taylor swift redefines her sound again with 'folklore'
By Grace Niemiec
Before her recent release folklore, I would have been nervous to call Taylor Swift versatile. Sure, most of her past releases could be described as aesthetically distinct from each other within the radio-pop genre. It’s hard to believe that a song from Red could be confused with one off of Reputation. However, the ability to pull off several different sounds is nothing without one thing: actually pulling it off. Before folklore, Swift hadn’t proved herself versatile for nearly a decade— not since her infamous transition from country to pop. While an eager attempt at an edgier sound, 2017’s Reputation came off as cheap and fake-deep for the majority of its runtime. It’s no surprise that Swift decided the old Taylor was not dead and turned back to her traditional poppy aesthetic with 2019’s Lover.
Her newest project feels different, though. While by no means a perfect stab at alternative/folk, ‘folklore’ is a far more successful jump than Swift’s past projects, despite containing some of her most common pitfalls.
If it hasn’t been made clear yet, I’m not always a big fan of Swift. I try to listen to her new albums, but I tend to only like one or two of the songs. I very rarely go back to them and I would never say I love them. But I love “the 1”. Starting the album off by raising my standards of every following song to match “the 1” may have been a mistake on Swift’s part. Despite this, the mixture of her weary voice and a simple piano and guitar melody shuts that thought down for the time being. The raw and relatable lyrics sting the listener. You can simultaneously feel Swift’s pain and use the calm atmosphere to reflect on a time when you, too, wished a relationship had played out differently.
The transition to “cardigan” from the excellence of “the 1” is jarring. Of the entire run-time of folklore, this is the track that reeks of Swift’s most unlikeable musical tendencies. Opening up with a list of ‘dark academia’ must-haves and the cliché phrase “when you are young they assume you know nothing” is an instant turn-off. As a teenager myself, I already know that adults tend to ignore what you have to say— and I really don’t need to hear Taylor Swift remind me. For a while I was surprised that this song became the most well received off of folklore, but then I remembered that it played into something Swift’s fans have enjoyed for years: when in doubt, use a simile. In this case: “I felt like I was an old cardigan / under someone's bed.” This has been a trademark of Swift’s songwriting for quite a bit. And while it’s not my taste, the analogies have clearly been embraced by her core fanbase, appearing in some of her biggest hits: “Blank Space” of 1989 and “You Need to Calm Down” of Lover, to name a few. The reception makes sense, but is not necessarily well deserved. The songwriting of this track is as fake-deep as any off of Reputation and the dreary instrumental doesn’t fix that. It’s something that hurts after the brilliance of “the 1.”
The following two tracks are alright, but they don’t have anything really special among them. The storytelling theme of the album really kicks in with “the last great american dynasty.” “exile” features a verse from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Sadly, there’s not much more to say than that, other than that they make sense. Of course, there’s a song that tells a folk story about old America and a feature from one of the biggest names in folk. It is a folk album, after all. Unlike the two before it, “my tears ricochet” has some solid replay value. Seemingly a simple tale of heartbreak, Swift’s delivery is what drives this one home. Her voice is gentle, reflective of the submissive nature of the subject of this story: someone trapped by a toxic relationship, even after they’ve left it.
From here, a track run begins that can only be described as conflicting. The disappointing tracks really undermine the good ones. “mirrorball” and “seven” continue the folk theme without much else to remember them by. “august” picks up the pace, detailing a whirlwind summer romance. The melody is fun, but lyrically sad, suiting the story of a summer fling well. All-in-all, it’s a solid track, but gets lost in between the several lackluster songs on each end, including the subsequent “this is me trying” and “illicit affairs.” The first sounds better suited to be a hazy interlude rather than the depthless, full-length song it is. Swift’s excellent vocal performance on “illicit affairs” gives listeners more to chew on, but it's not necessarily satisfying. Filled with overly-complex words and a choppy melody, the track is memorable in the wrong way.
The disappointing run ends there because if Swift lives up to her songwriting praise on any track, it’s “invisible string.” Touching on the idea of invisible strings that connect us and everyone we meet throughout our whole lives (drawing us together in due time) is immensely creative. I never realized I need more songs about fate until I heard this. Everything about this song is beautiful and sweet, just as the theory of invisible string is.
Swift continues with her best attempt at a song that addresses a social issue, so far: “mad woman.” Where her last two tries, “The Man” and “You Need to Calm Down”, were over-sensational, “mad woman” takes a personal and dignified approach to ignorance, feeling more genuine in the process. The following track, “epiphany,” tells the story of a man at war. Paired with the barest instrumental folklore has seen so far, “epiphany” could fall between boring or perfect for reflection, given listener preference.
“betty” is another great addition, full of the same lyrical creativity of a track like “invisible string”. Swift sings of the subject’s regret for wronging someone they love. The storytelling is engaging and entertaining. The melody is heartbreaking, but oddly fun. “betty” lacks many of the mistakes of previous tracks, but presents an entirely new one with an addition of a harmonica into the mix. It’s worth a try to get past (as everything else about the song is great), but the instrument is really far, far too distracting.
folklore begins to draw to a close with the powerful track “peace.” Swift’s vocals are contained, yet rich with passion. It’s a welcome change from her previous allusions to her personal drama (think “Look What You Made Me Do” or “Blank Space”). Swift keeps her composure and only jabs Kanye once with that “Clowns to the West” line. That’s progress, so I’ll take it. More so, she admits that her public conflicts aren’t going to go away. They’ll never see peace. All she needs to know is that the person she’s with understands that challenge in order for them to succeed. It’s a welcome change from mentions of her drama in previous songs, finally admitting that she is an active participant in a lot of her public conflicts. From here, Swift transitions into “hoax.” It’s relatively simple, lacking much memorable content, but ends the project on an appropriate note by reflecting the major themes of the tracklist.
folklore is not a flawless project. Swift runs into several of her common mistakes—frustrating clichés, depthless analogies, a few too many throw-away tracks—and even introduces some new flaws with one very annoying harmonica. However, it’s undeniable that folklore is a worthy attempt. It’s filled with more songs worth replaying than a typical Taylor Swift album. Most importantly, though, the mark is hit with that alternative/folk sound despite Swift’s lack of experience in the genre. The stripped-back sound leaves room for the singer’s not-always-perfect, but certainly capable songwriting and vocal talents. The success of “the 1,” “invisible string,” and “betty” is not outshone by the disappointment of “cardigan” and “illicit affairs.” Considering these highs and lows, folklore is certainly imperfect, but well worth a listen.