Invisible String

"Invisible String" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the eleventh track on her eighth studio album, Folklore, which was released on July 24, 2020 through Republic Records. Swift wrote the song with its producer Aaron Dessner.

"Invisible String"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Folklore
ReleasedJuly 24, 2020 (2020-07-24)
Studio
  • Long Pond (Hudson Valley)
  • Gaite Lyrique (Paris)
GenreFolk
Length4:12
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Aaron Dessner
Lyric video
"Invisible String" on YouTube

As the title suggests, the song centers on an invisible "thread of gold" that connects two soulmates and ushers them together in life, alluding to the East Asian folk myth called the Red Thread of Fate. It is an airy, folk tune with country elements, set to plucked strums of rubber-bridge guitar, fingerpicked acoustics, and back beats. Its lyrics depict Swift's perspective of fate and destiny, using specific details that entwine select moments from her life and her lover's, the twists and turns that led the two former strangers to find each other, and narrates the pursuit of emotional healing and happiness through time.

The song was well received by music critics, who admired its "lovely" instrumentation and innovative lyricism. It has been noted for being the only song on Folklore free of melancholia. NPR named it one of the best songs of 2020. "Invisible String" peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in the top 30 of single charts in Australia, Canada, and Singapore. Swift included "Invisible String" on the set list of the Eras Tour (2023).

Background and release

Folklore was conceived by Swift as figments of mythopoeic visuals in her mind, a result of her imagination "running wild" while isolating herself during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such imagery was of "a single thread that, for better or for worse, ties you to your fate". This concept gave birth to "Invisible String".[1][2]

Swift penned "Invisible String", and composed it with Aaron Dessner, who produced the song.[3] On July 23, 2020, Swift announced Folklore and revealed its track listing where "Invisible String" placed at number 11. The album was released on July 24, 2020. As a reference to the song, a golden thread was featured in the music video for "Willow" (2020), the lead single of Swift's ninth studio album and Folklore's sequel, Evermore.[4]

Composition and lyrics

"Invisible String" is a folk song[5] with an airy and earthy[6] instrumentation driven by acoustic riff and thumping vocal backbeats.[5][7] Dessner stated that he used a rubber bridge for the song's prominent guitar line.[8]

Swift mentions various narrative details in "Invisible String", including her habit of reading at Centennial Park, Nashville.

"Invisible String" is a restrained love song, without blatant references to romance.[9] Its lyrics give glimpses into Swift's relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn, who also co-wrote and co-produced a few tracks on Folklore; it recounts the "invisible" thread existing between the two former strangers that they were not aware of until they met and fell in love.[10] The song is an allusion to the East Asian folk myth called the red thread of fate, which originated from Chinese mythology. According to the belief, an invisible red cord (colored golden in Swift's interpretation) is tied around the finger of those that are destined to meet one another in a certain situation as they are "their true love".[7][11]

Swift employs a distinct passive writing style in the song,[12] and uses colors to paint memories. It incorporates ultra-specific details, such as: Swift's affinity to Nashville's Centennial Park, Alwyn's time spent working at a London frozen yogurt shop before venturing into acting, and Swift mailing gifts to the expectant child of her ex-lover Joe Jonas and wife Sophie Turner. There are also allusions to her older songs in "Invisible String": the lyric "Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to L.A." referring to "Bad Blood" (2015), the dive bar in "Delicate" (2017), and golden hues–the color of love according to Swift–in "Daylight" (2019).[7][13][14] "Invisible String" also mentions her three-year trip with Alwyn to the Lake District, England, which is the narrative setting of "The Lakes", the bonus track of Folklore's deluxe edition.[15] British literary professor Jonathan Bate noted the chorus alluded to The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.[16]

Critical reception

Pitchfork critic Julian Mapes praised "Invisible String" as one of the "loveliest" songs on Folklore for its "delightfully plucky" instrumentals and standout lyricism, which Mapes paralleled with lines from classic novels Jane Eyre (1847) and The Sun Also Rises (1926).[10] Ranking the song as the second best of the album, Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times said that, unlike the rest of Folklore, "Invisible String" has Swift look back on her life and rephrase its "tabloid representation" to provide "a very cleverly phrased account of the twists and turns that led her to meet her boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn." He admired Swift's "whimsical and luscious" vocals as well.[17] PopMatters writer Michael Sumsion opined that the song demonstrates "a natural affinity for the campfire as the sky-bound plinking guitar bursts into an acoustic charge of pastoral loveliness".[18]

Insider critics agreed that "Invisible String" is "Taylor Swift at her most Taylor Swift"; Callie Ahlgrim wrote that the song "is a feast of Easter eggs and callbacks" with a "sprightly and sparkly" musicality, meanwhile Courtesy Larocca remarked it as "a rosy, wide-eyed ode to love", accentuated by plucky strums and Swift's soft vocals.[19] Chris Willman of Variety asserted that "Invisible String" is a "bless the broken roads that led me to you"-type song that finds Swift fulfilled and content.[13] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that the song is the only "truly hopeful-sounding song" on Folklore and the only one "about a happy, fulfilled relationship", features some of Swift's most vivid lyrics.[6]

Jonathan Keefe, writing for Slant, reviewed that "Invisible String" displays Swift's "masterful grasp of song structure", and highlighted how each of its stanzas begins with the use of passive voice "to create a narrative remove".[20] Katie Moulton, writing for Consequence of Sound, lauded Swift's mythopoeic prowess.[21] In the words of New Statesman critic Anna Leszkiewicz, "Invisible String" is "immediately less distant and hazy" than other songs of Folklore, seeing Swift imagine "an invisible thread linking her with her partner, as their paths cross over years, before eventually becoming knitted together". Leszkiewicz also called it a "pleasingly restrained" love song, and "the romantic high-point of the album".[9]

In her list ranking all 161 songs by Swift back then, Hannah Mylrea of NME placed the song at number 31, calling it a "sweet ode to Swift’s past relationships, and how they lead her to where she currently is".[22] NPR placed "Invisible String" at number 22 on its ranking of 100 best songs of 2020, for "all the beautiful detail, all the muscular melody and immaculately placed acoustic production details" takes a mature perspective in celebrating of "the fact that love doesn't have to paint the entire world to change your life; one tiny thread of gold can be enough."[23]

Commercial performance

Following Folklore's release, all of the album's tracks entered the US Billboard Hot 100. "Invisible String" debuted at number 37 on the chart, alongside 9 other tracks from Folklore to land inside the top 40; it charted for two weeks before its exit.[24] It further reached number 19 on the Singapore Singles chart, number 19 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart, and number 29 on the Canadian Hot 100.

Impact

In April 2023, Swift embarked on the Eras Tour, which consisted of 10 acts, the seventh of which is dedicated to Folklore. She performed "Invisible String" as the opening song of the Folklore act for the first four concerts of the tour.[25]

In May 2023, Mayor of Nashville John Cooper released a proclamation, which declared a bench installed at the city's Centennial Park with a plaque "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 "Green was the color of the grass/Where I used to read at Centennial Park/I used to think I would meet somebody there."[26]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[27] and Pitchfork[28]

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter
  • Aaron Dessner – producer, songwriter, recording engineer, acoustic guitar, bass, drum programming, Mellotron, electric guitar, percussion, piano, synthesizer
  • Yuki Numata Resnick – viola, violin
  • Clarice Jensen – cello
  • James McAllister – drum programming
  • Jonathan Low – mixing, recording engineer
  • Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
  • Kyle Resnick – engineer

Charts

Chart performance for "Invisible String"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 19
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[30] 29
Portugal (AFP)[31] 134
Singapore (RIAS)[32] 19
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[33] 43
US Billboard Hot 100[34] 37
US Rolling Stone Top 100[35] 12

Certifications

Certifications for "Invisible String"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. "'It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For 'Folklore'". Billboard. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  2. Suskind, Alex (December 9, 2020). "Taylor Swift broke all her rules with 'Folklore' — and gave herself a much-needed escape". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  3. Gerber, Brady (July 27, 2020). "The Story Behind Every Song on Taylor Swift's folklore". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  4. Walsh, Savannah (December 11, 2020). "Breaking Down Every Easter Egg in Taylor Swift's Time-Traveling 'Willow' Music Video". Elle. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  5. Zaleski, Annie (July 4, 2020). "Taylor Swift writes her own version of history on folklore". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  6. Caramanica, Jon (July 26, 2020). "Taylor Swift, a Pop Star Done With Pop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  7. Ahlgrim, Callie (July 30, 2020). "Every detail and Easter egg you may have missed on Taylor Swift's new album 'Folklore'". Insider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. Blistein, Jon (July 24, 2020). "How Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift Stripped Down Her Sound on 'Folklore'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. Leiszkiewicz, Anna. "Folklore reveals a more introspective side to Taylor Swift". New Statesman. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  10. Mapes, Jillian (July 27, 2020). "Taylor Swift: folklore". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  11. García, Carmelo; Caballero-Gil, Pino; Burmester, Mike; Quesada-Arencibia, Alexis (2016). Ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence : 10th International Conference, UCAmI 2016, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Gran Canaria, Spain, November 29-December 2, 2016, Proceedings. Part II. Springer. p. 265. ISBN 978-3319487991.
  12. Keefe, Jonathan (July 27, 2020). "Review: With Folklore, Taylor Swift Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview". Slant. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  13. Willman, Chris (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. Bailey, Alyssa (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Invisible String' Lyrics Give a Revealing Update on Her Relationship with Joe Alwyn". Elle. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  15. Mylrea, Hannah (August 6, 2020). "Taylor Swift – 'The Lakes': the 'Folklore' bonus song decoded". NME. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  16. Bate, Jonathan (April 10, 2023). "Why Taylor Swift is a literary giant — by a Shakespeare professor". The Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  17. Wood, Mikael (July 26, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Folklore': All 16 songs, ranked". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  18. Sumsion, Michael (July 29, 2020). "Taylor Swift Abandons Stadium-Pop for a New Tonal Approach on 'Folklore'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  19. Ahlgrim, Callie; Courteney, Larocca (July 25, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' might be the best album of her entire career". Insider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  20. Keefe, Jonathan (July 27, 2020). "Review: With Folklore, Taylor Swift Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview". Slant. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  21. Moulton, Katie (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's folklore Dismantles Her Own Self-Mythologizing: Review". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  22. Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  23. "The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 40-21)". NPR. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  24. "Taylor Swift — Billboard Hot 100 History". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  25. Ruggieri, Melissa (March 18, 2023). "Taylor Swift rewards fans with 44 songs at Eras Tour opener: Inside her triumphant return". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  26. "Nashville Celebrates Taylor Swift's 'Homecoming Weekend' on Tour with Proclamation and Park Bench (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  27. Folklore (booklet). Taylor Swift. United States: Republic Records. 2020. B003271102.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  29. "Taylor Swift – Invisible String". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  30. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  31. "Taylor Swift – Invisible String". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  32. "RIAS International Top Charts Week 31". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on August 5, 2020.
  33. "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  34. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  35. "Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 - July 30, 2020". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  36. "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – Invisible String". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
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