On July 23rd, only the night before the emotional storm entitled “Folklore,” Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing her 8th studio album. This surprise release encaptured Swift’s “whims, dreams, fears and musings,” during self isolation, as she wrote on her instagram post.
When I first listened to this album (at 12:00:00am July 24th) I felt all the feels. The abandonment of innocence as James got into the car on a whim, the dream of a love that will last forever but is really just a knot in the string guiding you to something better; the fear of not knowing what to say but knowing you have to say something; and the musings of a time before we were forced to take a step back from the world and focus on ourselves– our past decisions, mistakes and regrets.
By 12:05 I was *admittedly* in a ball screaming at my sister that Joe Alwyn must have cheated, him and Taylor were clearly broken up, and love was ~dead~. It wasn’t until the release of the bonus track “The Lakes” that I actually believed Taylor when she claimed that the subjects of this album were only “characters.”
AND THE CHARACTERS.
Showing up first to the party we have Cardigan. At first listen, this song does not seem to fit into the teenaged love triangle of Betty, James, and his unnamed Summer fling. It isn’t until the end of the song “Betty” that it’s involvement becomes clear. In Cardigan, the narrator (who we later learn is Betty) reflects on her past relationship with James. She remembers their love, it’s strength, and how it made her feel like she was new and exciting even when she saw herself as an “old cardigan/under someone’s bed.” Her insecurities were both erased and deepened by James, as the couple’s romance ended after James cheated on her.
But with who? The unnamed Summer fling makes herself known in track number 8, August. From Betty’s perception in Cardigan, and James’ later message in track 14, his Summer lover is portrayed as the antagonist. But August gives us the view of a girl who was clearly in love with James and naively thought her love was requited. She gave everything to him, including her virginity, but to him she was just a purgatory between being single and being with Betty. Ouch.
Taylor saved the worst character for last. James shares his side of the story in track number 14, Betty. Not only does James try to blame Betty for his cheating (I was nowhere to be found/I hate the crowds/you know this/plus I saw you dance with him) but he really thinks Betty is way more hung up on him than she actually is. His line “If you kiss will it be just like I dreamed it?/will it patch your broken wings?” is just a whole new level of egotistical. She’s having a party without you. She’s fine. She’s just upset she had to find out from Inez. Great song, horrible character.
Serene songs like Invisible String make up for the chaos of the teenage drama through stories of love and destiny. Invisible String reflects on what Taylor thought her life would be, and how her plans completely changed when she met Joe. She speaks of fate in the form of a string tying them together. She claims that this string pulled her “out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar/something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire.” Every hardship, failed relationship and heartache was just a part of the plan as “one single thread of gold” tied her to Joe. Poetry. Amazing.
In case this album wasn’t enough as it is, Swift took the liberty of organizing songs into “chapters” for her fans. Her most recent release, the “Yeah I Showed Up At Your Party” chapter, consists of a live performance of Betty from the Academy of Country Music Awards, followed by The 1, Mirrorball, The Last Great American Dynasty, Invisible String, and Cardigan. Swift has not released explanations about why she feels these songs fall under the same theme, but I believe they all pertain to her personally, not just the characters she made up. Betty and Cardigan certainly are a part of the teenaged love saga, but still have elements of Taylor’s own life hidden in the lyrics. Mirrorball expresses her need to be liked, even if it means she has to “change everything about [her] to fit in.” And TLGAD is the story of her Rhode Island House. I think it’s safe to say that this is the Taylor Chapter, but if you have another theory, please let me know.
Her first chapter release, “The Escapism Chapter” was in celebration of the bonus track The Lakes. This chapter features The Lakes, Seven, Epiphany, Cardigan, Mirrorball and Exile. It’s clear that this song focuses on Taylor’s time away from the public eye, when she was able to truly find herself. She recounts on childhood memories, and her three year trip with Joe at the Lakes. The second chapter, “Sleepless Nights” is relentless as it makes you reflect on every poor choice you’ve ever made. Songs like Exile, Hoax, My Tears Ricochet, Illicit Affairs, This is Me Trying and Mad Woman play on repeat as you lay awake at night, wondering why Taylor did this to you. And finally, the Saltbox house features Summer romances, good and bad. It starts off with TLGAD, followed by August, The 1, Seven, Peace and Betty. The storylines tend not to align here, but a general theme of Summer love and heated relationships run through the lyrics.
Basically, this album is a masterpiece. I didn’t think Lover could be topped but here we are, listening to Folklore on repeat as I have been since mid July. Swift took this period of isolation to focus on introspection, and with it came a brave realization of her own worth which inspired creativity in her sound, lyrics, and storylines. Her lyrics became more poetic and gave us an insight to her real thoughts, instead of what she thought we wanted to hear. This is a fantastic album that anyone, avid Swiftie or not, will resonate with.