Bonny Barker and Emily Hunt have gained an online following making videos about Taylor Swift, turning a fun side hobby to a full-time career. They discuss the community their channel has fostered, why Swift and her music mean so much to them and their supporters, and what it was like to get noticed by Taylor herself.
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00:00Hi guys, welcome to whatever this is.
00:04We are going to talk and share our opinions.
00:07We're going to discuss our favourite music with you guys.
00:09We're going to react to new music with you guys.
00:12We're overwhelming Taylor Swift fans.
00:16And we're starting off with a discussion about Taylor Swift's most recent album, Lover.
00:22We decided to start a channel probably about five months after the Lover album came out.
00:29Then the pandemic hit and we just decided that not only were we needing something to fill our time with,
00:38but also that we felt that people were not understanding what we felt Taylor Swift was doing at the time.
00:49So we decided in that moment that we wanted to be starting a YouTube channel
00:53so that we could just talk about the albums and share why we think she's so incredible.
00:58Then a couple of months later, it just so happened that she surprise dropped Folklore.
01:03And that was our first big reaction to a brand new album.
01:07And that was the video that really took off and I think sort of put us on the YouTube map.
01:14We started this channel a week ago and never in my wildest dreams.
01:19Wildest dreams?
01:21Would I ever thought we would have a YouTube channel to react to.
01:29Ah!
01:32Oh my God.
01:35Keep going!
01:40These lyrics are so beautiful.
01:42They're amazing.
01:43So beautiful and the way she's singing that whole melody is...
01:47I can't believe that that's a song that exists now.
01:50When we put it up, people really loved it and we were just like, oh, okay, I guess people want this.
01:55So we'll just keep doing it.
01:56We had no idea that it would turn into what it has now.
01:59Like we really just thought it would be a fun little side project.
02:02Prior to doing this full time, I was actually working in banking.
02:06It wasn't something at the time that I was feeling super passionate about.
02:09Taylor Swift has always been my number one passion.
02:11But there definitely was no part of me that thought that I could be making a job out of it.
02:17Patreon is the only way that we make money currently by doing this.
02:21It took us less than a year to get to the point where a lot of our subscribers on YouTube sort of came over to the Patreon platform with us and wanted to support us in that way.
02:30I was able to quit my previous job and Bonnie was able to sort of stop doing the solo YouTube stuff that she was doing.
02:36Yeah, we were just making videos for fun up until that point.
02:39There's nothing better than being able to talk about Taylor Swift as a full time job.
02:43It feels too good.
02:48Yes!
02:51I'm getting tired even for a phoenix always rising from the ashes, mending all her gashes.
02:58You might just have dealt the final blow.
03:00So perfectly metaphorical for everything that she does in her life.
03:04Taylor Swift fans are such diehard fans and so I think it really makes them feel seen and understood when they're able to see two people who love Taylor Swift to the same level that they do.
03:16I guess express that excitement and joy over listening to her music.
03:21I'm retired! I'm not ready to-
03:24Oh my god!
03:25Oh my god!
03:28I need you to sit up.
03:29Sorry.
03:30I just fumbled.
03:32I actually don't think I can go a second over that.
03:34Wait, I-
03:35Listening!
03:36No, I think I-
03:37No.
03:41Oh my god, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!
03:44It's so easy for people to feel like they can connect with us and we feel the same by reading their comments and all of their messages.
03:51Yeah, over the years a lot of people have told us that it feels like they're just on FaceTime with their friends.
03:56And you know, a lot of them say as well that they don't have a lot of people in their own lives that love Taylor Swift the way that they do.
04:03So I think that that can really mean a lot to people to feel like they've got two online best friends who just get it to the same level that they do.
04:11The community that we've managed to build from this YouTube channel has been just overwhelming.
04:17Meeting people in real life and reading comments as well, everyone is just so supportive and gives so much love.
04:27And honestly, we always look at each other and we're like, I don't know what we did to deserve this!
04:31Everyone's just so supportive.
04:33We barely ever get a negative comment.
04:35It's honestly a lot to receive.
04:37We just practice gratitude every day because we're like, we can't believe how lucky we are to have such an awesome community.
04:43And I think it's just because they get so much joy from watching our joy.
04:47It's just this joy inception.
04:51I think in this day and age, even though we're more connected than ever with the internet, I think a lot of people are also experiencing a lot of loneliness and isolation, especially after the pandemic.
05:01And so I think that being a part of this community, being a Swifty, knowing that there's so many millions of people who are also a part of that community and who relate to her music in the way that we do, it does really make you feel like you're not alone.
05:17She just is really great at making you feel connected and understanding your own emotions and your own experience in life.
05:24In the same way that some of our subscribers feel about us, we feel about Taylor that she's able to so perfectly articulate the way that we feel, that we feel like she's another one of our best friends when we listen to her songs.
05:39And she's also like the world's biggest superstar at the same time.
05:41We were extremely fortunate to be able to go to, I think, five of the seven shows that Taylor did in Australia.
05:49We had tickets to the first two nights in Melbourne.
05:52And the very last night we were sitting around all day and we were like, oh, we wish we could go again.
05:57It was so amazing.
05:59The craziest thing happened.
06:00We were sitting on the couch.
06:02It was quarter past six p.m.
06:04And we got a DM from Taylor Nation, which is Taylor's team.
06:09And actually, you were the one that opened it up.
06:11Yes, I couldn't believe it.
06:12I was like, like, get the camera.
06:16Wait.
06:17Taylor Nation has just messaged us on Instagram.
06:21Hi there.
06:22We know this is last minute, but we'd like to invite you guys back for tonight's show.
06:27If you can make it, please let us know.
06:29Yes.
06:30Yes.
06:31Yes.
06:32I'm not kidding.
06:33No.
06:34I'm so sorry, but we'll have to cancel dinner.
06:38Well, that's all right.
06:39We'll just cancel dinner.
06:40I couldn't care less.
06:41We're going to have to wear our fearless dresses.
06:44We rushed to the stadium, threw on an outfit.
06:47And when we got there, we were greeted by Taylor's dad, Scott.
06:52And he delivered us the handwritten letters by Taylor.
06:56We just got home.
06:57We just got home from the best night of our entire lives.
07:02Did you guys fathom what just happened to us?
07:05Scott Swift, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
07:09Thank you.
07:10He's literally like, I watch everything you guys do, and I send the link to Taylor.
07:17No.
07:18And he gave us-
07:20Guitar picks, obviously.
07:22Multiple guitar picks.
07:24And he gave us in each bag of merch a handwritten letter from Taylor.
07:33Guys, this is my fucking name.
07:35They've sealed it, guys.
07:37I don't want to rip it.
07:41Ah!
07:43Emily.
07:44Hi.
07:48Bonnie.
07:49No!
07:50No!
07:52So cool.
07:53So much love.
07:54Thank you.
07:55Oh, thank you.
07:56Oh, thank you!
07:57Sending my love, Taylor.
07:59To know that she loves our reaction videos and does feel supported by them, it just means the world to us.
08:07It makes us feel like we're doing something right.
08:09Absolutely.
08:10Yeah.