“The Archer” is the third single released from Taylor Swift’s upcoming seventh studio album, but it’s the first one that gives us hope that Lover could be a solid record. With this single, Swift peels back the politics and reminds us that she’s best when looking inward, examining who she is. Here, she accesses a vulnerability that’s been absent in tracks like “ME!” and “You Need To Calm Down.”
“I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey,” she sings. “Who could ever leave me, darling? But who could stay?”
We’re quick to malign Swift when she releases bad music, which has happened more and more often over the past few years, but I’ve got to hand it to her: “The Archer” is a great song.