After two less-than-stellar projects, Taylor is back in top shape. She has truly crafted her own folklore: stories that simultaneously serve as parallels to her own life and windows into her deepest fears and desires. We’ll be unpacking folklore for years to come
she is back at the top of her game
Folklore is Taylor’s best and most expansive album; a record that is vast enough to include a roster of different characters for the idle minds in pandemic lockdown
This album will have you analyzing and interpreting its meaning for ages to comes, it will always keep you thinking and guessing.
People will liken the songwriting and sound of the album to Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Enya, etc. While all of those influences are there, this is a distinctly Taylor Swift record that is building on a foundation she set from her debut and most freely explored on Red and 1989
You can see what musicians inspired her through her career in this album, but do not be mistaken. This album is a copy of nothing and is purely Taylor Swift.
The album does drag a bit towards the end, but that lull in momentum is to be anticipated when working through an hour-long folk album
he offers a criticism here, states that it drags. This contributes to a well rounded review because there is no perfect body of work, but the way he describes it this comes pretty close.
This is an album that reminds fans of why they fell in love with her: rich storytelling, universal truths delivered on a whim, and melodies just sweet enough to hide the bitter edge to some of the lyrics. At the same time, folklore is pivot to a new stage in her commercial career, but also a new level of her artistry
This album has everything we have loved about Swift in the past, but also has a fresh maturity and masterfulness we are seeing for the first time.
Folklore is an effortless victory for Taylor Swift
"effortless" encourages the perception that she is a natural born story teller.
Taylor effectively merges her story with Rebekah’s. For the purposes of folklore and folklore, the two women are intrinsically connected. The story continues on “mad woman,” a song whose title alone recalls Taylor’s notorious reputation album. Remember: on “the last great american dynasty” Rebekah was called “the maddest woman this town had ever seen.” With Mumford and Sons-esque instrumentation, Taylor goes for a smoky menacing vocal delivery to underscore the fact that her anger and fury is warranted. To hell with youth and innocence, this is the woman that world has forced her, and Rebekah, to become in order to survive.
Taylor and Rebekah were both treated as pariahs and ostracized by society. People created narratives about them them caught on like wildfire, despite the claims being unwarranted. They stuck because it is instinct to not believe the woman. The author applauds her story arc that is a parallel between her and Rebekah.
Besides the funeral and death imagery reoccurring in the gorgeous “my tears ricochet,” this story is all too familiar. The gossip and rumors surrounding Rebekah are not too far from the nastiest pieces of slander that have hounded Taylor throughout her career. This line of thinking is further proven by the switch from third-person omniscient narration to first-person in the final chorus
Taylor uses this song to comment on the scrutiny that women face when they are wealthy and in positions of privilege and power(her and Rebekah)
Taylor sings of how the town projected their fears and insecurities onto Rebekah; they characterize her as destructive entity that is to blame for her husband’s death and thus the decline of the last great American dynasty.
Taylor uses this song to tell the story of the woman who lived in her home before her. She is now telling a story from the perspective of a nonfiction character who is not herself
The latter, “peace,” is yet another ballad that sees Taylor realizing that peace in her current relationship is only achievable once she is at peace with herself and her own shortcomings as a lover.
this one is clearly Taylor's POV and not a character, it is self reflective and shows her maturity
to add some texture to the story.
the song would not be as effective if their voices blended smoothly and perfectly because it would not reflect the feelings of two people who could not make their relationship work due to the fact that they were on different pages
back-and-forth in the bridge
like the back and forth between exes
That discomfort only adds to the myriad emotions coursing through the veins of the song
explaining why the song sounds almost messy and uncomfortable at times
“Seven,” a reflection on the bright-eyed innocence and naïveté of childhood, is a small moment of purity on album that is chiefly concerned with the dark residue of the world on a human doing her best to make something for hersel
tracing back to the umbrella theme of innocence on the album. A constant in this article is the appraisal of central themes on the album.
The vocal production and mixing on this track are very interesting; Taylor almost sounds like she is underwater, stifled under the pressure of taking accountability and responsibility
His analysis of the track, the production reflects the meaning of the song. Everything is connected, even if the listen is not aware of this because it is not blatant
This is a gut punch of a song and perhaps the best showcase, outside of the Enya-esque “epiphany,” of Taylor’s growth in making vocal choices that tell the story just as effectively as her lyrics do.
People do not often praise Swift's vocal abilities, but he expresses the way she is able to further her story through her emotive voice. Her lyrics are great, but the vocals take it up a notch. He has an appreciative tone her when discussing her voice.
It’s especially apparent in the second verse when she upticks on “high” and “man” to symbolize the dangerous thrill of an affai
an example of this technique
the way she bends the melody to emphasize certain words
She uses the melody to further the story she is telling(where she wants you to really focus)
They have been the driving themes behind much of Taylor’s songwriting in her career thus far, but her exploration of the concepts through these different narratives exacerbate her already impressive skill
On this album, instead of exploring these themes solely through her personal lense, she utilizes her imagination and creates characters in her mind through which to explore them. Through the use of the word "impressive," he is showing his appreciation for her continuously evolving writing abilities.
At times, the melody recalls some of Taylor and Jack’s best pop-rock confections (“Out of the Woods” and “I Wish You Would”); they have a knack for melodically representing the unraveling of a person’s inner balance in the face of relationship woes.
He shows his appreciation for past tracks and recalls where he sees familiarity. A critic's review will inherently have opinion in it since that is the purpose, but in this sentence it is clear he is a fan of Taylor's past music and is excited to see what has worked in the past make a reappearance without being a copy. His fondness for their work together shows through his diction when he states that, "they have a knack for melodically representing..."
Finally, there’s “august,” the last song in this narrative. Immediately, this track screams the number 8. It’s the eighth track on Taylor’s eight studio album and it’s named after the eighth month of the year. In numerology, the number 8 represents balance and, interestingly, “august” is all about the disruption of balance
Here he is laying out how the placement of the track and the title alone contribute to the song. He is tipping his hate off to Swift for her attention to detail.
The song’s lyrics of innocence, “I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything,” are reminiscent of lyrics in “seven,” “mad woman,” and “cardigan” — three songs from different narrative threads that are ultimately tied together by their exploration of maturation and innocence.
He is saying here that even though these songs are not part of the teenage love triangle trinity, they connect through their overarching themes
The former is an absolutely stunning look at how Taylor’s mindset and lyricism has evolved over the course of her career
The diction in this sentence reflects his feelings about the track "betty" very clearly. Through the use of the word "stunning" he cements in the readers mind that this is probably one of his favorite tracks on the album.
a picturesque love song built on a foundation of earthy guitar chords.
She is able to create a clear story in your mind through her lyricism and instrumentals(the word choice "picturesque" highlights this POV)
In the past, Taylor has taken a relatively one-note approach to infidelity, but on folklore she tackles the subject with nuance and grace across multiple tracks.
The writer is clearly a fan or has at least listened to/analyzed her music in the past. Having listened to her past work he can appreciate her maturity in her writing on this new album. Her opinions are not so black and white, but she writes from the perspective of those in the moral grey area.
Lyrically, she sets the stage for the love triangle with key phrases that reappear throughout the record: “A friend to all is a friend to none/Chase two girls, lose the one.
referencing the album's cohesiveness and how certain lyrics will be used later as well. He is cementing her deliberateness in her writing. There are greater themes and stories at work than just the story of one song on its own.
In spite of all of this, the cardigan metaphor proves to a be a tad clunky, especially because the disco ball metaphor on “mirrorball” is much more effective
The writer proves to not blindly praise everything Swift does in this statement. Although he does not dislike the cardigan metaphor, he finds that the disco ball metaphor in "mirror ball" is more effective in comparison.
The familiar subject matter and sound gain some reinforcements through the layered background vocals in the bridge and final chorus
The writer is stating that it has the roots of the old Swift with a new production feel
Most of the decline wasn’t Taylor’s fault, particularly the performance of Lover. In actuality, the softer commercial reception of her latest mainstream pop albums is indicative of a harsh and unfair truth: Pop music continues to be hostile to female artists as they approach age 30.
What is it saying: Women, through no fault of their own, experience a decline in their popularity as they reach their thirties. This is due to ingrained misogyny that prevails in our culture. How they're saying it: By using the terms "harsh" and "unfair" and "harsh," the writer shows that they are empathizing with female pop artists.<br> The author is also employing pathos here because he is trying to get the reader to empathize with women's fate in pop music.
“cardigan” is the first song of the Teenage Love Triangle narrative that Taylor explained
I am not quite sure if this could be logos, but I believe it is because he is referencing something Swift herself stated to be true about the album. This could be what makes it ethos though, he is stating something and he says that Swift herself said it, so it is true.
The following song, “cardigan,” plays multiple roles on the album
He is going to explain the significance of this track
Taylor’s emotive vocal performance anchors the track along with the lush string arrangement.
The writer's admiration for her emotive voice shows in this sentence. He even believes that it is why it is a successful track. Moreover, the word "lush" here makes the song sound very dreamy and full.
The song imagines an alternate reality where she makes a life with an ex-lover. With this song as folklore‘s introduction it sets up the possibility of other realities being centered on Taylor. Could she be a part of the teenage love triangle? Is she casting herself as Rebekah in this story? Or are these alternate realities evaluating her major career choices pre-folklore?
He asks rhetorical questions here in order to show how interpretive this album is. The concept of folklore is that you can interpret it how you like, just like actual folklore. Do you want Taylor to be part of the love triangle? or do you want the characters to be separate from her entirely? it's up to you.
Instead, from the piano intro and opening line (“I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit”), “the 1” immediately introduces a new Taylor Swift
What is he saying: This album is another reinvention
Unlike reputation and “Look What You Made Me Do,” a new Taylor didn’t have to be announced with pomp and circumstance on folklore.
What is he saying: The marketing approach on this album is different from her past ones
The melodies are still largely rooted in mainstream pop music, but the instrumentation, vocal choices, mixing, and overall production are markedly more left field than Taylor’s “Shake It Off” days
How this album is reminiscent of past Swift, but also have a new flare
Folklore is a new chapter in Taylor’s illustrious career — a pop titan finished with the pop game who is determined to remind us that her talent transcends trends and genre.
Although this may be unintentional, but in Swift's discography she uses the "next chapter" metaphor quite frequently. In "Death by a Thousand Cuts" she writes, "If the stories over/why am I still writing pages," and in "New Year's Day" she writes, "Don't read the last page, but I stay." There are other songs where she uses this metaphor, and though I am aware that it is commonly used, it does feel like a nod to her writing in the context of this article.
seen it with Katy Perry recently. Once a female artist hits that age, Top 40 rushes to replace them with a shiny new star. Lover‘s album campaign was overshadowed by big singles and albums from a new class of pop stars: Lil Nas X, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, etc
This could be logos, uses an example of a different pop star who was at the height of popularity in her twenties, but experienced a massive decline in her thirties. He also furthers his point by giving examples of new and fresh artists who top the charts and are of a young age
In the face of this, folklore is a smart, conscious, and inevitable pivot to a sound that Taylor has been working towards for her entire career
What they're saying: This album has been a long time coming
Taylor’s folklore is an intricately woven tapestry of seemingly disparate narratives and stories
The songs in this album are connected by the fact that they are all stories. Not only that, but there are story arcs and overlapping themes throughout
Created in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, folklore explores the story of Rebekah Harkness (the previous owner of Taylor’s Rhode Island mansion), a fictional teenage love triangle, and Taylor’s own personal evolution inside and outside of her romantic relationships. Nevertheless, folklore is symbolic of a greater and more important narrative — Taylor’s career and musical transformation.
Thesis
Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ Is Her Magnum Opus
Initial thoughts upon first reading: I concur with much of the reasoning in this article. He intricately, without being too wordy, explains the magnificence of the body of work Taylor Swift created. I have listened to this album many times before from the point of view of someone who has been a fan for numerous years. It is interesting reading a review from someone who comes from a relatively unbiased point of view. He explains the different facets of this album and how it supersedes her previous albums. He does not claim to like or dislike it without providing reasoning for his stance which I appreciate because often women in music are judged based on factors outside of the work, oftentimes their gender negatively impacts the rating