Swift made the most of her quarantined period during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she started working in isolation on her highly-acclaimed eighth studio album "Folklore" with Antonoff, The National's Aaron Dessner, and William Bowery (a professional pseudonym for Swift's then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn). Antonoff worked on seven of the 17 tracks on the beloved LP.
To commemorate the album's release, Antonoff wrote a lengthy Instagram post expressing his gratitude to Swift for their professional partnership and friendship. "working with taylor is a full connection to all of the wonder of making music," he captioned the post. "knowing her and making work with her gives me faith in the ability for people to grow. to actual grow. it has been a one of the most deeply important personal and creative relationships in my life. thank god i met you at that bizarre show in germany all those years ago. i adore you and i adore this album. thank you for listening and believing in what i was doing before i had produced a single record. damn taylor."
The surprise 2020 album went on to nab six Grammy nominations that year, which Swift celebrated cozily on a video call with her album collaborators while practicing safe social distancing. In November 2020, the "Cardigan" singer released a documentary, "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions," on Disney+ that featured a live performance of the record while giving fans an intimate look into the making and inspiration behind the Grammy-winning album. In the private concert film, Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner shared their behind-the-scenes insights, which delighted fans worldwide.
