We chose to wander deeper in.. Folklore is a little more, well, folkloric: The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible, she shared in an advance statement about the lyrical content. "The road not taken looks real good now" is a clear reference to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken. hoax. For example, "'Tis the Damn Season" and "Dorothea" tell the story of two high school sweethearts, who briefly reunited for a holiday weekend. "The holidays linger like bad perfume" calls back to "Illicit Affairs," the 10th track on "Folklore," again making an artificial scent seem sinister ("Leave the perfume on the shelf / That you picked out just for him / So you leave no trace behind / Like you don't even exist"). "Showed you all of my hiding spots" may be a reference to "I Know Places," the 12th track on "1989" ("I know places we can hide"). It's getting chilly outside. Taylor Swift Proves She's The Greatest Entertainer Of All Time With Both albums proclaim the importance and immortality of Swift's own stories. invisible string. Madeline Miller and Rebecca Caprara reexamine the women of Greek mythology : NPR's Book of the Day Today's episode starts with a familiar feeling - the way your heart drops when a book character . In "Happiness," however, Swift doesn't nod to the character's famous parties, or the Roaring '20s when the story takes place. ", The poem famously concludes: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.". The album is rich with beautiful lyrics and subtle details that tie different songs and stories together. In both songs, Swift describes how draining it is to love someone who's cruelly apathetic especially someone who's older and seemingly wiser ("Don't you think I was too young to be messed with? Taylor Swift - evermore Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic Swift previously included an explicit nod to Gatsby in "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things," and alluded to the story again with "Folklore" opening track, "The 1.". gold rush. But lines like And women like hunting witches too harken back to her Reputation era (Theyre burning all the witches even if you arent one, she sings on I Did Something Bad). Both songs illustrate courtship using mythical terms and fairytale visuals. / The girl in the dress cried the whole way home"). He seems to buoy Swift, promising "we'll be tall again," regardless of the season. What distinguishes Folklore from Evermore, of course, was the element of surprise not in how the albums appeared (which shocked fans and industry insiders alike in both cases), but in the stylistic shift Folklore embodied. The original is a creative leap; the follow-up is likely to be incremental. Any Swift fan knows that she loves to hide winks, hidden details, and thematic parallels in her songs and videos. Taylor Swift's newest album "Evermore," her second surprise release of the year, is another shining example of the singer's songwriting prowess. Several details point to Alwyn's influence. Taylor Swift 'evermore' Album Review - Vulture betty. Seven. "Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow / Tarnished but so grand" could be a reference to "Afterglow," the 15th track on "Lover.". fool's gold - Tumblr "The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo" recalls a similar image in "Tim McGraw," even down to the specific location callout (He said the way my blue eyes shined / Put those Georgia stars to shame that night"). "Can't remember / What I used to fight for," she sings, recalling her previous duet with Bon Iver, "Exile" ("You're not my homeland anymore / So what am I defending now?"). 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Taylor Swift 'folklore (deluxe version)' Album - YouTube Sibling Rivalry: Is 'folklore' Or 'evermore' The Better Album? "I was trying to reflect on the Coney Island visual, of a place where thrills were once sought," Swift told Lowe. "'Cause we were like the mall before the internet / It was the one place to be / The mischief, the gift-wrapped suburban dreams," Swift sings. Evermore clings to the acoustic-Minimalistic palette of Folklore, with homey piano and imperturbable guitar patterns. Pick a caption for your gang on Instagram. 15. pick an evermore song (again, song with character doesn't increase odds . Take this quiz with friends in real time and compare results. ", Right away, there's a callback to "Seven," which shares the same track-seven slot on "Folklore. Which Taylor Swift Break-Up Have You Been Through? Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! On Folklore, Swift decided she could set aside autobiography to tell stories that werent necessarily her own. Taylor Swifts new Evermore contains some world-beating songs and some that feel like leftovers from Folklore., Evermore comes less than five months after Swifts previous album, Folklore., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The 10 best albums of 2020: Taylor Swift, Fiona Apple, more, Gordon Lightfoot, mournful Canadian singer-songwriter, dies at 84, Tim Bachman, founding guitarist of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, dies at 71, Ed Sheeran blasts music expert for criminal testimony in Marvin Gaye copyright trial, Paul Stanley of KISS dives into debate over transgender acceptance versus kids transitioning. Here's a timeline of their famously private relationship. The National & Taylor Swift's "The Alcott" Lyrics, Explained ), "My picture in your wallet" recalls the very same song, which contains the similar line, "Picture of your face in an invisible locket.". As Larocca noted, Bon Iver could be interpreted as a stand-in for Alwyn, who cowrote the song. Churchy organ tones surround her as she faces the end of a seven-year romance in Happiness, slipping toward anger I hope shell be a beautiful fool/Who takes my spot next to you but determined to be fair: Therell be happiness after you/But there was happiness because of you too. And the albums title song, Evermore, looks back, over a serene piano line, on how she used to believe that this pain would be for evermore; Bon Iver (Justin Vernon), returning after his appearance on Folklore, arrives midway through to recall more turbulent times, but Swift is determined to put pain behind her. champagne problems. Until now, Taylor Swift has switched up her collaborators and general sound with each album. Obsessed with travel? 'Evermore,' Taylor Swift's 'Folklore' Sequel, Is a Journey Deeper You could call me babe for the weekend, she tells the guy, which could just about break your heart. Taylor Swift's 75 best lyrics, including 'Midnights' - USA Today Based on your answers, this quiz will help you find a suitable personality from Folklore and Evermore. Kevin MazurNetflix/Getty Images; Getty Images. Since Swift first began collaborating with Aaron Dessner on Folklore, the two have become unlikely close friends, sharing credits again and again on Swift's evermore, 2022's Midnights, and on . Many listeners have concluded that the three songs included are "Cardigan," "August," and "Betty.". ", Indeed, the lyrics contain references to multiple breakup songs in Swift's catalog, especially from her 2010 album "Speak Now. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! You love to party and will never turn down a good time. Swift often uses the color gold to reference Alwyn, as in "Dress" ("Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo"), "Daylight" ("I once believed love would be burning red, but it's golden"), and "Invisible String" ("One single thread of gold tied me to you"). That, and the greyscale, woodsy images she teased the release with, announced her new direction: alternative pop-folk. Swift uses warmth as a metaphor for love in both songs, which she also does in "Peace" ("I'm afire and I'llkeep your brittle heart warm"). Swift honed this tradition with "Folklore" and doubled down with "Evermore," adopting different perspectives and creating storylines that augment and enrich the listening experience. Obsessed with travel? "evermore" feat. The quiz covers a wide range of questions that are based on your lifestyles, perspectives, likes, dislikes, interests, and much more. The second verse of "Gold Rush" contains the most obvious lyrical reference in the song: "My mind turns your life into folklore. There are also several nods to "Getaway Car," the fan-favorite ninth track on "Reputation.". Swift knows that people crave information about her love life, but she and Alwyn choose to keep details about their relationship private. . In her notes, Swift explained: Theres a collection of three songs I refer to as The Teenage Love Triangle. and I named a few," she told Entertainment Weekly. "Evermore" features more character studies and role playing, as she sings . ", "In the last chorus, the person goes inside, and finally is warm, and finally is safe," Swift told Lowe. Every detail and Easter egg you may have missed on Taylor Swift's album 'Folklore'. Having spent . which folklore/evermore character are you? - Personality Quiz And the rest of us? 63. 11 January 2021 / 1:00 PM @taylorswift, Instagram Taylor Swift is arguably the world's biggest artist. You use a lot of sarcasm, and your humor is most likely dark or an acquired taste. Its heart is folk storytelling. Yet the singers companion LPs also showcase her prodigious songwriting talent at a moment when COVID has kept musicians off the stages that normally define their lives. What's new in Apex Legends season 17? - Polygon But we were something, dont you think so? "I hope she'll be a fool," Daisy says of their young daughter. Folklore isnt the pop star album that will drive worries away and replace them with sparkle. By downsizing her music, Swifts first 2020 record obliged listeners to reconsider the skills of a master spectacle-maker; Folklore, with its many tunes about characters both real and imagined, also asked us to detach Swifts songs from the particulars of her highly scrutinized personal life. This may be a callback to the image of a ship in "Willow," but it's also a reference to "Gorgeous," a "Reputation" single that Swift has confirmed was inspired by her boyfriend ("Ocean blue eyes looking in mine / I feel like I might sink and drown and die"). And not all of them are up to the standard she set on Folklore., There are some incredible songs here, none more impressive than Tolerate It, a devastating account of a loving wife who no longer interests her husband; Gold Rush, about the torments of being in a relationship with a famous person; and Champagne Problems, which play-by-plays a rebuffed engagement offer with so much empathy that neither character ends up as the bad guy. The quiz covers a wide range of questions that are based on your lifestyles, perspectives, likes, dislikes, interests, and much more. Quiz: Which Disney Princess Are You Based On The Taylor Swift Songs You Choose? According to Swift, "Cowboy Like Me" is about "two young con artists who fall in love while hanging out at fancy resorts trying to score rich romantic beneficiaries. Who is Dorothea on Taylor Swift's Evermore? All the theories - PopBuzz The tale of how evermore came to be is the stuff of first loves, holiday rom-coms, and Taylor Swift songs. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. The song's narrator says she's "stayin' at [her] parents' house" for the holiday season and she'll eventually return to her home in Los Angeles even though it'll break her heart to leave her high school sweetheart again. The National return today with their ninth studio album, The First Two Pages of. Not for Swift. which taylor swift folklore/evermore character are you? This recalls similar "fallen from grace" imagery in "Call It What You Want" ("My castle crumbled overnight," "They took the crown"). You have the best laugh ever, and you are just so amazing. You decide to watch. "I had finished the song and was nailing down some lyric details and texted her, 'You're not going to understand this text for a few days but which chain restaurant do you like best?' "I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night / Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife," she begins. Swift cowrote "Coney Island" with producers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as Alwyn who, interestingly, did a photoshoot in Coney Island for a 2018 Esquire interview. The July 23 release of Folklore, her 16-track eighth album, came as a surprise even to devout followers: only 11 months after Lover, it was the first time shed put out a project on less than a two-year schedule. trivia quiz for die hard taylor swift fans! Obsessed with travel? Similarly, the chorus of "Willow" recalls the bridge of "August. Appropriately, the lyrics also nod to some of Swift's older love songs from her teenage days. Taylor Swift 'Evermore' album review: A bewitching 'Folklore' followup Larocca wrote. But in context, this is reminiscent of how Nick, the book's narrator, describes his early impression of Gatsby. "I left you in a motel bar / Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys / That was the last time you ever saw me," she sings in the latter. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Then theres Closure, a wild industrial-folk number with Nine Inch Nails-style drums in which the narrator lays into an ex who cant stand the idea that shes still mad at him: My beers and my candles! The lyric also subtly foreshadows the next track on "Evermore," which is called "Gold Rush.". Five women take the top 3 spots, with Taylor Swifts quarantine album leading our years best. She was in a relationship with James, the popular guy, until he cheated on her with Augustine, the rebellious new girl. Take this quiz with friends in real time and compare results. Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool, As avid listeners well know, Swift loves riffs on the past. Unlike the tabloid-attention-grabbing experiences Swift has written about previously, the stories in evermore while still containing many personal elements are less documentary than they are . The National Want Their Taylor Swift Duet Played 'in Context' - MSN Let's find out which Taylor Swift sister album you are! First of all, both you and this music are perfect. Billed as a companion to July's "Folklore," it's similarly rich with poetic lyrics, callbacks to old songs, and fictional narratives. In fact, there are multiple parallels with "Call It What You Want." Swift previously used the phrase "for evermore" in "New Year's Day" ("Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor / You and me forevermore"). While it's been confirmed that Dorothea is another fictional character in the Folklore/Evermore universe, some fans have uncovered a few more theories they believe could tie into the story. "It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Its production is every kind of thing fans have heard and loved on breakup albums in the last decade. MTV writer Jackson Langford digs into the minutiae in his quest for the MVP. Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com. Some fans believe that "Coney Island" is littered with subtle references to Swift's ex-boyfriends, reflecting on the general feeling of loss. When Swift's reputation was damaged, her metaphorical high heels her ability to please and perform for people broke. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Most recently, he sold them to a private-equity company called Shamrock Holdings. What happens if she gets off the tightrope, and stops shining just for you?" She continued writing songs with the Folklore brain trust of producers and musicians primarily Aaron Dessner of the National, who plays most of the instruments and collaborated on 14 of 15 songs. Quarantine has us all dragging up old memories and wondering whats still real. But the bridge, especially, is littered with lyrical Easter eggs. "Lost in your current like a priceless wine" also seems to reference "August," the eighth track on "Folklore" ("August sipped away like a bottle of wine"). Folklore meets her exactly where shes strongest, right now. The band's lead singer, Matt Berninger, has a voice so doleful and deep that it seems to emanate from a cavern. ", "When I dropped my sword / I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door," she sings in "Long Story Short. Finally, Swift makes Gatsby's influence clear by using the book's most famous symbol. "Where's that man who'd throw blankets over my barbed wire?" She wrote "Death by a Thousand Cuts," the 10th track on "Lover," after watching the Netflix film "Someone Great.". Parallels and Plotlines between Taylor Swift's folklore & evermore It was both her first surprise release and her first. For most pop stars, that might be enough. You put in a lot of effort and are devoted. Crafting the woodsy surprise album folklore in isolation, Taylor felt the spark of something exciting and new, and knowing all things must pass, wanted to make it linger just a little longer. Unlike "Exile," however, Bon Iver's appearance shifts the song in a more positive direction. There are some parallels with more hopeful songs. Taylor Swift Adds Heightened Romantic Drama To The National - Genius As Larocca noted in Insider's "Evermore" review, the first verse ("If I can't relate to you anymore / Then who am I related to?") "It's about, sort of, the process of finding hope again.". Swift has stepped into a new lane, and she has conquered it. Swift has historically been one of our most confessional pop stars in her music, often mining her personal archives for material. She also told Entertainment Weekly that she was inspired to write songs in quarantine after watching lots of movies, and that "My Tears Ricochet" was partially inspired by "Marriage Story," another Netflix original. "Dean was her father's father, Finlay her mother's mother," Sheffield wrote. The July 23 release of Folklore, her 16-track eighth album, came as a surprise even to devout followers: only 11 months after Lover, it was the first time she'd put out a project on less than a . / Twenty stitches in a hospital room"). Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. One person theorises that Dorothea is actually the name of Gigi and Zayn's baby daughter. Review: 'Folklore' is the album Taylor Swift was born to make But "Evermore" is no ragbag of "Folklore" B-sides and throwaways. "No Body, No Crime" is the "even murder" part of "Evermore's" aforementioned marriage anthology. In the chorus of "Closure," Swift sings, "Yes, I got your letter / Yes, I'm doing better.". Both sets of lyrics, especially when paired, describe the depth of Swift's connections and her willingness to take risks for the people she loves. Swift draws a contrast between Dorothea's regret and Frost's triumph. However, the song could also be interpreted as a metaphor for Swift and Alwyn, trying to shield their relationship from the public's prying eyes. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Swifts boyfriend, the actor Joe Alwyn, had a hand in three songs under the pseudonym William Bowery; Jack Antonoff, who also wrote with Swift on Folklore, worked on two. I also have a hunch that when you grow up, you'll be wealthy! "Never wanted love / Just a fancy car / Now I'm waiting by the phone / Like I'm sitting in an airport bar," she sings in the former. illicit affairs. The opening song, The 1, is an ode to what could have been. Thematically, "Willow" resembles Swift's 2008 hit "Love Story," especially the third verse ("Wait for the signal, and I'll meet you after dark"). One of the songs on Folklore that caught the most early attention online is Betty, a late-album track that sees Swift return most directly to her country roots. The opening lines of the song ("Gray November / I've been down since July") point to current events, but they also hint at her current relationship timeline, similar to "Call It What You Want" ("I recall late November / Holding my breath, slowly, I said / 'You don't need to save me / But would you run away with me?'"). "So I'll go back to LA and the so-called friends / Who'll write books about me, if I ever make it," she sings bitterly, recalling Swift's takedown of celebrity trappings and fake friendship in "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" and her desire to escape and lead a private life in "The Lucky One. Betty, the popular sweetheart, is the main character. You're gorgeous, independent, ambitious, a little eccentric, and flirty despite your vow to avoid men. But those ballads have often been her most poignant work. Indeed, "Dorothea" is addressed to its titular character just like "Betty," the 14th track on "Folklore.". Announced on social media only the morning before, the album was released at midnight on December 11, 2020, fewer than five months after the similarly unexpected folklore.. Are You Ready For A Tough Taylor Swift Quiz? "Long Story Short" seems clearly inspired by Swift's "cancellation" in 2016, when she was labeled a "snake" and retreated from the public eye in response. "She chose Olive Garden and a few days later I sent her the song and asked if they would sing on it. "Dorothea" was the first song written for "Evermore.". In both verses, Swift sings wistfully, "What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?" If theres one thing we know about Taylor Swift, its that she works hard. "And when I was shipwrecked / I thought of you," Swift sings in response to his verse, calling back to the ship imagery in the album's opening track, "Willow.". A second album with the same collaborators moves even further from her pop past. willow. You could also argue that "Marjorie" contains the thesis for "Evermore," much like "Seven" did for "Folklore.".