Taylor Swift’s New Found Depth in Her Two 2020 Releases

by Sasha Rtishchev

I grew up with Taylor Swift, listening to her self-titled country album with my babysitter and blasting 1989 on the radio as my mom drove my friends and I to the mall. That’s why her latest releases, Folklore and Evermore, feel like coming home for me. The quiet introspection of her new indie rock sound demonstrates her maturity as Swift enters her thirties, but she still pays homage to her past self as she refuses to completely shed her country sound and witty lyricism.

Folklore, released during summer 2020, shows emotions that Swift’s pop albums lack. “exile” and “mirrorball,” alongside many others, showcase this existential look into love, growing up, and self expression through Swift’s beautifully crafted words and metaphors. 

Although some songs take a different approach to Swift’s newfound openness. “August” and betty center around a fictional high school romance, filled with the stereotypical ups and downs of teenage love, that still feel like a mature reflection rather than naivety. Both are from the point of view of “James,” a high school heartthrob, though fans love to speculate that these pieces are about Swift’s secret past romances. 

Although, folklore does mainly give a look into Swift’s mind. Lines, such as “And it's hard to be at a party/ When I feel like an open wound,” feel more vulnerable than all of her earlier work. Although it does have happier songs, like the last great american dynasty, this album shows a darker, and deeper side to Swift, that has been hidden by her show stopping energetic songs in her other eras. This album is truly characterized by the depressing, yet open, works that fill the majority of the album.

Evermore, which released in mid- December of 2020 with no warning, leans heavily to the storytelling aspect that folklore only dabbled in. Unless Taylor Swift actually murdered a man with the band HAIM, most of the events and people mentioned in this album feel fictional, but the emotions feel realer than life. Dorothea focuses on high school sweethearts reuniting, while champagne problems focus a couple that has different ideas for their future. Although the people and problems in the album are fake, it does not lack the poetism or deep emotions that folklore has. 

Although, this album feels closer to her older work than ever. Gold rush and cowboy like me seem to stem from her country roots, but do so without betraying her growth. Swift almost seems to be projecting through her stories, as they focus on younger people in love and learning how to handle relationships. I interpret this as her working through her own mistakes and emotions that she is unable to forget about due to their gravity. And, lyrics, like “I haven’t met the new me yet,” demonstrate that this new era is centered around letting go of the past to move into the future. 

Both releases bring color to the dullness of quarantine. These albums are naked, with simple guitar that emphasizes the strong lyrics and storytelling that they have to offer. Taylor Swift is able to “come back stronger than a 90s trend,” because she puts all the emotions that I, and many others, have been feeling into song, but adds characters and imaginary issues to take minds of the humdrum of day-to-day life in a pandemic. Although I matured with Swift, folklore and evermore are perfect albums to stream whenever life gets boring, whether you happen to be a lifelong fan or not.