Aaron Dessner joined Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff during the 2021 Grammy performance of “august.”
The appearance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards presented “Cardigan,” “august,” and “Willow” as a connected medley. Dessner and Antonoff were major production partners on Folklore, while “Willow” came from Evermore, the companion album Swift released later in 2020.
The performance was the first time Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner performed together as a trio. That detail makes Dessner the precise answer, even though Joe Alwyn also received production credit on “august” and contributed to the broader Folklore project.
Dessner’s role on Folklore was substantial: he co-wrote and produced numerous songs with Swift, often exchanging musical ideas remotely during the pandemic. Antonoff’s work on “august” followed a different path, beginning with an instrumental that Swift developed into the song’s narrative. Both producers mattered to the album, but only Dessner joined the Grammy stage for this performance.