"Most artists are insecure": The National frontman Matt Berninger names Taylor Swift as one of the best lyricists he has "learnt a lot from"

The National band frontman Matt Berninger spoke highly of Taylor Swift, claiming she is one of the best lyricists of her generation. He added that he has learnt a lot from the popstar.

In an interview with The Times (published May 19), Matt Berninger heaped praise on Taylor Swift's songwriting, and said,

"Most songwriters, most artists are insecure, dorky nerds who feel misunderstood by the universe. They all started out writing little songs about their hearts in their bedrooms, every single one of them. I think Taylor is one of the best lyricists, she manages to get a listener inside a world and feel like they have a confidante and a dear friend who gets them. And how does she do that? By writing great songs. So yeah, I learnt a lot from Taylor Swift."

Taylor Swift's association with The National is a long one, as she has worked with the band in various ways. The singer has collaborated with the band's Aaron Dessner for her albums Evermore and Folklore, both of which were released in 2020. The National notably appeared on the Evermore track, Coney Island.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift featured as a guest star on the track The Alcott from the band's 2023 album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein.

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When Taylor Swift detailed how The National contributed to her albums Evermore and Folklore

Night Three - Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour - Nashville, TN - Source: Getty

In an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe in December 2020, Taylor Swift raved about The National. The singer's comments came days after her album Evermore was released, as she explained how the band shaped the album.

"My world felt opened up creatively. There was a point that I got to as a writer who only wrote very diaristic songs that I felt it was unsustainable for my future moving forward. So what I felt after we put out Folklore was like, ‘oh wow, people are into this too, this thing that feels really good for my life and feels really good for my creativity… it feels good for them too?'," Swift said.

Taylor Swift further detailed why she admires The National so much and how it impacted her albums, Folklore and Evermore. Aaron and Bryce Dessner had sent the singer recordings they had preserved for the band while she was working on Evermore. The vocals eventually made it to the track Coney Island, while Swift and her former boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, penned the lyrics.

After Taylor Swift shared her initial version of the track with the Dessners, they re-imagined it with Matt Berninger's voice. They also roped in The National's drummer, Bryan Devendorf, to lend his talents to the track. The final song features Berninger's vocals and Devendorf on the drums.

"I love the way they [The National] do that sort of down-beat, sometimes self-loathing, reflective, ‘cut down to the heart of the matter’ lyricism. We had an idea [of Coney Island] that Matt could sound amazing on this, and that was the perspective I was coming from. A male perspective of regret or guilt after a lifetime of a pattern of behaviour," Swift said about the making of Coney Island.

Further, Swift added that she specifically included a snippet of Matt Berninger singing "Happy Birthday" because she released the album on the same week as her 31st birthday. She said,

"I knew I was going to release it on my birthday week. I got my favourite lead singer of my favourite band to wish me a happy birthday."

Both of Swift's albums, Folklore and Evermore, ended up being major successes in her career. The popstar won her third Album of the Year Grammy Award for her work in Folklore.

Since then, she has released Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department as new albums, apart from her re-recordings. The singer has yet to announce her next project.