Taylor Swift 'evermore' Album Review

By Sebastian Potter, Staff Writer

Following July’s surprise release of 'folklore,' Taylor Swift stunned fans for a second time in 2020, releasing what Swift refers to as 'folklore'’s "sister album," 'evermore,' in December, her ninth studio album.

Throughout her career, every album has signified a new era for Swift, complete with a different esthetic and style of music than the albums that have come before it. evermore is Swift’s first album that continues the story from the era before it.

'evermore' is Swift's first album that continues the story from the era before it.

"To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try to put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folkloric woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music, " Swift wrote on Instagram, announcing the album’s release.

'evermore' begins with its lead single, "willow. " The song chronicles her current relationship and her infatuation with her boyfriend.

"I'm begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that's my man, " Swift sings.

Like most Swift records, 'evermore' at is a relationship record. However, 'evermore' explores the more mature details of an adult relationship than its predecessor, folklore.

"champagne problems, " 'evermore''s second most streamed track on Spotify, details the story of a couple dealing with a failed proposal.

"You had a speech, you're speechless, love slipped beyond your reaches, and I couldn't give a reason, champagne problems, " Swift sings.

These more adult themes are a drastic change from 'folklore,' where Swift detailed relationships of high school lovers.

"Betty, I won't make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom, but I think it's 'cause of me, " Swift sings off folklore's "Betty."

In addition to the more adult relationship themes, Swift accounts darker themes in this album in a way she hasn’t before.

"no body, no crime," featuring HAIM, details a story of a woman seeking revenge to honor her late friend whose husband got away with murder after cheating on and killing his wife.

Swift also goes back to her country roots in this song, to which she held tightly on her first four albums.

In what is perhaps the most emotional Swift song ever, in "marjorie," Swift sings to and about her late grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera diva who had her own television program in Puerto Rico.

Finlay encouraged her to pursue music, and Swift reveals in the song she is living her grandmother's dreams.

"All your closets of backlogged dreams, and how you left them all to me," Swift sings.

The song also features previous recordings of Finlay’s operatic voice after Swift sings, "And if I didn't know better, I’d think you were singing to me now."

'evermore' is a work of art, and I can't wait to see what is next for Swift.

evermore

Taylor Swift