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Dorothea (song)

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"Dorothea"
SongbyTaylor Swift
from the albumEvermore
ReleasedDecember 11, 2020(2020-12-11)
StudioLong Pond Studio (Hudson Valley)
Genre
Length3:45
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Aaron Dessner
Lyric video
"Dorothea"onYouTube

"Dorothea"is a song by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swiftfrom her ninth studio album,Evermore(2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer,Aaron Dessner.The lyrics are from the perspective of an unnamed character reminiscing an old friendship with the titular fictional character, when they were in their adolescence. It tells the story of how the two reconcile when Dorothea returns fromHollywoodto their hometownTupelofor the holiday season. The narrator confesses to Dorothea that they still love her despite the change and hope to reconcile the long lost friendship. The narrator later convinces her to abandon an acting career for a simplistic life in their hometown.

Musically, "Dorothea" is anAmericanaandcountry folksong driven by ahonky-tonk piano,guitars, and drums. In reviews ofEvermore,music critics complimented Swift's songwriting in "Dorothea" for its character study with rich lyrical details. Commercially, the song charted in Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the United States. It peaked at number 47 on theBillboardGlobal 200.

Background and release

[edit]

Taylor Swiftconceived her eighth studio album,Folklore,as a set ofmythopoeicvisuals in her mind, a result of her imagination "running wild" while isolating herself during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[1][2]She surprised with the album's announcement on July 23, 2020, and released it the next day. To satiate her craving to explore more of the "folklorian woods"she visualized in her mind, Swift immediately developed another album as a conclusive counterpart toFolklore,titledEvermore.[3]"Dorothea" was one of the two songs Swift had written forBig Red Machine,a band consisting of herFolklorepersonnelAaron DessnerandJustin Vernon,the other being "Closure"; however, the two songs were eventually included onEvermore'strack-listing, where "Dorothea" placed eighth.[4]Identical toFolklore'slaunch, Swift made a surprise announcement ofEvermoreon December 10, 2020, and released it the next day.[3]

AfterEvermore'srelease, Swift performed "Dorothea" as a "surprise song" at the July 8, 2023, show inKansas City, Missouri,as part ofthe Eras Tour.She sang it again as part of a mashup with "It's Nice to Have a Friend" (2019) at the tour'sEdinburghstop on June 9, 2024.[5]

Composition and lyrics

[edit]
"Dorothea" is set inTupelo, Mississippi,the hometown of both the subject and narrator.

"Dorothea" is acountry folksong[6]built aroundhonky-tonk piano,[7][8]tambourinejingles, and guitars,[9]accompanied by "whirling" acoustics.[10]Claire Shaffer ofRolling Stonedescribed it as a "rollicking,Americanapiano tune ".[11]It features characteristic notes of Swift'slower registerin itshook.[12]Her vocal range in the song spans from D#3to B4.[13]The song is written in the key ofE majorand has a moderately fast tempo of 120 beats per minute.[14]

Dorothea, a girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams — and what happens when she comes back for the holidays and rediscovers an old flame.

— Swift on the storyline of "Dorothea" and "'Tis the Damn Season",Bustle[15]

Lyrically, "Dorothea" and another track fromEvermore,"'Tis the Damn Season", together revolve around a fictional story set inTupelo, Mississippi.The story consists of two characters, Dorothea and an unnamed subject, who were high-school lovers until Dorothea decided to move toLos Angelesto pursue aHollywoodcareer, subsequently breaking up with her partner who never wanted to leave the town. The track represents the ex’s reminiscing of their past relationship after Dorothea becomes famous, singing about how they are happy for her and wondering if she still thinks of them like they do her.[16][17]The narrator sings about memories with her, such as a skippedpromand feelings of separation,[9]and attempts to convince Dorothea to return to the simplicity of rural life.[18] 

"'Tis the Damn Season"is narrated by Dorothea, who expresses her thoughts about the ex when she returns to Tupelo for winter vacation and reconnects with them.[9]In a Q&A session, Swift answered that Dorothea went to the same school as Betty, James, and Inez, the three characters named in "Betty", even though the two storylines do not intersect.[19]

Reception

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Brodie Lancaster ofThe Sydney Morning Heraldcalled "Dorothea" a "masterwork of a character study".[20]NMEcritic Hannah Mylrea opined that "Dorothea", over "dancing piano lines", portrays the story of a lovelorn man "whosehigh-school sweetheartleft to try and make it in Hollywood ", incorporating vocal melodies reminiscent of Swift's self-titled debut studio album,Taylor Swift(2006).[21]Annie ZaleskiofThe A.V. Clubwrote that the song is for those "who struggle with feeling left behind by glamorous old friends".[22]Writing forThe Guardian,Alexis Petridiscalled the song "a particularly luminous tune" that eschews "the old country cliche in which a star tells you their life of fame and luxury is nothing compared to the warm comfort of their old small-town life", instead has a protagonist look at a now-famous friend and attempt to convince their return to the simpler life.[23]The Independentwriter Helen Brown said that "Dorothea" has Swift slip "into the mind of a celebrity's hometown pal.[24]Varietycritic Chris Willman described the song's narrator as "a honey in Tupelo who is telling a childhood friend who moved away and became famous that she's always welcome back in her hometown", and praised Swift's "empathic wondering" – "how it feels to be at the other end of the telescope".[25]

Commercial performance

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UponEvermore'srelease, all of the album's tracks debuted on both the USBillboardHot Rock & Alternative Songsand the all-genreHot 100charts; "Dorothea" entered at number 13 on the former, and at number 67 on the latter.[26]Elsewhere, it further reached number 47 on Australia'sARIA Singles Chartand number 34 on theCanadian Hot 100.The song debuted at number 47 on theBillboardGlobal 200chart.

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[27]andPitchfork.[28]

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

Charts

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Weekly chart performance of "Dorothea"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 47
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[30] 34
Global 200(Billboard)[31] 47
Portugal (AFP)[32] 173
UK Audio Streaming(OCC)[33] 74
USBillboardHot 100[34] 67
USHot Rock & Alternative Songs(Billboard)[35] 13
USRolling StoneTop 100[36] 40

Certifications

[edit]
Certification for "Dorothea"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] Gold 35,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^"'It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For 'Folklore'".Billboard.July 24, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on July 24, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  2. ^Suskind, Alex (December 9, 2020)."Taylor Swift broke all her rules with 'Folklore' — and gave herself a much-needed escape".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  3. ^ab"Taylor Swift to release surprise ninth album 'Evermore' tonight".NME.December 10, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 10, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  4. ^Havens, Lyndsey (December 18, 2020)."Aaron Dessner on the 'Weird Avalanche' That Resulted in Taylor Swift's 'Evermore'".Billboard.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  5. ^Smith, Katie Louise (June 9, 2024)."Here's Every Surprise Song Performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour".Capital FM.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2024.RetrievedJune 10,2024.
  6. ^Horton, Ross (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift returns for a 2020 victory lap onEvermore".The Line of Best Fit.RetrievedDecember 5,2023.
  7. ^Claire, Shaffer (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift Deepens Her Goth-Folk Vision on the Excellent 'Evermore'".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  8. ^Ahlgrim, Callie; Larocca, Courteney (December 11, 2020)."Review: Taylor Swift 'Evermore' is a great follow up to 'Folklore'".Insider Inc.Archivedfrom the original on March 27, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  9. ^abcLipshutz, Jason (December 14, 2020)."Every Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's 'Evermore': Critic's Picks".Billboard.Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  10. ^Olivier, Bobby (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift's 'Evermore' Is an Undeniable Folk-Pop Masterpiece".Spin.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  11. ^Shaffer, Claire (December 18, 2020)."Aaron Dessner on How His Collaborative Chemistry With Taylor Swift Led to 'Evermore'".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  12. ^Krieger, Deborah (December 15, 2020)."Taylor Swift Has Written the Best Music of Her Career with 'evermore' and 'folklore'".PopMatters.Archivedfrom the original on January 8, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  13. ^"Taylor Swift" dorothea "Sheet Music in F major".Musicnotes.com.July 24, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  14. ^"Key & BPM for" dorothea "by Taylor Swift".TuneBat.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  15. ^Pentelow, Orla (December 11, 2021)."The Most Convincing Fan Theories About Who" Dorothea "Is".Bustle.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  16. ^Crone, Madeline (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift 'evermore' Is Ready For Your Record Player, Radio Play Be Damned".American Songwriter.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  17. ^Brodie, Lancaster (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift is back, stronger than ever before".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  18. ^Petridis, Alexis (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift: Evermore – rich alt-rock and richer character studies".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  19. ^Sullivan, Corinne (December 12, 2020)."Fans Think Taylor Swift's" Dorothea "Is About Selena Gomez, and It Makes Sense".PopSugar.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  20. ^Brodie, Lancaster (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift is back, stronger than ever before".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  21. ^Mylrae, Hannah (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift – 'Evermore' review: the freewheeling younger sibling to 'Folklore'".NME.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  22. ^Annie, Zaleski (December 14, 2020)."Taylor Swift's powerful evermore returns to folklore's rich universe".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on December 14, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  23. ^Petridis, Alexis (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift: Evermore – rich alt-rock and richer character studies".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  24. ^Brown, Helen (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift review, Evermore: Full of haunting tales that transform speakers into campfires".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  25. ^Willman, Chris (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift Has Her Second Great Album of 2020 With 'Evermore': Album Review".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  26. ^"Taylor Swift — Billboard Hot 100 History".Billboard.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  27. ^Folklore(booklet).Taylor Swift.United States:Republic Records.2020. B003271102.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^Minsker, Evan (December 11, 2020)."Taylor Swift Releases New Albumevermore:Listen and Read the Full Credits ".Pitchfork.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  29. ^"Taylor Swift – Dorothea ".ARIA Top 50 Singles.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  30. ^"Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  31. ^"Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)".Billboard.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  32. ^"Taylor Swift – Dorothea ".AFP Top 100 Singles.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  33. ^"Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  34. ^"Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  35. ^"Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)".Billboard.Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  36. ^"Rolling Stone Top 100 (11/12/2020 - 17/12/2020)".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon December 30, 2021.RetrievedJune 14,2021.
  37. ^"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association.RetrievedJune 21,2024.
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