It’s no secret that Taylor Swift’s surprise album, evermore is the sister to her July release, folklore.
Swift is an expert at crossing over between genres, and these two albums share a similar indie sound. It’s something that transports the listener to a remote spot in the wilderness where they have no choice but to face the emotions that they have been avoiding (or maybe that’s just me?). Even more, both projects use an overlapping cast of characters and perspectives to tell their narratives.
If you’re still warming up to evermore and not quite sure where to start, allow me to steer you in the right direction based upon your folklore faves.
- “willow” + “cardigan”
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The first thing anyone will notice about the “willow” music video is Taylor Swift in a cardigan, a call back to her song with the same title on her previous project. Additional connections between the music video and folklore (though more subtle) can be found here.
- “champagne problems” + “the 1”
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In “the 1,” Swift reflects on a lost love who she thought she could have been with forever. Then, “champagne problems” tells a story about a woman who turned down a marriage proposal right before Christmas. The person in “champagne problems” could’ve been the one, but now she’ll never know.
- “tolerate it” + “illicit affairs”
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Here are some songs to blast at max volume if you’re sick of idolizing someone only to be met with the bare minimum.
Let’s look at these lyrics:
“I know my love should be celebrated / But you tolerate it” (tolerate it)
“What started with beautiful rooms / Ends with meetings in parking lots” (illicit affairs)
You deserve real love, spotlighted for the world to see!
- “’tis the damn season” + “seven”
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If you liked “seven,” it’s probably because you have some hometown nostalgia. Since “‘tis the damn season” is about someone coming home for the holidays, this track is sure to remind you of how much you’ve changed since leaving the place where you grew up.
- “gold rush” + “august”
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So you like someone who you wish you didn’t? And you’re sticking around because you’re clinging to a glimmer of hope that maybe things will change? Here’s to the hopeless romantics.
- “no body, no crime” + “mad woman”
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Taylor Swift has previously spoken up about how women are treated differently in the music industry and how it’s a constant battle to be treated as equal to other male artists. (You can watch this interview.) These two songs pick apart the “delusional woman” persona that belittles women’s achievements and voices.
- “dorothea” + “betty”
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In the chat window for her YouTube music video premiere of “willow,” Swift said that, “there’s not a direct continuation of the betty/james/inez storyline but in [her] mind Dorothea went to the same school as Betty James and Inez.” We love a good storyline.
- “coney island” + “my tears richochet”
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These songs deal with broken relationships where people are torn between leaving, coming back, and every emotion in between. If you have ever made a pros and cons list to decide if you should stay in a relationship or not (lol yikes), these songs may resonate with you.
- “ivy” + “illicit affairs”
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More songs about affairs? Alright, queue them up.
- “long story short” + “the last great american dynasty”
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Do these tracks have the ingredients for dazzling fairy tales? Yes. Does everything go to plan? No. And that’s okay. Not every scenario with love, kingdoms, or riches does. Sometimes the tumultuous journey is more fun, anyways.
- “happiness” + “this is me trying”
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Spoiler: “happiness” is more about finding peace than actual happiness.
- “cowboy like me” + “invisible string”
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To be completely honest, I don’t think there’s a song on folklore that really parallels “cowboy like me.” It might be a force to pair it with “invisible string,” but I think the idea of a “meant to be” couple is what makes them a thematic match. Each song tells a different type of romance, but they are romances all the same.
- “marjorie” + “epiphany”
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The link between these songs is more apparent, and it has to do with Swift’s grandparents. Her late grandmother was named Marjorie, and “epiphany” touches on her own grandfather’s service in the military. It’s also worth noting that each song is 13th on the album, Swift’s lucky number.
- “closure” + “hoax”
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If you’re dealing with a breakup or another type of loss, these songs are for you. It’s like ripping the bandaid off, but in audio form.
- “evermore” + “exile”
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It’s the Bon Iver features for me. What more is there to say?
Though these are just some initial similarities, it’s entirely possible that Taylor Swift has plotted some more points between the albums that fans have yet to connect.
Keep your eyes (and ears) open for a few more invisible strings.