By releasing two sister albums just months apart from one another, artist Taylor Swift has brought in new fans and has widened her repertoire. The two records are each in the alternative music genre with folk, pop and country undertones.
The flood of fresh popularity came with both albums. According to Billboard, “folklore” garnered 289.85 million on-demand streams of its songs in its first week.” This put Swift as the highest streamed female artist of 2020.
Swift has written and released nine albums, all containing songs of different genres. She has always held an increasing fan-base, but the new releases have attracted many more fans. Swift has really done it all, and the new sister albums have allowed her fame to blossom even further.
“Folklore” was released first on July 24, 2020. The record begins with the song “the 1,” which according to the Pop Song Professor, is not from Swift’s point of view. With a light piano accompaniment and Swift’s soft voice, the album begins.
The song “cardigan” comes next on the album and was released as a music video. The video tells a magical story of a relationship with symbolism in nature. The video was self-directed and brings a very mystical theme to the “folklore” era.
“Cardigan” ultimately connects to two other songs, “august” and “betty.” Swift has placed countless easter eggs in her music for years. “Folklore” is filled with hints regarding a teenage love triangle of characters named Augustine, Betty and James.
Swift also produced a Disney Plus film that highlights the in-depth meanings behind each “folklore” song. “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” dives into the making of the song “epiphany.” It is an incredibly simple song that is ranked low on many “Swifties” lists of favorite songs.
“Epiphany” is one of my favorite “folklore” songs because it is presented with a soft and simple background and melody. Yet, the lyrics speak volumes. Swift sings about her grandfather’s experience fighting in war and connects it to healthcare workers fighting the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Crawling up the beaches now. Sir, I think he’s bleeding out. And some things you just can’t speak about.” These lyrics are then followed by “Something med school did not cover. Someone’s daughter, someone’s mother. Holds your hand through plastic now, ‘Doc, I think she’s crashing out.’ And some things you just can’t speak about.”
With these heartfelt words, it is evident that Swift pours her emotions of our world’s reality into her music. Both sister albums were fully written during quarantine and “epiphany” showcases the obstacles that healthcare workers have faced during the pandemic.
Swift is known for her poetically creative lyrics. When “evermore” was released on December 11, 2020, Swifties and myself included were thrilled for another album of poetry.
On Swift’s December 10 Instagram post, the caption reads, “To try to put it more poetically, it feels like we [Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner and Jack Antonoff] were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.”
“Evermore” contains a similar set of beautiful songs. “Willow” begins the album with a folklike guitar part. It was released with a music video that takes place in the same setting as the “cardigan” music video.
The second song on the album, “champagne problems” has been a hit with its emotional lyrics and striking bridge. Swift also released the song “no body, no crime,” which adds a mysterious theme into the record.
There are additional songs on “evermore” that carry the album to greatness. Each song on “folklore” and “evermore” was carefully crafted from Swift’s mind and heart. The various literary themes as well as musical elements have allowed her repertoire to flourish, bringing a large amount of listeners to her base.