Taylor Swift’s folklore reinvents by going back to roots

Nine-year-old me loved Taylor Swift. I would listen to her for hours dancing to the lyrics about teen heartbreak, love, and lust. “You Belong With Me” was my jam, as I fawned over the simple longing of an eager heart. Her authenticity drew me to her as a kid, because her lyrics made sense and were simple enough to appease a restless kid.

Then she evolved, in my opinion not for the better. The girl armed with just a guitar and lyrics had to fight to be the best in an industry that demands cookie-cutter perfection. An industry that demands overproduced pop over acoustic, and that constantly craves reinvention. She says it best herself: “Everyone is a shiny new toy for like two years. The female artists I know of have reinvented themselves twenty times more than the male artists. They have to. Or else you’re out of a job.”

I lost interest in this “new” Taylor. Her lyrics became shallow and music became overproduced to the point of genericism. Instead of being innovative, her music fell flat, and it seemed like all of her music missed the mark. Though I blame it on the expectations of society and the music industry, Taylor Swift seemed to only check the boxes needed to maintain relevance and did not grow tremendously in her newer albums.

Then came folklore, well put as the one indie album we all wished we made. Folklore explored more storytelling and a softer side to Swift not seen in recent years. It felt more personal than her recent albums, an intimate glimpse into her mind as an artist and woman in this uncertain world. It seemed that Swift did some soul searching during her sheltering and walked through the woods of her mind, creating the fantasy and mysticism of the album we have today. 

The production reflected the more introspective lyricism. Produced by Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff (better known as his band Bleachers), folklore feels different, yet familiar. Reminiscent of the Swift’s original girl with the guitar styling, the album production feels as simple. But in reality, the production is complex, layering many soft instruments together to create a soundscape that showcases the lyrics and Swift’s softer singing style. The album is lowercase (figuratively and quite literally), but is strong in making the listener feel something, even if that feeling is melancholy. 

Folklore exemplifies what Swift is good at but also gives her new ways to grow as an artist. It takes the listener on the road less traveled and leads to a satisfying result.