"This was honestly the best introduction to the album! The melody is upbeat, while the lyrics are devastating. It's the perfect transition from Lover to Folklore." — Kelsie Gibson, celebrity and entertainment editor
"If we're being honest, when I hit play on Folklore last night, just 30 seconds into 'The 1' and I was, quite literally, full-on sobbing. Swift has a way of creating songs that feel like they were written just for you, at the exact moment in your life when you need them most. This song perfectly brings to life that painfully relatable experience of unfathomable heartbreak and losing the person you thought was your forever: 'And it's another day waking up alone / But we were something, don't you think so? / Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool / And if my wishes came true / It would've been you.' It's as if Swift broke into my journal to write me my own personal heartbreak anthem." — Kristin Harris, head of talent relations and celebrity editor
"As soon as the first song started, I knew I was in for 'my type' of Taylor Swift album. I've always been a fan of Moody, Contemplative™️ Swift, and this laid-back beat relaxed me. On that new sh*t? Yes, she is." — Karenna Meredith, assistant editor, trending and viral features