Taylor Swiftis lifting the veil on herrecord-smashing album,folklore.
In the latest issue of PEOPLE, the superstar, 31, opens up about the inspiration behind one of her favorite lyrics on her eighth studio album, which wasentirely written and recorded remotelyin quarantine last year.
“I’m really proud of ‘She had a marvelous time ruining everything’ from ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ because it’s about what happens when women step out of their cages and run,” says Swift, who is nominated for six Grammys this month.
“It can be a real pearl-clutching moment for society when a woman owns her desires and wildness,” continues Swift, “and I love the idea that the woman in question would be too joyful in her freedom to even care that she’s ruffling feathers, raising eyebrows or becoming the talk of the town. The idea that she decided there were marvelous times to be had, and that was more important.”
Taylor Swift.Beth Garrabrant
“There goes the last great American dynasty / Who knows, if she never showed up, what could’ve been / There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen / She had a marvelous time ruining everything,” sings Swift on the track.
Taylor Swift; Rebekah Harkness.Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Jack Mitchell/Getty
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Over the last several years, the superstar has been increasinglyoutspoken about sexismshe and other female artists have faced in the industry.
“I’m trying to be as educated as possible on how to respect people, on how to de-program the misogyny in my own brain. Toss it out, reject it, and resist it,” said Swift in her critically acclaimedNetflix documentary,Miss Americana. “Like, there is no such thing as a slut. There is no such thing as a bitch. There is no such thing as someone who’s bossy, there’s just a boss.”
“I think one of the revelations from this time that I’ll take with me moving forward is that oftentimes less is more. An album photo shoot can really be as simple as walking out into a field with one photographer at your friends' farm and you can do your own hair and makeup for it,” she says.
“You can write songs without traveling or being in the same space as another collaborator. You can tell your fans about what you made without going on an international promo tour,” she adds. “These things are options I didn’t explore before and I’m glad that I know they exist now.”
As sheconsiders post-pandemic projects, Swift says she’s more determined than ever to take matters into her own hands.
“I feel proud of the DIY elements of these albums and in the future I will always explore that option before adding any other layers to a project,” she says. “If I can do it myself, I will.”
For more interviews with 2021’s Grammy nominees, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
