folklore by taylor swift

What were you doing when Taylor Swift seemingly came out of the blue on Instagram by posting black-and-white photos of her being in a forest? I was doing the lesson plans for the next day’s classes. When I saw the photos, I was definitely curious, because obviously uploading nine interconnected photos of herself one after another is just not Taylor Swift’s normal behaviour. Let’s just say, when she announced that she was coming out with her eighth album, folklore, the floodgate of emotions inside me rapidly opened (or should I say crumbled into pieces?), bursting me with uncontrollable behaviour. I would like to thank God that I was alone that time, because people might think I was crazy. It wasn’t even a year since Lover was released (I have Lover, but somehow I didn’t give my opinion on it here. Got to slap myself for not doing that!). No one, Swifties included, expected Swift to just announce a surprise album without her Swiftian easter eggs and first single coming out at least two months before the full album. Nevertheless, girl did that and the entire Music Industry was shook.

We know that Taylor Swift is gifted singer-songwriter, a chameleon of sorts. From a Country Sweetheart, to a Pop Superstar, and now, somehow an Alternative Indie Songstress, she shows her versatility. Some (am I rude in saying "deaf?") quarters have long denied her competence in song writing or composing, saying that she only knows how to write pop-friendly but ultimately shallow songs – “Me!” or “Shake it Off” anyone? – although in reality, those tracks are just a small part of her catalogue of exquisitely crafted songs, be it in terms of composition or lyrics. But does Swift shows her growth in folklore. As a Swiftie who has followed her since almost day one, I must say that if she doesn’t achieve a legendary status yet, she is damn near that level. I mean, not a lot of artists could make a transformation as seamlessly as her, and with folklore, she is putting her feet in yet another genre, a whole new territory… and she does that gracefully.

Those who are new to her (critics included) would think her evolution is drastic, but in my humble two cents, it is not sudden transformation. In fact, I do believe that it is a natural thing. She has been in the industry for 14 years now, honing her craftsmanship, sponging in trends from years past and future, at the same time, putting her own spin on her music. For a woman just stepping into her 30s, folklore is a given. It is a record showing her maturity in all skills she owns, while opening up new avenues for her. All this while, her songs are mostly reflective of her own life (and we do love her for those songs), but in folklore, Taylor Swift pretty much portrays to us that if she wants to, she could very much write fictional songs from a third point-of-view, and does it without sacrificing anything that makes Taylor Swift, well, Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are more poetical, more grown-up, fitting for a lady like her, and while I must state here that Pop is not a genre exclusively reserved for the youngsters only, writing a record of a nature like this one, with rhythms and melodies usually associated with the alternative and folk (with a bit of indie rock, country, and dream pop thrown in), indeed brings a new perspective of our perception of Taylor Swift. Not wanting to drift herself in isolation, but perhaps finding her own thoughts loud and surging fast during a moment when everything else feels silent and time seems to stop, she directs herself into a fresh, more expansive, dreamy soundscape. The result of which is a warm, yet heart-wrenching record, destined to tug our hearts.

The minimal tracks with almost no pomp and splendour as can be listened on her previous albums seems to be just what Swift needs. There’s no denying that the seven albums before folklore are indeed good. But two things that has plagued her is the fact that there’s almost no cohesiveness in some of her albums, especially the pop ones, and Taylor tends to make the first single of each album vastly different aurally than the rest of the album. This is not the case with folklore. Cardigan, the lead single, is of the same pedigree with the other 15 tracks, matching perfectly and becoming a good opener to this whole new era. Besides that, Taylor is confident and consistent in this album. The songs are all sonically interconnected by a singular voice, no matter if the subject matter is happy or sad. Also, one detail that Swifties haven’t missed, the usages of minuscule letters for the album and track titles. Maybe doesn’t mean so much for non-fans, but hey, even that is a major thing for the fandom.

I’ve talked for quite too long already, so here are some opinions about the tracks that I love the most, and to be honest, I love almost all the tracks, but the ones mentioned below are the highlights of the album for me. Here goes.

the last great american dynasty

Taylor Swift’s ability in crafting vivid stories is shown here, a bright and relatively upbeat song about the heiress Rebekah Harknes who was the previous owner of Swift’s home in Rhode Island. In this track, she intertwines the crazy story of Rebekah with her own life. The songs shows Taylor Swift’s prowess in storytelling, making us all excited to know more about the aforementioned lady of the house. The details in the track are richly told, and the buoyant lifting rhythm matches Little Rhodey’s seaside atmosphere of the song faultlessly.

exile

This is what I consider as the mature sister of “The Last Time”, a song featuring Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol in RED, which I still consider as one of the best duets Swift has ever done. Exile is a heart-wrenching song, an introspective tug-and-pull between two characters who blame one another for not being able to save their relationship. Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon lends his rich, rough voice which harmoniously blends Taylor’s own delicate voice especially near the end when the song get higher and higher in notes and intensity. The end result is a perfect match of for lament that is as beautiful as it is blue.

my tears ricochet

Taylor Swift takes the role of a ghost watching her toxic former lover being in her funeral in this emotionally-ridden song. This breakup ballad is the first song Swift wrote for folklore, and I won’t be surprised if this is the song that finalised Taylor’s decision on how her eighth album would sound. As usual when it comes to Antonoff’s songs for Taylor, his signature vocoder and electronica sounds are ever-present, but unlike in 1989, reputation, or Lover, those influences are toned down and used smartly to further solidify the ghostly state of Swift’s character, with reverbs and distorted voices employed throughout the song to suggest distance between the real and the deceased, and perhaps the emotional distance when both partners were alive as well.

mirrorball

I feel like this is a bittersweet track, with Taylor saying that her every move is watched upon by the foxes (i.e. the media), but she’ll do whatever she could to still entertain those who love her for who she is. Somehow, this feels like a 70s-influenced song, with Taylor’s wistful voice and the omnipresent guitars. The bridge part is the part that I like the most, when Swift promises to her listeners that she’ll always try to comfort her fans.

seven

A gentle childhood memory that shows turbulence within as you learn the subject of the song. The lilting rhythm and Swift’s smooth whispery voice carry this song, while the imagery crafted by the songstress is as authentic and as real as it gets, as Swift tells us about smelling sweet tea and playing in the grass; at the same time, asking her friend to run away from what to be an abusive home, but with an innocent childlike perception.

august

⅓ of the teenage love triangle tracks, this soulful song portrays a girl's secret yearn for a boy she loves but can't have, it is a beautiful song, a narration of regrets but at the same time, filled with hopes and memories of love during summertime. It starts a bit slow and soft but then builds and rises right about halfway through, as the girl in question remembers what she did for the boy and is hoping that it was all not just a temporary, small part of her life. This soulful song is what I consider as one of her best tracks, not just in folklore, but across her entire catalogue.

this is me trying 

I am reminded of “State of Grace” as I heard this song, but while that song is cleaner in vocal and instruments sounds, “This is Me Trying” has a more ethereal, chamber-like, dreamy soundscape. This reverb-infused song is for me, one of the best song of the album. It is also one of the most upbeat (well, relatively upbeat) tracks in the album. Swift’s echoic voice merges so well into this haunting song, making this song a sonic treat half-way through the album.

invisible string

A song that is about finding wondrous, serendipitous love. Swift writes about how she thinks people are connected by a string, and that at the end, the journey that pulls each person to one another might be worth it. The song is carried by constants banjo plucks and a country-like sounds. Her wit in writing can also be seen in this song. This track is a feel-good track that’ll definitely put a smile on your face.

mad woman

This could be one of the songs in folklore in which Swift relates her experience the most. While generally, it can be seen as a track where she coldly scorns people for demonising women and then playing victim when the said women start to fight, it could also be her own perspective of the society’s own past action towards her as they perceived Taylor Swift to be, well, a man woman. I’d say as a feminist track, it is far better than The Man in Lover.

betty

betty is one of the three songs in the triptych of what Swift calls as Teenage Love Triangle (alongside cardigan, the lead single, and august, as mentioned above). It feels summery even though the song is about a boy, James, apologising to his girl, Betty, about a summer fling with another person and wishing that the girl would forgive him. I must say, this is the track that reminds me the most of her first three albums, which are definitely wholly based in the Country Pop region. Harmonica starts the song and stays almost constant throughout the track, alongside lifting guitars sounds. As the bridge hits, the sounds get higher before falling down in the introspective section of the bridge, and then rises again, as if signalling that James in hopeful for Betty to forgive her, although let's be honest, the fact that James is a douche and lowkey blaming Betty? Betty shouldn't get back with him. Swift thinks the other way around though, saying that we deserve second chance. The song is also youthful, which shows how good Swift is in telling stories from an adolescent’s point of view.

The other songs in the album are the 1, cardigan, illicit affairs, epiphany, peace, and hoax and on the physical version, the lakes, which I have not heard yet as of this moment. I’ll admit that I’m not that much in love with epiphany, and well, not having it in the album wouldn’t change the perfection that is folklore. The other songs though, are worth a listen or two… or in my case, more than 20. I say this, the album is a grower. I loved the album when I first listened to it, but as I played it a lot more, this genius album even became more lovable. Some people might not like the relatively sparse or stripped down sounds of the album (especially on tracks such as peace and hoax) or the mature themes and genre of it, but hey, for my part, this is probably the best Taylor Swift’s album.

It is a piece of work that reflects Taylor’s maturity in all aspects of life, carving a new road for her, and hopefully will also win her new fans. It's an album that is for the heartbroken, the hopeful, and all in between, a warm, authentic, and transformative album. Is it her magnum opus? Yes it is. Probably, might not be last one, because we all know… she is Taylor Swift.