On July 23, Taylor Swift made a big, big move. She released an album completely void of any promotional fanfare — folklore — that she’d made in the isolation of the coronavirus quarantine. And Kelsea Ballerini was ready to say cheers to that.
In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve. Now it’s up to you to pass them down. folklore is out now: https://t.co/xdcEDfithq
: Beth Garrabrant pic.twitter.com/vSDo9Se0fp
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 24, 2020
In a recent radio interview with Mix 104.1, Ballerini shared her thoughts when she heard the news (and the new music) from her friend.
“Here’s the thing: I am so protective of what I say about anything about her art because I’m such a super fan. And I’ve only given it a quick listen this morning while having coffee,” Ballerini said, “so I really need to give it a listen before I talk about it. (But) it shows her artistry and her strength of songwriting to be able to just swing the pendulum back and forth on different genres and different collaborators. And it still holds up.
“Not a lot of people could do that.”
Asked if she’d reached out to Swift about the new album, Ballerini said she immediately texted her with some very important questions:
Ballerini: “Alright. Am I red wine-ing? Am I Manhattan-ing? Am I tequila shooting? Like, where am I going?”
Swift: “Red wine. Buckle up!’”