Taylor Swift reveals her album ‘Folklore’ is set in Ireland during her Eras tour in Dublin

The singer-songwriter has spoken about her inspiration from Irish storytelling traditions for her fantasy-inspired 2020 album.

Taylor Swift Shares Some of the Inspiration Behind Her 2020 Album Folklore.

During her Eras tour stop in Dublin on Saturday, June 29, Swift, 34, explained how she developed the fictional story for her pandemic-era fantasy-inspired album — and revealed that the Ireland had played a big role in history.

“Folklore “In general, it just belongs to Ireland,” she told the crowd after finishing her performance of “Cardigan” on her second night at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

“I imagined that the world of the album would resemble that of Ireland. A narrative with lots of different characters,” Swift continued, referring to the stories contained in the album. “You have that in mind, too. It’s very Irish, the storytelling. »

According to the “August” singer, Folklore It was an opportunity for her to try a “different” style of songwriting that she had never explored before, which included more linear stories and characters who “fall in love and get their hearts broken.” Swift added that she was able to serve as a narrator for once, rather than sharing her own personal feelings and experiences.

Related: Taylor Swift Performs 2 New Mashups for the First Time on Eras Tour in Dublin

“When I was making this album, it was two days after the pandemic started that I started FolkloreI wasn’t in Ireland. So I had to create an album where the fantasy world that I pretended to go to every day while I was writing it… I have to be honest, it felt a little bit like Ireland,” the Grammy winner told the crowd.

“So we’re back where we belong!” Swift added, before getting ready to begin her track “Betty” – yet another character from her story-based album.Folklore belongs to you guys. “

The singer’s first night in Dublin on Friday was also filled with Irish pride: During her performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” her backup dancer Kameron Saunders, 31, spoke a little Irish (a continuation of Swift’s tradition of giving each host country on the tour a shout-out in their native tongue). During part of the song, the backup dancer shouted the Irish phrase “póg mo thóin” » – which translates into English as “kiss my ass”.

Another part of last night’s show saw Swift don a shimmering orange crop top and an ombré green skirt in a nod to the colors of the Irish flag.

Related: Taylor Swift’s Backup Dancer Gives NSFW Shoutout in Irish During Dublin Eras Tour: Watch

When tickets for the “Cruel Summer” singer’s Irish shows first went on sale in July 2023, an estimated 500,000 fans signed up for the 165,000 tickets available. Irish weather.

Swift’s three Dublin shows are her first since two nights at Croke Park for the Reputation Stadium Tour, which marked her Irish stadium debut. At those shows in 2018, the superstar adoringly called the crowd “so loving” and “amazing” and posted a bouquet of flowers she received from Irish band U2, who signed the attached note: “Your Irish fan club.”

But Swift has visited the country at least once between her two major tours. While she was in town in 2021 to support her then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn as he finished filming Conversations with friendsThe singer took pictures with several waiters from local Belfast restaurants.

Fans have speculated that the trip is commemorated in Swift’s 2022 track “Sweet Nothing.” Midnightswhich includes the lyrics “Do you ever miss Wicklow?” (Some filming of Conversations with friends occurred in Bray, a town in County Wicklow, Ireland.)

Related: Looking Back at All the Taylor Swift Songs Inspired by Joe Alwyn

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The pop star’s Irish tour follows a busy weekend in London last week. Swift took selfies with royals and invited her boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce on stage to join the ranks of her background dancers. Not to mention that she welcomed a slew of celebrities who insisted on attending her successful concerts in the English capital.

After her three nights in Dublin, Swift is expected to bring the Eras Tour next to Amsterdam and then to several other cities in Europe. She will close the European leg of the tour with five more shows in London in August.

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