Relive Taylor Swift And Jack Antonoff's Friendship Over the Years

Swift and Antonoff briefly met at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards and then again ran into each other at the 2012 Grammy Nominations party. The two immediately bonded over their shared taste in music — more specifically Yazoo's 1982 '80s synth-laden "Only You," Antonoff told True Jersey in 2019.

Swift and Antonoff's aligned musical tastes led them to work together on the upbeat indie-pop track "Sweeter Than Fiction" off the "One Chance" soundtrack.

For her foray into the pop world with "1989," Swift enlisted several producers, including Max Martin, Imogen Heap, and Antonoff. In the lead-up to the album's 2014 release, Antonoff shared an Instagram post expressing his gratitude toward Swift for the opportunity. "will one day write an essay on the different production I used on the song + how much working with Taylor on it has meant to me. she's a wonderful artist," he captioned the post.

Swift revealed in the official commentary for the song "I Wish You Would" that it was the first track the duo ever worked on together. Other songs created by the two are "Out of the Woods" and "You Are In Love," the latter of which is a beautiful song inspired by Antonoff and his then-girlfriend and one of Swift's friends, Lena Dunham.

"I wrote that song about things that Lena [Dunham] has told me about her and Jack [Antonoff]," she told Elle in a 2015 story, adding, "That's just basically stuff she's told me. And I think that that kind of relationship — God, it sounds like it would just be so beautiful — would also be hard. It would also be mundane at times."

Swift made history at the 2016 Grammy Awards when she took home the coveted album of the year trophy for "1989," making her the first female solo artist to win twice in the category (she previously won AOTY with her 2008 record, "Fearless"). Swift shared this memorable moment on stage with her cocreators on the album, including Antonoff. The duo even opened the awards show with an energetic performance of "Out of the Woods."

Following their big night, Antonoff shared an adorable candid picture of the two hugging during the ceremony on his Instagram. "my favorite pic from last night," he wrote in a February 2016 Instagram post. "we wrote and worked on 1989 in the tiniest spaces. a lot of time over voice notes and e-mail --- it really encourages me that those small dream like ideas between friends can become album of the year. winning a grammy for records you make the same way you did when u were a kid is important to me."

For a 2017 New York Times feature on Antonoff, the publication tapped Swift to share her invaluable insight into Antonoff's musical genius. "Sometimes he sits at the piano, and we both just start ad-libbing, and the song seems to create itself," Swift wrote about her friend. "His excitement and exuberance about writing songs is contagious. He's an absolute joy. That's why everyone loves him. I personally wouldn't trust someone who didn't."

In 2017, Antonoff joined Swift in creating her sixth studio album, "Reputation." He coproduced six out of the 15 songs on the record. The duo worked on fan favorites such as "Getaway Car," "Look What You Made Me Do," and "Call It What You Want." During a March 2018 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the 39-year-old musician opened up about the magical inception of the album closer, "New Year's Day." "We wrote that song in a second 'cause we didn't plan to write it," he said of the emotional love ballad that he cocreated with Swift. "And I think if you plan to write, like, a ballad or something like that, you always get a little less than you hoped for. And we wrote that, and then the scratch take in my home. We played it together."

Antonoff was a major collaborator for Swift's seventh studio album, "Lover," her first album that she owned the masters to outright under her new record label, Universal Music Group's Republic Records. Antonoff produced 11 out of the 18 tracks on record, including the cult favorite "Cruel Summer," "Death By a Thousand Cuts," "Cornelia Street," and more.

Swift closed 2019 with a bang as she performed at the Jingle Ball concert the night before her 30th birthday, which she rang in with her close friends, including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Gigi Hadid, and Antonoff, of course. A few days later, Antonoff, along with the recording engineer Laura Sisk, threw a surprise birthday party for Swift at their recording studio. The "Lover" singer shared sweet snaps from the intimate party on her Instagram, captioning the post: "Walked into the studio to a surprise birthday party from these two @jackantonoff & @sharp_stick - it's equally wild and cozy to think it was the three of us in a room making a song called Lover here last year. ♥️"

Following the release of her 2020 documentary "Miss Americana," a behind-the-scenes clip of Swift and Antonoff went viral on social media. The video shows the two ad-libbing and spitballing lyrics back and forth in the studio until they stumble across the fully-formed bridge of "Getaway Car" from "Reputation." The candid exhilaration the two experienced at the moment is perfectly captured in the video that Swift was filming on her phone.

In an October 2023 sit-down chat with Today, Antonoff reflected on this viral moment and what made it so magical. "That video is popular for the perfect reason, which is that is the only time in my life, the million hours I spent in studios, that a camera was ever on…when magic actually happened," he said.

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.

In December 2020, Swift released her second surprise album of the year, "Evermore," another collaboration with Dessner and Antonoff. The latter shares producing credits on the third track, "Gold Rush," along with writing credits on the mesmerizingly poetic "Ivy." Antonoff's work on Swift's ninth studio record, along with his other production efforts, bagged him a nomination for producer of the year in the nonclassical category at the 2021 Grammys.

Swift took the stage at the 2020 Grammys to perform a medley of "Cardigan," "August," and "Willow" with Antonoff and Dessner. The trio also took home the album of the year award, making this a historical third-time win for Swift in the category. Swift and Antonoff even recreated their secret handshake, which they shared after Swift's 2016 AOTY win.

After their big win, Antonoff took to his Instagram to share a touching tribute to Swift, the album, as well as his coworkers, who helped create "Folklore." "and @taylorswift, from 1989 to here…. goddmann. you are the one who let me produce records first. before you i just 'wasn't a producer' according to the herbs," he wrote. "i just wasnt let in that room. then i met you, we made out of the woods and you said, "that's the version" and that changed my life right there."

On April 9, 2021, Swift officially kicked off her eagerly-awaited "Taylor's Version" series with a rerecording of her multiplatinum album "Fearless." Antonoff produced four of the six "From the Vault" tracks, including the fan-favorite "Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor's Version)."

In a July 2021 chat with NME, Antonoff praised Swift's efforts to revolutionize the music scene as she continuously advocates for artist's rights and fair pay in the industry. "I've seen her change the music industry first-hand," he told the publication. "She's amazing for being a champion, and making things better for the generations to come. She has a long history of rightly exposing some real darkness in the music industry. And I'm personally thankful for it, outside of our friendship and working relationship, just as an artist. She's asked me some questions a lot of people are afraid to ask."

During his guest appearance on "The Plug with Neil Griffiths" podcast in July 2021, he also touched on the faith Swift put in him as a producer, which firmly put him on the map as a credible music producer, having worked with A-list musicians like Lorde, Lana Del Ray, and Carly Rae Jepsen. "If you're a producer, you kind of need someone to let you into the room because I was always producing my records and stuff like that, but it's weird it's seen in a different way," he said. "When ["1989"] came out, it was the thing that people kind of needed to see on the résumé when I say, 'Hey, I can produce this song that I worked on.' Went from, 'Well, who are you?' to 'Sure!'"

For Swift's second re-recording, "Red (Taylor's Version)," Antonoff coproduced three tracks, including"All Too Well (10 Minute Version)," "Forever Winter," and "Babe." Sharing a candid picture of him and Swift in the studio on Instagram, he thanked the "22" singer for letting him be a part of reclaiming her 2012 record. "nothing better than taylor ….. the artist and the person. am endlessly inspired by you," he captioned the post, adding, "and ….. thank you for all your kind words about the songs i produced on here - the undertaking of ATW10 was a wild wild rollercoaster and a goddamn honor."

In a January 2022 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the English musician Damon Albarn claimed that Swift "doesn't write her own songs." Swift hit back immediately, tweeting her response to the false allegations. "@DamonAlbarn I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging. You don't have to like my songs but it's really fucked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW," she wrote in the tweet.

During the Feb. 10, 2022, episode of "The What Podcast," Antonoff, who was a guest, spoke out about Albarn's controversial comment on Swift's artistry. "I don't mind talking sh*t, like this or that, but I don't like it when artists take almost this Trumpian approach of just making things up," he said, adding, "I don't care if Damon Albarn or anyone likes or doesn't like something. But to unequivocally make a statement that isn't true, that you actually have no idea about, and not to get too deep on it? Isn't that kind of everything that's wrong with our world at the moment? People talking about shit that they have no clue about?"

Swift and Antonoff worked on the majority of her 10th studio album, "Midnights," together. Antonoff helped produce all songs on the standard edition and also helped produce four out of seven deluxe songs. Following the release of the album, Swift wrote a heartfelt post on her Instagram, thanking her collaborators on the record, including a special shoutout to Antonoff. "Midnights is a wild ride of an album and I couldn't be happier that my co pilot on this adventure was @jackantonoff," she captioned the post. "He's my friend for life (presumptuous I know but I stand by it) and we've been making music together for nearly a decade HOWEVER… this is our first album we've done with just the two of us as main collaborators."

Antonoff also commemorated the album release on his Instagram, reflecting on their years-long friendship, writing, "from 1989 to here. so glad we met all those years ago and talked about only you by yaz. the first album we've made entirely together. love you taylor."

The Bleachers frontman even made a fun cameo in the Easter-egg-filled music video for the song "Bejeweled." In the visual, Antonoff appears as Prince Jack, who's ghosted by Swift's version of Cinderella.

At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Swift took home the trophy for the best music video for her short film "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)." Antonoff, who was nominated for the second time for non-classical producer of the year, also nabbed the prize, and Swift was there to cheer him on.

During her May 26 East Rutherford, NJ, stop of the Eras Tour, Swift brought out Antonoff as a guest performer during the acoustic set of the concert. The duo performed "Getaway Car" off "Reputation" on guitar, as the crowds went wild.

Antonoff produced three out of six "From the Vault" tracks on the re-recording of Swift's 2010 album, "Speak Now," including "I Can See You," "Castles Crumbling," and "Timeless."

In an August episode for Time's "Person of the Week" podcast, Antonoff looked back on his friendship with Swift. "She's the first person who recognized me as a producer," he said of the "Anti-Hero"s singer. "A lot of people are afraid to sign off on something that isn't done by a proven person. I had written lots of songs and produced them, but they would always sort of go somewhere else. So the label or whoever could say, oh, we had this person produce it. And, you know, I put my heart and soul into that song and she said, 'I love it.'"

On Aug 19, 2023, Antonoff and actress Margaret Qualley tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in New Jersey in the presence of their close friends and family members. Swift was also in attendance for the nuptials, along with celebrity guests like Lana Del Ray, Zoë Kravitz, and Channing Tatum.

Swift shared a candid reaction video of her and Antonoff on her Instagram, where the duo revel in the celebration of their 2019 creation,"Cruel Summer," hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 four years after its release. They thanked fans for making their "secret best song" from "Lover" climb to the top of the music charts around the world.

Swift, once again, enlisted Antonoff as the producer for her five "From the Vault" tracks on "1989 (Taylor's Version)." In addition to the never-before-heard songs, the duo also worked on "Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor's Version)," which features as a bonus track on the Tangerine Edition of the album. Cowritten and coproduced by both Swift and Anotonoff, this song marked the first time the pair worked together, so to mark the special occasion, Swift shared a beautiful throwback post on her Instagram on Oct. 29, 2023, marveling at how far they've come in the past decade.

"There you'll stand ten feet tall, I will say 'I knew it all along' 🥲," she started the caption, quoting a lyric from the 2013 track. "This song has always made me think of my friend Jack. It was the first song we made together and watching him challenge himself and make beautiful art over the years has been the thrill of a lifetime. How can he be 6 years older than me and also somehow still be my precocious young son? We may never know."