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Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

{{short description|2020 American documentary concert film and live album}}

{{good article}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox film

| image = Folklore The Long Pond Studio Sessions Poster.jpg

| caption = Official release poster

| alt = A black and white photo of a woman. The woman is wearing headphones and is near a microphone.

| director = Taylor Swift

| producer = {{Plainlist|

  • Taylor Swift
  • Robert Allen
  • Bart Peters

}}

| writer =

| screenplay =

| story =

| based_on = {{based on|Folklore|Taylor Swift}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| narrator =

| music =

| cinematography = Ethan Palmer

| editing = Laura Randolph

| studio = {{Plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Disney+

| released = {{Film date|2020|11|25}}

| runtime = 106 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a 2020 American documentary concert film directed and produced by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on Disney+ on November 25, 2020. The documentary is set at Long Pond Studio, an isolated recording studio in a forested area in the Hudson Valley, New York; Swift performs all of the 17 tracks of her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020), whilst discussing the creative process behind the songs with her collaborators Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Swift made her debut as a film director with the documentary, which is her fourth film to be released on a streaming service, following the releases of The 1989 World Tour Live (2015), 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 {{RT data|score}} on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Imbued by the sessions, Swift wrote and recorded several new songs off-screen while shooting the documentary. These songs came to be a major portion of Swift's ninth studio album, 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 live album soundtrack, entitled Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (From the Disney+ Special), consisting of the recordings of the live performances featured in the film, was released to 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.{{cite magazine |date=November 25, 2020 |title=11 Things We Learned From Taylor Swift's 'Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9490082/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-taylor-swift-things-learned-taylor-swift |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126015900/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9490082/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-taylor-swift-things-learned-taylor-swift |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |access-date=November 26, 2020 |magazine=Billboard}}

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".{{Cite web|title=folklore: the long pond studio sessions|url=https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/movie/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227125126/https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/movie/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions|archive-date=December 27, 2020|access-date=December 27, 2020|website=Disney+}}

Cast

Production

File:Exile (live version) Music Video Screenshot.png

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a hybrid between a documentary and a concert film. It marked the first time Swift, Dessner and Antonoff had assembled together in person after several months of COVID-19 quarantining.{{cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=November 24, 2020|title=Taylor Swift 'Folklore' Concert Film to Debut on Disney Plus|url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/taylor-swift-folklore-disney-plus-1234838930/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124234221/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/taylor-swift-folklore-disney-plus-1234838930/|archive-date=November 24, 2020|access-date=November 25, 2020|website=Variety}} Due to the pandemic, they were filmed not by a film crew, but instead by six Panasonic Lumix S1H mirrorless cameras with Leica lenses embedded in the studio, along with one Arri Alexa LF with an Angénieux 24-290 lens on an Agito Trax modular dolly system with more than 30 feet of curved track that occasionally scans the recording session from the background.{{Cite web|title=Taylor Swift's Folklore shot with AGITO Trax by Jose Antunes - ProVideo Coalition|date=January 8, 2021|url=https://www.provideocoalition.com/taylor-swifts-folklore-shot-with-agito-trax/|access-date=October 27, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027211504/https://www.provideocoalition.com/taylor-swifts-folklore-shot-with-agito-trax/|url-status=live}} A drone camera was also used to capture aerial shots of the studio and the surrounding forested estate. Justin Vernon appeared via video stream from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to perform "Exile" with Swift.{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-disney-plus-bon-iver/ |title=Stop Everything & Watch Taylor Swift Duet with Bon Iver on "Exile" for Her Disney+ Doc |last=Gemmil |first=Allie |website=Collider |access-date=November 25, 2020 |date=November 25, 2020 |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125192052/https://collider.com/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-disney-plus-bon-iver/ |url-status=live }}

The film is characterized by a casual, small-scale production, and a softly lit, cottagecore aesthetic. Apart from a few videos of Swift at her home studio, the film was entirely recorded at Long Pond Studios in New York's Hudson Valley—one of the places where Folklore was engineered. The studio, which is located near Dessner's residence and was originally a barn,{{Cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=August 19, 2021|title=How Aaron Dessner Found His Voice (With an Assist From Taylor Swift)|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/arts/music/aaron-dessner-big-red-machine.html|access-date=August 19, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819110323/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/arts/music/aaron-dessner-big-red-machine.html|url-status=live}} had been converted into a wooden cabin situated in a waterfront estate beside an elongated pond and surrounded by chairs, string lights and fire pits. The studio is an open room with a church-high ceiling, tall windows, and a woodland view, set up with a variety of Dessner's musical instruments. The ambience outside the studio consists of sounds of birds, insects, frogs or the trees swaying in the wind. In the film, Swift performed seated on a couch in an oversized plaid shirt-dress, singing directly into a microphone, with Antonoff and Dessner playing instruments and an engineer in the back of the room. The instruments used in the film include a variety of guitars, keyboards, a Fender bass, a piano, a drum machine and a snare.

Release

Like the release of Folklore, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions was a surprise release, announced hours before its launch at midnight. It was released on Disney+ on November 25, 2020{{cite magazine|last=Blistein|first=Jon|date=November 24, 2020|title=Taylor Swift to Release New 'Folklore' Film, 'The Long Pond Studio Sessions'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-long-pond-studio-sessions-1094615/|access-date=November 24, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124135743/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-long-pond-studio-sessions-1094615/|url-status=live}} and on Hotstar in India and Indonesia on November 26, 2020.{{Citation|title=Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions - Trailer|url=https://www.facebook.com/DisneyPlusHotstarID/videos/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-trailer/174985917622139/|access-date=November 26, 2020}}

Reception

= Critical response =

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions received universal acclaim from film and music critics.{{Cite web|last=Keogh|first=Joey|date=December 3, 2020|title=Here's Where Taylor Swift Fans Can Catch A Sneak Peek At An Iconic Classic|url=https://www.thelist.com/288317/heres-where-taylor-swift-fans-can-catch-a-sneak-peek-at-an-iconic-classic/|access-date=December 5, 2020|website=The List|archive-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424000932/https://www.thelist.com/288317/heres-where-taylor-swift-fans-can-catch-a-sneak-peek-at-an-iconic-classic/|url-status=live}} On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/folklore_the_long_pond_studio_sessions|title=Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126132314/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/folklore_the_long_pond_studio_sessions|archive-date=January 26, 2021|url-status=live}} On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{Cite web|title=folklore: the long pond studio sessions|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions|access-date=December 1, 2020|website=Metacritic|archive-date=December 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202225759/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions|url-status=live}} Andrew Barker of Variety praised the film's picturesque setting, performances, and ability to recreate Folklore's "sparse yet carefully textured soundscapes" with fewer instruments, and dubbed Swift's vocals as the film's "most striking element".{{Cite web|last=Barker|first=Andrew|date=November 27, 2020|title='Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions' Review: Taylor Swift Gives Her Last Album a Stripped-Down Reading in This Cozy Performance Film|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-film-review-taylor-swift-1234840985/|access-date=November 29, 2020|website=Variety|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129104734/https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-film-review-taylor-swift-1234840985/|url-status=live}} NME writer Will Richards named it a perfect "early 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".{{Cite magazine|last=Richards|first=Will|date=November 27, 2020|title='Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions' review: secrets, songs and self-isolation with Taylor Swift|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-the-long-pond-sessions-film-review-2825639|access-date=November 29, 2020|magazine=NME|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127132238/https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-the-long-pond-sessions-film-review-2825639|url-status=live}}

{{multiple image

| image1 = Taylor Swift RED Tour 2013 (cropped).jpg

| alt1 = Woman playing a red guitar

| width1 = 135

| image2 = Antonoff in Tucson (cropped).jpg

| alt2 = Man playing a red guitar

| width2 = 135

| image3 = Aaron Dessner at Way Out West 2014.jpg

| alt3 = Man playing a guitar on stage

| width3 = 160

| footer = Critics praised the conversational and musical chemistry between (from left to right) Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner.

| align = left

| total_width = 300

| footer_align = left

}}

Writing for The New York Times, Jon Pareles dubbed the film a "musical experience" that heightens the album's "sense of pristine contemplation" using a small-scale, casual-looking production.{{Cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=November 26, 2020|title=Taylor Swift Illuminates 'Folklore' in a Stripped-Down Studio Concert|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/arts/music/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-studio-sessions-review.html|access-date=November 29, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128235001/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/arts/music/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-studio-sessions-review.html|url-status=live}} i newspaper's Sarah Carson defined the film as "artfully crafted, aesthetically gorgeous, cosy cottagecore escapism" with diverse conversations, such as light-hearted "giggly" discussions around the campfire to formal introspection on stiff chairs. Carson opined that it sheds "genuine light" on Swift's work, seeing her at peace with her life, laughing, "publicly relaxed for the first time in a decade".{{Cite news|last=Carson|first=Sarah|date=November 26, 2020|title=On folklore: the long pond sessions, Taylor Swift wants us to stop reading between the lines|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-sessions-disney-plus-review-joe-alwyn-jack-antonoff-new-film-773962|access-date=November 29, 2020|newspaper=i|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318103036/https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-sessions-disney-plus-review-joe-alwyn-jack-antonoff-new-film-773962|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|last=Loftus|first=Johnny|date=November 25, 2020|title=Stream It Or Skip It: 'Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions' on Disney+, a Surprise Companion to Taylor Swift's Surprise Album|url=https://decider.com/2020/11/25/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-studio-sessions-review/|access-date=November 29, 2020|website=Decider|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125151729/https://decider.com/2020/11/25/taylor-swift-folklore-long-pond-studio-sessions-review/|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite magazine|last=Urbanek|first=Sydney|date=November 26, 2020|title=Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions review – A triumphant debut from Taylor Swift|url=https://lwlies.com/reviews/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions/|access-date=November 29, 2020|magazine=Little White Lies|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127222816/https://lwlies.com/reviews/folklore-the-long-pond-studio-sessions/|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|last=Hudson|first=Alex|date=November 30, 2020|title=Taylor Swift's 'folklore' Concert Film Exudes Hygge Directed by Taylor Swift|url=https://exclaim.ca/film/article/taylor_swifts_folklore_concert_film_exudes_hygge-directed_by_taylor_swift|access-date=December 29, 2020|website=Exclaim!|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225030932/https://exclaim.ca/film/article/taylor_swifts_folklore_concert_film_exudes_hygge-directed_by_taylor_swift|url-status=live}} 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".{{Cite web|last=S. He|first=Richard|date=December 1, 2020|title=Taylor Swift's 'Folklore Sessions' Is A Rare Glimpse Inside A Genius Songwriter's Mind|url=https://junkee.com/taylor-swift-folklore-sessions-review/280535|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=Junkee|archive-date=December 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201014748/https://junkee.com/taylor-swift-folklore-sessions-review/280535|url-status=live}}

Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone praised the cast's chemistry, and asserted that The Long Pond Studio Sessions is not a mere 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.{{Cite magazine|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|date=November 25, 2020|title=The Thanksgiving Miracle of Taylor Swift's Acoustic 'Folklore' Session|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-disney-1095464/|access-date=November 29, 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217214326/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/taylor-swift-folklore-movie-disney-1095464/|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite news|last=Solomon|first=Kate|date=November 25, 2020|title=Taylor Swift, The Long Pond Studio Sessions, review: a cosy fireside chat scattered with Easter Eggs|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/taylor-swift-long-pond-studio-sessions-review-cosy-fireside/|access-date=November 29, 2020|issn=0307-1235|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127145515/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/taylor-swift-long-pond-studio-sessions-review-cosy-fireside/|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|last=Croot|first=James|date=November 27, 2020|title=Taylor Swift adds to her Folklore with Disney+'s intimate Long Pond Sessions|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/123515528/taylor-swift-adds-to-her-folklore-with-disneys-intimate-long-pond-sessions|access-date=December 1, 2020|website=Stuff|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126175042/https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/123515528/taylor-swift-adds-to-her-folklore-with-disneys-intimate-long-pond-sessions|url-status=live}}

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".{{Cite web|last=Taylor|first=Drew|date=November 26, 2020|title=Taylor Swift's 'Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions' Review: A Quiet Triumph|url=https://collider.com/taylor-swift-disney-plus-folklore-review/|access-date=November 29, 2020|website=Collider|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127052312/https://collider.com/taylor-swift-disney-plus-folklore-review/|url-status=live}} 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".{{Cite web|last=Lattanzio|first=Ryan|date=November 26, 2020|title='Folklore' Review: Taylor Swift's Disney+ Doc Is Just Her Singing in a Barn, and That's OK|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/11/taylor-swift-folklore-disney-plus-documentary-1234600785/|access-date=December 1, 2020|website=IndieWire|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130104227/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/11/taylor-swift-folklore-disney-plus-documentary-1234600785/|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite news|last=Hunt|first=Elle|date=November 25, 2020|title=Taylor Swift: The Long Pond Studio Sessions review – cosy campfire confessions|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/25/taylor-swift-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-review-cosy-campfire-confessions|access-date=November 29, 2020|newspaper=The Guardian|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129061331/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/25/taylor-swift-the-long-pond-studio-sessions-review-cosy-campfire-confessions|url-status=live}}

= Accolades =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+Awards and nominations for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

scope="col" | Organization

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" | Shorty Awards

| rowspan="2" | 2021

| Best Use of Emojis

| {{Nominated}}

| style="text-align:center;"| {{Cite web|title=BEST USE OF EMOJIS|url=https://shortyawards.com/category/13th/emojis|access-date=March 22, 2021|archive-date=March 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322194940/https://shortyawards.com/category/13th/emojis|url-status=live}}

scope="row" | Gracie Awards

| Grand Award for Special or Variety

| {{won}}

| style="text-align:center;"| {{Cite press release|title=46th Annual Gracie Awards Winners Announced by The Alliance For Women In Media Foundation|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/46th-annual-gracie-awards-winners-announced-by-the-alliance-for-women-in-media-foundation-301308732.html|website=PR Newswire|publisher=Gracie Awards|access-date=June 9, 2021|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112033741/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/46th-annual-gracie-awards-winners-announced-by-the-alliance-for-women-in-media-foundation-301308732.html|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=December 2, 2020 |title=Jimmy Fallon Spoofs Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' Doc With the Roots, Chris Martin |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jimmy-fallon-folklore-parody-the-roots-chris-martin-1097700/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202235913/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jimmy-fallon-folklore-parody-the-roots-chris-martin-1097700/ |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |access-date=December 3, 2020}}

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.{{cite magazine |last=Shaffer |first=Claire |date=December 18, 2020 |title=Aaron Dessner on How His Collaborative Chemistry With Taylor Swift Led to 'Evermore' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/aaron-dessner-interview-taylor-swift-evermore-1105853/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222181909/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/aaron-dessner-interview-taylor-swift-evermore-1105853/ |archive-date=December 22, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2020}}

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.{{Cite web |title=The New York Times TV Commercial, 'The Truth Is Essential: Life Right Now' Song by Makaya McCraven |url=https://www.ispot.tv/ad/t0OZ/the-new-york-times-the-truth-is-essential-life-right-now |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304132924/https://www.ispot.tv/ad/t0OZ/the-new-york-times-the-truth-is-essential-life-right-now |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=March 4, 2021 |website=iSpot}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Cultural Studies: Theory into Practice {{!}} Department of English |url=https://www.queensu.ca/english/undergraduate/courses/engl-294 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509060657/https://www.queensu.ca/english/undergraduate/courses/engl-294 |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=Queen's University at Kingston}}

After the release of Folklore, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and Evermore, artists such as Maya Hawke,{{Cite web |last1=Robert |first1=Moran |last2=Shand |first2=John |last3=Au-Nhien Nguyen |first3=Giselle |last4=Ross |first4=Annabel |date=September 28, 2022 |title=What to listen to this month: A worthwhile album from a nepo baby? Stranger things happen |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/what-to-listen-to-next-sun-still-shines-on-sydney-s-jangle-pop-masters-20220830-p5bdwz.html |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003163442/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/what-to-listen-to-next-sun-still-shines-on-sydney-s-jangle-pop-masters-20220830-p5bdwz.html |url-status=live }} Gracie Abrams,{{Cite web |last=Shafer |first=Ellise |date=April 5, 2022 |title=Gracie Abrams on How Songwriting Is 'Like Breathing,' Touring With Friend Olivia Rodrigo and Making New Music With Aaron Dessner |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/gracie-abrams-olivia-rodrigo-tour-aaron-dessner-1235221886/ |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=Variety |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408000653/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/gracie-abrams-olivia-rodrigo-tour-aaron-dessner-1235221886/ |url-status=live }} Ed Sheeran,{{Cite web |last=Curto |first=Justin |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Ed Sheeran Is Working on His folklore |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/03/ed-sheeran-wrote-songs-folklore-aaron-dessner.html |access-date=October 4, 2022 |website=Vulture |archive-date=October 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004193818/https://www.vulture.com/2022/03/ed-sheeran-wrote-songs-folklore-aaron-dessner.html |url-status=live }} King Princess,{{Cite magazine |date=2022-10-10 |title=Recording's Great Escapes: Inside The World's Most Scenic, State-of-the-Art Studios |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-recording-studios-music-global-photos/ |access-date=2022-10-10 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010160101/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-recording-studios-music-global-photos/ |url-status=live }} and Girl in Red{{Cite web |last=Holden |first=Finlay |date=October 3, 2022 |title=girl in red has announced that a new single, 'October Passed Me By', is due next week |url=https://readdork.com/news/girl-in-red-new-single-october-passed-me-by/ |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=Dork |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003113004/https://readdork.com/news/girl-in-red-new-single-october-passed-me-by/ |url-status=live }} 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.

Live album

{{Infobox album

| name = Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

| type = live

| longtype = / soundtrack

| artist = Taylor Swift

| cover = folklore - the long pond studio sessions (from the Disney+ special) (deluxe edition).jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = Digital cover

| released = November 25, 2020

| recorded = September 2020

| studio = Long Pond Studio, Hudson Valley

| genre = Acoustic

| length = 2:14:43

| label = Republic

| producer = * Taylor Swift

| prev_title = Folklore

| prev_year = 2020

| next_title = Evermore

| next_year = 2020

| misc =

}}

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (From the Disney+ Special),{{efn|Stylized as folklore: the long pond studio sessions (from the Disney+ special).}} or simply Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, is the third live album and first soundtrack album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released to streaming and digital platforms on November 25, 2020, alongside the film,{{cite web |date=November 25, 2020 |title=folklore: the long pond studio sessions (from the Disney+ special) [deluxe edition] |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/163337663/credits |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207201601/https://listen.tidal.com/album/163337663/credits |archive-date=December 7, 2020 |access-date=November 26, 2020 |website=Tidal}} and in a limited number of vinyl LPs on April 22, 2023, by Republic Records. The album contains the acoustic renditions of Folklore tracks performed in the Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions film.

= Commercial performance =

To commemorate the 2023 Record Store Day (RSD), a limited vinyl edition of Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions was released on April 22, 2023, exclusively via independent record shops participating in the event.{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=2023-02-16 |title=Taylor Swift To Release 'folklore: the long pond studio session' {{!}} News |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/taylor-swift-to-release-folklore-the-long-pond-studio-session/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Clash |archive-date=February 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216195807/https://www.clashmusic.com/news/taylor-swift-to-release-folklore-the-long-pond-studio-session/ |url-status=live }} All of the 75,000 vinyl LPs of the album available for purchase in the US sold out, giving Swift the largest single vinyl sales week in 2023. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. With Midnights (2022) charting at number four and Lover (2019) at number ten that week, Swift became the first artist since Prince in 2016 to concurrently chart three albums in the top ten.{{Cite magazine |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=2023-05-01 |title=Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Hits Eighth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/morgan-wallen-one-thing-at-a-time-eighth-week-number-one-billboard-200-1235319270/ |access-date=2023-05-01 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=May 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501214730/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/morgan-wallen-one-thing-at-a-time-eighth-week-number-one-billboard-200-1235319270/ |url-status=live }} It also marked the first-ever RSD exclusive in history to land in the chart's top ten. Furthermore, the live album topped the Billboard 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 respective charts—and placed second on the Top Album Sales chart.{{Cite magazine |title=Taylor Swift - Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203132011/https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/ |url-status=live }} A total of 115,000 copies were available for purchase worldwide, all of which sold out within the first few days.{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=2023-05-01 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Long Pond Sessions' Debuts at No. 3, Making Her the First Artist With Three Albums in Top 10 Since 2016 |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/taylor-swift-top-10-long-pond-sessions-billboard-chart-record-store-day-vinyl-1235600176/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Variety |archive-date=May 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502132513/https://variety.com/2023/music/news/taylor-swift-top-10-long-pond-sessions-billboard-chart-record-store-day-vinyl-1235600176/ |url-status=live }}

=Track listing=

{{Track listing

| headline = Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (From the Disney+ Special) track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 67:25

| title1 = The 1

| writer1 = {{hlist|Taylor Swift|Aaron Dessner}}

| length1 = 3:40

| title2 = Cardigan

| writer2 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length2 = 3:51

| title3 = The Last Great American Dynasty

| writer3 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length3 = 3:52

| title4 = Exile

| writer4 = {{hlist|Swift|William Bowery|Justin Vernon}}

| note4 = featuring Bon Iver

| length4 = 4:40

| title5 = My Tears Ricochet

| writer5 = Swift

| length5 = 4:55

| title6 = Mirrorball

| writer6 = {{hlist|Swift|Jack Antonoff}}

| length6 = 3:57

| title7 = Seven

| writer7 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length7 = 3:29

| title8 = August

| writer8 = {{hlist|Swift|Antonoff}}

| length8 = 4:20

| title9 = This Is Me Trying

| writer9 = {{hlist|Swift|Antonoff}}

| length9 = 3:29

| title10 = Illicit Affairs

| writer10 = {{hlist|Swift|Antonoff}}

| length10 = 3:04

| title11 = Invisible String

| writer11 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length11 = 4:17

| title12 = Mad Woman

| writer12 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length12 = 3:58

| title13 = Epiphany

| writer13 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length13 = 4:35

| title14 = Betty

| writer14 = {{hlist|Swift|Bowery}}

| length14 = 4:50

| title15 = Peace

| writer15 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length15 = 3:34

| title16 = Hoax

| writer16 = {{hlist|Swift|Dessner}}

| length16 = 3:42

| title17 = The Lakes

| writer17 = {{hlist|Swift|Antonoff}}

| length17 = 3:20

| all_writing =

}}

Notes

  • All track titles are stylized in all lowercase, noted as "The Long Pond Studio Sessions", and produced by Swift.
  • In the deluxe edition, Disc 1 mirrors the track listing of the deluxe edition of Folklore (2020) with the live tracks on Disc 2.{{cite web |title=Credits / folklore: the long pond studio sessions (from the Disney+ special) |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/163337663/credits |website=listen.tidal.com |date=November 25, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |archive-date=December 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207201601/https://listen.tidal.com/album/163337663/credits |url-status=live}}

=Charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

! scope="col"| Chart (2023)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/albums-chart/2023-05-01|title=ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|date=May 1, 2023|access-date=April 28, 2023|archive-date=April 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428083126/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/albums-chart/2023-05-01|url-status=live}}

| 24

{{album chart|Flanders|126|artist=Taylor Swift|album=Folklore - The Long Pond Studio Sessions|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}}
{{album chart|Denmark|12|M|url=http://hitlisten.nu/default.asp?w=17&y=2023&list=a40|title=Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 17, 2023|publisher=Hitlisten|artist=Taylor Swift|album=Folklore - The Long Pond Studio Sessions|rowheader=true|access-date=May 3, 2023}}
{{album chart|Netherlands|3|artist=Taylor Swift|album=Folklore - The Long Pond Studio Sessions|rowheader=true|access-date=April 29, 2023}}
{{album chart|Hungary|5|year=2023|week=17|rowheader=true|access-date=May 5, 2023}}
{{album chart|Ireland3|6|date=20230428|rowheader=true|access-date=April 28, 2023}}
scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2023-04-28|title=NZ Top 40 Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=May 1, 2023|access-date=April 29, 2023|archive-date=April 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428222523/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=5565|url-status=live}}

| 24

{{album chart|Scotland|1|date=20230428|rowheader=true|access-date=April 29, 2023}}
scope="row"| Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan){{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/234?dspy=2023&dspp=17|title=Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 17|publisher=Sverigetopplistan|access-date=April 29, 2023|archive-date=April 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428162315/https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/234?dspy=2023&dspp=17|url-status=live}}

| 5

{{album chart|UK2|4|date=20230428|rowheader=true|access-date=April 28, 2023}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|3|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=May 2, 2023}}
{{album chart|BillboardSoundtrack|1|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=May 2, 2023}}
{{album chart|BillboardAlternative|1|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=May 2, 2023}}
scope="row"| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/rkc|title=Taylor Swift Chart History (US Top Rock & Alternative Albums)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 3, 2023|archive-date=March 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302211635/https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/rkc/|url-status=live}}

| 1

{{album chart|BillboardTastemaker|1|artist=Taylor Swift|rowheader=true|access-date=May 3, 2023}}

= Release history =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

! scope="col" |Region

! scope="col" |Date

! scope="col" |Format(s)

! scope="col" |Label

! scope="col" |{{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

rowspan="2" scope="row" |Various

|November 25, 2020

|{{hlist|3=Digital download|4=streaming}}

| rowspan="2" |Republic

| style="text-align:center;" |

April 22, 2023

|Vinyl LP

| style="text-align:center;" |

See also

References

=Footnote=

{{Notelist}}{{NoteFoot}}

=Citations=

External links

  • {{Disney+ movie}}
  • {{IMDb title}}

{{Taylor Swift}}

Category:2020 films

Category:Disney+ original films

Category:Documentary films about singers

Category:Documentary films about women in music

Category:Films shot in New York (state)

Category:Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

Category:2020 documentary films

Category:Concert films

Category:Films directed by Taylor Swift

Category:American documentary films

Category:2020s English-language films

Category:2020s American films

Category:English-language documentary films