Just when you think you know everything there is to know about what Taylor Swift is up to, she reminds you that you don’t. She definitely did not mention on her “Midnights Manifest” calendar for this week that she’d join Bon Iver (and Aaron Dessner) at OVO Arena Wembley on Wednesday (October 26), though she was scheduled to be in London for The Graham Norton Show.
Bon Iver played back-to-back shows at the venue, and Swift made the second show doubly special. They performed “Exile” live together for the first time — their collaborative track from Swift’s 2020 Folklore album, co-produced with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, that claimed Album Of The Year at the 2021 Grammys.
“The most talented person in the world, Taylor Swift,” Justin Vernon said after the rousing performance. Swift countered, “The most talented person in the world, Justin Vernon. Thank you very much. Also, the most talented person in the world, Aaron Dessner.”
🎥| @TaylorSwift13 performs 'exile' live with Bon Iverhttps://t.co/4sJvPKcCc5
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) October 26, 2022
Taylor Swift just came out with Bon Iver in London and it was honestly epic. pic.twitter.com/vNNmjY60ie
— Emily Zemler (@emilyzemler) October 26, 2022
Dessner co-produced “Exile” with Joe Alwyn, Swift’s boyfriend of six years with the pseudonym of William Bowery. Fans were initially concerned that Dessner wasn’t involved in Midnights, Swift’s newly released 10th studio album, because he wasn’t listed as a co-writer on any of its 13 tracks. But then, we were surprised by seven additional songs on Midnights (3am Edition). Dessner co-produced “The Great War,” “High Infidelity” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” with co-writing credit on the latter two.
As acclaimed as Folklore and its 2020 sister album Evermore were, Midnights is on pace to shatter all of her prior releases. It became Spotify’s most-ever-streamed album for a single day, and according to Hits Double Daily, it’s projecting to move between 1.4 million and 1.6 million first-week units, which would place it among the top-10 fastest-selling albums ever. Swift currently owns the Nos. 9, 10 and 11 spots on the list with 2014’s 1989 (1.287 million), 2017’s Reputation (1.216 million) and 2012’s Red (1.208 million).
Midnights is out now via Republic. Get it here.
