Swiftmas Review: folklore

Welcome back to my Swiftmas Series, where I have been reviewing each of Taylor Swift’s albums. Yes, I know we are past Christmas and New Years’ but the winter weather still lingers especially on days where it feels gloomy and you just want to be all cozy. Well, that is what you will feel with this next album I am reviewing: folklore. This album did get released during the pandemic, but it is still relevant and will give you that same comforting feeling. It will also give us another reminder to slow down and escape from our reality a little bit. There is also a documentary special on Disney Plus called The Long Pond Sessions where she performed the entire album from her isolated recording studio.

Taylor Swift’s 8^th album, folklore was released on July 24, 2020 through Republic Records. Because her next tour, “Loverfest” was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and everyone was stuck at home, this album was a surprise release without any promotions. The uncertainty and feelings of the pandemic was probably the inspiration for the album’s theme of being isolated, but also fantasying with “vivid” storytelling and imagination. In the Eras Tour: The Final Show, Taylor Swift mentioned that in this album she is the “narrator” of the stories that are told in the song. There is also the theme of “cottagecore” like living in a cabin in the woods since everyone had to practice social distancing at the time. Going off of that, the production of this album was done remotely while it was recorded at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York. It is also the "sister" to her next album, Evermore.

Despite the album being released during the pandemic, it still received several awards and accolades. folklore debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, giving Taylor Swift her seventh consecutive number one album as well as sold two million copies in the first week globally. It also broke a Guiness World Record for the biggest opening day for an album by a female artist on Spotify. In addition, all sixteen tracks on the album debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with three of them in the top-ten. It won a Grammy award for Album of the Year making it Taylor’s third Album of the Year win which also earned two Guiness World Records for most album of year awards won at the Grammys by a female artist and vocalist. It also won a People’s Choice Award for Album of 2020, and 3 AMAs including Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, and Favorite Music Video for “Cardigan.” It even won an Apple Music Award for Songwriter of the Year. Obviously, there was no separate tour for this album, but some of its songs were featured during the Eras Tour as a separate era at first, but then combined with the Evermore era since they are sister albums, and to also make room for The Tortured Poets Department set.  

There are a total of 17 songs in this album in which they are listed below. It includes 3 singles, and one music video. Please note that the music video for “Cardigan” was filmed with special precautions due to the pandemic with one medical personnel being present during filming.

1. The One

2. Cardigan

3. The Last Great American Dynasty

4. Exile (ft. Bon Iver)

5. My Tears Ricochet

6. Mirrorball

7. Seven

8. August

9.  This is Me Trying

10. Illicit Affairs

11. Invisible String

12. Mad Woman

13. Epiphany

14. Betty

15. Peace

16. Hoax

17. (BONUS TRACK) The Lakes

Unlike her last few albums where they went full pop music-genre, this album is completely different to reflect the theme of “cottagecore,” and also because technology was limited due to the pandemic restrictions. The album takes on genres of indie folk, alternative rock, electro-folk, and chamber pop. Back to the limited use of technology in this album, that is also reflected in the instrumental elements which was comprised of mostly acoustics with piano and guitar. That was something that we have not heard all the way back to her very first album. You will also notice that most, if not all of the songs in this album are slowed-down to add the theme of reflection while being stuck in lockdown and to emphasize that imagination of the stories the songs are telling.

This album continues the trend of having the 5^th song in the tracklist be the most vulnerable and emotional. For folklore, it is “My Tears Ricochet” which was actually the first song Taylor had written for this album. Now, for the last few albums, I have not been impressed with the choice for the 5^th song trend, however, this song is the best choice being so emotional and vulnerable. In fact, producer Jack Antonoff even said in the Long Pond Sessions special that it was the best songs Taylor Swift has written. First of all, the backing vocals that open the song is very haunting but sets the tone that the feelings are going to be very heavy. From there, you have these big feelings from very sad to angry throughout the entire song. I got to be honest, this song completely hit me from the lyrics to the music. Like, I have several personal experiences where I can relate to this song. In fact, fans have pointed out that the lyrics are referring to Swift’s old record label that ended up selling her masters. However, at the time the album was released, no one knew Taylor Swift was planning to re-record her albums. Therefore, I think it is very clever that she wrote the lyrics to not only pour her emotions into this legal battle with her records, but to foreshadow that she was going to get them back. I also love that she compared the song to superhero stories where the villain used to be the hero’s best friend, but ends up betraying and breaking their heart. From there, I thought of a couple of Marvel characters that fit this scenario: Spider-man (Peter Parker) and Harry Osborn, Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto, and even non-superhero characters like Elphaba, Glinda, and Fiyero (which is also a love triangle). Plus, it sounds so much better when it was performed live during the Eras tour.

I know I have said this before, but I am going to say it again: there are so many great songs on this album that it is hard for me to pick my top two favorites. However, I am going to have to go with “Cardigan” and “This is Me Trying.” The song “Cardigan” is so comforting especially during the pandemic when we are all grieving the canceled plans and events, that now feel like a nonexistent cardigan just like the song. Besides, a cardigan is a comfortable piece of clothing compared to all the sweatpants and sweaters everyone was wearing while working from home. The song even feels like it is taking you away to a dreamlike fantasy out of the chaotic world we were (and still are living in) at the time. “This is Me Trying” is such an underrated song in the entire album, but it 100% speaks to me. It basically describes how my life has been since graduating college. In fact, it was the song that inspired one of my republished study abroad posts when I was discussing the challenges that I encountered from that experience. The lyrics, “I’ve been having a hard time adjusting” and “fell behind all of my classmates” were especially relevant during that time. If you listen closely to the opening intro of the song, the background music sounds like someone going up the stairs, but then coming back down and trying to go up which is the entire point of the song.

I have a lot of thoughts on this album, but don’t worry they are all good. This is one of Taylor Swift’s best albums so far. It is very comforting during a time of uncertainty and chaos; it wasn’t an album we wanted but we needed and deserved. I think Taylor Swift did one of the best examples of life giving you lemons and turning into lemonade scenarios. She did say that this album will give everyone a really good cry in The Long Pond Sessions which was probably something most of us needed during the pandemic. Speaking of which, the album brings a lot of nostalgia just like her first two albums, but for a whole different purpose. Plus, this album showcases one of Taylor Swift’s best songwriting. Like, you have three songs on the album that are connected as a trilogy, and some songs even foreshadow Taylor Swift’s future. Even if most of the songs are slowed down, they are still considered hits especially when performed during the Eras Tour. Although it will have been 6 years since the pandemic and when this album was released, it still remains relevant as the world is still chaotic. You can just start listening, and suddenly you will be in a fantasy-like reality with no troubles. In fact, it also sounds good in a lofi version, which is what I listened to sometimes at my last job. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpkNuQC_0sA&list=RDtpkNuQC_0sA&start_radio=1. I am wondering though, if her “Loverfest” tour never got canceled would she still have made folklore?

For my final rating, I am going to give it a 15/15! Because this album was released during one of the most difficult times in society, it deserves more appreciation than it got and it definitely deserved that third Album of the Year win for Taylor Swift. Therefore, folklore is placed the top of the ranking listed below:

Ranking of Taylor Swift Albums:

1.    folklore

2.  1989 (Taylor’s Version)

2.    Reputation

3.    Lover

4.    Red (Taylor’s Version)

5.    Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

6.    Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

7.    Taylor Swift (Debut)

I will end this Swiftmas review like always by showing a crochet amigurumi I made that represents each album. Once again, this amigurumi creation was from “The Woobles” (not sponsored). Back during the holiday season, I purchased their advent calendar which contained a bunch of kits and accessories (I will also be sharing a small review on it in my mini blogs on the Instagram so keep an eye out). One of the days was a caribou kit, and I honestly thought that it didn’t match the theme of the advent calendar and holidays overall thinking why they did not go with a reindeer. However, the amigurumi actually fits the theme of folklore because caribou live in the woods which fits the cottagecore and nature aspect. It is also gray to match the color of the album, and it is considered a winter creature which reflects the sister album, Evermore. Therefore, Ryker the Caribou (yes, it has a name) has been promoted to being a Swiftie crochet symbol.

Ryker the "folklore" caribou

That is it for this review in the Swiftmas series. The next review will be folklore’s sister album, Evermore and we shall see if that album belongs at the top with its sister. Also, another reminder that I have been running a student loan challenge where I pay a certain amount in student loans based on engagement. The current challenge is that for every like, comment, and view on both the Swiftmas blog posts and on Instagram, @pressure.shock, I will pay 13 cents each to my student loans with 13 being Taylor Swift’s lucky number. If you have stuck around this long, I just want to say a big thanks. Now, if you are feeling a bit chilly go warm up in a cardigan (if you have one).