The relationship between Taylor Swift and The National has been going on for three years, since Aaron Dessner (one of its founders) began collaborating with the Tennessee company producing and composing Folklore and Evermore during quarantine. As a group, they also collaborated with the soloist on the song Coney Island.
Since then, the professional relationship between the two has continued to bear fruit. Aaron Dessner appears again in the credits of two songs by Midnights and stepped out on The Eras Tour stages with Taylor Swift a few weeks ago as a guest artist two nights in a row in the city of Tampa.
NOW, Taylor Swift returns the favor by collaborating on the song The Alcotbelonging to his new album The first two pages of Frankenstein, which was launched in the market and platforms in the early morning. On the album, we also find the collaborations of Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.
With sounds that are much more like the style of Folklore there Always (already far from the new era in which Taylor is currently immersed) the voices of Matt Berninger and Swift complement each other perfectly to bring us into the story of two people who find themselves in the place that gives its name to the song have a conversation: at the table where so many dialogues have taken place (the table she has always occupied), they both sit down. The boy confesses that he is still in love with her, waiting for an answer.
The piano perfectly accompanies the feeling of melancholy that surrounds the whole song, which little by little introduces the percussion and the voice of Taylor, which acquires more and more presence as the song progresses, until the confession comes: “It’s the last thing you wanted, it’s the first thing you do, you tell me your problems, I’m telling you the truth.” It’s the last thing you wanted, it’s the first thing I do, I tell you I fall in love with you again” they sing during the chorus.
Beyond this new song for the group’s album, it seems that Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift will continue to collaborate on future projects. Just days ago, during a promotional interview for the album on the Broken Record podcast, the artist responded when asked if he was working on new music with the soloist: “I’m probably not completely free to answer that. There is a good exchange of ideas“.
As for new music that may or may not be coming, what we can do is enjoy this ballad. Undoubtedly one of the themes that mark this weekend of musical news to impress.