ALBUM BREAKDOWN: FOLKLORE - Taylor Swift… GENIUS SONGWRITING!!! Part 1 

Hey friends! This video will be uploaded in 3 parts because we had just a little too much footage 😂Stay tuned for the rest soon ❤️

Your Taylor reactions are like therapy for me. They’re very relatable and it feels like I am part of the conversation with my Swiftie best friends.

The "peter losing wendy" line also signifies growth. Peter Pan famously never grows up- similar to James. Wendy goes on to live the rest of her life and grows old and marries and has children of her own. I think that's why Taylor made the love triangle songs occur at different ages. Cardigan: Betty is much older here and reflects back on this time in her life. August: Slightly older and reflecting back because she's managed to move on a bit. Betty: James is frozen at the age that they cheated- always childlike (17), never grows up in this story. How beautiful

I forgot William Bowery wasn't known at this point omg, rewatching your reacts are the best

hearing you guys say "she wrote it with this William Bowery, we don't know who he is" feels so crazy now

Also in Miss Americana, when she said “I'm sorry. Was I too loud? In my own house, which I bought with my own money writing about my own life?” THERE GOES THE LOUDEST WOMEN THIS TOWN HAS EVER SEEN!!! (42:02 when you’re talking about it)

3 PARTS?! Giiiirls your spoiling us

I love how like all the songs have so many layers of meaning to them, because if you think of it, that’s what folklore is. The initial story is there but there are underlying lessons and truths within.

“leaving like a father” could be referring to how she saw scott as family but he betrayed her

we absolutely NEED a 1989 break down AND a fine line reaction!!!

You two are one of the most ~superior~ channels on youtube 🤩🤩 Taylor Swift’s genius is undeniable and you two dissect her songs so amazingly, making it easier for us casual fans to understand all the subtle nuances and hidden messages.

I'm a very new swiftie and I'm going through eras one at a time, but a song I've been listening to since it came out was cardigan, but I never fathomed the meaning as you said in this video and AS SOON AS YOU SAID that it was her talking to the fans, I started bawling my eyes out, I couldn't stop crying, I was so emotional!! I genuinely LOVE this woman.

I literally screamed when I saw this notification

In exile when he says "so step right out, there is no amount of crying I can do for you" I take that as Scott saying go ahead and leave. I'm not going to give you what you want and what you're asking for. He's not crying about it at all, he's just saying no to giving her a chance to buy back her masters. He thinks that she'll just leave it alone and move on but then she actually does leave and then of course it my tears ricochet she's saying "it killed you just the same, wishing I stayed, drunk on this pain, curing my name ect... so he wasn't crying in exile but he was crying in my tears ricochet

When you discussed Exile being about losing her music to scooter and the connection to my tears ricochet: in my tears ricochet she sings "I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want just not HOME" It fits so well with the definition of exile you read out and also her singing "you're not my homeland anymore." in exile! Thank you so much for these videos and for making me love Taylor Swift even more ❤️

There are so many Gatsby references made in “TLGAD”, the ones you mentioned as well as the “new money.”Gatsby being new money. How Gatsby would go out to the rocks at night and look across the water to Daisys house who always had a green light shining across the water. She also mentions in “Don’t Blame Me” “I once was poison ivy, but now I’m your Daisy.” Gatsby loved Daisy to his death, and Joe loves her like Gatsby loved Daisy. I have a theory that “The Great Gatsby” is one of Joe’s favorite books or one that they both love because she says in “Paper Rings” “Now I’ve read all the books beside your bed.” Such a great breakdown!! I literally screamed when I saw that this was not only one hour, but PART ONE OF THREE!! Im so stoked for more to come. Thank you for these videos 💞💞💞

literally JUST forced my mom to listen to betty, august, and cardigan and she was mind blown with the genius storyline and songwriting!!!!!!! now i’m gonna force her to watch this video with me lol

I kinda take “the 1” as not being about a specific ex bf but collectively all of them. Like she’s looking back at her “roaring twenties” and saying it could have been great if she’d ended up with any of those boys but she didn’t and it’s all good.

start a podcast start a podcast START A PODCAST pls and thank u

I so wish I could have seen you two finding out who William Bowery is!

What I love the most about this channel is that you guys actually listen to each other before talking. That’s hard to happen with 2 people channels. Every one is so eager to talk that they interrupt their partner without even listening. Each one of you gives the other the space to talk and you actually listen to the other’s words. That’s lovely 🤎

Hi I just want to clarify something 1. Taylor owns the copyright to her music and Big Machine owned Taylor’s masters to her 6 albums. BM owns the right to the masters because of the contrat Taylor signed when she was 15. Take note that it was Scott who asked Taylor to sign with him when at the time he didn’t even have a company yet. Taylor was his first artist and it was Taylor who made BM such a profitable company. 2. Owning the masters means they have control over publication (basically use in movies, putting it on youtube, control over use of the songs when played on tv, etc). They make money everytime someone uses a copy of the masters. 3. Taylor wants her masters because she wrote the music, it is her voice, the images are of her, the concept and words on the cd jackets are hers, basically every detail in the cds are birth from her ideas. 4. Copyright is given to an artist from the birth of the art. It has many rights such as right to royalties. Taylor still owns the copyright to her music hence she still gets paid royalties to the use of her music. This is also why Taylor can rerecord her music. By rerecording, Taylor will create new masters of her old albums.

I can't even articulate how excited I am to watch this!! Getting on my cardigan, making some tea and clearing my schedule!

their chats and reacts for every song: 2:13 - The 1 18:00 - Cardigan 33:38 - The Last Great American Dynasty 44:37 - Exile we can't wait for the other parts, Bonny and Emily!!💕

The lyric about "peter losing wendy" is so intelligent even from the peter pan pov if you've heard about that theory?

i LOVE that you're having to split this into three parts. Your passion for Taylor is awesome! I smiled the whole way through.

I agree with you so much on The 1 being about Harry. He truly is a gentleman and if Taylor were to write a song about her exes it would most definitely be him. Don't get me wrong, we all know Taylor is so much in love with Joe and she is happy and we are happy for her too! But Haylor will always hold a special place in my heart and he is her best ex. I know this entire album is just "folklore" but something about this song being about Harry brings a smile to my face :) They are the perfect example of meeting the right person but at the wrong time. Thank you guys for uploading this finally! Been waiting for this video ever since your folklore reaction came out! ❤️❤️❤️

Watching it now! You've turned me into a Taylor Swift fan!

"you drew stars around my scars" can also be about her record label making money off her heartbreaks. it's like an attempt to make things feel better because they all got something out of it and for a moment, it was pretty but then, as the song goes "now, I'm bleeding". because the scars were always a vulnerable place to touch and she let them, but they betrayed her.

I love your breakdowns!! I had a slightly different take on Cardigan, although I do believe that there is hidden meaning behind some of the lyrics. High heels on, cobblestones black lipstick, sensual politics.... I think this refers to Joe and the Met Gala. Her Tribeca compound in NYC is on one of NYC’s remaining cobblestone streets, there are not many that remain. If they met at the MET gala, in NYC, she was wearing really dark lipstick, high heels, living at her Tribeca pad on a cobblestone St. The MET gala is the red carpet of all red carpets, it usually has a political undertone where using fashion to make a political statement is normal and usually welcomed and expected. During REP, her stock was down and she is inherently insecure anyway. I think she’s talking about Joe putting her on (“you try on calling me baby like trying on clothes” from KOMH) after she felt like she had been discarded and forgotten by her fans and the music industry. He decided she was his favorite. It almost seems like he had other girlfriends or wasn’t wanting any commitment just yet (“it’s cool I tell him no rules”, “maybe u ran with the wolves and refused to settle down”, “ back when we were card sharks playing games”, “ echoes of your footsteps on the stairs, stay here honey I don’t want to share”, etc). Until he chose her from the other women maybe, he told her she was his favorite (I’m a mess but the mess that you wanted). To kiss in cars to downtown bars, maybe even a dive bar, could be them making out in the backseat of cars (in the backseat drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar) coming home from the bar, or while she waits in the backseat while he secures the rental on Cornelia St. choose two girls lose the one also implies that he wasn’t ready to settle down And this upsets her (I cried in the back of the car coming home from the bar, I love you ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard; I packed my things, left Cornelia St before you even knew I was gone; maybe I’ve stormed out of every room in this town; begging you to leave me just so I can scare you; I woke up just in time now I wake up by your side). Playing hide and seek and giving me your weekends. In order to meet up with Joe, she had to be in disguises, hiding from media and fans. Maybe this would happen on weekends, or I know she was jet setting to London maybe on the weekends. I think the final bridge is also about Joe. Tried to change the ending Peter losing Wendy, he keeps trying to keep her and she keeps running away (you gotta leave before you get left; again the I woke up just in time lyric and at least I did one thing right). She knew he’s the stable one in this relationship, no matter how many times she tries to run away because she’s scared and insecure, she knew he would always be there for her (In Afterglow, it’s only in my head; Then you called showed your hand, I turned around before I hit the tunnel ....). She knows she is a mess but he is the rock. She will go through phases where she feels discarded By fans or friends, but she will always be his favorite, she can always count on him. Leaving like a father, running like water, I knew you’d linger....... I think she is talking about herself running away from this relationship, trying to save herself from being hurt because she loved him so much.... But he lingered, she couldn’t leave him completely. Haunt all of my what-ifs. He was the rock, and he was haunting her scenarios until they get back together because she was miserable without him. He’d always be there for her no matter how many times she storms off, storms out of all these rooms in NYC, but it’s all in her head, he’s still there for her. His favorite.

I was so worried that this was going to be only short reactions for each song because we were halfway through and only on the second song but I'm SO SO GLAD you are dedicating the required amount of time to the GENIUS that is Ms. T Swift. This video could have been three hours and I would have watched it all in one sitting!! Love you guys xxxx

Okay but when she comes in during exile singing “line” over him, that is her drawing the line in their relationship! She’s saying that is as far as it will go, I’ve drawn the line and now we need to separate. And my tears ricochet is all about what happens when he chose to cross that line!!

My theory is that “the 1” is from the perspective of Selena Gomez, singing about Justin Bieber (I had a Tik Tok go viral about it haha). Lots of signs point to it! Justin featured on a song called “I’m the one”. Selena also has a lyric in her song “fun” : “you may not be the one, but you look like fun”. Very similar to “it would have been fun, if you would have been the one”. They are close friends and Aaron didn’t just say it wasn’t from her perspective, he said the specifically it was the perspective of a friend which even more so makes me think it’s about Selena and Justin! Could be wrong but a fun theory none the less haha 🤣 my fav part of this era is all the different theories!!

your enthusiasm is just infectious!!!! every album you guys review I just get completely obsessed with

Superiorrrrrrrr! I have relistened all of her albums because of you. I used to love her songs before (not all) but i didnt understand them, but you made it so clear. There is just so much meaning and emotion behind every song. Thanks for that! aaaaa 3 parts?! You girls are awesome

It's great to have this cut into three parts, I love listening to your long discussions! Great video as always, I can't wait for the next ones ❤️❤️❤️

I always love watching these videos to see other people’s interpretations of the songs. Can’t wait for the next two parts!! 💖

The fact that our understandings of this album, evermore and Midnights have COMPLETELY changed because of what we know now from TTPD and Matty is UNFATHOMABLE.

Yessss!!!! I have been waiting for this!

This video is so fun to revisit after TTPD! Bonnie about the 1: there is no other ex she would feel this way about. 😂 honey you got a big storm coming

This whole channel is superior 🌟

It’s 5 a.m here in Brazil but here we go. Super excited to see this video 🖤

Just got stars tattooed on my elbow for cardigan, had to come back and rewatch this.

I CANNOT. tell you. How much pure joy seeing this notification gave me.

I am living for your analysis and reactions. LOOOOVE THIS!!

This was amazing, can't wait for part 2! I will never get over how we got blessed with such an amazing genius human in our lifetime 😭❤️

I hope part 2 comes out asap 😭😭😭 I love watching you guys. Your personalities are so welcoming.

Love that I went from only knowing Taylor’s biggest singles to watching a four part breakdown of one album in six months

I love watching your videos while cooking or cleaning, it feels like I‘m vibing with two good friends to Taylor Swift and talking about all the theories and meanings of the lyrics 🥰

Hehehe when we were yet to know the identity of William Bowery.

Aaah, this is everything i needed right now! I love you two and I love Taylor Swift!!! Thank you for so selflessly making this channel and making everyone's day better because of it !!! Also, a music suggestion: I really love listening to Dizzy right now, and I think you would maybe like it as well, maybe you could react to their new album as well :) Thanks again and I love you

I almost feel like this channel would excel in podcast style! Love it. Thank you 💕

I’m so glad I found this channel I’m waiting for other parts 😍

I love the fact that you guys are doing this in 3 parts because I really want to hear your complete analysis. Love your channel, greetings from Paraguay 🇵🇾❤️

Loooove this!!! Excited for parts 2 and 3! Great job on this one 😊

I have been eagerly waiting for this from you two SUPERIOR humans about a SUPERIOR queen 🤩 I love your Taylor breakdowns and they bring me so much joy, especially seeing as you both share the same love for her as I do. Can’t wait for part 2 and 3 now Bonny and Emily! xx

didn’t think I could love folklore even more until now. thank you for this video can’t wait for the others!!!🤍

"exile" is definitely inspired by the movie Marriage Story! If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. I'm 100% convinced it was inspired by this movie haha

exile is such a beautiful word to have used, because when someone’s exiled it’s from their native country, it’s essentially from home so if she’s referring to scott it links perfectly

When emily said “people don’t ponder people don’t walk” when talking about the tlgad bridge I was 💀💀 I love your reactions ❤️

Loved it!!! Been waiting for this! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

This. channel. is... EVERYTHING I have needed in my life. Thank you THANKYOUTHANKYOU

I've been so excited for y'all to revisit folklore ever since you came up with the idea in the first reaction!! These 3 videos are gonna take over my life!!!

I’m so excited for the next two parts😍 Love hearing what you two think about Taylor’s songs!

Re: Cardigan “Leaving like a father, running like water” can also reference Scott. Like she considered her as a father figure but he betrayed her.

It’s so entertaining and amazing watching this video from 2 years ago from the Midnights era perspective and how spot on you were about some of these insights!

I’m overwhelmed w/ Superior happiness as soon as I saw this upload from you!! Eeek! Yay!😁

thank you guys so much for existing and blessing us with this amazing content 🤩😭 you made me fall in love with taylor all over again and made me realize HOW superior she is (you also taught me that word which I very much appreciate) much love from austria 😘

Ok this is absolutely the best thing ever!!! I can’t wait for the next two parts!!

the way you enjoy the songs is beautiful, like, i could see the joy on your faces i love that for you🥰

Finally more Folklore content! I was so happy when I saw that this video is one hour long and only part 1 😅 Love it! ❤️

Ugh I needed you guys in my liiiiiiife😍 100% my favorite channel

I WAS SO EXCITED FOR THIS! Can't wait for you others parts, so grateful I found your channel, for real... What you guys did with cardigan OMG YOUR MINDS AND TAYLOR'S MIND!!!!! AMAZING!

3 videos works for me! Loved this analysis and was honestly shook and your interpretation of cardigan and exile. GENIUS

This is my safe space, and thank you for always doing long videos.

Omg I can watch 400 hours of your footage chats and reacts. I love this 3part format and I fucking love to see deep analysis so please don't be doubtful about that. Love you guys so much 💗

your videos make me so happy🤍i’ve been waiting for this for so long!!

Omg my exact thoughts on most songs and others y’all blew my mind with things I couldn’t put together. The layering is SOOO ACCURATE

I love how you guys know your facts. I learned so much from this!

The other day I accidentally listened to the 1 after Death By A Thousand Cuts and OMG.......it's the perfect sequel!!

I feel like that lyric in Exile “like you’d get your knuckles bloody for me” is almost more sarcastic. Like, “as if you’d actually fight for me if it came down to that.” Which, Scooter obviously did not.

You guys are the real genius!!! Cant wait for the next parts!!!!! 💖

Your energy in your videos wholeheartedly lifts me up

Wow u guys...right now i was jst reading abt folklore lyrics n their references on genius...n then u post this video...woahhh!!!

Literally been waiting for this video since the very first one. And firstly, I cannot wait for the other two parts. I love the mastery of story telling in this album. And Bonnie!! “I feel the complexity and the heaviness of this album... that’s life. Life has all those moments.” YESSSS!

Love the folklore breakdown in full, am so looking forward to what ever T blesses us with next and the following content here. Though 1989 TV also means we hopefully get a breakdown of the Live concert from the Sydney performance video from these legends who were there in person. Also how awesome is Bonny's "Lover" nail polish!

Really random but I have a Harry Styles theory for exile because there are so many lyric links!! On firstly “holdin all this love out here in the hall” = “meet me in the hallway” , “get your knuckles bloody for me” = “I got splinters in my knuckles crawling across the floor” , “we always walked a very thin line” = fine line (his new album), then at the end she say “so many signs, so many time” = sign of the times. I just thought this was crazy similarities and I don’t think the song is necessarily about him but maybe it’s another layer????

Sooooo excited for the next 2 parts of this!! I love how deep into the details you ladies go with your analysis! :) While watching this video, I had a thought about the lyric "you drew stars around my scars".. I was thinking that she could also be referring to how the fans loving and relating to her music helped turned her music (written about things/events in her life that have given her scars) into what made her a star. And the line "now I'm bleeding" could be her asking the fans to help her heal from this new hurt of what's happened with her masters, which will leave yet another scar on her. It could also tie into "if you never bleed you're never going to grow" from the 1, showing that she's hurting right now, but will grow and be ok in time.

In school I got to write a research paper on anything I wanted and I chose folklore by Taylor swift. I used ur vid to help me with it and I got an A. So THANK YOU

Um... Did Bonnie predict the eras tour?!? 19:54 This is so fun to watch after Midnights!

i've been waiting for this guys!!!! you two gives a wide perspective on every song that swifties wanna hear!!!!!!!! love you twooo ❤️

OMG FIRST FINALLY!!!!! my favorite duo 😍💘 miss you guys keep safe always 😘 Taylor said she's gonna re record all of her old albums this November and im so excited 🎉😍 and for ur reaction also 💗

AaaAAaah what i've been waiting for 😩😍😍😍

We definitely need the whooooooole conversation u guys had plzzzz ... u guys r my fav swifties❤❤❤

I. Any wait for part 2 and 3!! I have to say I am looking at these songs very different you now watching your analysis. The meanings are so much deeper than I imagined at first few listens. The line in exile “there is no amount of crying I could do for you” I think that’s the male perspective saying that no matter what I do it will never be enough for you in your eyes. But then...her tears ricochet and now he is crying!!! Wow it all tied together. I enjoyed this video so much and I hope you do more!

Ive been waiting for this!

Been waiting for this video !!! And now we get 3!! Yayyyy I was nervous when so much detail was discussed and it was only the first song but I'm glad you're breaking it up this way so nothing is cut out :)

I’m 16 min in and I just know that I’ll rewatch this Over and over until you upload part 2😅

I cried on "i knew you'd hunt all of my what ifs" SUCH A FEELING. You have no idea how much i enjoy this videos ❤️❤️❤️

SUPERIOR CONTENT!!! I was dying to watch this video and you did not disappoint!! Also I loved the fact that you listened to us and you are giving us the full version. I never thought The 1 might be to Harry but I really like that line of thinking. And OMFG never in a million years would I consider the "fan layer" in Cardigan. Also Exile being about her label???? MY MIND IS OFFICIALLY BLOWN. Never would have crossed my mind. Great video and I look forward to part 2 💕