“Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions”: A review of the Disney+ documentary-concert

Grab your cardigan and snuggle up for a blissful hour-and-45-minute documentary with Taylor Swift. In the Disney+ documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” Swift — along with fellow musicians Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner — reveals the stories and secrets behind all 17 songs on her most recent album, “Folklore.”

When the album was first released back in July, I wasn’t a big fan. I’d grown accustomed to Swift’s fast-paced pop music, so this acoustic, raw style was something I didn’t necessarily appreciate at the time.

But after watching this behind the scenes footage and seeing Swift go through the process of creating the album, I developed a deeper appreciation for the music. She wrote all the songs herself, released an album and put out two documentaries so far this year, despite the setbacks of COVID-19. 

The documentary was filmed at Long Pond Studios in Hudson Valley, New York where Swift discussed and performed under the draped quilts and fairy lights that filled the studio. 

“The Long Pond Studio Sessions” is somewhat of a hybrid between a concert and documentary. Swift and her album collaborators Antonoff and Dessner discuss and explain the music, going in-depth with the album’s reoccuring metaphors and various characters whose stories are told throughout the songs. 

After breaking down each song, they perform it live in the studio to create a one-on-one concert for the viewer. 

I feel like it was a true testament to Swift’s talent and quality of the music that she could hold such an intimate concert via video, straying from her usual flashy performances. Fans could truly focus on the vocals without distractions like extravagant costume changes or backup dancers.

In the film she discussed how if she hadn’t created music throughout quarantine, she’d have gone crazy, but if she’d only written about herself, she’d lose her mind too. That’s why in this time of solidarity, she took a step back from the autobiographical style and wrote on alternative subjects instead like the fictional love triangle between James, Betty and Augustine. 

I found this very relatable because I — like many others — drowned myself in movies and TV shows in an attempt to distract myself from how drab and boring life had gotten. Too much self-reflection would’ve driven anyone crazy. 

Combining the concert and documentary was a creative way to perform the music to fans without putting anyone at risk. It also gave a very intimate persona to a pop star known world-wide — similar to when local artists perform in coffee houses — since it’s Swift alone in the studio. 

Much more of Swift’s unaltered vocals were demonstrated in this album than have been in her previous works. It was obvious how the cozy setting influenced the music and film for the perfect Sunday afternoon movie session.