Taylor Swift - folklore [New Album]

This is all so much more engaging on second listen.

The first three tracks are utterly sublime. Maybe her strongest opening trio ever?
 
I played it earlier, possibly my first ever Taylor Swift full album experience. I really enjoyed it.

I'm not a hater - if anything I've generally found it difficult to feel particularly strongly about her one way or another - but I definitely prefer introspective Taylor to 'I AM SELF AWARE AND MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT IT' Taylor.
 
I'm just not hearing what most people are hearing. The melodies are so, so wispy and uninteresting. There's no tension or lift in the melodies at all. I'd be shocked if anyone could remember these after hearing them even a few times. I've never been a fan of The National either. To be honest, I think she's actually writing with people who are actually beneath her own songwriting level. It's very "earnest Indie artist with good lyrics but very banal music"...which there are hundreds of. Her voice, although pretty enough, isn't interesting enough to elevate the songs either. She's quite exposed here, and not in a good way.

I so hope it ends up growing on me, but I'm not sure it ever will. Finding all the critical and fan praise a bit baffling to be honest.
 
I might listen now having read the comments.

But is it as good as RED?

I like my TS albums to have the perfect balance of building ballads (All Too Well), brainless pop (22-oo-ooooo), U2 lite stadium pop (State of Grace), country pop (Red), understated crossover stuff (Treacherous), annoying ukulele pop with cringey speaking parts (Stay Stay Stay) etc etc.
 
Chlammy said:
I might listen now having read the comments.

But is it as good as RED?

I like my TS albums to have the perfect balance of building ballads (All Too Well), brainless pop (22-oo-ooooo), U2 lite stadium pop (State of Grace), country pop (Red), understated crossover stuff (Treacherous), annoying ukulele pop with cringey speaking parts (Stay Stay Stay) etc etc.
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Prepare for disappointment so! It's practically wall-to-wall bland, earnest, generic, indie girl meandering songs. It sounds like it was thrown together during lockdown out of pure boredom and so she could have her own 'surprise release' moment.

Lyrically it's excellent, but musically it's so, so banal.
 
I haven't listened to this, but I hope she doesn't get all the 'lockdown album pioneer' hype when how i'm feeling now is RIGHT THERE :eyes:
 
HeLikedTurner said:
Prepare for disappointment so! It's practically wall-to-wall bland, earnest, generic, indie girl meandering songs. It sounds like it was thrown together during lockdown out of pure boredom and so she could have her own 'surprise release' moment.

Lyrically it's excellent, but musically it's so, so banal.
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This is the problem. I have good singer songwriters for this stuff. :(
 
Chlammy said:
This is the problem. I have good singer songwriters for this stuff. :(
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Exactly. It's falling between two stools. Her pop/country pop songs are excellent, but this material and her voice aren't anywhere near interesting enough for what I think she's aiming at here. Having said that, acts like The National are critical darlings and I have no idea why, as I find their output very unremarkable, so perhaps it does appeal to plenty of people. Just not me. Not so far anyway.
 
I listened to it on my cycle on the way back today. First impressions, LOVELY but IT GOES ON A BIT doesn't it?
 
Also happy for everyone who's enjoying it - after two listens I'll probably keep just a few songs.

I actually did like "exile" a lot -- the Bon Iver bit "So step right out, there is no amount, of crying I can do for you" is the first time in the album that I perked up because the melody was going somewhere.

"peace" is great.

And the alternating piano licks in "hoax" are lovely, reminded me of the American Beauty score.
 
10 the 1
10 cardigan
10 the last great american dynasty
10 exile
08 my tears ricochet
09 mirrorball
11 seven
09 august
10 this is me trying
09 illicit affairs
10 invisible string
10 mad woman
10 epiphany
07 betty
10 peace
10 hoax

sorry not sorry. sis went from HEY KIDS!! SPELLING IS FUN!! to this sensational songwriting in less than a year and im overwhelmed.

Metacritic has given it a 96, the second highest of the year and 7th of all-time.
 
joanne said:
Metacritic has given it a 96, the second highest of the year and 7th of all-time.
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Which, let's face it, is kind of FARCICAL, no? Thankfully, I don't really place any importance on "critics".

Good for her though. It's amazing what a few B&W photos can do.
 
A fairly critical review from two big Swifties if anyone's in the market for such a thing

 
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dUb said:
A fairy critical review from two big Swifties if anyone's in the market for such a thing

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I think it's only RIGHT that the album garners negative reviews...but these guys' reasons for not liking it are faintly mortifying. They think it's too "alternative"? Alternative to what? Decent tunes? It's hardly some sort of weird, experimental affair. Of course one of them implied that Gaga working with Mark Ronson was too experimental for him, so we're not exactly dealing with people with varied musical interests. And straight male producers don't work well with female pop artists? Say whaaaat?? Rarely have I heard such NONSENSE! For me, I love some alternative artists, but I wouldn't class this as alternative at all, and even if it was, I wouldn't consider it a good alternative album. The songs just aren't strong enough.
 
wow at Seven & This is me trying.

should have named this Taylor goes glamping.
I can feel a bonfire behind me while eating canned beans, might take a shit in the woods later and then watch out for bears :cautious:
 
Bumptious said:
Really need to spend more time with the album - on a first listen this morning they all just blurred into one.

Enjoying the money being spent on the Cardigan visuals, love her expensive taste.
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I take it back. Regret my stroppy first listen.

Mad Woman and Invisible Strings are real soulful mood pieces.

Seven and The Last American Dynasty feel like she's evolved to another level.
 
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81.9M debut on Spotify, breaking thank u, next's 67.5M record with some indie record that's MUCH cooler than Grande's.

WW Spotify

1. cardigan | 7.742.178
2. the 1 | 7.420.303
3. exile | 6.977.835
4. the last great american dynasty | 5.961.910
5. my tears ricochet | 5.721.464
8. mirrorball | 5.028.753
9. august | 5.022.656
10. seven | 4.751.526
12. this is me trying | 4.499.491
13. illicit affairs | 4.278.116
14. invisible string | 4.243.086
16. mad woman | 3.902.267
17. betty | 3.835.696
19. epiphany | 3.614.451
20. peace | 3.381.893
23. hoax | 3.061.511

the way she won.
 
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How does that compare to Lover? Presumably it's much better, given the 80m+ record.

Also how much of this was UK?

THANK YOU
 
Lover did 54.1m on Global Spotify on its first day. That's around 27m less than folkwhore.

4.5m of folklore's first-day streams come from the UK.
 
I know this is a ridiculous thing to say in 2020 but how do I listen to it without adverts in the middle and without downloading it (which I will do, but can't at this moment as I don't have access to a computer)? I don't PAY for Spotify or any streaming service...
 
joanne said:
81.9M debut on Spotify, breaking thank u, next's 67.5M record with some indie record that's MUCH cooler than Grande's.

WW Spotify

1. cardigan | 7.742.178
2. the 1 | 7.420.303
3. exile | 6.977.835
4. the last great american dynasty | 5.961.910
5. my tears ricochet | 5.721.464
8. mirrorball | 5.028.753
9. august | 5.022.656
10. seven | 4.751.526
12. this is me trying | 4.499.491
13. illicit affairs | 4.278.116
14. invisible string | 4.243.086
16. mad woman | 3.902.267
17. betty | 3.835.696
19. epiphany | 3.614.451
20. peace | 3.381.893
23. hoax | 3.061.511

the way she won.
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Very impressive of course, but the drop-off being broadly in line with the tracklisting is amusing me. Several millions of people following my first listen experience of 'nice enough yeah but fuck me, 16 tracks of THIS?' :side-eye:

and yes I'm sure it's the same for every album in existence dont @ me
 
Sheena said:
I know this is a ridiculous thing to say in 2020 but how do I listen to it without adverts in the middle and without downloading it (which I will do, but can't at this moment as I don't have access to a computer)? I don't PAY for Spotify or any streaming service...
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Spotify Premium free trial?!
 
Odd and not especially fun fact: the song betty reveals the name of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's third child (it's Betty). Their other daughters, James and Inez, are mentioned in the song as well, as noted by those still awake that deep into the album.
 
dUb said:
Odd and not especially fun fact: the song betty reveals the name of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's third child (it's Betty). Their other daughters, James and Inez, are mentioned in the song as well, as noted by those still awake that deep into the album.
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That's...weird
 
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