I was having a less-than-ideal week last week, and then on Thursday Taylor Swift announced evermore, the sister album to this summer's folklore. My skin cleared, my mood changed, and all was well in the world. I've been a Taylor Swift fan for my entire life. On a level, we've grown up together. Not to brag, but I was in the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift listeners on Spotify in 2020. (Yeah, I'm totally bragging about that)
Dropping folklore and evermore as surprise albums is just an absolute boss move, and I admire Swift's commitment to her artistry and love for her fans. I can't say at the moment how big of an impact these albums have had on my life in isolation because we're still not out, and I'm not done listening! For now, I'll tell you that every time I have a bad day, whenever I want to blast music and scream-sing alone, and all the times I want to celebrate, I put on my Taylor Swift playlist. (If you want to check out my Spotify, it's on there!) It's probably going to take me a while to create book-to-song matches for folklore and evermore, because I am determined to get them right. However, what I want to share right now is a bit of opining on both albums. My favorite songs, my least favorite songs, and which ones best display Swift remarkable songwriting talent. I'm also sharing an album ranking, because I think with 9 studio albums out, it's finally the right time. So. Let's dive into folklore. I'd name the 1, cardigan, illicit affairs, invisible string, betty, and peace as my favorite songs. An honorable mention goes to the last great american dynasty for being absolutely incredible. After listening, I looked up Rebekah Harkness and the history of Holiday House, and it's just as good as the song. Swift rarely wrote non-autobiographical songs, and her foray into storytelling is one I hope she'll continue, because these songs are so good. (Well, except for the fact that epiphany just goes on too long. My tears ricochet is emotional but I always have the urge to skip it. And mirrorball... shiny but not for me.) The love triangle trio (cardigan, august, betty) has had me hooked on conspiracy theories (yes, I *do* think it's a sapphic love triangle and you can't take that away from me!) for the past four months. Cardigan especially might be my favorite song off the whole album. I love the imagery, and watching the music video premiere just brought me so much joy that night. I put peace on my Blackstairs playlist, because... "Your integrity makes me seem small / You paint dreamscapes on the wall / I talk shit with my friends, it's like I'm wasting your honor / And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences / Sit with you in the trenches / Give you my wild, give you a child / Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other / Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother" is just the most Julian/Emma vibes ever. Okay, sorry for quoting an entire verse of peace on here but I need you all to understand how perfect these albums are for relating to books. The imagery, the metaphors, the undercurrent of acceptance and inevitability that runs through the songs?? It's just... agh!! I can't properly express how much I love folklore. That was it for me. As soon as I listened, I turned around and... heard it six more times that very same day. Nothing could compare. And then I heard evermore. I found out about Swift's ninth album last Thursday morning, like all of us, and immediately freaked out. I started planning my midnight first listen and theorizing about the song title meanings (yes, I thought dorothea, ivy, and marjorie were part of another love triangle story at first). Midnight ran around after the longest day ever, and I watched the willow music video wrapped in my favorite throw blanket. It is so very very good, and I'm glad it continues the aesthetic established by cardigan. We love continuity. I live-tweeted my first listen (just like I did with folklore) and then listened to evermore for the rest of the weekend. Okay, fine. The rest of the week. Okay, FINE! I'm listening to it as I write this and I'm not crying a little! I'm not! My favorite songs from evermore are willow; gold rush; no body, no crime (this song title having a comma forces me to use semi-colons in every list I make. I don't resent that *at all*); ivy; and evermore. Honorable mentions to champagne problems, tolerate it (those two always make me inexplicably sad), cowboy like me (Taylor *will* return to country music one day. This I believe!), and long story short (another Blackstairs song--I see them in everything!) for allllmost making my favorites list. Champagne problems in particular gets me, just because of how bittersweet it becomes. It's like Swift's earlier breakup songs, but less brash and more sympathetic. She doesn't take a side. Again, the lyrical maturity in both folklore and evermore just makes me want more. It's not that I don't like Swift's upbeat pop sound (Lover is my favorite of her albums, after all), but I do enjoy the more contemplative sounds she's chosen here. Her collaborations feel more interesting, the songwriting top notch. I have so much respect for her artistry and ambition, which is why I've remained a fan even when it wasn't "cool" to be one. Wherever she strays, I'll follow (willow reference, because I can't help myself). I don't think I could ever tire of this new style, especially because the limits of an album have become the expanse of Swift's imagination, and not the scope of her real life. So I was cool with a surprise twin album for folklore, and I'd be even cooler with a triplet. I know she debunked the woodvale theory, but I'm still holding out hope for a third album. I think Miss Swift has more stories to tell, and I'd be honored to hear any of them. Okay! Now for an album ranking, accompanied by my favorite songs from each. I left out movie soundtrack singles and her Christmas album, even though my favorite song in the world is Sweeter Than Fiction.
And because I want to plug my Spotify (which you should all totally follow for some amazing bookish playlists) I'm going to embed my blackstairs playlist, which I've mentioned a couple times here. I started this around folklore's release, and I'm really proud of it.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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