The pandemic forced some artists to hold off on their 2020 releases for a few months or even a year in hopes that the world would return to “normal.” Others stuck to their original plan, giving people great projects for them to enjoy during difficult times. One of those artists is Taylor Swift. The singer released not one but two projects this year, first Folklore, then the new Evermore. But Swift is now saying both albums were almost delayed until next year.
“There was a time in the beginning of the process where I was like ‘I will wait till January when things are looking more normal then I will put out ‘folklore,’” she said in a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I was like that’s my old brain thinking that there’s any way that I can control this.” She further explained that the pandemic caused her to ditch her usual approaches to creating music.
“This is one of those things where I kind of had to just sort of throw out any playbook I had,” she said. “In times like these when everything is uncertain and everything changes in your world, I guess I just sort of took it as an opportunity to embrace the fact that even if you think you have control in normal times that’s an illusion.” She added, “If you’re making stuff, put it out if people need music and you’ve made music put it out.”
In the interview, which lasted a total of 50 minutes, Taylor also discussed grappling with the creative process. “I had felt at times – when I felt a lot of pressure – like I was doing some sort of obstacle course, and that’s not how you should feel when you’re creating,” Swift said.
You can listen to the full interview in the video above.