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folklore review

Camille Gipson and Lauren Polli, Class of 2025

Folklore, the smash hit Album of the Year, was released July 24, 2020,

after a surprise announcement at 8 am EST from Taylor Swift, revealing that
she had been working on new music throughout quarantine. The 16 track

album features stellar songwriting, folk-inspired sounds, and a new side to
Taylor that fans had never seen before. A mix of autobiographical songs and
also stories about millionaire widows and teenage love triangles surprise

listeners. Produced mainly by long-time collaborator and friend Jack
Antonoff as well as Aaron Dessner of The National, the tracklist combines

pop and folk sounds seamlessly. A mystery shrouds the release of folklore: the
true identity of songwriter William Bowery listed on Betty and Exile.
The 1 opens the album with reminiscing on an ex-lover and wishing the

person could have been the One(the singer’s soulmate). Swift is hoping her
former lover is well and slowly starting to get over him. It sets the tone for the

album. Another break-up song on the record, Exile, has Bon Iver, a renowned
indie singer, vocalizing with Taylor. Our interpretation of the song is that 2

exes see each other at the movie theater, and they’re still not over each other.
The female former partner is actually on a date with another man, which

makes her ex jealous, resulting in both of them leaving the theater in the
middle of the production to avoid further contact.
The famous love triangle is made up of the songs Betty, August, and

Cardigan, which happen to be our top 3 favorite songs from the album.
Cardigan is told from the perspective of Betty, a 17-year-old girl who has been

cheated on by James, her boyfriend. She recalls that James made her feel
special and she still has some fond feelings toward the relationship even
though he hurt her badly. Next comes betty, which is from James’ point of

view, and is a much more country-inspired song with a prominent harmonica
part. James is begging at Betty’s party for her to take him back, knowing that

he’s done her wrong. Our favorite song from the album, August, is from the
point of view of the girl James cheated on Betty with. She never formally gets
a name, but Taylor and her fans refer to her as simply August or Augustine.

This makes the song sadder because it’s almost as if she is reduced to
nothing more than her actions and feelings toward James, and August says

that although James was never truly hers, the small part she did have was
good enough for her. Our take on the love triangle is that Cardigan is much
9 more mature than the other two, which are raw and somewhat juvenile.