After directing the short film for the 10-minute version of All Too Well last year, Taylor Swift gave fans a glimpse into her film-making process at a special screening and Q&A at the Tribeca Festival on Saturday (June 11). Interviewed onstage at New York City’s Beacon Theatre by writer-director Mike Mills, Swift engaged in a thoughtful conversation about entering the directing world, while also saving a few surprises for the audience — including a special appearance by All Too Well stars Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, as well as an acoustic performance of “All Too Well” to conclude the afternoon event. Swift touched upon a wide range of topics during the conversation, from how she got behind the camera to some of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it minutiae of the short film. Here are 10 fascinating takeaways from Swift’s Tribeca Q&A: 1. Swift and Mike Mills share a mutual (famous) friend. Mills, the director behind films like C’mon C’mon and Beginners, also helmed the 2019 short film I Am Easy to Find for indie-rock stalwarts The National, which starred Alicia Vikander. “It really inspired me in ways I can’t possibly overstate,” Swift said of the project. Of course, the National is also home to Aaron Dessner, a close collaborator of Swift’s since 2020’s Folklore, and Swift joked that she and Mills are now “both members of the Aaron Dessner Cinematic Universe!” 2. Swift wasn’t originally supposed to make her directorial debut in 2020 with “The Man.” Prior to her All Too Well short film, Swift had directed the eye-popping clip for the Lover single, in which she dons prosthetics and makeup to become her fictional male counterpart as a satire on gender norms. “I wanted a female director,” Swift explained of music video, which premiered in February 2020, “but all of my favorite female directors were booked,” adding, “which is great! We love that!” Once she decided to helm the video herself, Swift said that she found the entire experience — from making shot lists to the actual filming — “incredibly fulfilling,” setting up a longer project like All Too Well. “This is not a music video — we approached everything differently,” Swift said of All Too Well, describing the process of directing as an “interesting exercise in trusting your gut instinct.” 3. All Too Well is partly a meditation on girlhood. In describing the struggle of Sadie Sink’s character in the short film, Swift pointed out that “19 and 20 is such an interesting and profound age” for a young woman, with “one foot still in girlhood but society telling you that you’re an adult.” Different shots in the short film were meant to capture Sink’s character falling for an older male, struggling to fit in with his friends, and then feeling isolated from her childhood friends when they break up, as “an effervescent, curious young woman who ends up completely out of her depth … I wanted it to feel like them falling together was inevitable and like them falling apart was inevitable,” Swift pointed out. 4. The red typewriter is an Easter egg. Swift filled in the audience on some subtle dramatic cues within the short film, starting with the opening line — in which Sink’s character asks O’Brien’s love interest, “Are you for real?” — which is designed to foreshadow her fictionalization of their romance at the end of the film. Swift also pointed out that the red typewriter that Sink’s character uses to write her story is originally seen amongst his things, suggesting that he gifted her the typewriter and “galvanized her into finding her life and her career,” as Swift put it. As for the final shot of the film? Swift sees the man glimpsing into the store window and turning away as his character becoming something of a protagonist. “We can all relate to being on the outside looking in,” Swift said. 5. Swift wants to direct more… When Mills asked Swift if she would consider directing something longer than All Too Well, and potentially even a feature film, the superstar responded enthusiastically. “I would love to,” she said. “It would be so fantastic to write and direct something.” 6. …but it probably wouldn’t be something enormous. “I don’t see it being bigger in terms of scale,” Swift continued, explaining how much she valued the “intimate” feel of All Too Well as a character study. So, don’t expect a Swift-directed Star Wars film anytime soon. 7. Swift always wanted Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien as her All Too Well leads. When she finished writing her treatment for the short film, Swift immediately had both actors in mind, and said she felt nervous to approach them with the project. When they signed on, Swift said she was blown away by Sink’s “versatility,” as her character oscillated between love and isolation. “The dinner party scene just kills me,” Swift said, her voice cracking a bit, “because she’s so talented. These little micro-expressions!” Meanwhile, she said that O’Brien possessed “this electric charisma that this character needed to get away with all the gaslighting!” 8. The argument scene wasn’t a sure thing at first. In the middle of All Too Well, the song cuts out for an extended sequence in which the two main characters argue in the kitchen post-dinner, which becomes the short film’s main showcase for character-building dialogue. The scene is an outlier in the short film, and wasn’t a lock to make the final cut. “I didn’t think it was gonna make it,” Sink said onstage of the sequence. After Sink and O’Brien filmed the argument in an unbroken shot, however, Swift knew it had to be included as something of a centerpiece. “You guys absolutely blew me away,” she told her two stars. 9. Taylor related to the loss that Sink’s character experiences in the film. In All Too Well, Sink’s character turns devastating heartbreak into a story to be told to the masses in a way to regain control of her journey. Swift said that the narrative arc is “very reminiscent” of the loss of control she felt when she was denied the opportunity to purchase her master recordings in 2019, which then led to her Taylor’s Version re-recordings and projects like the All Too Well short film. “It was a very hard time for me,” Swift said of the inability to buy back her recordings, before adding that, in the middle of the re-recording process, she’s in a much better place today. “A lot of my hardest moments, and moments of extreme grief or loss, were galvanized into what my life looks like now.” 10. All Too Well is, of course, for the fans. Nearly a decade after releasing the original version of “All Too Well” on Red, Swift said that the 10-minute version of the non-single finally saw the light of day because her dedicated fans got wind of it, kept asking about it, and created a special moment just for themselves. “You guys just wouldn’t let it go!” Swift said lovingly, to rapturous applause. That type of interest, enthusiasm and support helped the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” debut atop the Hot 100 chart upon its November release, and helped Swift herself during trying moments. As she put it before performing “All Too Well” following the Q&A, “It’s the belief in people who fiercely care about you that will get you through losing things.”

It was truly a “girls night out” during the second night of performances at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium for the 2022 CMA Fest on Friday (June 10). From Deana Carter, Wynonna Judd, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Maddie & Tae, Lily Rose, Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce, the evening was filled with performances from female artists, each singing their respective truths — the stories of their love, heartbreaks, ambitions, life-affirming moments, and everything in between. Of course, the night also featured some stellar performances from the guys, as Cole Swindell performed his new release “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” (a nod to Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California”), while Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown each turned in hit-filled sets. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Here, we look at six sterling moments from the Friday night show. Wynonna Judd and Carly Pearce Steal the Show It was Judd and Pearce who brought the evening’s most buzzed-about highlight. After performing her new release, “What He Didn’t Do” earlier in the evening, Pearce told the crowd, “We lost one of our pillars in country music earlier this year … my first concert was to see Wynonna and I’ve always loved all of the music that the Judds made and just feel that is a representation of the best of country music. So CMA Fest, please make welcome Wynonna Judd!” Judd walked onstage, smiling and bowing slightly to the crowd, saying, “Let’s go back to the ’80s,” and later adding, “Let’s do this for mama.” Judd joined fellow Kentucky native Pearce onstage as the two sang The Judds’ 1984 hit “Why Not Me,” just weeks after the passing of The Judds’ matriarch Naomi Judd on April 30, one day before The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. At Nissan Stadium, Pearce’s pure soprano was solid match with Judd’s show-stopping, soulful growl. “We need more celebrations,” Wynonna told the crowd. “Thank you for tonight.” Deana Carter Offers a Set of Timeless Hits Similar to the Thursday evening lineup at Nissan Stadium, Friday’s CMA Fest evening show started with a nod to the ’80s/’90s era of country music. Carter recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of her 1995 album, Did I Shave My Legs for This?, and the Nashville native’s all-too-brief, five-song set was filled with compositions from that project, including “Count Me In,” “How Do I Get There,” and her signature hit “Strawberry Wine.” “It’s about throwing your cares to the wind and having fun, which is what we are doing tonight!” she told the crowd, before launching into another timeless tune, “We Danced Anyway.” Kelsea Ballerini’s Acoustic Moment Ballerini launched her set with the self-affirming pop vibe of “Miss Me More,” before offering an intricate mashup of three of her hits, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Yeah Boy.” But it was Ballerini being vulnerable in speaking of her own struggles with anxiety and opening up space for self-acceptance — paired with an acoustic performance of “homecoming queen” — that had the audience lighting up their cell phones all around the stadium. Ballerini rounded out her performance by donning a sparkly cowgirl hat and performing “hole in the bottle.” Lainey Wilson Continues Her Star-Making Turn Building on two Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits (“Things a Man Oughta Know” and her duet with Swindell on “Never Say Never”), several awards recognitions and performances at this year’s Country Radio Seminar New Faces show and Stagecoach, Wilson reached another milestone and bringing her brand of “bell bottom country” to her first performance at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest. She joined Swindell for “Never Say Never,” taking her turn in the spotlight with ease. Thomas Rhett Revs the Crowd with “Vacation” Rhett may be best known for songs such as his 2015 ballad “Die a Happy Man,” which he did perform during his Nissan Stadium set, but it was the frenetic pace of “Vacation” — a song that barely cracked the top 30 on country radio — that instantly turned the massive stadium into a club scene, with the audience cheering, jumping and dancing in their seats. Rhett’s set also included hits including “Craving You” (sans duet partner Maren Morris), “Slow Down Summer,” and “Country Again.” Kane Brown Packs in the Hits Early in his set, Brown recalled that his previous performances during CMA Fest had been limited to a handful of songs. However, on Friday night, Brown proved why he has become a concert powerhouse, packing out arenas on his Blessed & Free tour and is set for an international tour later this year. Even with a 45-minute set, Brown couldn’t fit in all of the hits he’s earned since notching his first Country Airplay chart leader back in 2017 with “What Ifs.” His Nissan Stadium set included “Homesick,” “Good as You,” “One Mississippi,” “One Thing Right,” and “What Ifs.” Since 2017, Brown’s earned seven No. 1 Country Airplay hits and has developed a performance style that is at once engaging, energetic and personal. Traversing the stage and moving to get closer to the crowd, during several songs he balanced performing with taking fans’ phones to snap selfies and videos, much to the delight of fans. He also offered a few songs from his upcoming album, including “Riot,” and kept the evening’s nods to classic country eras going with his new release “Like I Love Country Music.” CMA Fest runs from June 9-12 in downtown Nashville.

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week. Los Tigres del Norte Documentary A Los Tigres del Norte documentary will soon premiere on Prime Video, and its nearly three-minute trailer was released this week. Coined Los Tigres del Norte: Historias Que Contar, the film captures everything from the Mexican group’s humble beginnings to its challenging road to success, and ultimately becoming one of Regional Mexican music’s biggest acts. Directed by Carlos Pérez Osorio and produced by José Nacif Gobera, Historias will premiere June 17 via Prime Video. The official trailer, which features the Amazon Original song “Jefe de Jefes,” can be seen below. Puerto Rico’s Dia Nacional de la Zalsa Dia Nacional de la Zalsa returns to Puerto Rico for its 38th edition, featuring a promising lineup of salsa music icons and newcomers, such as Willie Rosario, Andy Montañez, Charlie Cruz and Luis Vazquez. This week, a press conference held in La Isla del Encanto revealed that Vazquez, a former Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise, becomes the festival’s youngest headliner and is set to receive a special award at the event. Dia Nacional de la Zalsa (National Salsa Day) will start at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday (June 12) at the Estadio Hiram Bithorn en San Juan. Billboard‘s Latin Pride This week, Billboard kicked off its annual Latin Pride series with emerging rapper Villano Antillano, who talked about reshaping her male-dominated genre as a trans artist. “There is no tolerance for women like me in the genre I have forcibly inserted myself in,” she told Billboard. “To say there is would be a delusion and an attack on the works of queer people everywhere who consume said genre.” Also this week, Villano unleashed her fiery and unapologetic “BZRP Music Session” helmed by Argentine producer Bizarrap (watch it below). Billboard’s Latin Pride will highlight more LGBTIQ+ music stars in the coming weeks. LETSGETFR.EE Promising Lineup In this week’s festival news, LETSGETFR.EE unveiled that Pabllo Vittar, Tokischa, DJ Camilo and more artists have been added to its 2022 lineup. They join the previously announced Missy Elliott, El Alfa, Ozuna, Kali Uchis and Bomba Estereo, to name a few. The two-day event, taking place Aug. 20-21 in Queens, N.Y., is designed for and by Black, Brown, Asian/Pacific Islander and LGBTQIA+ individuals, and according to a press statement, “Its mission is to close the equity gap for Black, Brown, Asian, and other underrepresented people in the entertainment industry, with the aim of achieving a diversified workforce across all levels in the industry by 2030.” For more information, click here. Ultra Fest in Colombia EDM’s hottest acts will come together at the 2022 Road to Ultra Festival event taking place in Colombia. The touring electronic music festival, part of the Ultra Music Festival brand, will make a pit stop Oct. 7 in Llanogrande, about 40 minutes from Medellin. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday (June 15), and the lineup will be revealed in the coming days. For more information, fans can visit the official website here.