It sucks that the media has influenced everyone’s perception of Taylor as only a “breakup song” writer. Many of the songs on this album are not about love but about addiction, her troubles with her old albums, or media perception. I would love you to watch the long pond studios and see her explanation of things. This album is so much deeper than just about relationships! Great video as always!
agreed, I've actually have seen a list that someone did showing how 25% of her discography are not about romantic relationships/breakups. and the 75% that are....aren't even all breakup songs (some are love songs and some are about other people's relationships) i am guessing that the actual breakups songs are probably half her discography.
Yea it always makes me laugh/frustrates me watching people trying to figure out the ones that aren't about relationships or aren't autobiographical (betty) when they won't let go of that narrative that's been pushed about her lol she also has a good amount of songs (mirrorball, Dear Reader, Long Live) that are about her fans or love songs to her fans, she loves us and talks to us through her music pretty often ❤️
@@WytchieBytch I've come to believe that any person who judges her music negatively has never listened to at least 1 album from start to finish. Those are the people who only know the radio singles. I admit, I used to stray away from Taylor because I chose to believe others when I was younger. Finally in my 30s in 2021, i listened to ALL of her music, have been blown away. She is my top artist now. ALOT of people are missing out on a talented woman.
"betty" is from the perspective of James, the 17 year old guy who tries to make it up to Betty for spending the summer with another girl, Augustine (which tells her side of the story in "august"). "cardigan" is Betty's perspective years later the other two songs. Incredible songwriting
Your dad’s description of mirrorball of a daughter singing to her dad is something I’ve never heard, and it makes so much sense! Props to you guys for really comprehending the music, even on a first listen, in a way that takes me hundreds!
Your father is literally a treasure. Just the way he speaks about women and how unfairly we are treated. Ive seen him across many of your videos be so empathetic and apathetic towards women and I just know if he had a daughter he would be the ultimate girl dad. And it def seems he raised his boy well!
@@putyouon what if I told you that she sings the common moments between the 3 songs at the same second? Cardigan 3:15 - And you'd be standing in my front porch light Betty 3:15 - Betty I'm here on your doorstep Betty 2:47 - She said 'James, get in' let's drive August 2:47 - Remember when I pulled up and said 'Get in the car' Taylor is a mastermind
evermore is the natural continuation of folklore. The high bar she set with folklore is equaled in evermore. Outstanding songwriting overlaid on beautiful melodies, hooks, and choruses. And then, there're the bridges... oh my.
Folklore is really THAT girl. Like, just perfect album, no notes. Evermore weirdly seems like it has higher highs, but lower lows, and that dings it a point behind for me, but listening to both albums back to back is just such comfort music.
Not sure if it's just me but I see Folklore as young love. Songs that represent that part of life between 17-30. I feel like Evermore has a more mature theme where I imagine older love (mid 30's and older). Folklore seems like before you go to therapy and Evermore is like after therapy.
Taylor was not in American Idol, she went to Nashville with her mom to try her luck and started as a songwriter under RCA Records and later on tried other venues. She really worked hard to get to where she is now.
I mean, she came from a rich family who could afford to move them to Nashville to get her opportunities and her dad iirc bought out a lot of her first CDs so she could chart, and bought a percent or so of the record label as well. She is still an amazing songwriter and very much improved as a vocalist, but to paint her as just some regular shmegular girl who tried out her luck in Nashville is very misleading.
Peace is about her boyfriend not being able to handle her fame because all he wants is a quiet, peaceful life with her. This song hits so much harder knowing they broke up recently and it's reportedly because he couldn't deal with her fame. It's always been my favorite track off the album and I thought it was sad before, now it just wrecks me.
Same! People are saying they can’t listen to songs like lover or daylight the same anymore but for me the most gut wrenching is peace because she literally asks “would it be enough if I could never give you peace?” And now we know 😢
@@easyveganfoodie Yes!! Peace is in my top tier of her entire discography. It made my heart ache when I first heard it but now there's a fist closed around it when I listen.
My favorite niche of the internet is people discovering Taylor swift for the first time. She always manages to surprise people and I love it. Your guys did such a wonderful job really listening! I hope you do more! Also Justin Vernon is the vocalist of the band bon iver PS since you liked this style, I’d highly, highly recommend check out Hozier. His songwriting is poetry as well and his his whole body of work is exceptional
I appreciate how much you both picked up on her vocal techniques and how she used her voice to enhance the story she is telling. I don't think she gets enough credit for how talented she is with manipulating her voice :)
True. It's also prevalent when she re-recorded her old 6 albums. She can make her voice sounds a lot younger when she sings fearless (she was 18) and red (22 year old).
Mirrorball was written when her tour got cancelled due to Covid and how she was still trying to connect with her fans, and more. She does an exceptional job explaining it in the Long Pond Sessions… then you really appreciate the brilliance of the songwriting of it.
I'm a Kendrick fan but this album made me a Swiftie back in 2020. My girlfriend didn't even expect I'm going to be a fan of Taylor. Folklore got me through a tough time that year. "This is Me Trying" hits me every time I listen to it. Now I have all her albums and signed cds, cassette. If Taylor read this I just want to thank her for her art. And like you I always admire when an artist writes her/his songs, because it's just more truer, honest and more personal. Hope you and your dad will have more Taylor Swift reaction in the future! Definitely waiting for Red (TV), Midnights, Speak Now... reactions!
The way they both had their eyes closed at the same time and felt speechless with Epiphany just made me emotional. As hard as the lyrics are....she sings it in a lullaby type way. This made me feel like wasn't alone doing that the first time I heard it.
4:10 the 1 6:27 cardigan 10:50 the last great American dynasty 14:50 exile 19:01 my tears ricochet 21:41 mirrorball 24:25 seven 28:30 august 32:54 this is me trying 36:03 illicit affair 39:23 invisible string 42:36 mad woman 45:36 epiphany 47:44 Betty 50:27 peace 53:56 hoax
It's not a coincidence that Taylor is breaking records on every level, as a musical artist, as a female artist, as a composer, as a lyricist...the list just goes on.
To answer your question, the album was home-made in quarantine, she wanted to create histories and make music, so they built a studio in her house and recorded every track on the album, it took like a month or two, the album was released 2020 at the summer
Just a clarification, not all the recording was home-made, she did go to Matt's studio (from the band The National) but in general, the album was worked on via online.
@@C-Iris I don’t think she went to Matt’s studio. She recorded it all at her studio she built in her house. The recordings were sent to either Jack Antonoff’s electric lady studio or Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond Studio. She had never been in the same room with either of them for the album until over a month AFTER folklore was released. Matt wasn’t involved with folklore. He sings on one song from evermore, but he did not write it or produce it. To my knowledge she has never recorded or produced anything from a studio owned by Matt.
@@Starbuck-dr7ylmaybe I got confused with 'evermore' but I do remember watching an interview or something where she mentions this. I'll try to find it and share it here :)
Epiphany is one of the finest songs she has ever written. It’s the best song on the album by a mile. It’s not an easy song to listen but because it’s so raw but man what a piece of art
@@marykatedoyle9574 It hits me because my father was in the military his whole working life and I know he saw things he either couldn't or wouldn't talk about....
I think this album and evermore separated her from other general pop artists from her era. Folklore & Evermore were so staunchly different from anything she had ever done but it released at the perfect time and hit super hard for me.
i HIGHLY recommend watching the long pond sessions for folklore, she performs the songs live (with the two producers she worked with, aaron dessner and jack antonoff) and talks about each song before. it's so interesting hearing how she wrote them or what she was thinking about when she did. i balled my eyes out when i first heard 'epipheny' and as someone who has overcome addiction issues, 'this is me trying' made me feel seen in a way no other song has. taylor is such an amazing artist.
That is so beautiful, I was wondering how much this album could have effected so many people in different situations and I really love that she has the ability to connect with people so deeply. Incredible
Beautiful reaction video! My tears ricochet is an incredible lament of her loss of her albums to scooter braun. The chorus references each of her albums (her jewels) that scott Borchetta sold to scooter without giving her the option to buy. “You’ll hear my stolen lullabies” is also a strong clue to support this interpretation. Both Folklore and Evermore have songs that explore her pain at this loss
I wrote an 18 page paper for school on Taylors storytelling on this album. Specifically the songs The Last Great American Dynasty, and the love triangle songs: Cardigan, August, and Betty. This is my favorite album ever! Loved your reaction, I really appreciated how you actually listen intently to all of the lyrics!!
18 pages!!!! Wow that is unbelievable. There are definitely some artists I feel I could do that for and with all of these comments I totally see how much depth she has. That is fantastic
31:19 that’s exactly why Taylor so so unique. Her fame isn’t able to erase her deep empathy for the human condition and universal experiences. Her song writing is never out of touch.
The Last Great American Dynasty is about a real woman named Rebekah Harkness who married into an oil moguls family - she was a socialite who was looked down upon by many in society who had already been established for many generations, she and her husband built a house on Rhode Island that Taylor eventually bought and when Taylor learned more about her life she saw many parallels between them! :)
So “cardigan”, “August”, and “Betty” are a trilogy told through three different perspectives. Chronologically: “August” is told through the eyes of “the other woman” who meets “James” over the summer and for her, she really liked James but she had to be “cool” about it and not tell James everything about how much she liked him, maybe even loved him because he’d be leaving at the end of August. For James, it was a casual fling to pass the time not only because it was summer but because he was already in a relationship with “Betty”. “Betty” is told through the eyes of “James”. August is over and James and Betty are back in school and the school gossip, Inez tells Betty all about James and the other girl from August. Betty breaks up with James, he tries to win her back by telling her it was a mistake that didn’t mean anything to him and he loves her. “Cardigan” is told through the eyes of Betty. The song is Betty reflecting on everything that happened. James broke her heart and won her back. She felt like an old favorite cardigan; someone says that you’re their favorite, only to keep you under the bed while they enjoy a new and different cardigan but eventually that new one shrinks, unravels, and the color fades. Then they go back to the favorite cardigan- it has that soft feel, it’s warm, it smells familiar, it goes with everything, and you can rely on it. Betty is happy that she and James were able to work through things but he definitely put her through hell.
And she sings the common moments between the 3 songs at the same second Cardigan 3:15 - And you'd be standing in my front porch light Betty 3:15 - Betty I'm here on your doorstep Betty 2:47 - She said 'James, get in' let's drive August 2:47 - Remember when I pulled up and said 'Get in the car'
I think i just discovered a gem in this reaction channel. I like how you two disect the lyrics and production at the same time. You should definitely read the Genius Song Meaning after to get the context. I also like how you're honest if you don't like a song that much, not like other reactions where they're just praising everything for views.
Just stumbled across this video while making bracelets for her concert next month. This was so beautiful to watch you analyse my favourite album of hers!
I love what you said during August because she says somewhere that she had been holding on to a line for some time I believe it was ”meet me behind the mall” and she was just waiting for the perfect song. She’s talked about how she keeps a notebook full of lines that she dreams up and then will use them when the right song comes along. I hope one day she does a documentary just on her writing process it is incredibly interesting.
Great reaction! If you like this and are looking for a similar Taylor Swift Album, you should react to Evermore next. Taylor described Evermore as Folklore’s ‘sister’ album, and it was only released like 5 months after Folklore in December 2020 and was another album of the year nomination at the Grammys. As I think you realised, the songs on Folklore are a mixture of fiction and non-fiction, and a number of the songs are made up stories, while others are from Taylor’s perspective. This is the same for the songs on Evermore.
Prior to this album coming out, I was a very casually Taylor Swift listener. I knew most of the words to her singles and I enjoyed her “1989” album. But I wasn’t really a fan. That is, until this album was released. Exactly 3 days prior to the release of this album, my ex had broken up w me and I was absolutely distraught. Then I remember being on Twitter when she posted that she would be releasing a surprise album later at midnight. So I thought I’d give it a try…imagine my surprise when I clicked play on folklore and the first lyrics I hear are “I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit” I was hooked and it was exactly what I needed in that moment. Long story short, I had that album on repeat for months and I fell in love w it. I studied English in school and I have a huge affinity for any type of poetry; whether it’s literary or musical. Always have. So I was absolutely blown away by Taylor’s pen on Folklore and Evermore. It’s actually funny because, months later in December I was struggling with depression and riddled w feelings I couldn’t explain. Then Taylor released Evermore. I was sobbing inconsolably in my room when I heard the news and that album was exactly what I needed at the time. Evermore is an album about endings and imitates the colder weather of Fall and Winter. Folklore does the exact opposite for Summer and Spring. And it’s prevalent in her storytelling.
i actually adored hearing all of you guys’ insight. so many people react for the views but you guys genuinely listened to the lyrics and appreciated them which is why all of us love her😭😭
Just here to say Justin Vernon is the frontman of bon iver, in case you were still wondering. Also, folklore was my gateway album into becoming a Swiftie. Thank you for giving it an honest and unexaggerated listen. Her talent speaks volumes and I wish I could experience folklore again for the first time. Such a serendipitous album at the height of Covid. Hope you might consider Midnights too in the future!
Taylor typically posts a “prologue” when she releases each album. It’s usually a pretty big written paragraph that gives detail into the background and theme of the album and usually has some song explanations as well. If you two react to anymore of her albums I’d suggest reading those beforehand! I’m sure if you google “(album name) prologue” it’ll come up. This was a great reaction! Such a great album to start out with for Taylor
also about peace, the lyric “the rain is always gonna come if you’re stanidng with me” she has said relates back to her famous life and in the sense that the media and tabloids will never give us peace as a couple. she’s saying “is it enough?” because of course that’s hard live as a celeb whose life is under scrutiny all the time, but she can’t control it.
Taylor sings the common moments between these 3 songs at the same second: Cardigan 3:15 - And you'd be standing in my front porch light Betty 3:15 - Betty I'm here on your doorstep Betty 2:47 - She said 'James, get in' let's drive August 2:47 - Remember when I pulled up and said 'Get in the car'
the name of this album fits perfectly with it... the more you listen, the more you discover about the mysteries of the songs, about how some are related in perspectives, or how the 3 main characters of August and Cardigan meet again in Betty... simply FOLKLORIC 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Do you remember how she lied to all of us saying Nothing Much Going on right now and then dropped another album, which imo is even better than Folklore.
I loved watching the distance you both had from her music at the beginning and then how much you soften and then lean into her art throughout the album. It happens to the best of us 😉
What’s great about this album is that it’s not completely autobiographical of Taylor’s life. A lot of the songs are fictional about characters she imagined and created stories for, hence the name folklore! Also your reactions are so wholesome, I would love to see you react to more Taylor 😊
I love seeing people reacting to this album for the first time and without any outside voices so that you interpret it your own way! Your dad’s perspective on Mirrorball is so cool! Would have never thought to see it from a fathers perspective of his child singing to him. Epiphany is one of the best songs here and it’s about her grandfather fighting the war.
I think this is one of my favorite reaction of this album so far...your insight for every song was interesting to hear and always being respectful towards Taylor and her art. Amazing video, please consider react to evermore.
loved the reaction! can i just say don’t assume every song is about a breakup (most of the songs on this album aren’t) she doesn’t always write autobiographically. sometimes she rights very generally or fictionally to paint a story
This beautiful album won Taylor..her 3rd ALBUM of The YEAR GRAMMY award. No other Young artists of the 2000s have achieved this 3x Album Of The Year yet... You should listen to "The Lakes" the bonus track. Very dreamy song.
You guys being so convinced Taylor is from a talent show had me crying, I love how confident you were about it too. It's honestly great, my absolute favourite reactions to her albums/songs are from people who genuinely don't know much about her or how truly incredible her songs are until you really dive in. Loved watching you experience them, her writing has always been what it's all about. Please do more Taylor albums, always do the deluxe versions too, some albums have extra songs and they are a MUST, just be sure to do Taylors Version of any that are re-recorded :) I can't wait to watch you slowly become Swifties AHHA
If you do Evermore next, please give it its own time and space, it’s often overshadowed by folklore but it’s still a really good album. I actually appreciate it a bit more than I do folklore 😅
mirrorball is about fame: "so I was just thinking, ok, we have mirrorballs in the middle of the dancefloor because they reflect light, they are broken a million times and that's what make them so shiny. we have people like that in society too, they hang there and everytime they break, it entertain us[...]"
The first verse of Epiphany is referencing her grandfather who stormed the beaches in WW2 and was never able to talk about it which is a really cool way to relate to covid front line workers
I love these so much. Am i the only one that gets frustrated that I can’t explain everything to them??😂 I would love to see their reactions to the actual meanings and connections of the song because they are just absolutely genius!
She’s very underrated. Not fame wise but in terms of respect from the general public. Honestly I don’t believe her music is for everyone and I don’t judge people for not liking it but a lot of people just shrug her off because of her pop singles back then. They don’t give her a chance. Her least popular songs are better than most of her singles.
You’re response to epiphany was the appropriate response. I saw how it affected you, and that’s the beauty of Taylor Swift. I had a good time watching you two.
I'm so glad to finally hear someone make the connection between Eminem and Taylor Swift. I've been huge fans of both at different times in my life but it was for the same reasons. Their storytelling is authentic, vulnerable and really fun to figure out what it means and what it's about. And they're both so good at writing incredibly detailed so you can picture the whole scene. A lot of artists who write autobiographically about their lives tend to keep the lines a bit more generic so it's easier to relate to and fit in a song. But these two will write every small detail of what someone was wearing, what the room looked like, what exact feeling they were going through.
You should definitely check out the Long Pond studio sessions. She discusses the meaning of each song with Jack Antonoff and/or Aaron Dessner. Then you can watch her singing while they play piano and guitar in the studio. It’s really great and helps so much with the songs!
Loved the reaction from both of you. The honesty is what keeps me here! When it comes to songwriting this and evermore are definitely top tier in her discography but I also love the other stuff as well, Red being my number 1 recommendation to everyone who wants to listen to Taylor for the first time. It has everything she can do, pop, country, edm, ballad, etc.
Papa Mike at 31:20 to the end of August. Nailed it. I wanna put that whole bit on a t-shirt. Taylor is out here writing STORIES and we're just trying to follow her pen.
hoax is actually about a multitude of things/relationships! she said "one is a relationship that was like family to me but that really hurt, one about love, one is about a business thing that really hurt." her voice in this song just kills me, it's so sad.
i always see the lyric in August, “meet me behind the mall” as “meet me behind them all” because the relationship was secret. i don’t know if it was intentional but it’s always fun to think about.
When your dad mentioned he’d want to direct a music video for one of her songs I immediately thought of Right Where You Left Me on Evermore. I would love to see you guys’ reaction to that song! I always said I’d love to make a music video to that song. ❤
You can look up explanations for each song which definitely helps and while a lot of Taylor’s songs are inspired by her own experiences, a lot of her songs (on this album especially) are also influenced by people she knows, movies or books she likes or even stories she makes up like how the songs Betty, Cardigan and August are stories from different perspectives about a love triangle she made up. The beginning of Epiphany is inspired by her grandfather being a soldier and Mirrorball is another name for a disco ball, and she compares herself to one because she feels as though she reflects those around her through the good and bad but is still expected to be be the pretty, shiny, life of the party.
Love y’all’s interpretation of This is Me Trying! Definitely nailed the emotions. Fun fact in the documentary of the writing from that album she mentions she wrote it from the perspective of someone struggling with addiction and how what sometimes looks to others as them failing or not doing enough is literally them doing their best to survive to the next day, hence “this is me trying”, just showing up to someone’s door is a huge thing
My Tears Riccochet was about Scott Borchetta, her old label head who she loved like a father til he refused to sell her masters and sold them to her arch rival Scooter Braun. It is a song about losing her music, her relationship with him, which got ugly publically. It was a a mess, and hurt her immensely.
The “magic man” from Hoax was her former label owner, who started his record label with Taylor as the first artist. Taylor claimed she has begged for years to buy her own masters, and then the guy don’t want to sell it to her, she sign in another label and then the guys sell her masters to one of her enemies.
Oh wow! I loved the mirrorball interpretation! It hit me in the heart because my dad had so many great qualities but his demons and weaknesses always won out. He died when I was 15 so he didnt get to see me into adulthood (34 now) but those who knew him best always said I got the best bits of him. ❤
Please do evermore. I just found you guys via watching this and I'm soooo happy you recognize that at the heart of her work is poetry. I always say Taylor Swift is a poet put to melody. So good! New subscriber.
about August being a coincidence, just like to say something here, as Taylor herself said in a song "I'm a mastermind", there are hardly ever coincidences when it comes to Taylor especially her music and career
I’m starting to realize that, really really impressive. My favorite artists are super intricate like that, so I am extremely intrigued by her as an artist already
For this album, Taylor worked with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff virtually. Due to recording studios being closed due to the pandemic, Taylor set up a home-made studio and recorded her vocals at home. She would then send them to Aaron or Jack for them to produce the final tracks in their respective studios. Some of the background instrumentation was done by Bryce (Aaron's twin brother) and other musicians they have asked to help work on their "secret project", never realizing that the music they were recording for was for Taylor's album until the album eventually came out in July 2020. Taylor, Aaron and Jack finally met up in person together for the first time in Sept 2020 to record a Disney+ live version of this album at Aaron's studio, Long Pond Studio in upstate New York. Before each track, they would have a brief discussion about the background of the track, which is quite illuminating. If you have time, you should check it out!
I’m a newer swiftie and it took some time for folklore and evermore to grow on me but now they are my favourite albums they soothe me and I throw them on when I’m heading to bed. Just feels so cozy
Three things: Justin is the singer in the band Bon Iver. Taylor did not start on a reality show. "This is me Trying" is about addiction not a break up. I love watching people experiencing one of my favorite albums for the first time:)
