folklore has only gone and done it; it’s won The Edge vote for the best album of 2020!
Revered as one of the best albums of Taylor Swift‘s career, and a testament to her songwriting talent, folklore captured the hearts of many a music fan this year for its personal tones, soft sounds and shift in style. A beautiful rendition of the inner-workings of Swift’s mind, it got a brilliant 5-star review from our News Editor Sam Pegg, and rave ramblings all around from music critics worldwide.
folklore is a brilliant collection songs that frankly hit me at my absolute core. All the tracks are painfully personal, giving the listener a heartbreaking insight into the life of Swift. I think in my own experience of listening to the album, I was completely taken aback; before folklore, I wasn’t a fan of Swift in the slightest. My key emotion regarding her was indifference. I wasn’t really into her music, or concerned with her life, I just didn’t really care. I can confidently say that folkore has changed that entirely; the woman is an incredible songwriter, able to capture blunt and truthful feelings with the most simple stringing together of words, and the album as a whole is a joy to listen to.
For previous fans of Swift, the album has been widely regarded as a return to her roots, exploring her original genres when she first started out in the industry like country and folk, as per her first albums, Taylor Swift and Fearless. As writer Becky Davies argues, ‘Country and folk music suits her so well, and this album is a lyrical masterpiece, unlike anything she had done previously’. The softer tones and simple instrumentation of the album captured the hearts of many, landing Swift a number one hit with lead single ‘cardigan’, and her collaboration on the album with indie-folk musician Bon Iver was widely celebrated.
Overall, folkore is a beautiful, meaningful and breathtaking 63 minutes of sheer songwriting, instrumentation, and emotional talent. An unexpected surprise that made this strange year a whole lot better, I’m sure it will remain one of my personal favourite albums for years to come.
folklore is available to listen to now via Taylor Swift. Check out the music video for single ‘cardigan’ below.
