Versatile, Grammy-winning musician Taylor Swift delivers the undisputed tour de force of her career with her eighth studio album, folklore.
COVID-19 has been all-around bad for all parties involved. People have become sick, people have died, and everyone has had their mental health tested due to quarantine and isolation from friends and family. Musicians have been hurt by the pandemic because touring was halted. Many musicians, like Taylor Swift, do what musicians do â get creative and write and record new music. Swift shocked the world by announcing the release of her eighth studio album, folklore, less than a year after releasing the critically acclaimed Lover. Though recorded during quarantine, folklore is by far the best Taylor Swift album to date â her tour de force.
âthe 1â
âIâm doing good, Iâm on some new sh*t.â Indeed Taylor, indeed. From the âopening tipâ of â âthe 1,â itâs crystal clear that Swift is opting for a different direction following four country albums and three pop albums. âThe 1â lies in the realm of folk and indie pop. Swift, always an accomplished songwriter, places more emphasis on her craft here, as she recollects previous relationships and imagines how things wouldâve been âIf [he] wouldâve been the one.â Not only is the songwriting sublime, Taylor sounds lovely, particularly against the Aaron Dessner produced backdrop.
âAnd when I felt like I was an old cardigan / Under someoneâs bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite.â Following the marvelous opening statement, â âcardiganâ keeps the momentum afloat â understatement. Love plays a pivotal role as Swift (her character) explores the beauty of what ends up being long lost [teen] love. Even though she felt unworthy, he made her feel extra special. Losing him stings, something she explores on the emotional third verse. This ânew sh*tâ that Taylor Swift is on â pretty awesome.
âThe last great American dynastyâ
â âThe last great American dynastyâ doesnât miss a beat, continuing to place emphasis on top-notch songwriting. Here, Swift imparts a compelling narrative where Rebekah essentially ends a great American dynasty, or so is the perception of those who knew Bill. On the chorus, Taylor sings:
âAnd they saidThere goes the last great American dynastyWho knows, if she never showed up, what couldâve beenThere goes the maddest woman this town has ever seenShe had a marvelous time ruining everything.â
Eventually, thereâs a plot twist, where Taylor becomes Rebekah, living as she deems fit, yet also being judged as âthe loudest woman this town has ever seen.â
âI think Iâve seen this film before / And I didnât like the ending / Youâre not my homeland anymore / So what am I defending?â Things only get better four tracks into Folklore â đŻ. â âExileâ featuring Bon Iver is arguably the crowning achievement, and thatâs saying something considering how elite folklore is. First and foremost, the musicianship truly stands out here, with the expressive vocals of Justin Vernon complementing Swift exquisitely. Taylor never forces things vocally, and it really pays off. As with the previous trio of songs, the writing is gorgeous, both lyrically and instrumentally. The crème de la crème? The chorus is exceptional, but maybe the nod goes to the extended outro, where weâre blessed with that incredible chemistry established between Swift and Vernon.
â...All this timeWe always walked a very thin lineYou didnât even hear me out (Didnât even hear me out)You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)All this time...â
âMy tears ricochetâ
âExileâ is a tough, tough act to follow.ââ âMy tears ricochetâ is up to the task though. The poetry certainly doesnât stop on this record about an âembittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of a fallen object of obsession.â Within the context of the record, Swift was wronged, the relationship with this individual was tumultuous, yet now that sheâs dead, heâs haunted and realizes the scope of the loss. While the imagery and poetry is breathtaking, many believe âMy tears ricochetâ isnât really romantic, and has a real life connection to Swift. Can you say, the Big Machine Records feud?
âI want you to knowIâm a mirrorballIâll show you every version of yourself tonightIâll get you out on the floorShimmering beautifulAnd when I break, itâs a million pieces.â
On âMirrorball,â Swift takes us to the dance floor, at least lyrically. Swiftâs mirrorball is often referred to as a disco ball, in which you can see reflections everywhere. Musically, of course, âMirrorballâ remains firmly planted in a well-suited indie pop sound that also hearkens back to her country sound of the past. âSevenâ revisits her childhood in Pennsylvania as she seems to remember her own experiences positively. For her friends, things donât seem as positive, something thatâs clear in the second verse, particularly lines like, âI think your house is haunted / Your dad is always mad and that must be why.â Listening to this radiant, âwildâ cut, Aaron Dessner production, the sound definitely reminds me of a song I could hear The National record.
âAugustâ
â âAugustâ ranks among the top tier of folklore without a doubt. Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift deliver one of their best collaborations yet. The music is a gorgeous blend of acoustic and electronic guitars that construct a masterful folk-pop, adult alternative, indie pop amalgam. Swift opts for her âace in the holeâ where the writing is concerned, singing about a lover who ultimately was never hers. âAugust slipped away like a bottle of wine,â she sings on the chorus, continuing, ââCause you were never mind.â Two other marvelous moments that stand above the rest are the bridge, where Swift sings incredibly overtly, and the outro.
â âThis is me tryingâ is another moment from folklore that leaves you speechless. Itâs in a major key, but itâs a darker record nonetheless that grabs your attention from the start. Some of the biggest selling points include the orchestrations, the vocal production (and vocals themselves), and of course, the âregretfulâ songwriting. This three-and-a-quarter-minute track is definitely a vibe and a personal favorite on a stacked album. Naturally, âIllicit Affairsâ has two very tough acts to follows. As she has throughout folklore, Swift doesnât relinquish the momentum. The bridge gets the highest marks from me.
âInvisible Stringâ
Imagery continues to be a driving force on folklore. This time, itâs âInvisible String,â where Swift asserts on the chorus, âAnd isnât it just so pretty too think / All along there was some / Invisible string / Tying you to me.â Also, like other moments on the album, she references her own songs. âInvisible Stringâ shouts out âBad Bloodâ for example.
âWhat do you sing on your drive home? / Do you see my face in the neighborâs lawn? / Does she smile? / Or does she mouth, âf*ck you foreverâ?â Yes, Taylor Swift shocks with an f-bomb on â âMad Womanâ which perfectly fits the tone of the record. Though âMad Womanâ arrives late on folklore, itâs among the most important songs in my opinion. The message definitely has an element of feminism, highlighting the poor perception of mad women. âNo one likes a mad woman,â Swift sings on the chorus, adding, âYou made her like that / And youâll poke the bear âtil her claws come out.â Facts! Weâve already seen some of this with the perception of Rebekah on âThe last great American dynasty,â so itâs great that Swift makes that connection, making folklore more cohesive.
âEpiphanyâ
The final quartet of songs on folklore remain notable and worthwhile. On âEpiphany,â Swift references her grandfather (âKeep your helmet, keep your life son / Just a flesh wound, hereâs your rifleâ) as well as the healthcare workers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic (âSomething med school did not cover / Someoneâs daughter, someoneâs mother / Holds your hand through plastic nowâ). The record speaks to coping with experiencing and seeing such trauma. On â âBetty,â Swift dives back into her âteen love triangleâ narrative, sung from the perspective of James, the lover on âaugustâ that never belonged to Taylor. Thatâs because he (we assume, but arenât 100% sure) belonged to Betty, hence, why the record is addressed to her and the lover that wronged her is repentant.
Penultimate record âPeaceâ features some of the clearest vocals of the albums â great vocal production. The overall production is sweet as well, with a minimalist, somewhat mysterious vibe. This is very much an Aaron Dessner helmed record â thatâs a compliment. âHoaxâ caps off the album slowly and melancholically. Perhaps itâs not that bright, sunny closure youâd hoped for, but âHoaxâ is another stunner on an album with no shortage of them. âYou know I left a part of me back in New York,â she sings on the bridge, continuing, âYou knew the hero died so whatâs the movie for?â
Final Thoughts
So, how good is folklore? This, my friends, is the album that Taylor Swift has needed to make. While Swift has proven her versatility bouncing between country and pop quite successfully, folklore feels more artful and more meaningful. This is some of the best songwriting and singing Iâve personally heard from Swift throughout her illustrious career. Lover was her best pop album top to bottom, even if 1989 was her most important. That said, folklore is perhaps the first album by the artist I can get behind without reservation â itâs her tour de force.
â Gems: âthe 1,â âcardigan,â âthe last great american dynasty,â âexile,â âMy tears ricochet,â âAugust,â âThis is me trying,â âMad Womanâ & âBettyâ