If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ll know Taylor Swift dropped her 8th studio album, Folklore, as a total surprise. The singer released the album on July 24th, and while that’s great and all, the album really comes into relevance in the fall.
The songs are filled to the brim with the feeling of walking in fog-filled fields, babbling brooks, and wisteria laced hills. Of course, the first song that might pop into your head when you think ‘fall’ is the lead single “Cardigan”.
“Cardigan” might just be one of the best songs on the album. The song is sensual, moody, yet strangely uplifting-much like fall itself. It gives us a sense of hope with its repeated mantra, “And when I felt like an old cardigan under someone’s bed/ You put me on and said I was your favorite…”, making us believe that perhaps not all is lost for the lovers she croons about in the song. Overall, the lyrics combined with the slow backbeat makes you want to don your favorite sweater and sip hot tea while rain patters on the window panes.
The next song is “August”, which is the perfect end-of-summer tune. Although the song is a summary of a love affair, it tells the tale of “August slipp[ing] away in a moment of time, cos’ you were never mine.” In a way, Swift is telling us that August marks the time of endings giving way to new beginnings. And isn’t that a big part of fall itself? You’ll want to ring in the new season as the old, “…slips away, like a bottle of wine…”
Finally, we’re talking about “Illicit Affairs.”
This song does not get the credit it’s due. Sad and reminiscent of the golden days that once were, “Illicit Affairs” spins the tale of endings come too soon. At first glance, the song comes across as simply a longing tune sung by the “other girl” who has carried on an affair with the unnamed male party. However, it’s so much deeper than that.
Swift leaves us with the sentiment “And you know damn well, for you I would ruin myself/ A million little times.” While this immediately gives us the impression of someone head over heels in love, it takes a few more listens to grasp the true meaning. The girl singing is so much more than just “lovestruck”; she’s saying she’s willing to end something in order to begin something even more beautiful. Which, in the end, is an essential piece of the feeling fall gives us.
Overall, Folklore is full of gems like these that make us want to dance as the trees change color. While the album was released in summer, the way that Swift interspersed them throughout the album keeps up a vibe that reminds us to put on our cardigans and go carve a pumpkin. It’s genius, really.
If you, for some reason, haven’t listened to Folklore, what are you doing? Go! It’s available to listen wherever you find your music.
