"The Alcott" is a soaring ballad that tells the tale of a rediscovered romance. As penned by The National's frontman, Matt Berninger, the track chronicles the chance encounter between two lovers in the bustling hub of a hotel bar. Berninger guides us through the raw and unbridled emotions of two souls rekindling their passion in this most public of spaces.

The song boasts not only The National's sonic wizardry, but also the inimitable talents of pop powerhouse Taylor Swift. The union came about thanks to the longstanding creative connection between Swift and The National multi-instrumentalist Aaron Dessner. As a frequent collaborator, Dessner was uniquely positioned to pitch the idea of the superstar participating on "The Alcott" directly to her, which she readily accepted. "I thought it might be something she would really click with," said Dessner. "I sent it to her, and was a little nervous as I didn't hear back for 20 minutes or so. By the time she responded, Taylor had written all her parts and recorded a voice memo with the lyrics she'd added in a dialogue with Matt, and everyone fell immediately in love with it. It felt meant to be."

The track was born out of some music that Dessner had sent to Berninger. Speaking to Apple Music, The National frontman revealed that his wife and fellow writer, Carin Besser, inspired the lyrics. When Swift was invited to lend her vocals to the track, she was able to fully embody the role of the person Berninger was describing, crafting a stirring response that came straight from the perspective of his beloved partner. "When Carin heard that one, and heard Taylor Swift embodying her character in a song, writing responses to me, that was really fun for everybody," Berninger told Apple Music. "It was a really cool moment. It was like walking down a path and thinking you're alone, and all of a sudden somebody appears out of nowhere and joins you on this path."