Buh-bye bright red lipstick, hello neutral colors. Taylor Swift is back with another Album and its quite different from the rest. It’s hard to believe that we have been in quarantine for the past five months. Even harder to believe, is that during that time period, Taylor Swift has written, recorded and produced an entirely new album comprised of 16 new-songs that has us longing for temperatures below fifty degrees, pumpkin spice lattes and cuddles in a cabin. Folklore marks T-Swift’s 8th Studio Album, coming less than a year after her Lover release in August of 2019.
As with every Taylor Swift Era, Folklore is different from her previous albums. Maybe it was inspired after being locked up in a house during the past few months of quarantine or the inevitable fact that all artists seem to, at some point, go back to their roots…literally. All of the press for Folklore has been in the woods. As most pop culture enthusiasts know, Taylor Swift is a prominent cultural figure and she baits her fans with Easter egg like clues when a new album or song is going to drop. So it is very off-brand for Swift to announce her new feature length album just less than 24-Hours prior to its release. But that's exactly what Folklore is - off-brand for the pop superstar.
Stepping back from her pop anthems and persona that she has very carefully cultivated over the past few years, dating back to her Pop Album Debut with 1989 in 2015, Taylor Swift has retreated back into her original acoustic guitar and country melodies that has OG Swifties nostalgic for more. Hate or Love Taylor Swift, you have to admit that her lyrics are important and relatable and just because the musical notes and keys are different, at its core, it’s a Swift signature
While the acoustic melodies and melodramatic symphonies take us back to a pre-pop era of Taylor Swift, there are not specific stand outs in her collection. You think of a Summer Album, you think of swimsuits, lemonade, and driving with the car windows down. (Ahem, Cruel Summer, anyone? That Single deserved more). However, instead of upbeat summer sounds, Swift gives us cabin fever, crying on the floor with a cardigan, heartbreak music that are much more attuned for Autumn.
So, you might ask, do I like the new T-Swift Album, Folklore? My response would be, come see me in three months when we are still in quarantine and I am on my second cup of hot cocoa crying over a breakup two years ago.
But I digress, one of the best things about uncovering a new Taylor Swift album is diving into the details, dissecting every lyric to discover which ex-lover each song is about. Although Folklore comes with waves of maturity and deep meaning, we are not mature enough to take the lyrics as is without discovering their origins.
Here are my favorite tracks and guesses about the people involved.
"The 1"
Perhaps the most up-beat song on her album (and that’s saying something). The 1 is reflective of previous relationships woes. I would think this isn’t about Joe, but…?
"Cardigan"
Swift has not been the best at picking Singles in the past, but Cardigan certainly stands out among some of the rest. Rumored to be about Harry Styles, drawing on similar connections to his Falling Music Video that premiered a few months ago. Think drowning piano.
Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-a8s8OLBSE
"Illicit Affairs"
There is always some T-Swift song that has me scourging the internet looking for clues linking her past lovers to the emotionally raw lyrics. Illicit Affairs is no different. Reminiscing on a somewhat toxic relationship between someone much older than her, Swift delivers strong imagery that can be compared to her Speak Now 2010 hit, “Dear John”. So, do we think this is about John Mayer or Tom Hiddleston? I must know!
Favorite Lyric:
"And you want to scream
Don't call me kid,
Don't call me baby.
Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me."
"This Is Me Trying"
Ok, this is me crying. When I saw the visuals for Folklore, I was looking specifically for an “All Too Well” substitute that I could listen to on repeat on a bad day. I have found it here. Perhaps her most emotionally honest song yet, it is a song where Swift apologies. A very, very rare concept. We have probably gotten 5 apology songs in her long almost 14-Year reign. This is one of them and holds my favorite lyrics from the album.
Favorite Lyric:
“So I got wasted like all my potential.
And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad. I
have a lot of regrets about that.”
"August"
This is the closet to a summer song I can compare to after listening to the album in full – summer breaks, sipping wine – if Taylor Swift is giving me a fall album in the middle of July, I will take what I can get. Also, slightly upbeat so that’s great.
"Betty"
I have so many thoughts here. Many have speculated this is a song about a failed love triangle told from multiple perspectives – this one being Taylor’s side. There have also been rumors that this is about Karlie Kloss, former T-Swift Bestie who hasn’t been seen publicly with swift in over four years. Karlie’s middle name is Elzabeth, Betty is short for Elizabeth. And I have now spiraled into a Reddit hole that I cannot escape. But anyway, the two suffered from a falling out resulting in Kloss getting married without Swift by her side. A travesty! Rumors about Swift and Kloss’ friendship…or more have bene circulating for a while. Back when Lover dropped, fans assumed that “Cornelia Street” was actually about Kloss and Swift’s lost friendship or relationship. There have been lots of speculation about Swift and Kloss dynamic and I just want answers.
So when Swift finishes “Betty” with the refrain below and you are asking yourself if Kloss and Swift has a relationship – you can respond with a whose to say?
“Yeah, I showed up at your party Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch In front of all your stupid friends?”
So what did you love, what did you hate, how does this compare to her other albums? Let me know your thoughts!
And that’s the sitch.
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