Taylor Swift and The National: An Amazing Musical Team
The National reveals sending instrumentals for “Cardigan” and “Willow” to Taylor Swift after not having much luck turning the music into something themselves.
“Cardigan” and “Willow,” two hit tracks from Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums respectively, are loved by many of the singer’s fans. Each garnering hundreds of millions of streams, these songs have been great successes in Swift’s discography.
But the tunes behind these lyrical masterpieces come from The National. The band initially wrote the music to be used for themselves but explains why it was then sent to Swift. “I’d taken a swing at “Cardigan” and “Willow,” and a couple of others, and I wasn’t having a lot of luck, so Aaron sent them to Taylor,” notes Matt Berninger, The National’s vocalist.
Swift created hits from The National’s instrumentals, but this isn’t a one-time or one-way favor. “The reverse has happened, too, where Aaron wrote something for Taylor, and I dove right in,” Berninger states. “It works both ways.”
In addition to helping each other with individual musical endeavors, Swift and The National are just as amazing when they come together. On April 28, The National is releasing their new album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. On it, Swift will appear on the track “The Alcott,” which she and Berninger co-wrote. Fans of these incredible artists are looking forward to the collaboration.
Have we all just forgotten about the fact that The National and Taylor Swift have a collaboration coming out NEXT WEEK April 28th???? YALL WAKE UP pic.twitter.com/4Y7g9AmaKp
— val_wildin_ (@arifckingspring) April 21, 2023
Swift speaks about The National being her favorite band, and it’s no secret. Her track “Coney Island” from the Evermore album features The National, and includes a special message to Taylor. Berninger sings the lyric “happy birthday,” and the track was released around Swift’s 31st birthday. “I got my favourite lead singer of my favourite band to wish me a happy birthday,” she notes.
With the talent both Swift and The National have, it’s no surprise that the two working together results in such incredible creations. And while we haven’t heard it yet, we can expect “The Alcott” to join the list of successes.
Listen to “Cardigan” and “Willow” here, and listen to The National’s top tracks below.
Writer | Tweet me @rachelnazar
