Folklore by Taylor Swift | Album Review

The first of two pandemic albums by the pop icon introduces a softer sound and relaxed, cottagecore vibe.

Credit: Republic Records

COVID-19 forced a complete sea change in the way the music industry operates. No longer could writers and producers collaborate physically in the studio. Nor could they perform for crowds of adoring fans, a potent source of inspiration for many singers.

But, when put under these unprecedented constraints, while some musicians floundered, others embraced the challenge and continued unabated. With that in mind, Taylor Swift didn’t just survive the pandemic, she thrived.

Inspired by the solitude of the pandemic’s early lockdown days, Swift created Folklore, a dramatic shift from the arena-sized pop of her previous record Lover. Gone are the marching band drum lines and in-your-face positivity that characterized Lover, in favor of plaintive pianos, finger-plucked guitar, and unconventional electronic percussion. She also backs away from autobiographical songwriting and embraces third-person narratives, embodying a number of different characters across the album, male and female, alive and dead.

Swift kicks Folklore off with “The 1,” which grabbed my attention with its subtle beauty right off the bat. Nothing about this track rises above a mezzo-forte in intensity, but the lush ostinato piano chords and relaxed guitar perfectly fit Swift’s casually confessional lyrics about wishing a relationship had gone differently. This lyric stood out to me in particular:

I persist and resist the temptation to ask you

If one thing had been different

Would everything be different today?

Then, she hits us with lead single “Cardigan,” with its super-sweet earworm of a melody and cottagecore production. Even though it may be a touch reminiscent of Lana Del Rey, Taylor sounds better than ever on this song. Plus, the chorus of “when I felt like I was an old cardigan/Under someone’s bed/You put me on and said I was your favorite” never fails to stun me.

After that, she delivers one of her most unique story songs on “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Over piano, electric guitar, and muted production, she tells the true story of the previous owner of her Rhode Island mansion. I love how detailed her lyrics are, allowing me to create full images of the story in my head as she goes on.

And then we get “Exile,” featuring Bon Iver, which has to be one of my favorite Taylor Swift tracks to date. Justin Vernon dives into his low register to deliver his verse, representing the man’s side of a dissolving relationship:

I can see you standing, honey

With his arms around your body

Laughin’, but the joke’s not funny at all.

Swift then comes in with her side of the story, and the two go back and forth with their own interpretations of each other’s behavior during the breakup. Ultimately, they agree with each other in the chorus, a devastating statement of emotional distance:

You’re not my homeland anymore

So what am I defending now?

You were my town, now I’m in exile, seein’ you out.

I could continue on, but suffice to say that Swift’s songwriting on Folklore is nothing short of impeccable. From the shimmering harmonies of “Mirrorball,” to the dogged determination of “This Is Me Trying,” to the bittersweet emotion of “Illicit Affairs,” Swift’s melodies always float above the backing track to deliver her remarkable, interconnected lyrics.

For instance, “August” references back to the story of “Cardigan,” this time from the perspective of a second woman in James’ life. That story is wrapped up by the late album track “Betty,” where Swift sings from the perspective of James, who offers excuses and deflection from his wrongdoings, but there’s still a heart there deep down:

But if I just showed up at your party

Would you have me?

Would you want me?

Would you tell me to go fuck myself?

Or lead me to the garden?

In the garden would you trust me

If I told you it was just a summer thing?

I’m only 17, I don’t know anything

But I know I miss you.

She also pays tribute to the medical workers who valiantly worked through the pandemic on “Epiphany.” Swift draws a poignant parallel of these essential workers to her grandfather who fought at the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 during World War II, astutely noting that pandemic nurses and doctors will experience trauma just like veterans of war.

However, if there is a drawback to Folklore, it would be its length and structuring. Given the lyrical density of Swift’s work over the album’s 63 minutes, it takes a true Taylor fan to give it a fully engaged, front-to-back listen. Plus, the biggest musical highlights, for me at least, mostly land early in the record’s runtime.

But if that’s the worst criticism I can find, I think that says quite a bit about the tremendously high quality of Ms. Swift’s work on this project. And to think, she didn’t stop here in 2020, but that’s a review for another time.

Production: 9/10

Lyrics: 9/10

Songwriting: 8/10

Overall: 8.5/10

Favorites: The 1, Cardigan, The Last Great American Dynasty, Exile, Betty

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!