After the success of the unexpected album Folklore, you’d probably think it would be a while before Taylor Swift’s next album. However, a week ago, she released Evermore, a so-called “sister album” to Folklore.
The songs on her past two albums feature sounds we have never heard before. As most know, Taylor Swift went from country, to pop, and now to “alternative rock and indie pop”? Well, that’s what it’s marketed as at least. It’s definitely neither of these things, at least to me. When I think of alternative music, I think of 90s grunge, not Taylor Swift. And indie? As in, independent? She’s signed to one of the biggest record labels in the world, Universal Music Group, and it’s going to be marketed as indie? Something feels off.
Now, I actually really like Taylor Swift. I could talk for hours about how 1989 is a no skip album, and obviously Red is a close second, and I was really excited for the release of both Folklore and Evermore. I thought Folklore was pretty good. It definitely came out at a time when it was needed most, and it did not disappoint. She definitely knew what she was doing, even when it came down to the feature of Bon Iver. I think it’s important to realize that, though it’s a great album, it feels like something that was made to appeal to her audience.
Taylor Swift has been in the music industry for a long time. She knows how it works, and it feels like a lot of her music changes, and many believe that it is because of her personal evolution through her life. This is true, but I feel like a lot of it is also because she knows what people want when they want it. For many artists, it’s hard to have total creative freedom, and Taylor Swift is no exception. She takes her own liberties and creates something that she knows people will like. It’s very smart.
Onto Evermore. This album was good. That’s it. It wasn’t her best, it wasn’t her worst. After a few listens, I came to the personal conclusion that Folklore is the better of the two. Of course, there are many other opinions, and I’m sure some can’t even choose. I feel like a lot of the songs on Evermore were too similar to the first one, and it just feels like a weird extended version.
Let’s not beat around the bush, these albums are not made for touring. There may be one or two that could be performed that way, but overall, it doesn’t seem possible. If she wanted to do something for these albums, it would have to be in a lowkey, MTV Unplugged setting, or in smaller venues like the House of Blues (though her height of fame may not have this).
Objectively, Folklore and Evermore are good albums. They fit well with the time, and it has allowed Taylor Swift to grow a bigger fanbase. I think the idea of them being labelled as “alternative rock and indie pop” has created a bigger issue with me than I expected, but I can get over it for “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “Champagne Problems.”