Let's Talk Taylor Swift's "Folklore"

I don’t have to give any explanation when I say 2020 has been a year that has broken us all. Sometimes though, there is a silver lining.

One positive thing I’ve experienced living through a pandemic is a reconnection with nature. This is something I’ve written about in the past. When almost every privilege was taken away (as it was in quarantine), nature was always there. I visited botanical gardens, as well as learned how to appreciate fresh air and greenery.

So when Taylor Swift released her eighth album “Folklore”, back in July, I was immediately hooked. To be clear, the album isn’t specifically about nature, but if you’ve listened to it, then you know it’s a simple album that focuses on storytelling (thus the name).

However, the art and imagery that accompanies the album are inspired by cottagecore. Cottagecore is the romanticization of a rural lifestyle and during the pandemic, I fell in love with this aesthetic.

In every promotional photo for “Folklore”, Swift is in a meadow looking ethereal. The music video for the first single “Cardigan”, very much brings this aesthetic to life as Swift sings while playing an old piano in a wood cabin, then in a fairytale-like forest.

Although cottagecore has been around for years, it was not mainstream until this year due to COVID 19 and of course, “Folklore”.

In a time where it’s easy to feel trapped, especially when living in a small apartment or home (as one does in large expensive cities), cottagecore, and more specifically “Folklore”, offers an escape.

That’s probably why Swift did not promote the album. In a matter of months during quarantine, she wrote, recorded it, and put it out there almost immediately.

As she put it, “In isolation, my imagination has run wild and this album is the result. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve.”

I am not a musical person, but let’s discuss some of the songs on “Folklore”.

“Folklore” has 16 tracks that are all are softly composed. They are what I believe to be perfect for an indie coffee shop or for doing cozy things at home.

What makes this album stand out though is that most of these songs are not Swift’s own personal experiences. She either made them up or took on someone else’s perspective. Regardless, she finds a way to write songs that everyone can relate to.

Some of my favorites include “Cardigan”, which reminisces on young love and the memories connected to it. “Seven”, where swift consoles a childhood friend with a difficult home life, and “Betty”, a song where a fictitious character named James apologizes to Betty for cheating.

As I said, there are 16 tracks, so I could go on and on but to simplify it, each song has a narrative and there is even a love triangle (as seen by the characters James and Betty).

I think “Folklore” is one of the best albums to come out of 2020 and I praise Swift for going back to her country roots on some of the songs. It’s unlike any else she’s put out before.

And as for cottagecore, although I have an incessant urge to run away to the middle of the forest and live in a small cottage, I guess I’ll have to do with “Folklore” for now.

@lesliestefv

In love with my new ##folklore vinyl ##taylorswift ##fyp

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