“It might be the most words I’ve ever had to sing, which is why you see me reading them off a cheat sheet”: That time Steven Wilson covered a Taylor Swift song, proving he’ll always do what he likes

In January 2021, as the world was still recoiling from the Covid pandemic, Steven Wilson was filling time until the delayed release of his sixth solo album The Future Bites.

In the spirit of many artists who’d continued to work and shared the results online with fellow lockdown victims, Wilson had been launching a series of videos under the banner of The Future Bites Sessions.

His cover of Taylor Swift’s The Last Great American Dynasty was more evidence – were it needed – that he’d always do what he liked in terms of music. It was fair warning for The Future Bites itself, which generate a backlash from some fans.

“My final TFB session track is something a bit different,” he explained. “To mark the end of the year I wanted to do a cover of someone else’s song from 2020 rather than one of mine.

Steven Wilson - The Last Great American Dynasty (Taylor Swift cover) - YouTube

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“I’ve chosen one from Taylor Swift’s fantastic Folklore album. This is a story-telling song with brilliant lyrics, and rather a lot of them. In fact it might be the most words I’ve ever had to sing in three and half minutes – which is why you see me reading them off a cheat sheet!”

He added: “My version is pretty faithful, maybe a bit too much, but in the spirit of the session concept it was learned and recorded quickly. Plus it just sounded so good the way she did it.”

When The Future Bites itself arrived, some followers felt Wilson had travelled too far from the kind of musical journey they expected from him. “I’m not trying to upset people,” he told Prog in a separate interview.

“You’re constantly now in a situation where you’re confronted with your fans’ expectations, which I love. Part of me kind of enjoys the controversy and divisiveness that I create, but part of me is disappointed that I can’t take everyone with me.”

And he had a simple solution for those who weren’t happy: “Don’t buy it. I haven’t made a record that appeals to you? Okay, that’s my prerogative. The thing I find the most offensive – the only thing I find offensive – is the suggestion I’ve done something wrong by making the record I wanted to make. The point is, I’ve not done anything wrong, and there’s nothing wrong with you not liking it either.”

Not everyone disliked The Future Bites. It reached Number 4 in the UK and Number 37 in the US Top Rock Albums chart, and set Wilson on a course toward 2023’s The Harmony Codex.