On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Taylor Swift announced the surprise release of “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” on the streaming platform Disney+. This film, directed and produced by Swift, gives fans an intimate look into and virtual concert experience of her award-winning new album “Folklore.” “Folklore” is one of my favorite albums of all time, and “The Long Pond Studio Sessions” was the perfect listening experience.
“Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” was released just one day after her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” had been nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. “Folklore” was released on July 24, 2020, and after one listen, I was hooked by the beautiful storytelling and energy. In the film, Taylor describes “Folklore” as “an album that allows you to feel your feelings and is a product of isolation.” One thing I loved was that it was a departure from Swift’s more traditional country-pop style of music, which I have always enjoyed, to a more storytelling-driven mellow record.
The film highlighted her creative process while writing the album and the concepts around which she centered each song. It was interesting to learn how Swift, during quarantine, was able to not only write a 16-song album virtually with collaborator Aaron Dessner but also record it from her California home, all while Jack Antonoff produced the album from Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley, N.Y. The filming of “The Long Pond Studio Sessions” allowed Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner to finally come together in person and perform the album they shared in creating.
In “The Long Pond Sessions,” Taylor Swift shares many secrets about the album, but my favorite was learning the identity of William Bowery, who is credited as a co-writer on the songs “exile” and “betty.” There was much speculation as to who was writing under the pseudonym, but Taylor revealed that it was actually her boyfriend Joe Alwyn. She shared how they worked together over quarantine to write the songs and how his lyrics inspired her to collaborate with Justin Vernon, the lead singer of Bon Iver, on the song “exile.” I have to admit, I was holding out hope that William would have been Harry Styles, who many people had suggested, but I guess a ‘Haylor’ collab will only exist in my wildest dreams (Taylor pun intended).
During the past four months since it was released, I have listened to “Folklore” religiously, and hearing some of my favorite tracks like “peace,” “illicit affairs,” “august,” and “betty” performed acoustically were so exciting. Aside from the live performances, Taylor also goes in-depth about the meaning and inspiration behind each of the songs. These explanations made me appreciate some of the songs even more. For example, she shares how over quarantine she learned about her grandfather’s stories of fighting in World War II and how they inspired her to write the song “epiphany” as a tribute to COVID-19 frontline workers.
Taylor shares in the “Long Pond Studio Sessions” that some of the stories she told on the record were from her own experience, while others were imagined perspectives. She discusses how she was inspired to tell the story of a high school love triangle through the songs “cardigan,” “betty,” and “august.” These songs are each from the perspective of a girl who has been cheated on, her ex-boyfriend, and the girl he cheats on her with. On past albums, Swift was often criticized for writing mostly about her personal breakups and love stories, but on “Folklore,” she chose to flip the script by sharing these tales from another perspective, and this risk paid off.
With beautiful live performances, entertaining commentary, and a hopeful take on the pandemic, this virtual concert is a breath of fresh air during these troublesome times. Whether you are an avid Swiftie or if you are just looking for an enjoyable watch, Taylor Swift’s “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” is the perfect film to cozy up to this season.
