It’s no secret to anyone that I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan. The calming vibes of folklore got me through this hell year. She even became my Spotify Wrapped artist of the year! Whilst the surprise album drop saved the first half of 2020, the studio sessions on Disney+ swooped in to save the last half.

The pandemic changed a lot of plans for everyone. A new Taylor Swift album wasn’t even on the cards this year. But with her Lover Fest tour shows cancelled, she channeled her creative vibes into creating a new music instead. It was a risk worth taking as folklore quickly became one of the best selling albums of the year. However, it’s obvious that a folklore tour will not be happening any time soon. And when concerts are able to resume, it’s unknown whether she will continue with her Lover Fest plans or also perform songs from folklore. But no worries! A collaboration with Disney+ has given us Folklore: The Long Pond Studio. Now we can all have an acoustic Taylor concert from the comfort of our own homes!

An Inside Look At The Creation of Folklore

I enjoyed my first viewing so much the next day I was already watching it again (no regrets). Taylor is joined by co-producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff as they huddle together in a cosy cabin to discuss the process of creating folklore. Justin Vernon also brings along his vocals for this special studio session version of ‘Exile’. It’s an exciting behind-the-scenes look at how they made this album in the middle of a global pandemic. We also find out more about the love triangle, the inspirations behind the songs, and who the heck William Bowery is.

I have come to adore these songs so much over this past year. It’s such a joy knowing we now have these stripped back versions too! It was also the perfect opportunity for Taylor to show off her ethereal, warm vocals. There’s something vulnerable about taking away backing vocals and singing your songs acoustically. It can add another layer to the emotional storytelling. Taylor speaks so candidly about her inspirations for the songs and the stories they tell. So I’m gonna pull out some of my highlights…

The Last Great American Dynasty

We all know Taylor Swift started her music career in country music. Since then she has gone on to explore a variety of different genres. In the studio session she discusses how the lyrical narrative in ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ is structured like a country song. Country music is really big on their story telling, and that’s what Taylor does in this song. It’s actually one of my favourites because of this reason. Whilst the album may be far from country, it’s interesting to see how the genre still heavily influences her work.

My Tears Ricochet

The studio sessions songs had a new level of raw emotion added to the tracks – specifically ‘My Tears Ricochet’. Yes, I did openly sob during the performance. This song was the first track Taylor wrote for folklore but at the same time it’s one of the best songs she has ever written. It also features as track 5, which is a slot Taylor typically saves for the most vulnerable and emotional song on the album. The lyrics speak about the betrayal of someone you used to trust so dearly, but now they’re the person who is trying to destroy you. Whilst we know this is about her split with her former record label, the themes are universal and relatable.

Mirrorball

For me personally, I feel like I never truly understood ‘Mirrorball’ for what it was until I heard the acoustic version. It gave the song an entire new perspective. Before performing the song, Taylor openly talks about how as a performer she feels the need to constantly entertain. But with the pandemic she could no longer do the only thing she has ever known. I’ve always felt like the reference to standing on a ‘tightrope’ refers to how quickly a performer can fall off from that high. She mentioned how she wrote this song after her Lover Fest shows were cancelled this year and how she suddenly found herself with no purpose. 

Invisible String

Something else I found interesting was that she actually wrote ‘Invisible String’ after sending an ex-boyfriend a baby gift for him and his wife. I had originally thought she wrote this about her current relationship and just slid that bit in as a cute side note. But now we know the entire song was inspired by this moment and how it’s crazy the way in which everything comes around full circle. Whether or not you believe in fate, it’s cute the way she writes about how every little step in her life led her to the person who she loves. Almost as if these two people were on the same winding path and met up in the middle.

---

There is honestly so much more I could say, but I’m going to keep it short. Taylor has constantly said that if she didn’t write folklore then lockdown would have driven her insane. I also think that this year would have driven me to the edge if I didn’t have folklore to listen to. Was this blog post a love letter to Taylor Swift? Yes.

Have you seen Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions? Which were your favourite parts?