Taylor Swift and Imogen Heap created Clean, one of the most cherished tracks on 1989, in a single whirlwind day. Speaking to PEOPLE, Imogen revealed that Taylor came over with a rough idea on her phone.
They immediately clicked, headed down to the studio at Imogen’s place, and casually wrote, recorded, and produced the song all before dinner. In between, they chatted, sipped tea by the fire, and enjoyed a full lunch and dinner like old friends, making the creative process feel natural and unforced.
Imogen was pregnant at the time, though she didn’t know it yet. In fact, she later realized that Scout, her daughter born in November 2014, was already on the journey of life that day. “Scout was on her one-day journey as a fertilized egg,” she said, adding that Taylor became the first person to interact with her as a pregnant woman, without either of them realizing the significance. A decade later, the two met again at Taylor’s concert in Lisbon, where 10-year-old Scout got to meet the woman who unknowingly shared a big moment in her life story.
Imogen also worked on Clean (Taylor’s Version) in 2023, proving just how much Swift values the integrity of past collaborations. When asked about Taylor’s working style, Imogen described her as “extremely efficient” and “someone who knows exactly what she wants.”
In the studio, Taylor’s instincts took the lead. At one point, Imogen tried a different chord progression for the middle section, but Taylor called it: “You know what? I think we’re going to lose them here, so let’s just do this.” Imogen agreed, impressed by Swift’s understanding of what connects with listeners.
Though they’ve only met twice, once in 2014 and again in 2023, their time together produced a timeless track, tied to personal milestones neither of them will forget.
