Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

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Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
A black and white photo of a woman. The woman is wearing headphones and is near a microphone.
Official release poster
Directed byTaylor Swift
Based onFolklore
by Taylor Swift
Produced by
  • Taylor Swift
  • Robert Allen
  • Bart Peters
Starring
CinematographyEthan Palmer
Edited byLaura Randolph
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+
Release date
  • November 25, 2020 (2020-11-25)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a 2020 American

Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), and Miss Americana
(2020).

Receiving widespread critical acclaim, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions was praised for its music, intimacy, visuals, and insight provided on Folklore, with many critics labeling the film an admirable supplement to the album. It received an approval rating of 100% on

Evermore (2020), which was released fifteen days after the documentary. The film received the Gracie Grand Award for Outstanding Special or Variety
.

Accompanying the film's premiere, a

music streaming and digital platforms. For the 2023 Record Store Day, a run of 115,000 limited-edition vinyl LPs of the album was released exclusively via independent record stores across the world, selling out in three days. The album topped the US Billboard Soundtracks, Vinyl Albums, Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and Tastemaker Albums charts, and became the first-ever Record Store Day-exclusive in history to enter the top 10 of the overall Billboard 200
chart, landing at number three.

Synopsis

In September 2020, Swift and her co-producers for her eighth studio album, Dessner and Antonoff, assembled together at Long Pond Studio—a secluded, rustic cabin in upstate New York—to play the complete album for the first time in the same room after writing, recording, and producing it in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The result was the concert documentary, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, where the three performed stripped-down, acoustic renditions of all 17 tracks in order, while revealing the creative process, stories, and inspirations behind the songs through discussions.[1]

The film's premise on Disney+ reads: "Taylor Swift performs every song from her best-selling album, "Folklore", in a truly intimate concert experience. Accompanied by her co-producers, Aaron Dessner (of The National) and Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers), along with a guest appearance by Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), Taylor filmed the event at the historic Long Pond Studios in upstate New York, a setting that evokes the nostalgic, wistful nature of the album. In between live performances, she and her collaborators discuss the creation and meaning behind each song, and also share the challenges and joys of remotely producing this acclaimed and record-setting collection".[2]

Cast

Production

A still from the film, in which Taylor Swift (middle) sings into a microphone while Jack Antonoff (left) plays a guitar and Aaron Dessner (right) is at the piano.

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a hybrid between a documentary and a concert film.

video stream from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to perform "Exile" with Swift.[8]

The film is characterized by a casual, small-scale production,

Fender bass, a piano, a drum machine and a snare.[7][10]

Release

Like the

Hotstar in India and Indonesia on November 26, 2020.[14]

Reception

Critical response

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions received universal acclaim from film and music critics.

Christmas present" and praised its editing, especially when Swift and Dessner have a "genuinely touching" discussion on the meaning behind the song "Peace", followed by a performance of the song that "hits right in the gut".[18]

Woman playing a red guitar
Man playing a red guitar
Man playing a guitar on stage
Critics praised the conversational and musical chemistry between (from left to right) Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner.

Writing for

Decider critic Johnny Loftus found it refreshing to see and hear Swift in the "dressed-down setting" of Long Pond Studio Sessions, calling the film "a balm for the soul as we wind down an extremely not cool year" and an intimate portrait of artists at work, in contrast to the pop persona that dominated Swift's career.[10]

Little White Lies critic Sydney Urbanek lauded the film as a "triumphant debut" for Swift as a film director, as well as the cast's on-screen presence: Swift's and Antonoff's "captivating" one-on-one chats and Dessner's studio focus.[3] Alex Hudson of Exclaim! described the film as "an oasis of tranquility in a chaotic time", in which "even the biggest pop star on Earth holed up and got cozy and insular". He admired Swift's rapport with Antonoff—their "laugh-out-loud" jokes—and the discussions that yielded "interesting insights and factoids" about the songwriting of Folklore.[19] Junkee's Richard He complimented Swift's vocals, emotion, the film's visuals and intimacy, and the cast's instrumental skills; he described the film as a "masterclass" in songcraft and "a rare glimpse inside a genius songwriter's mind". In He's words, "Great popstars embody our times; great songwriters address them. Taylor Swift is doing both".[20]

footnote to the album, but a "stunning musical statement in its own right, full of stripped-down acoustic warmth". He underlined how Swift moves past vague anecdotes about the tracks by explaining why she felt the need to write such music in the first place.[21] Branding it a "very beautifully done" film, The Daily Telegraph's Kate Solomon called it a "very warm two hours of music that gives the songs a new lease of life", and observed the parallels between the "luscious, remote surroundings" of the studio and how they reflect the "lusciousness and isolation" of the songs.[22] Stuff critic James Croot compared the special's atmosphere to that of MTV Unplugged, and added that the film's production is slick despite the intimate appeal, similar to Swift's 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana.[23]

Drew Taylor of Collider labelled the film "a winning examination and celebration" of Folklore, and "a look at one of the world's biggest pop stars at her most vulnerable and artistically ambitious". He picked Antonoff as the more active personality, while Dessner is "terse", except at the point where he opens up about his depression—"a moment that is both incredibly vulnerable and also powerful".[6] Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire described the film as "a window into the introspective songwriting" of Folklore that "isn't going to blow your head off" but is a "fine supplement to one of the year's most beloved albums".[24] The Guardian's Elle Hunt wrote that the film shows Swift at ease, but also at the "peak of her power" with little to prove, while her song-by-song commentary depicts the "shifting emotional tenor" she felt in quarantine. However, Hunt felt that Swift not name-dropping her detractors "seems coy" as it limits the film's personal reflection.[25]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Organization Year Award Result Ref.
Shorty Awards 2021 Best Use of Emojis Nominated [26]
Gracie Awards Grand Award for Special or Variety Won [27]

Impact

American comedian Jimmy Fallon released a parody of the documentary on YouTube, titled Fallonlore: The 30 Rock Sessions, featuring American hip-hop band the Roots. In the skit, Fallon wrote an album in quarantine, enlisting Questlove and Black Thought to help him finish it remotely. Months later, the trio gather at 30 Rockefeller Center to perform their tracks together for the first time. The setlist included songs titled "Peed My Pants in an Applebee's", "Song About Milk", "Sourdough Heart", and "Fuzzy Wuzzy" featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay.[28]

Most of the songs on

Evermore—Swift's ninth studio album and Folklore's sister album—were recorded while filming The Long Pond Studio Sessions.[29]

A still from the film was featured in a 2021 television advertisement by The New York Times, titled "The Truth Is Essential: Life Right Now", showcasing a variety of articles from the publication.[30]

The Department of English of the Queen's University at Kingston, a public research university in Ontario, Canada, offers a fall semester course titled "Taylor Swift's Literary Legacy (Taylor's Version)", with a syllabus requiring students to watch and analyze many of Swift's works, including Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions; the course objective is to examine Swift's music, its literary references, and her sociopolitical impact on contemporary culture.[31]

After the release of Folklore, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and Evermore, artists such as Maya Hawke,[32] Gracie Abrams,[33] Ed Sheeran,[34] King Princess,[35] and Girl in Red[36] desired to collaborate with Dessner and record songs at his Long Pond Studio. Dessner stated, "After Taylor, it was a bit crazy how many people reached out. And getting to meet and write songs with people you wouldn’t have had access to… I’m so grateful for it." He described the studio as a "creative oasis" for artists.[35]

Live album

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Live album by
Taylor Swift
ReleasedNovember 25, 2020
RecordedSeptember 2020
StudioLong Pond Studio, Hudson Valley
GenreAcoustic
Length2:14:43
LabelRepublic
Producer
Taylor Swift chronology
Folklore
(2020) 		Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
(2020) 		Evermore
(2020)

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (From the Disney+ Special),

live album and first soundtrack album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It contains the acoustic renditions of Folklore tracks performed in the Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions film. The album was released via Republic Records to streaming and digital platforms on November 25, 2020, alongside the film,[37][1] and in a limited number of vinyl LPs
on April 22, 2023.

Commercial performance

To commemorate the 2023

Vinyl Albums, Soundtracks, Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Tastemaker Albums charts—Swift's tenth, first, third, first and ninth number-one on the charts, respectively—and placed second on the Top Album Sales chart.[40] A total of 115,000 copies were available for purchase worldwide, all of which sold out within the first few days.[41]

Track listing

Disc 1:
August"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Alwyn
4:22
9."This Is Me Trying"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Alwyn
3:15
10."Illicit Affairs"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Alwyn
3:11
11."Invisible String"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
Dessner4:13
12."Mad Woman"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
Dessner3:57
13."Epiphany"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
Dessner4:50
14."Betty"
  • Swift
  • Bowery
  • Swift
  • Dessner
  • Antonoff
  • Alwyn
4:55
15."Peace"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
Dessner3:54
16."Hoax"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
Dessner3:40
17."The Lakes"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:32
Total length:66:58
Disc 2: Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (From the Disney+ Special)[37]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The 1"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:40
2."Cardigan"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:51
3."The Last Great American Dynasty"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:52
4."Exile (featuring Bon Iver)"
  • Swift
  • Bowery
  • Vernon
4:40
5."My Tears Ricochet"Swift4:55
6."Mirrorball"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:57
7."Seven"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:29
8."August"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
4:20
9."This Is Me Trying"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:29
10."Illicit Affairs"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:04
11."Invisible String"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
4:17
12."Mad Woman"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:58
13."Epiphany"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
4:35
14."Betty"
  • Swift
  • Bowery
4:50
15."Peace"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:34
16."Hoax"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:42
17."The Lakes"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:20
Total length:67:25

Notes

Charts

Chart performance for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[43] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[44] 126
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[45] 12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[46] 3
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[47] 5
Irish Albums (OCC)[48] 6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[49] 24
Scottish Albums (OCC)[50]
 1
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 5
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 4
US Billboard 200[53] 3
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[54] 1
US
Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[55]
 1
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[56] 1
US
Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[57]
 1

Release history

Release dates and formats for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various November 25, 2020
  • streaming
 Republic [37][1]
April 22, 2023 Vinyl LP [41]

See also

References

Footnote

  1. ^ Stylized as folklore: the long pond studio sessions (from the Disney+ special).

Citations

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External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Folklore:_The_Long_Pond_Studio_Sessions&oldid=1219737310"