There is something special about new Taylor Swift music.
The atmosphere feels different as you listen. You find yourself ruminating through the files of your memory, transporting you to a time in your life where the lyrics resonated. Suddenly, your thoughts morph with hers, searching to find common ground with experiences you both may have shared.
I am a massive Swiftie. Every album of hers represents a stage in my life and every song is a different memory ingrained in my brain forever.
After several listens, it is safe to say that Folklore is the off-spring of her previous albums, Red and Speak Now.
First and foremost, the vibes in Folklore send me massive chills from the moment the soft piano melody starts in “The 1.”
Taylor is known for being a lyrical genius and painting a picture with just a sound, and every song in this album is a magical transportation to the land of feelings and absolute raw, unfiltered emotion.
How does an artist fuse scenarios and storylines from previous albums into new work? While I am still trying to figure out how Taylor nails this every time, “Exile” reminds me of her collaboration with Gary Lightbody in “The Last Time”, and “Betty” has me decoding lyrics wondering if any relate to those in “Cardigan.”
When I first heard that Taylor’s 8th album would be called Folklore, a part of me secretly wished for acoustic sad songs because yes, sad music is my *drug* of choice. The easter eggs in the album cover, which is just Taylor in the woods brought me back to her song, “Out of the Woods,” wondering if life’s uncertainties brought her back?
I was not wrong, from the moment I caught a peek at “Cardigan’s” music video the imagery along with the curious piano tunes made me crumble inside. Seeing Taylor clutch on to her piano as her only form of solace when the storm was brewing was an unmatched metaphorical experience to any of us who have seen her grow through the years.
Folklore is Taylor’s most mature work to date. Aside from the upgrade to an “older” sound, it is simply honest and wholeheartedly unapologetic.
Personally, for someone who values anonymity and privacy, it is such a treat that Taylor grants us first-access into her fishbowl life with an in-depth look at her own thoughts and experiences.
Her song, “This Is Me Trying” focuses on the concept of giving it your all even though the attempt is faulty and wrecked from the beginning. Taylor goes on to express how difficult it is to be apologetic: “And maybe I don’t quite know what to say, but i’m here in your doorway.” A line that resembles Speak Now’s, “Back to December.”
I realized five streams later that I still don’t have a favorite song. I cannot choose what lyric I love most, what sound captivates me or what melody tugs me at my core. I have come to accept that anything Taylor gives us [fans] will always exceed expectations. Her mind is a home to intricate poetic justice and she has no issues being vocal about it.
Taylor mentioned in the foreword that she created Folklore in isolation given the circumstances the world finds itself in. Through that very process, I think that’s where the unfiltered happened. The stillness of the world promoted an environment for self-reflection, re-assessment and discovery.
Anyone who listens to Taylor feels like they know her because she is equal parts mysterious, convoluted, and upfront. She lets us know that.
Folklore is no exception.
