We knew Taylor was doing her duty of isolating herself (like what all people should be doing actually 😒) to minimize the spread of the virus. Like most people today, her plans for the summer got cancelled. Around this time, she should have been going around cities around the world as part of her Lover Tour. Well, since crowd gatherings are one of the primary activities that needed to be suspended (until further notice) because of this pandemic, our girl was just stuck at home (as far as we know). I suddenly remembered this conversation between her and her producer (Joel) that was shown in the Miss Americana documentary. She was talking about how she's still not ready to do those grown up stuff (like having kids) and the reality that she doesn't really have the luxury to figure things out in life as it happens because literally her life is planned, like two years ahead of time (because of all the concert tours etc). Well look at the world we live now. For sure she was able to do some contemplation and self-introspection during all those times at home.

Well I guess there's really no downtime for one Taylor Swift to chill and relax. Since she was young, songwriting has always been her way of coping with various situations in her life, and since she has all the time in the world, well guess what she chose to do -- write more songs and actually work with producers remotely to drop a 16-track studio album and do the announcement just 12 hours before it's worldwide release! Based on personal conversation threads that was released online, Aaron Dessner of the indie rock band The National, was approached by Taylor late April to collaborate on the album. And in just three months, the album was finished. 🤯 

The process of releasing this album was just so unfashionable for her and this would surely go down Swift history. Fans know how much planning she puts in for an album release - all the marketing, easter eggs, promotions... heck there wasn't even a secret session held for this album! But I guess this strategy is working on her favor, as folklore is raking up streams and breaking Taylor's own records in various charts. Really, that's the power of Taylor Swift (she's been awarded the title Artist of the Decade, and for sure her reign still continues to the new decade). We all had hunches that Taylor might have started re-recording her earlier albums, but 'lo and behold- she was apparently busy creating a new one!

Of course, in the same fashion that I reviewed reputation and Lover, I wanted to have an intimate "first listen" experience with this album. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do this because of certain events (I got distracted by work meh). Since I can't really redo my "first listen" moment with the songs, I just chose to play it every single day so I could get more attached with the songs. And oh boy did the songs age well like wine for my listening pleasures. 💓

It's already established that Taylor is a great storyteller.Writing has always been her therapeutic process for coping with whatever that she's currently going through. And I guess this is her way of coping with these unprecedented times. This album is exactly the kind of music I would want to play while doing some solitude thinking at home. I imagine myself looking out at the window, looking at the trees while soft rain is falling in the afternoon. I would be sipping my warm cinnamon coffee while the folklore vinyl plays away. If you've been to the cozyplaces subreddit, those spots perfectly capture the atmosphere that I feel in this album. 

And so here's my track-by-track review, with my favorite lyrics from the song I edited into the promo photos of the album. I also added additional insights about the structure of the song in terms of what key it is in and the chord progression of the song (disclaimer: I am still a beginner and is still learning the fundamentals of music theory through this Coursera course).

I learned of another historical female figure through this song - a woman named Rebekah Harkness, the previous owner of the Rhode Island house that Taylor is currently in possession of. In reputation, Swift name-checked Elizabeth Taylor, a famous Hollywood actress, in the track "...Ready For It."

This is one of Taylor's songs with her storytelling at its best. The lyrics are so visual. I actually pictured her persona in the Look What You Made Me Do music video, with all those jewelries. I could just make out a movie storyline for this song.

I usually listen to the songs in the album in order, and I think at this point during my first few listening sessions, my mind was already wandering around (because the songs are just so relaxing). When I finally got to focus on listening to this song, I found myself connecting more to the song lyrics. "I can change everything about me to fit in." I often thought of myself as a Boggart (from the Harry Potter world), but with the opposite effect around people- I'll be the version of a person that you would like. I'll tell you what you want to hear. I'll be your echo chamber. I wear this kind of mask so that I won't cause trouble with the people around me. The truth is- I don't really like everyone.😆 I only take off that mask with a handful of people, and I could honestly say that I could show these people who I'm truly are, and they would accept me no matter what. It's not directly related to the message of the song, but I guess this is how it affected me.

Just like Exile, I didn't connect that much with this song. 😅 I also find the melody of this song a bit unnatural. I don't know why.

This song is just so chill, I would want to listen to this song while driving down an unbeaten road with the windows rolled down and it's nearing sunset. It's been my dream to settle down abroad (NZ!) just so I could do long road trips with the mountains in the horizon. I want to be closer to Nature. I also wanted to experience a four-season climate. But if moving out is really not possible in this lifetime, can I be reborn as a Kiwi in the next one? 😅 

This song stuck to me after watching the lyric video. There's something very melancholic about this song. I think I'll make this as the theme song (especially the chorus) of this thing I'm going through for ~4 years now. I don't know when this would be resolved... But I just wanted that person to know that hey I'm actually trying, okay?

This is such a heavy song to close the album with. I hope Taylor truly is just projecting the emotions of a character she imagined in her mind. 😢

This album very much reminded me Vanessa Carlton's Rabbits On The Run (please give it a listen too!). Vanessa even praised her on Twitter for the folklore album. 💓 Since playing it forever on loop since release day, here are the songs that really stuck with me:

Well, I guess I'll continue holding onto these tracks, playing them in the morning as soon as I wake up, and at night lulling me to sleep. Thank you Taylor for another musical gift you gave to the world.