“Folklore”

Emma Hovan

Fan favorite “Folklore!” Even though Swifties may argue about many things, something many can agree on is that “Folklore,” is a top-tier album. Eighth-grader Ryleigh Campbell said, “I love ‘Folklore.’ It is my favorite album because the songs are very meaningful and the songs are amazing.”

As most people, including myself, were sitting around the house, binging Netflix series, drinking unhealthy amounts of soda, Taylor Swift was hard at work.

“Folklore,” the eighth studio album by Taylor Swift was released on July 24, 2020. Everything from the melodies to the stories being told was a new experience for Swift. Unlike her previous albums where she is telling about her own personal experiences, she decided to take an approach of creating stories that are all in a fictional nature, and she didn’t disappoint.

The album is rated tv-14, and consists of 17 tracks, stretching around an hour and three minutes long. From stories about teenage love triangles to the heart wrenching songs about life struggles, the whole album is filled with genius poetic lyricism.

Even though there are so many songs I love, I decided to limit myself by only talking about my top five. Also, these songs are not listed from my favorite to least favorite. They are ordered by their place on the track list.

1. “Cardigan”

Cardigan captures the journey of first love and the complexities of relationships, especially with the line,

“You drew stars around my scars, but now I’m bleedin.”

It beautifully conveys the idea that someone can transform your life positively, yet it doesn’t always last. Besides the meaning of the song, I thought that the production was fantastic. I particularly thought this while Swift was harmonizing during the bridge. This is definitely one of the standout tracks on the album and ranks high among Taylor Swift’s discography for me as well.

2. “My Tears Ricochet”

In “My Tears Ricochet” a narrative of love, loss, betrayal and reflection is portrayed. A few months after the release of “Folklore,” Swift had an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In the interview, she touched on the theme of the song.

“…all of a sudden this person that you trusted more than anyone in the world is the person that can hurt you the worst,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

Even though the song has many great lyrics, my favorite would have to be,

 ”And you’re the hero flying around, saving face.”

This line is quite ironic because she labels her ex as “the hero,” but also says that instead of saving lives like a classic hero, the speaker is dead and he is busy “saving face,” meaning he is only attempting to save his reputation. I also love the live performance of this song at “The Eras Tour!”

3. “August”

 In “August,” we get to follow along as a storyline about the ending of a summer affair between teenagers is depicted. Even though the song was released in 2020, in 2023 the song’s popularity started to sky rocket.

According to the website forbes.com, the song started out just outside the top 40 on July 31 to the No. 4 position on August 1.

I am guilty for having this song on repeat because it was my number one song on my Spotify wrap this year.

4. “Invisible String”

The whole idea of “Invisible string,” is just amazing. The song references an east Asian folk myth about a red string of fate that ties two soulmates together. This track is rumored to be about Swift’s (now ex boyfriend) Joe Alwyn. Swift references Alwyn’s old job at a frozen yogurt shop with the line,

“Teal was the color of your shirt when you were 16 at the yogurt shop.”

To be honest, I’m glad that this is the song that’s in my head twenty- four seven.

5. “The Lakes”

In “The Lakes,” Swift is escaping a legion of haters by retreating into an untamed wilderness, as generations of writers before her once did. This song holds such a special place in my heart because it really turned me into a die hard Swiftie. Surprisingly, this song wasn’t even on the original album, but was added on as a bonus track. I love this song so much because it makes me feel like I’m having a picnic on a cloudy spring morning.

Overall, I would give this album a 10 out of 10 stars. This is by far, the most relatable album I have ever listened to. I love how it has a song for anything I’m feeling. I highly recommend this album to anyone who might feel skeptical about Taylor Swift’s music. I honestly don’t know how someone would hate her after hearing these tracks.