Taylor Swift ‘Folklore’ Review: The Album Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview (2024)

Country and roots music are too often used as shorthand for “serious” artistry, a notion steeped in matters of race and rockist authenticity fetishes. The implication that pop music is an inherently lesser art form has been the focus of the discourse around albums by Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus in recent years. Taylor Swift’s Folklore has already been subject to similar—and perhaps similarly misguided—scrutiny. That Swift has enlisted Aaron Dessner of the highly regarded indie-rock band the National as both a songwriting and producing partner—in addition to her frequent pop collaborator Jack Antonoff—and has embraced a grayscale, rustic visual aesthetic for the project has led many to declare the album a credibility maneuver or act of rebranding.

What makes Folklore such a compelling album, then, are the countless ways in which Swift, the savviest and most acutely self-conscious artist of her generation, anticipates questions surrounding her genre bona fides and leans into each apparent contradiction. She invites this degree of “What does it mean?” discursive handwringing because, on some level, it frees her to make the music she wants to make at any given moment. Folklore is neither a culmination of Swift’s career to date nor a pivot in a new direction. She’s doing exactly what she’s always done: offering a collection of incisive, often provocative songs that incorporate authentic, first-person details and leaving others to argue over specific genre signifiers.

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Song for song, Folklore finds Swift at a new peak in her command of language. While tracks like “Cardigan” and “Invisible Strings” hinge on protracted metaphors, “Mad Woman” and “Peace” are blunt and plainspoken. In every instance, what’s noteworthy is Swift’s precision in communicating her exact intent. “I can change everything about me to fit in,” she sighs on “Mirrorball,” a sentiment that’s emblematic of her ability to bait autobiographical readings while also actively subverting them. If she’s offering a comment on her own desire to keep up with next-gen pop stars like Billie Eilish, then the obvious follow-up question is why nothing on Folklore sounds like a viable Top 40 single. Swift’s answer comes in the song’s final stanza, a marvel of vulnerability: “I’m still trying everything/To keep you looking at me.”

In other words, Swift’s at a point in her career where she knows chart success is incidental to broad cultural impact, and she has the cachet to sacrifice the former for the sake of the latter. “All Too Well,” from 2012’s Red, has rightfully become one of her signature songs despite not ever having been released as a single, and that same fate seems likely for many of the tracks here. Every song on Folklore boasts at least one couplet or stanza that’s simply extraordinary for its command of language, narrative voice, empathy, or some combination thereof.

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The standout “Seven” first presents itself as a wistful remembrance of childhood before revealing the complexities of what we lose as we age: “Picture me in the weeds/Before I learned civility/I used to scream ferociously/Whenever I wanted.” The song also presents a queer text within Swift’s songwriting for the first time, which broadens the narrative voices she’s employed over the course of her career. “Illicit Affairs” builds to what seems like it will be one of the singer’s trademark middle-eight tone shifts, only to end abruptly without resolving into another chorus, enhancing the sense of finality in her dressing-down of a former lover. Rather than pulling her punches by repeating a catchy refrain or hook, she lets some of her bitterest lines linger, and it’s one of the album’s most impactful moments. Later, she sings from the POV of the rejected party on “This Is Me Trying” to devastating effect: “You told me all of my cages were mental/So I got wasted like all my potential.” The track finds Swift giving credence to the other person’s view of her, making for an even more believable narrator.

Swift’s early albums were hamstrung by her insistence that hers was the only story to be told—that, essentially, she was the protagonist in everyone else’s autobiography, and not just in her own. Folklore’s shifting perspectives—an homage to heiress Rebekah Harkness on “The Last Great American Dynasty,” the queer through line in the love triangle of “Cardigan,” “August,” and “Betty”—highlight how Swift’s widening worldview has deepened her skills as a songwriter. And even if none of these tracks sound like a “hit,” “Invisible String” and “This Is Me Trying” still demonstrate Swift’s masterful grasp of song structure. Her use of repetition throughout the album is particularly effective: “The 1” invokes both “the greatest films of all time” and “the greatest loves of all time” as sources of regret, while each stanza on “Invisible String” begins with a line that uses passive voice to create a narrative remove.

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That Swift employs her long-established songwriting tropes in novel ways is truly the most significant development on Folklore, rather than her choices of collaborators or whether the album scans as pop or alternative or electro-folk. She’s mined this type of melancholy tone before, but never for the full length of an album and certainly never with such a range of perspectives. It isn’t the weight of the subject matter alone that makes the album feel so vital—it’s the exemplary caliber of her writing. She may sing of wasted potential, but Folklore finds Swift living up to all of the praise she earned for her songwriting earlier in career.

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Label: Republic Release Date: July 24, 2020 Buy: Amazon

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Taylor Swift ‘Folklore’ Review: The Album Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview (2024)

FAQs

Taylor Swift ‘Folklore’ Review: The Album Mines Pathos from a Widening Worldview? ›

Folklore is neither a culmination of Swift's career to date nor a pivot in a new direction. She's doing exactly what she's always done: offering a collection of incisive, often provocative songs that incorporate authentic, first-person details and leaving others to argue over specific genre signifiers.

What do critics say about Taylor Swift's new album? ›

Some critics have praised the album for its "unbridled emotion" and "moments of genuine humor." Others say that Swift has reached a crossroads in her creative process, calling for a stricter edit.

How has Taylor Swift's music impacted the world? ›

Swift uses her fame to address social and political issues. She has had a big impact on many people throughout the world, by giving them music to relate to and standing up for important issues. Swift has a cultural impact because what she does impacts other people's actions.

Why is Folklore so good? ›

Folklore is one of her most sonically cohesive albums, toying with ideas of storytelling and escapism. Swift stated in an Instagram post that her imagination in isolation played a key part in creating a “collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness”.

What are the characteristics of Folklore Taylor Swift? ›

The concept of “Folklore” is that it is entirely fictional, contrasting Swift's usual autobiographical tone. According to Swift, “the lines between fantasy and reality blur, and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible.”

What is the most unpopular Taylor Swift album? ›

"Taylor Swift" is widely regarded as Swift's worst album, but that's only because all her albums are good. Something has to be the "worst" — that's how rankings work — and "Taylor Swift" is often overlooked, being the singer's first and most rudimentary work.

What happened with Taylor Swift and Matty Healy? ›

Meanwhile, a People source says “she had fun with him, but it was always casual,” while an Entertainment Tonight insider adds, “Taylor and Matty broke up. They are both extremely busy and realized they're not really compatible with each other.

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.

Is Taylor Swift a political activist? ›

She advocated for the Equality Act, the creation of Juneteenth as a national holiday, and the removal of Confederate statues in Tennessee. She endorsed Democrat Joe Biden's successful bid in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

How does Taylor Swift contribute to society? ›

She donated to the Tampa Food Bank in 2023, helping to give over 125,000 meals to people in the Tampa area. She also makes sure her staff is taken care of, gifting nearly $50 million to all members of her Eras crew.

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.

What is Folklore inspired by? ›

Taylor Swift has confirmed that her lockdown album Folklore was inspired by the 'storytelling' of Ireland. The singer, 34, took to the stage for her second Eras Tour show in Dublin on Saturday, and sent fans wild by declaring that the record 'belongs to them. '

What makes Folklore special? ›

Folklore consists of songs exploring points of view that diverge from Swift's life, including third-person narratives written from perspectives of characters that interweave across the tracks.

Why did Taylor write Folklore? ›

"In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness," Swift wrote. "Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory.

What is the Folklore album personality? ›

Folklore 351-400

The album exudes serenity, depth, and reflection, much like an introspective and thoughtful individual. Similar to the overall atmosphere of the album, individuals who connect with “Folklore” are likely to possess qualities such as introspection, keen observation, and a fondness for storytelling.

What style of music is Folklore and evermore? ›

In contrast to her country‑music roots and the shiny synth‑pop that made her a superstar, both folklore and evermore showcased a very different Taylor Swift sound: one veering more towards atmospheric indie and folk.

What is criticism of TTPD? ›

A common critique of “T.T.P.D.” is that it's devoid of stylistic evolution, with too many references to Swift's previous albums.

What do people think of The Tortured Poets Department? ›

But overall, it is not a bad album from Swift by any means. It just does not stand out in her discography, which I feel is similar to “Midnights.” This album is just kind of there, which is a bummer. Overall, I would give this album a solid six out of ten.

How rich is Joe Alwyn? ›

As reported by Eric Singer, Alwyn's net worth reached $4 million in 2024, reflecting not just his acting prowess but his strategic choices in both film and endorsements.

What is the score of The Tortured Poets Department? ›

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Tortured Poets Department received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 24 critic scores. Its second part, The Anthology, scored 69 from six critic scores.

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