Taylor Swift is an icon, and everyone knows it. All of her releases lead to millions of streams, and her name is always on the charts, so it’s no surprise that her surprise 8th studio album Folklore was one of the most popular albums of 2020. Folklore took a completely different approach than Taylor’s previous albums making it one of the most unique records she’s ever created. Instead of making it a deeply personal album about her own life, Taylor instead created a 16-track chronicle of heartbreak and loss in a more general sense making it one of the most timeless music collections I have ever listened to.
I have admired Taylor Swift and her songwriting ability since I was in elementary school. Even so, I wouldn’t have called myself a true Swifty before this album. I was obsessed with 1989 when it came out, but it didn’t motivate me to explore the rest of her discography. When Folklore dropped, it was like something changed. When I first listened to it, I felt like I was listening to something completely new and unexpected. I didn’t know it then, but it was exactly what I needed. Right in the midst of Covid, I was beginning to feel hopeless. This album felt extremely relevant with tracks like “epiphany” demonstrating Taylor’s mastery of storytelling through her lyricism. People from all walks of life can relate to it, creating an everlasting impact. There isn’t one single situation or person that this album targets; it creates a space for people in various situations to grieve and remember their own pasts. For instance, in “august,” Taylor creates vivid imagery through lines like “salt air, and the rust on your door/ I never needed anything more.” There is a sense of nostalgia and longing created that is deeply personal but also extremely relatable. Because of these aspects, people can engage more deeply when they listen. People feel seen and understood, which creates a space for a more intimate understanding of these songs and experiences.
Taylor Swift is the queen of storytelling, and she doesn’t fail to prove that with this album. Every track has poignant themes that live in beautifully constructed melodies and rhythms. The imagery in each track is crafted specifically for each individual story. They’re not just recycled lyrics disguised in a catchy hook. In “my tears ricochet,” Taylor creates a haunting melody with lines like “And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I’d stayed”. The specific details that Taylor chooses to emphasize evoke emotions in ways that other artists can’t. It never feels like these tracks were created for mass production, they’re authentic, and I think that is one of the many reasons that they’re so popular. In today’s music industry, it is very easy for songs to feel diluted and indistinguishable because of how repetitive they are or how basic their meaning is. Folklore completely avoids these common pitfalls of songwriting in every sense. Instead of catering to the industry, this work seems to be created without the pressures of outside influence. It feels like an album that she wanted to create, and she was able to be completely expressive.
This album completely embodies Taylor Swift without being explicitly about her. Folklore allowed her to experiment and use her songwriting skills to create a more distanced perspective, especially in tracks like “betty” and “august.” Writing songs about yourself, while therapeutic, can be very constraining. Only so much can be said about the aspects of your life that you want to share with the whole world. Folklore was an outlet for Taylor to explore a new side of her songwriting, and I am so glad she did. Three years later, it is still my most listened-to album. Every track moves me in a different way, and I never get tired of listening to it. There are so many nuanced aspects of each song that make each listen enjoyable for a different reason. The more I listen to them, the more I can appreciate them. There is nothing about Folklore that feels reused or typical of Taylor or pop music at all. These tracks have become a comfort for me over the last three years, both because of the messages they convey and the potential they hold. Each track offers something unique, creating an unmatched listening experience, making this album timeless in every sense of the word. In a world that feels so temporary, Folklore reminds us of the power of storytelling and remains relevant in spite of the passage of time.