Dorothea (song)

"Dorothea" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, ''Evermore'' (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. Musically, "Dorothea" combines Americana, folk, and country folk. Its production is driven by a honky-tonk piano, tambourine percussion, and guitars. In the lyrics, the narrator reminisces about an old friendship with Dorothea, who left their small hometown to pursue a Hollywood career when they were in their adolescence.

Music critics praised "Dorothea" for its soothing composition and lyrical imagery. Commercially, it peaked at number 47 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart and reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the United States. "Dorothea" received a gold certification in Australia. Swift performed the track live twice on her sixth concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Background and release

Following the critical and commercial success of her eighth studio album, ''Folklore'' (2020), Taylor Swift and the album's collaborators, including Aaron Dessner, assembled at Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley to film the documentary '' Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions'' (2020). After filming, they celebrated ''Folklore'' success and unexpectedly continued writing songs while staying at Long Pond. The result was Swift's ninth studio album, ''Evermore'', which she described as a "sister record" to ''Folklore''. "Dorothea" was one of two tracks that were initially written for Big Red Machine, a band consisting of Dessner and Justin Vernon; Dessner felt it was a continuation of the themes of ''Folklore'', and it was eventually included on ''Evermore''. "Dorothea" is the eighth track on the album, which was surprise-released on December 11, 2020. Swift played "Dorothea" for the first time on piano at the second show of the Eras Tour in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 8, 2023. She performed it on acoustic guitar as part of a mashup with her 2019 song "It's Nice to Have a Friend" at the third Edinburgh show of the tour on June 9, 2024.

Production and composition

Swift wrote "Dorothea" with Dessner, who produced the track and recorded it at Long Pond with the mixer Jonathan Low. Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone mastered it at Sterling Sound Studios in Edgewater, New Jersey, and Laura Sisk recorded Swift's vocals at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles. Dessner played bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, and tambourine. Other musicians who played instruments include JT Bates (drum kit, percussion), Thomas Bartlett (piano, keyboards, synthesizers), Josh Kaufman (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), and Benjamin Lanz ( modular synth).

"Dorothea" is three minutes and forty-five seconds long. Music journalists identified it as an Americana, folk, and country folk song, instrumented by a honky-tonk piano, tambourine percussion, guitars, and a "whirling" acoustic arrangement. Swift sings with her lower vocal register during the refrain. ''NME'' Hannah Mylrea thought that the vocal melodies were reminiscent of her debut studio album, ''Taylor Swift'' (2006).

Lyrically, "Dorothea" and the fellow album track " Tis the Damn Season" revolve around a fictional story set in Tupelo, Mississippi. The narrative of "Dorothea" consists of two characters, Dorothea and the narrator, who were childhood friends until Dorothea moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Hollywood career. The narrator expresses her happiness for Dorothea's success and that she will always support her ("You're a queen, selling dreams/ Selling make up and magazines/ From you I'd buy anything"). She reminisces about her memories with her, such as a skipped prom and feelings of separation. In the refrain, the narrator convinces herself that Dorothea was happier in the small town and she might return one day ("It's never too late to come back to my side/ The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo/ And if you're ever tired of being known for who you know/ You know, you'll always know me").

Critical reception

Music critics praised "Dorothea" for its composition and lyrical imagery. Brodie Lancaster of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' dubbed it a "masterwork of a character study", and Deborah Krieger of ''PopMatters'' considered it the highlight of ''Evermore'' and an "immediate classic". The latter lauded the soothing nature of the song, and '' Paste'' Ellen Johnson similarly praised the soft electronic composition and the "carefully crafted" lyrical imagery. ''The Guardian'' Alexis Petridis commended the melody as "luminous" and believed that "Dorothea" succeeded in reversing the "old country cliché" of a celebrity saying that their life of fame pales in comparison to the coziness of their small hometown. ''Rolling Stone'' Rob Sheffield considered it a "hidden sequel" to Swift's 2020 song " The Lakes" and picked "The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo" as his favorite lyric from the track. "Dorothea" appeared in rankings of Swift's discography by ''Vulture'' Nate Jones (89 out of 245) and Sheffield (152 out of 274).

Commercial performance

"Dorothea" debuted at number 47 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart dated December 26, 2020. In the United States, it reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, number 40 on the ''Rolling Stone'' Top 100 chart, and number 67 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "Dorothea" peaked at number 34 in Canada, number 47 in Australia, and number 173 in Portugal. In the United Kingdom, the track reached number 74 on the Audio Streaming chart. "Dorothea" received a gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''Evermore''.

* Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter
* Aaron Dessner – producer, songwriter, recording engineer, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, tambourine
* Jonathan Low – recording engineer, mixer
* Laura Sisk – vocal recording engineer
* Greg Calbi – mastering engineer
* Steve Fallone – mastering engineer
* JT Bates – drum kit, percussion
* Thomas Bartlett – piano, keyboards, synthesizers
* Josh Kaufman – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
* Benjamin Lanz – modular synth

Charts

Certification

References

Source

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2020 songs
Songs about Mississippi
Songs written by Aaron Dessner
Songs written by Taylor Swift
Song recordings produced by Aaron Dessner
Taylor Swift songs
American folk songs
American country music songs
Americana songs