Taylor Swift Reflects on Her Nashville Roots: "More Loyal to Them" Than Ever

Taylor Swift has been reflecting on where it all started — Nashville — in a new interview for the Recording Academy's "Icon Sessions" series, hosted by CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Rather than drifting from her country beginnings, Swift says she feels "more tied to them, more loyal to them" as her career has progressed. According to NME, the conversation spans her entire career, and arrives in a year that marks the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album.

What Swift said in the Icon Sessions interview

Swift spoke about the people and places that shaped her identity as an artist, saying "the people that shaped who I am" all trace back to Nashville. She also recalled learning that Faith Hill had been discovered at the Bluebird Cafe — a story that got her interested in the venue and led her to set playing there as a personal goal.

She revisited her self-titled debut and its lead single, "Tim McGraw," saying the song essentially foreshadowed the two decades that followed.

Recent country-leaning moves

Swift has been leaning back toward country music recently, recording a new song, "I Knew It, I Knew You," for the soundtrack of the upcoming Toy Story film. She was also spotted leaving New York's Electric Lady Studios after a nine-hour overnight session, accompanied by Haim's Alana Haim and Danielle Haim — fueling speculation that new material is in the works.

Where this fits in her career

Swift's most recent album is 2025's The Life of a Showgirl, inspired by her experience on the Eras Tour. It became the UK's best-selling album of the year, making her the first artist since ABBA in 1977 to top the UK's annual albums chart in consecutive years with different records.

Since that album's release, Swift became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, brought in Graham Norton, Lewis Capaldi and Cillian Murphy for the "Opalite" music video, and — amid rising concerns over AI — filed to trademark her voice and likeness.

What we don't know yet

The source interview and reporting do not specify a release date for any new recordings beyond the confirmed Toy Story soundtrack song, nor confirm whether the Electric Lady Studios session is tied to a new album.