swift homecoming" as Nashville was the city where Swift started her music career. The city installed a bench at [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]] with a plaque reading, "For Taylor Swift. A bench for you to read on at Centennial Park. Welcome home, Nashville;" it is a nod to the song's lyrics referencing the said park.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Avila |first=Daniela |date=May 4, 2023 |title=Nashville Celebrates Taylor Swift's 'Homecoming Weekend' on Tour with Proclamation and Park Bench (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-nashville-homecoming-weekend-how-city-is-celebrating/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504221135/https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-nashville-homecoming-weekend-how-city-is-celebrating/ |archive-date=May 4, 2023 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref>
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[[File:Centennial Park and Parthenon Nashville TN 2013-12-28 008.jpg|thumb|In "Invisible String", Swift mentions various personal details including her habit of reading at [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]] (pictured) in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]].]]
 
Although many ''Folklore'' songs explore fictitious narratives and characters, "Invisible String" employs an autobiographical songwriting that alludes to Swift's personal life;<ref name="Wood-2020" /><ref>{{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 |url-access=limited |access-date=December 15, 2023 |website=[[Vulture (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 }}</ref> some critics pointed out probable references to her romance with the English actor [[Joe Alwyn]].<ref name="Willman-2020">{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's ''Folklore'': Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-1234715520/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724065836/https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review-1234715520/ |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2021 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bailey|first=Alyssa|date=July 24, 2020|title=Taylor Swift's 'Invisible String' Lyrics Give a Revealing Update on Her Relationship with Joe Alwyn|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a33413528/taylor-swift-invisible-string-lyrics-meaning-joe-alwyn-joe-jonas/|access-date=June 7, 2021|website=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726104333/https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a33413528/taylor-swift-invisible-string-lyrics-meaning-joe-alwyn-joe-jonas/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the lyrics, Swift's character describes how fate brings her to her soulmate after they each spent their separate lives throughout the years.<ref name="Mapes-2020" /><ref name="Leiszkiewicz-2020">{{Cite news |last=Leiszkiewicz |first=Anna |date=July 24, 2020 |title=''Folklore'' reveals a more introspective side to Taylor Swift |website=[[New Statesman]] |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2020/07/folklore-reveals-a-more-introspective-side-to-taylor-swift |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 6, 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 |archive-date=October 20, 2021}}</ref> Some critics considered "Invisible String" one of a few straightforward love songs on ''Folklore''.<ref name="NYTimesReview222" /><ref name="Willman-2020" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Wilson (writer) |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's New Album Reveals That Social Distancing Has Served Her Well |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url=https://slate.com/culture/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review.html |access-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-date=April 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411115246/https://slate.com/culture/2020/07/taylor-swift-folklore-album-review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Callie Ahlgrim from [[Insider Inc.|''Insider'']] thought that the title alluded to the East Asian mythology of the [[Red thread of fate|Red Thread of Fate]].<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020" />
 
The first [[Verse drama and dramatic verse|verse]] recalls their lives before they met; the female narrator was a girl who used to read at Nashville's Centennial Park and dreamt of a romance there ("Green was the color of the grass where I used to read at Centennial Park"),<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=October 28, 2023 |title='Invisible String' (2020) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/invisible-string-2020-1093994/ |access-date=December 15, 2023 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215074311/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/invisible-string-2020-1093994/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the male partner once wore a teal shirt and worked at a yoghurt shop as a young man.<ref name="Willman-2020" /> The second verse details how the two's lives intertwined without them knowing; Swift also alludes to her song "[[Bad Blood (Taylor Swift song)|Bad Blood]]" and her publicized dispute with the singer [[Katy Perry]]: "Bad was the blood of the song in the cab/ On your first trip to LA/ You ate at my favorite spot for dinner."<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020">{{cite web |last=Ahlgrim |first=Callie |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Every detail and Easter egg you may have missed on Taylor Swift's new album ''Folklore'' |url=https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-lyrics-easter-eggs-2020-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211202000344/https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-lyrics-easter-eggs-2020-7 |archive-date=December 2, 2021 |access-date=June 7, 2021 |website=[[Insider Inc.|Insider]]}}</ref><ref name="rs">{{cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |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/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |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/ |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=February 21, 2021 |url-access=limited |authorlink=Rob Sheffield}}</ref> The next lines mention her trip to the [[Lake District]] in England ("Bold was the waitress on our three-year trip/ Getting lunch down by the Lakes/ She said I looked like an American singer"), a detail that is also on the ''Folklore'' bonus track "[[The Lakes (song)|The Lakes]]".<ref name="Ahlgrim-2020" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mylrea |first=Hannah |date=August 6, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift–'The Lakes': the ''Folklore'' bonus song decoded |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/taylor-swift-the-lakes-theories-lyrics-folklore-bonus-song-2722662 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908195832/https://www.nme.com/blogs/taylor-swift-the-lakes-theories-lyrics-folklore-bonus-song-2722662 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2021 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref>