Folklore is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on July 24th, 2020, through Republic Records. The album was created in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with production from Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff and Swift herself. It is a surprise album, announced on social media hours before its release. Departing from the mainstream pop sound of Swift’s previous releases, Folklore is an indie folk, alternative rock, electro-folk and chamber pop album driven by pianos and guitars. Lyrically, it incorporates vivid storytelling that details third-person narratives.
The album was released eleven months after Lover (2019), Swift’s seventh studio album, the fastest turnaround for a Taylor Swift studio album arrival, surpassing the twenty-one month period between Reputation and Lover. Folklore was a surprise release, created in secrecy and announced by Swift on her social media accounts sixteen hours before its launch. Folklore was released to all digital music platforms at midnight on July 24, 2020; eight limited-edition deluxe CDs and vinyls were also made available during the first-week only, all of which featured different cover artwork and photos.
Folklore was written and recorded in isolation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Swift stated that the album “started with imagery” and “visuals that popped into my mind and piqued my curiosity”. She “poured all of [her] whims, dreams, fears, and musings into” the album, collaborating with some of her “musical heroes”. Aaron Dessner, guitarist of the American indie rock band The National, was approached by Swift in late April to co-write some songs remotely.
Dessner worked on eleven of the album’s sixteen tracks with Swift over the next several months, while Swift wrote the remaining five songs with Jack Antonoff, William Bowery and Bon Iver. Dessner remarked that he “thought it would take a while for song ideas to come” and “had no expectations as far as what we could accomplish remotely” but was pleasantly surprised that “a few hours after sharing music, my phone lit up with a voice memo from Taylor of a fully written song—the momentum never really stopped.” Dessner added, himself and Swift “were pretty much in touch daily for three or four months by text and phone calls”. Talking about the music, he commented, “There’s a palpable humanity and warmth and raw emotion in these songs that I hope you’ll love and take comfort in as much as I do.”
—
Photo Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com