In the mists of the Covid-19 pandemic, Taylor Swift began to record folklore in her home studio. Her songwriting wasn’t intended to become an album and was just meant to be something for her to do in her newfound free time. Released on July 24, 2020, folklore explores more indie elements than Taylor’s prior albums. Produced by Republic Records with help from Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, folklore sees the sole feature of the album from Bon Iver on track 4, “exile”. The album won Album of the Year at the 2020 Grammys. Consisting of 17 songs including her bonus track, “the lakes”, the album lasts for a little over 60 minutes.
Introduction
Taylor Swift released folklore as a total surprise for her fans, with the desire for her listeners to have something to relate to and listen to during the pandemic. With the help of her then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, Taylor wrote and recorded folklore in a few months. folklore is mostly an indie-pop album with hints of alternative rock. The album is carried entirely by a beautiful piano and the strums of a guitar. Constructed by her producer who added various other instruments like harmonicas and bongos, folklore is known as one of Taylor’s most symbolic and deep albums with themes of nostalgia, romance, escapism, and empathy, showcasing these themes with the use of characters and plots in her music. Furthermore, Taylor describes this album’s flow as “a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness.”
Production
The musical components behind folklore are what make the album stand out from Taylor’s prior albums. Each track is intertwined with the usage of a piano and guitar, both of which were added by Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. Through the heart of the pandemic, the likes of Antonoff, Dessner, and Swift were met with quite the difficulty constructing the album. Separated through the creation of the album, they constantly sent each other folders and e-mails detailing their work. The project turned out to be the challenge to create, but the final product doesn’t illustrate that there were any issues in its construction, detailing the genius nature of all three collaborators.
Without the input and changes brought by Antonoff and Dessner, folklore wouldn’t be what it is, with their influence spanning miles. The track list includes a plethora of tracks; however, no one track is alike. While utilizing similar instruments in every song, every song utilizes a different tempo, style, octave, concocting an album that leaves no listener behind. The production creates many catchy songs, some of which have held the test of time and are still deemed staples in Taylor’s catalog, often tied all back to the production and sound created. All in all, it is clear that the sound of folklore is just one of the key components that makes the album revolutionary.
Meaning
folklore is a dramatic album. There are so many themes intertwined into the music that make the album feel like a movie. Every song has similar, yet different themes that come together to make the album complete. These themes include romance, depression, loneliness, and nostalgia. The album opens with “the 1” with “exile” following suit. These songs ask the listener how someone can love another and plan their life with them only for it to fall apart so easily. We see themes of nostalgia in “invisible string” and “seven”, as Taylor looks back on the past and sings about her past friendships and lovers. Through “mirrorball”, “the lakes”, and “this is me trying”, we see Taylor feeling alone and not good enough for the world. She sings of her struggle with her self-image and worth.
Love Triangle
Advancing in the album, there is a story being created with the songs “cardigan”, “betty” and “august,” where we see a teenage love triangle, constructed by the characters Betty, James, and Augustine. We first hear from Betty’s point of view in the song “cardigan”, where she tells us that she is in love with James and that he makes her feel like she is worthy of love. Later in the song, Betty finds out he cheated on her with another woman, however, concluding that James will eventually come back to her, as she has a love he won’t find elsewhere.
Later on, we hear from the other woman, named Augustine, in “august”. She tells about the summer she spent with James and how he never truly wanted her. It was a one-sided relationship because he was constantly in love with Betty. Finally, we hear from James in “betty”, where he wanted to apologize for everything he did to Betty. We learn that he wanted to show up randomly to her house and see if she would take him back. The story ends there and symbolically, we never find out what happened to them. Never knowing if Betty allows James back in or not, Taylor leaves the listen on a cliffhanger, effectively taking us out of the story the same way we were put in.
Conclusion
Taylor Swift created an absolute sensation with her 8th studio album, folklore, by delivering an exquisite vocal performance that combines seamlessly with the sound and feel of the music. Housing such deep and intriguing themes and storylines that keep you hooked to the music, folklore is arguably Swift’s best album.
Song Ranking:
- “this is me trying” & “seven”
- “cardigan”
- “invisible string”
- “the lakes – bonus track”
- “my tears ricochet”
- “mirrorball”
- “illicit affairs”
- “hoax”
- “last great american dynasty”
- “exile (feat. Bon Iver)”
- “epiphany”
- “mad woman”
- ” the 1″
- “peace”
- “august”
- “betty”
Strongest Track ~ The entire album consists of amazing songs, so it was nearly impossible to choose one strongest track. However, two songs stood out the most, “this is me trying” and “seven”. They are both beautiful songs and each deserve the title of the strongest track. “this is me trying” conveys such a deep meaning of not feeling like you are enough and falling behind in life. A rhythm of drums carries the song with the slight reverb on Taylor’s voice, of whom delivers such an emotional and raw vocal performance that elevates the song.
Along with “this is me trying”, “seven” is a piece of art and a beautiful song, leaving it as arguably Taylor’s best vocal performance. The piano comes together with the guitar gorgeously enhancing her soft, yet rich voice. The themes of childhood friendships and forgetting someone go perfectly with the music and fit the feeling of the album amazingly. These two songs are some of Taylor’s best vocal performances and overall top-tier songs.
Final Notes
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just our opinion. We would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give folklore a listen for yourself.