Taylor Swift's Folklore

Taylor Swift’s album, ‘Folklore’ was an interesting release compared to her previous albums. Received to a pleasantly surprised audience, the album included light and gentle sounds, discussing common struggles people encounter in their daily life related to friendships and dreams. Released in July of 2020, the album was given the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and a iHeartRadio Music Award for Pop Album of the Year, making large impacts on audiences across the world. The album was preceded by others like ‘Lover’ and ‘reputation’, both of which were very different in terms of their larger mood, being unlike the new album in their bright and pronounced sounds.

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Folklore is an album that contains 17 songs, all of which contain a diverse and unexpected palette of music, ranging from alternative rock to indie folk to chamber pop. Specifically with songs like ‘mirrorball’, the artist uses a vocal doubling effect to duplicate her voice in the song specifically, which leads to a very grand effect, making it feel as if the song is being sung in a place that echoes every verse.

There is also an interesting usage of instruments present in the album, where in songs like ‘mad woman’, Taylor Swift’s voice remains gentle throughout the song, constantly accompanied with a consistent melody on the piano. However, around halfway through the song, the instrumental is developed by adding an electric guitar into the mix. The two instruments work together to increase the tempo and passion of the song, helping it build in a way that raises goosebumps on the listener.

Lastly, her vocals remain central throughout the album. Known for her classic vocals, she keeps her singing simple, choosing not to add too many vocal riffs and runs. In the absence of that complexity, it’s her voice that is used to candidly tell stories across the album.