folklore by Taylor Swift: an in-depth review and analysis
Let's analyze, review, and break down Taylor Swift's eighth studio album. An AOTY Grammy winner, and my favorite album of all time.
If you know me in the slightest, you know that I’m obsessed with Taylor Swift. I stream her music every single day. I can probably think of something relating to her or her lyrics in almost any conversation. And my favorite album of all time, by anyone, is folklore by Taylor Swift.
This masterpiece of an album has no skips for me, it was a total genre shift for her and she aced it, and this album allowed Taylor to achieve her third Grammy for Album of the Year, making her the only female artist to achieve that award three different times–not to mention for three different genres. The first was for Fearless in 2010 (country/country-pop). The second was for 1989 (pop/synth-pop) in 2015. And the third was for folklore (indie/alternative/folk) in 2021. She also recently won her fourth Album of the Year Award for Midnights (2022). She is currently the only artist ever to win four Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. She’s the only woman and person to achieve this milestone, and she’s currently only thirty-five years old. And folklore is what got her the third win.
Taylor Swift released her self-titled debut album in 2006 at the age of sixteen, and here we are, eleven albums, four re-recorded albums (and two more coming soon), and seventeen years later…and her success has only managed to continue to increase.
But let’s focus on folklore as an album and why I love it so much. Taylor released this album in 2020 as a surprise album during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (and released its sister album, evermore, four months later) and it includes mainly fictional stories, sometimes stemming from her own experiences. folklore’s story involves a love triangle between three characters–James, his girlfriend Betty, and an unnamed girl whom James cheats with, with another character named Inez involved in the story. Inez is a classmate of James and Betty who informs Betty of James’ infidelity. James, Inez, and Betty happen to be named after the daughters of Taylor’s close friends, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Basically, James is a 17-year-old guy who cheats on his girlfriend, Betty, with another girl during the month of August. The three songs focused on this affair are cardigan–from the point of view of Betty many years later, august–from the point of view of the girl James has a fling with during the month of August, and betty–from the point of view of James hoping to win Betty back.
The album starts with the track the 1. This song is the perfect opening track, and it ultimately tells the story of a failed relationship. The narrator is reflecting on a relationship that has ended, and while they’ve moved on in many ways, there are still plenty of entities that remind them of this relationship and that other person. Like the entire album, the lyrics are incredibly poetic and truly showcase what an excellent storyteller and songwriter Taylor is.
The next song on the album is cardigan. As I mentioned, this song is from the point of view of the fictional character Betty, who’s reflecting on her relationship with James and his affair. There are also many lyrical references to betty–the fourteenth track on the album, such as walking on cobblestones, and the cardigan itself. Like many of the album’s tracks, cardigan explores the convoluted feelings of young people regarding love, relationships, and moving on. The narrator, Betty, feels betrayed, blindsided, and deeply hurt by what James did to her. This tune is somber and includes some of her more poetic, eloquent, deep lyrics.
The next song on the album is the last great american dynasty. This song tells the story of Rebekah Harkness, and Taylor draws parallels from her own life to Rebekah’s. Rebekah Harkness was a socialite who married Bill Harkness, the heir to the Standard Oil name, and he died shortly after they got married. Her life was highly publicized, like Taylor’s, and Taylor acquired Rebekah’s former house in Rhode Island, frequently called the “Holiday House”, which is referenced in the song. The song begins with telling the story of Rebekah’s highly publicized life and at the end of the bridge, Taylor explains that she acquired Rebekah’s former home, and Taylor’s life has many similarities to what Rebekah’s life was like. It’s an upbeat, cohesive, and brilliantly written song.
The fourth track on the album is exile (feat. Bon Iver). This song is a duet between Justin Vernon–Bon Iver–and Taylor Swift, telling a story of a relationship that fell apart, from the contrasting perspectives of the man and the woman in this past relationship. The song is powerful and ethereal, the harmonies between them are beautiful, and the back-and-forth between the two perspectives is intense, emotional, and dynamic.
The fifth track of this album is my tears ricochet. Taylor notoriously makes the fifth track of each of her albums the most personal or emotional track. my tears ricochet is no exception to that rule–the song is incredibly emotional and the lyrics are beautifully poetic. This song was written solely by Taylor and she wrote it about her master’s dispute with Scott Borchetta. Taylor and Scott had a close working relationship for many years, and she was signed to his record label until 2019. In 2019, Scooter Braun, the label’s new owner, sold the masters of Taylor’s first six albums, causing her to re-record them all so that she’d own them. She’s released four re-recorded albums–Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), so far. Essentially, Taylor and Scott’s professional and personal relationship of fifteen years ended in a public, messy, disloyal manner. Scott harshly betrayed Taylor and that betrayal was the inspiration for this song. Its lyrics ultimately tell a story through the lens of a relationship that ended in a brutal way, and how the woman who was betrayed will always haunt the man who betrayed her in some way–whether it’s directly or indirectly.
The sixth track of the album is mirrorball. mirrorball is essentially a long metaphor for isolation and fragility. “I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight”, “when I break, it’s in a million pieces”, “I can change everything about me to fit in”, the entire bridge of the song. Taylor depicts such visceral emotions of loneliness and sensitivity. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and I can relate to the message a lot.
The seventh track is called seven–a very fitting title. seven is an ethereal and more personal track on the album. Many of the lyrics are reflective of Taylor’s childhood and her past naivety. It tells the heartbreaking story of a friend of Taylor’s–whom she was friends with around the age of seven–being abused by her parents and young Taylor’s inability to fully comprehend or do anything about the situation. The song is a gut-punch lyrically, and the ethereal production, along with Taylor’s lustful, whimsical vocals add to the depth and beauty of the song.
The eighth track on the album is called august–one of the songs in the “Teenage Love Triangle” song trinity on this album. august tells the story of the fictional character James cheating on his girlfriend Betty with another girl throughout August. This girl was never actually given a name, but Taylor has referred to her as “Augustine” and “Augusta”. The song is from the point of view of “Augustine”, in which she discusses their summer fling. While it’s unclear whether or not she was aware that James was in a relationship with Betty during their fling, the lyrics imply that she knew James wasn’t serious about their relationship but she maintained hope anyway. Their relationship involved a lot of sneaking around and “Augustine” canceling her plans for the mere chance that James would call her. The lyrics tell an amazing story, and the production is more pop-like than the other songs on this album, but it was fitting for the story. august has become a fan favorite as well.
The ninth track on the album is titled this is me trying. This song is so eloquently poignant, emotional, personal, relatable, and deep. Taylor uses a lot of figurative language in the lyrics to depict how hard she tries in everything she does but never feels like it’s good enough. In fact, the chorus, “I just wanted you to know that this is me trying”, is one of only literal lyrics in the song, and I believe that’s intentional. The melancholic production matches the lyricism perfectly as well. The song discusses the theme of every aspect of her life being highly scrutinized, and it’s been that way since she was a teenager. She works extremely hard as an artist, she’s always been devoted to songwriting, and she’s inherently always had to work harder as a woman. She’s aware of how famous she is, but she’s still a human being with normal human emotions–including being overwhelmed by constant criticism and her privacy being constantly invaded. And this song touches on those themes in the most poised, poetic manner. What else would you expect from Taylor Swift though? Let’s be real here.
The tenth track on the album is illicit affairs. The song is essentially a story of an affair, although it’s unclear whether either person part of the affair was in a relationship with other people during this affair. Coming from the perspective of the people a part of the affair, the narrator(s) compare(s) their feelings about this affair to a “dwindling, mercurial high”. They’re essentially addicted to the thrill of the affair but crash after each time it happens, like a drug. They’re aware of their self-destruction in continuing this affair, but this “high” is preventing them from putting it to an end. Throughout the song, the listeners can hear their relationship deteriorate. Starting with nice hotel rooms, flowers, and candy, and shifting to grungy motels and cars in parking lots. During the bridge, the narrator is unleashing her true, unfiltered feelings to the man she’s having the affair with and putting an end to it. She’s clearly still addicted to the exhilaration of this affair but she knows she’s just destroying her vitality more, the more that she continues with it. It’s a messy, kind of chaotic song lyrically but that’s the point. It’s supposed to be. The song is just outstandingly cohesive and powerful.
The eleventh song on the album is invisible string. This song is about Taylor’s relationship with now ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The song is beautiful in its simplicity and like all the songs on this album–and in Taylor’s discography, for that matter–she’s able to articulately tell a story through engaging music. The lyrics in this song represent a lot of personal growth in Taylor, and she seems to be more focused on moving forward and staying present than dwelling on the past. The song as a whole is top-tier, from the intentionally simple production to the eloquent, artistic lyrics, to the theme of how genuine love can shift your whole mindset. This song can be applied to many different relationships in the world and throughout Taylor’s life.
The twelfth track on the album is mad woman. This song is essentially about the sexist taboo in regard to female anger. Taylor was inspired to write this song following her master’s controversy with her former record label. The lyrics depict themes of gaslighting and the skewed public perception of female rage. In my opinion, many people–especially men, and even more especially men in a position of power–like to label women who are rightfully angry and decide to defend themselves assertively as “crazy” or “unstable”, and in this song, Taylor addresses that subject through telling the story of an old widow seeking revenge on her town that cast her out. Its ominous vibe, metaphorical lyricism, and poignant message make it a powerful track that’s very fitting for this album.
The thirteenth track on the album is epiphany. This song is very mellow production-wise and its pacing is slow. The song touches on themes prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, like doctors and nurses enduring daily trauma as a part of their jobs and the unfortunate protocols during the pandemic. Taylor was initially inspired to write this song while thinking about her veteran grandfather Dean and how he never discussed his war experiences with anyone ever. Taylor wrote this song about that kind of trauma–the kind of trauma that you just can’t discuss with anyone at any time because it’s just too painful to relive. The lyrics are extremely poetic and the vibe is very somber. It’s a heart-wrenching and personal song that I believe many people can relate to.
The fourteenth track on the album is betty–the third song a part of the “Teenage Love Triangle”. This song is from the point of view of James–Betty’s boyfriend who cheated on her during the month of August. This song is very folky in its production, especially with its use of the harmonica. The song’s lyrics tell the story of James admitting his regret for cheating on Betty and confirming the rumors that Betty heard from their classmate Inez–who’s usually known for spreading untrue rumors–are actually true, but he misses Betty and he always thought about her, even when he was with the other girl in August. He plans to show up at her party to win her back and she does take him back. The song makes references to the other two songs in the “Teenage Love Triangle” song trinity–such as the cobblestones and cardigan mentioned, which are references to the song cardigan. James clearly feels bad for cheating, but as he admits, “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything”. One can tell that James partially blames Betty for his own actions, e.g. “Plus, I saw you dance with him”. So, James abandoned Betty during a school dance or something while her favorite song was playing because he “hates the crowds”. He just left her there, alone, while she was expecting him to show up. But he didn’t show up, so she decided to dance with another guy, and he decided that was justification to cheat on her for a whole month while leading this other girl on and disregarding her feelings too. And then, he just decides that he’s going to get Betty back because he misses her, ignoring the fact that he seems to be a pretty absent boyfriend to begin with, as well as a cheater, and she just takes him back without really thinking. If you can’t tell, I hate the James character, and while I think Betty is kind of naive and slightly self-destructive for absentmindedly taking him back after all that he did, they are teenagers in high school, and that stuff does happen. They’re all young when this happens, and as we hear in cardigan–Betty’s perspective many years later–Betty later realizes that while James was her first love, he was also her first heartbreak and these kinds of relationships in one’s youth leave indelible marks and memories that never cease to linger. There were moments of powerful lust in their relationship, there were moments of bitter tension, and eventually, it ended with an excruciating conclusion.
The fifteenth track on the album is called peace. The song is probably one of the most autobiographical on the album. The song’s production style is lo-fi and soft. The song’s lyrics discuss Taylor’s experiences with attempting to maintain a sense of privacy in her relationship while being a very public figure whose personal life is oddly enamoring to many people. She discusses the complexity of the general concept of peace and how, with her being Taylor Swift, she can probably never promise genuine tranquility to any partner. She clearly hopes for her relationship to last despite the obstacles, through genuine love and commitment, but she’s also acknowledging that there’s no guarantee that being with her can ever be peaceful or fully private, merely because of her social status. Its poetic lyricism, narrative tone, and the peaceful sound of the production to contrast with the lyrics portraying a lack of peace is nothing short of genius.
The sixteenth track and the final track of the standard version of the album is hoax. This song is about a relationship that the narrator knows is inevitably doomed but there’s something that keeps her attached to the relationship. She’s been deeply hurt, traumatized, and betrayed by this other person but she still has love for them. “Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in”. The narrator is clearly aware of the disingenuous nature of her relationship and its inevitably catastrophic conclusion. But she chooses to continue, and as someone who’s done this myself in the past, I believe it’s because that sense of familiarity with this relationship brings her comfort, despite the relationship being toxic and the end of it causing her long-standing pain, doubt, and remorse. It’s a soft piano ballad and it’s an emotional conclusion to the album, with Taylor drawing themes from her personal experiences.
The seventeenth track on the album, the bonus track included in the deluxe edition of the album, is called the lakes — bonus track. the lakes is an incredibly poetic and romantic song that refers to the UK’s Lake District. Hundreds of years ago, a bunch of English poets would go there to seclude themselves and just write because they wanted to escape. Taylor explained that this song’s theme is really the overarching theme of the album–which is ultimately escapism and the complexity of isolation. Joe Alwyn–Taylor’s boyfriend at the time of the song’s release–is also from the UK’s Lake District, and it’s considered to be one of the most romantic places in the UK. She discusses her fears of not belonging and her desire to escape as these poets did years ago, as well as the residual effects that her public prominence has had on Joe. It’s an incredibly creative, poetic, ethereal, personal song. Its theme is timeless, and this song, as well as the whole album, will maintain longevity for its realism and poetic lyricism.
All in all, folklore by Taylor Swift is a musical masterpiece, to say the least. The album was a complete surprise during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was a total genre shift for Taylor–again. She began her career in country music, which worked for her, she ventured into pop, which also worked for her, and then she ventured into indie/folk/alternative with this album, which also very much worked for her. She’s established herself as an incredibly talented, versatile, dedicated artist and songwriter with rapidly growing success, even after being in the music industry for seventeen years now. folklore was definitely a culturally impactful album and demonstrated Taylor’s talent in a different way than we’d seen before. I look forward to more songs and albums like this, and I will do my next review on folklore’s sister album, evermore, which was released only four months after folklore as another surprise album during the pandemic. Those are my top two favorite albums of hers and of all time. Taylor Swift may make some seemingly questionable personal choices (*coughs* Matty Healy), but I don’t think anyone can deny her artistic talent and dedication, even if you don’t personally listen to her music.
And with that, I conclude this review of folklore by Taylor Swift, an album full of mystery, poetry, love, heartbreak, nature, fictional stories, convolution, narrative stories, depictions of harsh realities in the most artistic and touching ways possible, and groundbreaking songwriting.