Aaron Dessner reveals Taylor Swift's serious football skills from a Folklore-era kickabout
Aaron Dessner says Taylor Swift’s soccer kickabouts during the Folklore sessions reveal a stealth athlete, as her world blurs studio magic, pitch time, and growing wedding buzz.
We have all seen the skybox shots and the jersey cameos. Taylor Swift plus the NFL has basically been one long crossover episode since she started showing up at Kansas City Chiefs games with Travis Kelce. But here is the plot twist: the sport she apparently plays herself is not the one with helmets.
Yes, Taylor Swift plays soccer. For real.
Producer and frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner says Swift is legit on the pitch. In a new clip shared June 24, 2026, Dessner talked about the sessions that birthed 'folklore' back in 2020 and casually mentioned they were not just trading song stems. They were outside kicking a ball around too.
"I have kicked a soccer ball with her too, she is athletic actually, so she probably would love it if one of her songs ended up as some anthem out there."
That image lands because it fits the 'folklore' vibe: the low-key, no-frills, we-made-this-in-our-own-bubble era. Apparently, that bubble also included pickup soccer between takes. Not the detail I expected from the cabin-in-the-woods album, but it tracks.
The 'folklore' and 'evermore' context (and why this is a fun wrinkle)
'Folklore' was the surprise 2020 record Swift and Dessner largely built in isolation, tossing files back and forth instead of packing a studio. Out of that run came a stack of career-high tracks, and they kept the momentum rolling into 'evermore' a few months later. Thinking about those songs taking shape with a soccer ball thumping around outside gives the whole period a surprisingly grounded texture.
- Standouts from the Dessner runs: 'cardigan', 'exile', 'my tears ricochet', 'the last great american dynasty' on 'folklore'; then 'champagne problems' and 'tolerate it' on 'evermore'.
Meanwhile, the wedding chatter keeps humming
On the personal front, the Swift/Kelce storyline has moved from game-day cutaways to full-on wedding buzz. The two got engaged in August 2025, and the current speculation has zeroed in on a summer ceremony. Their recent pre-wedding celebrations have apparently shown how differently they each handle big moments, which, if you have watched even a little of their public lives, makes sense: different lanes, same highway. Details are still under wraps, but the drumbeat is getting louder.