Home » Albums » THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT » Songs on THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT » The Alchemy

The Alchemy

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (2024)

“The Alchemy” is track fifteen on Taylor’s eleventh studio double album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (2024). She wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff. An electropop track with R&B influences, “The Alchemy” is a love song about a burgeoning romance where two people cannot resist their chemistry. The lyrics use extensive football imagery to depict victory.

Background

Taylor developed her eleventh studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, “for about two years” after finishing her previous album Midnights (2022). She reflected on the creation of the album as a “lifeline” for her, as it took place amidst media reports on her personal life and her relationships with Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy, and Travis Kelce:

«TORTURED POETS is an album that I think, more than any of my albums that I’ve ever made, I needed to make it. It was really a lifeline for me, just the things I was going through, and the things I was writing about. It kind of reminded me of why songwriting is something that actually gets me through my life. And I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I’d needed it on TORTURED POETS.»

Taylor Swift

The album’s tracklist, including “The Alchemy,” was revealed shortly after.

Lyrical Theme

“The Alchemy” stands out as the only song about a blissful and happy relationship on the standard edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, an album primarily dealing with heartbreak. Its lyrics use extensive football imagery to describe the burgeoning days of a new romantic relationship; this most likely references Taylor’s relationship with American Football star Travis Kelce. The two began dating during the summer of 2023. Taylor tells her new lover that she is willing to be, plainly stated, all in, and features details of him winning an important football game (Kelce won the Superbowl together with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2024). In the bridge, Taylor asserts: “Where’s the trophy? He just comes, running over to me.”

Apart from the obvious interpretation of the song’s lyrics, they also appear to draw a parallel between the chemicals released by the brain when playing a sport and those released when one is in love.

Production

“The Alchemy” was co-produced by Taylor and Jack Antonoff. It is an electropop and pop rock song with R&B influences in its instrumentation. It has a dreamy and romantic production.

Live Performances

Taylor first performed “The Alchemy” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). It was the first surprise song during her show on May 12, 2024, in Paris; a show which Travis Kelce attended. As an extra surprise, Taylor decided to mash up the song with “Treacherous” from 2012’s RED. Before playing the song, she teased:

«Can you believe this is our 87th show of 'The Eras Tour'?»

Taylor Swift

The audio of the performance was officially released a couple of days later. On August 15, 2024, she paired “The Alchemy” with “King of My Heart” (2017) in London.

Critical Reception

Criticisms of the song mostly took issue with its lyrics. Some critics, such as The Atlantic‘s Spencer Kornharber, Slate‘s Carl Wilson, and Beats Per Minute‘s John Wohlmacher, considered the football imagery in the lyrics weak. Reviews that were somewhat more positive focused on the production. Ranking all 31 tracks on THE ANTHOLOGY, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard placed “The Alchemy” at 21, calling it a “glittering love song”. Alex Hopper of American Songwriter described the track as “sauntering, sexy”.

Commercial Performance

Following its release, “The Alchemy” debuted and peaked at No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where the song and tracks from the album made Taylor the first artist to occupy the Top 14 of the chart. In Australia, it opened at its peak of No. 18 on the ARIA Singles Chart and made her the artist with the most Top 50 entries in a single week with 29. Elsewhere, “The Alchemy” reached No. 19 on the Billboard Global 200 and charted within the countries of New Zealand (19), Canada (21), Portugal (41), Switzerland (46), Sweden (65), and France (157).

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like white wine

[Pre-Chorus 1]
What if I told you I’m back?
The hospital was a drag
Worst sleep that I ever had
I circled you on a map
I haven’t come around in so long
But I’m coming back so strong

[Chorus]
So when I touch down
Call the amateurs and
Cut ’em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby I’m the one to beat
Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy?

[Verse 2]
Hey you, what if I told you we’rе cool?
That child’s play back in school
Is forgiven under my rule
I haven’t come around in so long
But I’m making a comeback to where I belong…

[Post-Chorus]
These blokes warm the benches
We been on a winning streak
He jokes that it’s heroin but this time with an “E”
Cause the sign on your heart said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

[Bridge]
Shirts off, and your friends lift you up over their heads
Beer sticking to the floor
Cheers chanted, cause they said
There was no chance, trying to be
The greatest in the league
Where’s the trophy?
He just comes running over to me