Taylor Swift
"Cardigan"
Taylor Swift’s surprise album folklore is out now, with "Cardigan" as the official single!!
Taylor Swift – ‘Folklore’ review: pop superstar undergoes an extraordinary subdued stripped down cleansing of the palate delivering a folk, alternative rock and indie makeover that is a rich affair written and recorded in quarantine conditions.
''Her best work yet...says, Kim Cyr, Editor in Chief for NOW and THEN Magazine. It's a treasure trove of evocative metaphors and diary-like lyrics, managing to capture familiar feelings in ways you didn't know were possible. It's brilliant...''
The album brims with vivid imagery, as Swift likens herself to a favorite sweater on "Cardigan" and a "Mirrorball" that will "show you every version of yourself tonight." Album standout "Invisible String" is perhaps the prettiest love song in Swift's entire catalog, but is not without her biting wit: "Cold was the steel of my ax to grind for the boys who broke my heart / now I send their babies presents."
The results of these unforeseen quarantine writing sessions have come together on Swift’s new, eighth studio album, ‘Folklore’. She’s uncharacteristically ‘done a Beyoncé‘, announcing the album less than 24 hours before it drops, a stark change to the very deliberate, calculated release schedules we’ve seen from Swift in the past. In a simple statement posted to social media, she acknowledged that she’d usually wait and release the album at the “perfect” time, but said the global situation acted as a reminder to her that “nothing is guaranteed”. These shock release tactics go hand-in-hand with a change in musical direction for Swift; ‘Folklore’ is something totally unexpected from one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Over the course of seven albums, we’ve seen Swift evolve from a fresh-faced, teenage country crossover hopeful to sleek synth-pop chart-juggernaut. Each record has brought with it gradual changes – 2010’s ‘Speak Now’ was rockier and 2012’s ‘Red’ saw more pop-leaning production, and by the time we got to 2014’s ‘1989’ she’d cast the cowboy hat aside entirely for pure pop bangers. On album eight, Swift dives headfirst into the world of folk, alternative rock and indie.
After embracing her pop side on her past three albums, including last year's "Lover," the former country star is switching up her sound once again. This time, she's taking a page from some of her songwriting heroes including Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King. While plenty of pop luminaries such as Justin Timberlake ("Man of the Woods") and Lady Gaga ("Joanne") have taken detours into stripped-down folk/soft rock, none have made the transition as seamlessly as Swift, who reminds us once again that she's the most gifted songwriter in music today.
Given Swift's public battle with Scooter Braun and former label Big Machine Records over ownership of her music, it's impossible not to read the latter as a searing rebuke of the men – and women – who have tried to control or criticize her. "No one likes a mad woman / you made her like that," she sings over soft piano and strings. "Taking my time / 'cause you took everything from me / watching you climb / over people like me."
After years of being the media's punching bag, it's incredibly moving to hear Swift take back her power on "Folklore," her second album on Republic Records and second that she has completely owned as well. Eight albums and 14 years into her career, it's also thrilling to watch Swift continue to grow and evolve, showing that she can still surprise us in more ways than one.
It was written in isolation; she remotely teamed up with a handful of her musical heroes – and indie legends – including The National‘s Aaron Dessner (who worked on 11 of the 16 songs), Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon (he makes the record’s only guest appearance on ‘Exile’) and long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff. In her pre-release statement, she claims to have worked with another ‘hero’, the mysterious William Bowery – though no known details exist about him elsewhere and fans have speculated that this is a pseudonym for her brother or boyfriend, the actor Joe Alwyn.
Whoever Bowery is, the results are unexpected, and sometimes astonishing – ‘Folklore’ feels like Swift has travelled to a metaphorical cabin in the woods – albeit one with a very strong WiFI connection – and concocted a gorgeous, relaxed record filled with modern folk songs.
Dessner’s fingerprints permeate most of ‘Folklore’. The trickling piano on ‘The 1’ and ‘Mad Woman’ are reminiscent of last year’s The National album ‘I Am Easy to Find’ and ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ evokes the glitchy production heard on the band’s 2017 album ‘Sleep Well Beast’. These brooding instrumentals are always complemented by Swift’s distinctive vocals and ear-worm hooks, though, a reminder that this is the artist behind some of the biggest songs of the past decade. Meanwhile Bon Iver collaboration ‘Exile’ is a melancholy duet, a slow-burner that eventually erupts into a climax of glittering euphoria filled with chorused vocals and soaring strings reminiscent of Vernon’s fourth Bon Iver album, last year’s ‘i, i’.
The results of these unforeseen quarantine writing sessions have come together on Swift’s new, eighth studio album, ‘Folklore’. She’s uncharacteristically ‘done a Beyoncé‘, announcing the album less than 24 hours before it drops, a stark change to the very deliberate, calculated release schedules we’ve seen from Swift in the past. In a simple statement posted to social media, she acknowledged that she’d usually wait and release the album at the “perfect” time, but said the global situation acted as a reminder to her that “nothing is guaranteed”. These shock release tactics go hand-in-hand with a change in musical direction for Swift; ‘Folklore’ is something totally unexpected from one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
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. Now it’s up to you to pass them down. folklore is out now:
Pre-order at https://store.taylorswift.com
https://taylor.lnk.to/folklore
Taylor Swift - cardigan (Official Music Video)
Taylor Swift – this is me trying (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift - the last great American dynasty (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – epiphany (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – august (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – invisible string (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – betty (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – my tears ricochet (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – mirrorball (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – seven (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – hoax (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – exile (feat. Bon Iver) (Official Lyric Video)
Taylor Swift – illicit affairs (Official Lyric Video)
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