folklore by Taylor Swift (2024)

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by Taylor Swift

  • Record Label: Republic
  • Release Date:Jul 24, 2020
  • Summary
  • Critic Reviews
  • User Reviews

folklore by Taylor Swift (1)

Metascore

88

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score

9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 17537 Ratings

  • Summary: The 16-track surprise release from the pop artist features contributions from Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, William Bowery, and Aaron Dessner of the National.

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Buy on folklore by Taylor Swift (2)
  • Record Label: Republic
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock
  • More Details and Credits »

Top Track

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All I knowIs everything is not as it's soldBut the more I grow the less I knowAnd I have lived so many livesThough I'm not oldAnd the more I... See the rest of the song lyrics

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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:

  1. Positive: 25 out of 27

  2. Mixed: 2 out of 27

  3. Negative: 0 out of 27

  1. 100

    Swift explodes the expectations of anyone preparing to call her music "diaristic," writing songs from different perspectives while putting her already-detailed work under a microscope. ... A content smile of an album on which one of the world's biggest pop stars, charts be damned, forges her own path and dares listeners to come along for the ride.

  2. This strange summer of arrested development is steadily ending. Folklore will endure long beyond it: as fragmented as Swift is across her eighth album – and much as you hope it doesn’t mark the end of her pop ambitions – her emotional acuity has never been more assured.

  3. Uncut

    Aug 13, 2020

    90

    It's a sharp turn to the left for Swift and a fine reminder that she is more than just a gleaming pop phenomenon, but a remarkable songwriter too. [Oct 2020, p.36]

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  4. Jul 24, 2020

    87

    One of her best, most perfectly-produced projects ever. In folklore, she wrote a quieter, more thought-provoking chapter in her constantly shapeshifting story.

  5. Jul 29, 2020

    80

    The 16 tunes comprising her latest song cycle oscillate gracefully around piano keyboards and introduce a series of portraits of fictional and real-life characters (from a terrified child with a traumatized best friend to a ghost scrutinizing her enemies at her funeral) to complement her reflections on the social distancing of quarantine time.

  6. Jul 24, 2020

    80

    While the album tends to lull around its middle, folklore is far less concerned with its individual tracks than the greater, twisting conversation — the sort of hours-long, sanity-affirming chats that have become vital over these last four months.

  7. Jul 27, 2020

    60

    “Folklore” songs fall into roughly two camps — excellent Swift-penned songs that are sturdy enough to bear the production, and others that end up obscured by murk.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:

  1. Positive: 7,081 out of 7707

  2. Mixed: 104 out of 7707

  1. Stalingrad

    Jul 25, 2020

    10

    In her previous two albums, there was a subtle glimpse of melancholy and introspection - often in the album's best tracks. In folklore, swiftIn her previous two albums, there was a subtle glimpse of melancholy and introspection - often in the album's best tracks. In folklore, swift takes her rare musings that previously only seasoned, and now makes it the base of this new less-pop-more-indie record. Expand

    • 0of 1users found this helpful

  2. ValeriaG

    Jul 24, 2020

    10

    this album is a **** masterpiece! She surprised us all with such an enchanted and magic album! Probably her best album so far!

    • 0of 1users found this helpful

  3. dxvidr13

    Jul 24, 2020

    10

    album of the year. amazing lyrics, amazing production, amazing sounds. taylor swift is the best songwriter of this generation. .

    • 126of 140users found this helpful

  4. rafsupan

    Jul 28, 2020

    10

    The way Taylor wrote this album is beyond perfection. Nobody can write magical lyrics as Taylor. Plus, the melody of each song is veryThe way Taylor wrote this album is beyond perfection. Nobody can write magical lyrics as Taylor. Plus, the melody of each song is very captivating and enchanting. This probably her best album. Expand

    • 0of 0users found this helpful

  5. littlewolf19

    Nov 1, 2020

    10

    Folklore. What to say about it that hasn’t been said before? Taylor really, truly outdid herself this time. No one was expecting a surpriseFolklore. What to say about it that hasn’t been said before? Taylor really, truly outdid herself this time. No one was expecting a surprise drop from Taylor- she usually sticks to one particular rollout schedule that consists of a lead single, one promotional single, and the album a couple of months later in between the months of October and November. By dropping this in the middle of July, without any build up, she made waves. The album in its entirety is beautiful. The lyrics are reminiscent of those found in Red, which is a fan favorite album across the board and considered to be her magnum opus. She showcases the story telling abilities that she fully brought to the table when she wrote Speak Now all by herself at 19. And just like 1989, it has very few to no references of modern pop culture. No new slang, nothing that could date it- making it a timeless masterpiece. Others may say that the often slow tempo makes it boring, but I would argue otherwise. I was captivated by it from the start. That’s what Taylor does best- she takes feelings we all know and turns them into something that really is magical. And by doing all of this, she is cementing herself as more than just a generic pop star- I’m positive that in another ten years, she’ll be considered an icon and a legend. All of the hype and praise Folklore has received has very much been deserved. I consider this to be my new favorite album of hers, and it makes me extremely excited to see what she’ll do next. Expand

    • 0of 0users found this helpful

  6. Jainapro

    Jul 24, 2020

    10

    Greatest album ever!! Taylor Swift did is back and better than ever. I’m so proud of her growth. She gave the world what they needed

    • 1of 2users found this helpful

  7. ChromaticaRare

    Aug 28, 2020

    While folklore marks a much needed departure from Taylor Swift's outdated soft pop sound, she seems to fall short in the alternative genre,While folklore marks a much needed departure from Taylor Swift's outdated soft pop sound, she seems to fall short in the alternative genre, with more than half of the tracks off this album being snoozefests. Expand

    • 0of 5users found this helpful

See all 7707 User Reviews

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folklore by Taylor Swift (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind Folklore? ›

Taylor Swift's ninth album, “Folklore,” follows the story of a love triangle between three characters, James, Betty, and Augustine, which is referenced at multiple points throughout the album. The concept of “Folklore” is that it is entirely fictional, contrasting Swift's usual autobiographical tone.

Did Folklore win a Grammy? ›

Swift is the first and only artist to win the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year four times: Midnights (2024), Folklore (2021), 1989 (2016), and Fearless (2010).

Why is Taylor Swift Folklore so popular? ›

Folklore received widespread critical acclaim for its emotional weight and intricate lyricism; some journalists commented that its introspective tone was timely for the pandemic and regarded its sound as a bold reinvention of Swift's artistry.

Are Folklore and Evermore connected? ›

Swift described Evermore as an offshoot of "the folklorian woods"—an escapist, cottagecore-inspired direction she first ideated with Folklore during the COVID-19 pandemic; she regards them as sister albums.

What is the main point of folklore? ›

Folklore serves to teach about and preserve the culture of the people, or folk, of which it speaks. As a collection of narratives about the culture and people from which the narratives originate, folklore has an essential role in passing on a culture groups' traditions.

Did Betty end up with James? ›

Betty had found a way to forgive James, but she couldn't trust him anymore. Getting back together with him ultimately reminded her of the pain he caused her. After the break-up, Betty moves on with her life.

Is Taylor Swift a billionaire? ›

The financial news outlet said she is the first artist to achieve billionaire status solely on the basis of her music, and estimated she has a $1.1 billion fortune.

How many boyfriends has Taylor Swift had? ›

She has 12 publicly-known exes. Here is more about each one. According to Elle, Swift dated Joe Jonas in 2008, but their relationship only lasted a couple of months. Later, Swift revealed that Jonas broke up with her on a 25-second phone call and it served as an inspiration for her album, “Fearless.”

How intelligent is Taylor Swift? ›

According to some acclaimed websites, she is said to have an IQ of 160. As a matter of fact, she is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest singer ever to sign at age 11.

Was Folklore or Evermore more successful? ›

Folklore and Evermore are two of Swift's three projects that have appeared on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally. Only one other effort, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, has also spent time on the roster. Of the two, Folklore is the more successful.

What songs did Joe Alwyn write on Folklore and Evermore? ›

  • 'Exile' During a May 2022 interview with Vulture, Alwyn shared that he was “messing around” on the piano with a melody that would become Swift's duet with Bon Iver. ...
  • 'Betty' In addition to writing “Betty,” Alwyn is also credited as a coproducer of the track. ...
  • 'Champagne Problems' ...
  • 'Coney Island' ...
  • 'Evermore' ...
  • 'Sweet Nothing'
Apr 12, 2024

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