Taylor Swift released an acoustic concert of her most recent album, folklore, in an intimate documentary on Disney+ on Wednesday. The concert was recorded at the Long Pond recording studio in upstate New York. Recorded with the two people responsible for producing and cowriting much of folklore–Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Swift performed stripped-down versions of each track on the new album.
Throughout the film, Swift, Dessner, and Antonoff discuss the creative processes involved in the production of this unique album, revealing many surprises and secrets that shocked fans. After each performance, they deeply discuss the feelings, meanings, and methods that were involved in the creation of each track, and since the album covers such a wide variety of themes, there was much to talk about.
Revealing the numerous influences and backgrounds of each individual song, Swift explains that she wrote the hauntingly beautiful this is me trying from the perspective of someone struggling with addiction, an epiphany about her grandfather’s trauma from World War II, and invisible string after sending an ex a baby gift. Swift also confirmed that her boyfriend of four years, Joe Alwyn, is actually a co-writer under the pseudonym William Bowery, a theory that fans had been speculating.
The desolate Long Pond studio created a perfect atmosphere to highlight the cozy yet lonely sounds of the album, which was written during the months of isolation. Filled with ghostly echos and simple guitar strums, the entire album encompasses the comforting but anxious feelings of being in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, and these acoustic versions are no different. Swift explains how drastically different this particular album is from her previous projects, recalling the odd situation of recording every song alone with a makeshift recording studio in her own bedroom.
The documentary gives a beautiful insight into the work that goes into creating music and illuminates how it’s a different experience with every song. After being under much scrutiny and hate for the past several years, the film really shows how intelligent and diligent Swift is and how much her musical goals have changed over time.
