FOLKLORE
Folklore is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was a surprise album, released on July 24, 2020, via Republic Records. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Swift canceled the concert tour for her seventh studio album Lover (2019). She conceived Folklore during quarantine as "a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness", working with producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff virtually; Dessner and Antonoff operated from recording studios in the Hudson Valley and New York City, respectively, while Swift recorded her vocals in a home studio at her Los Angeles residence.
Departing from the mainly upbeat pop production of its predecessors, Folklore consists of mellow ballads driven by piano, guitars, strings, and muted percussions, pursuing indie folk, alternative rock, and electro-acoustic styles. Influenced by the isolation of quarantine, Swift explores themes of escapism, empathy, nostalgia and romanticism in the album, using a set of characters, fictional narratives, and story arcs, in contrast to the autobiographical tone of her previous projects. The title was inspired by the lasting legacy of folk songs, whereas its visual aesthetic reflects cottagecore.
Folklore received widespread critical acclaim that centered on its emotional weight, poetic lyricism, and relaxed pace. Critics found its introspective essence timely for the pandemic and regarded its sound a bold reinvention of Swift's artistry. The album was featured on numerous 2020 year-end rankings and nominated for several awards, and Rolling Stone included it in their 2023 revision of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It won Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making Swift the first woman in history to win the honor three times. She discussed Folklore and performed it live in the Disney+ concert documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, premiering on November 25, 2020, and released Folklore's sequel record, Evermore (2020), two weeks later. Several artists cite Folklore as a source of inspiration.
Departing from the mainly upbeat pop production of its predecessors, Folklore consists of mellow ballads driven by piano, guitars, strings, and muted percussions, pursuing indie folk, alternative rock, and electro-acoustic styles. Influenced by the isolation of quarantine, Swift explores themes of escapism, empathy, nostalgia and romanticism in the album, using a set of characters, fictional narratives, and story arcs, in contrast to the autobiographical tone of her previous projects. The title was inspired by the lasting legacy of folk songs, whereas its visual aesthetic reflects cottagecore.
Folklore received widespread critical acclaim that centered on its emotional weight, poetic lyricism, and relaxed pace. Critics found its introspective essence timely for the pandemic and regarded its sound a bold reinvention of Swift's artistry. The album was featured on numerous 2020 year-end rankings and nominated for several awards, and Rolling Stone included it in their 2023 revision of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It won Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making Swift the first woman in history to win the honor three times. She discussed Folklore and performed it live in the Disney+ concert documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, premiering on November 25, 2020, and released Folklore's sequel record, Evermore (2020), two weeks later. Several artists cite Folklore as a source of inspiration.
ILLUSTRATED BOOK FONT EXAMPLES
I like the idea of my illustrations crossing over the centre page divider, meaning some illustrations can be bigger than the 210mm x 210mm parameters of the page. This means the book will be more visually appealing if each illustration isn't just restricted to the singular page. However, I still want to keep the text separate from the illustrations.
FONT STYLES
PAGE IDEAS:
THE ONE
"I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn't though"
"Chasing shadows in the grocery line"
"And if my wishes came true, it would've been you"
"In my defense, I have none, For never leaving well enough alone"
"But it would've been fun, If you would've been the one"
"Chasing shadows in the grocery line"
"And if my wishes came true, it would've been you"
"In my defense, I have none, For never leaving well enough alone"
"But it would've been fun, If you would've been the one"
Things often don’t go as we expect them to, and it can be difficult to release our hopes for the future as life goes in a different direction. “the 1” is a reminder that it is possible to grieve what almost was for a little while, even while we move forward to appreciate the beauty of the present. As time passes, the wound heals, and it becomes easier to recall the loss of what might have been without it bringing us back to wishing for it again.
I will be illustrating a London bus stop, specifically one for Hampstead Heath, a location directly mentioned in Swifts song So Long London, released after The One. Both songs hint towards the destruction of a relationship and the grievance that comes alongside this.
I will be illustrating a London bus stop, specifically one for Hampstead Heath, a location directly mentioned in Swifts song So Long London, released after The One. Both songs hint towards the destruction of a relationship and the grievance that comes alongside this.
CARDIGAN
"And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed, You put me on and said I was your favorite"
"When you are young, they assume you know nothing"
"You drew stars around my scars But now I'm bleeding"
"Cause I knew you steppin' on the last train, Marked me like a bloodstain"
"I knew you tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy"
"I knew you leavin' like a father, running like water"
"But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss, I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs"
"I knew I'd curse you for the longest time, chasin' shadows in the grocery line"
"I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired"
"When you are young, they assume you know nothing"
"You drew stars around my scars But now I'm bleeding"
"Cause I knew you steppin' on the last train, Marked me like a bloodstain"
"I knew you tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy"
"I knew you leavin' like a father, running like water"
"But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss, I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs"
"I knew I'd curse you for the longest time, chasin' shadows in the grocery line"
"I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired"
“cardigan” is about first love, and first heartbreak. The melancholy beauty is found in that gentle and powerful reminder that the pain of losing someone you loved is a heartbreak at any age. I love that this song, written by an adult about teenage love and heartbreak, is so raw and honest. It affirms the severity of a first heartbreak from the perspective of someone who is older and more mature than the narrator, and in doing so, shows respect to that young love and pain. The use of past tense throughout the song is also hopeful. It indicates that while that pain is heart wrenching, it can eventually be left in the past, and become a memory, even if it is a painful one.
I will be illustrating the cardigan referenced within the song, specifically the Folklore merchandise cardigan released by Taylor Swift after the albums release. Its design is recognisable to all swifties, with the same piping and adornments, while also giving off the same comforting and nostalgic feeling an old cardigan should, just as the song references.
I will be illustrating the cardigan referenced within the song, specifically the Folklore merchandise cardigan released by Taylor Swift after the albums release. Its design is recognisable to all swifties, with the same piping and adornments, while also giving off the same comforting and nostalgic feeling an old cardigan should, just as the song references.
THE LAST GREAT AMERICAN DYNASTY
"Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis"
"There goes the last great American dynasty, who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been"
"There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen, She had a marvelous time ruinin' everything"
"They say she was seen on occasion, Pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea"
"There goes the last great American dynasty, who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been"
"There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen, She had a marvelous time ruinin' everything"
"They say she was seen on occasion, Pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea"
Taylor Swift found herself full of admiration for Rebekah Harkness, a woman who for all her faults was a great philanthropist who donated $2 million to medical research, chiefly on Parkinson’s disease. Talking to People magazine in 2021, Swift said: ‘It can be a real pearl-clutching moment for society when a woman owns her desires and wildness and I love the idea that the woman in question would be too joyful in her freedom to even care that she’s ruffling feathers, raising eyebrows or becoming the talk of the town.’
EXILE
"You're not my homeland anymore, So what am I defending now?"
"You were my town, Now I'm in exile, seeing you out"
"I can see you starin', honey like he's just your understudy, Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me"
"Second, third, and hundredth chances, Balancin' on breaking branches, Those eyes add insult to injury"
"So step right out, there is no amount of crying I can do for you"
"All this time, We always walked a very thin line"
"You were my town, Now I'm in exile, seeing you out"
"I can see you starin', honey like he's just your understudy, Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me"
"Second, third, and hundredth chances, Balancin' on breaking branches, Those eyes add insult to injury"
"So step right out, there is no amount of crying I can do for you"
"All this time, We always walked a very thin line"
Often, when relationships end, the people involved have very different ideas of who was more at fault. In “exile” we are able to empathize with both sides, while not knowing which-- if either-- is being more honest about why the relationship ended. The story that Taylor and Justin tell here is a reminder that emotions are complex, and that real life isn’t always black and white. A relationship may end, but the feelings may take longer to fade. A relationship may wither, but it may be unclear why. That is why we need to have grace for ourselves and others as we deal with complex situations. Compassion and empathy can lead to understanding and growth, as we can see more clearly as outsiders to the scenario in “exile.”
MY TEARS RICOCHET
"And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?, Cursing my name, wishing I stayed, Look at how my tears ricochet"
"And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky), And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)"
"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace, And you're the hero flying around, saving face"
"If I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes too, Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe, All the hell you gave me?"
"And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky), And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)"
"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace, And you're the hero flying around, saving face"
"If I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes too, Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe, All the hell you gave me?"
This song explores the complicated dynamics of a deeply felt but troubled relationship. It does so from the ironic viewpoint of after death, ironic because usually we can only see the shape and meaning of a story after it ends, but here even literal death doesn't bring closure.
MIRRORBALL
"And they called off the circus, Burned the disco down"
"When they sent home the horses, And the rodeo clowns"
"I'm still on that tightrope, I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me"
"I'm still a believer but I don't know why, I've never been a natural, All I do is try, try, try"
"I'm still on that trapeze, I'm still trying everything, To keep you looking at me"
"When they sent home the horses, And the rodeo clowns"
"I'm still on that tightrope, I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me"
"I'm still a believer but I don't know why, I've never been a natural, All I do is try, try, try"
"I'm still on that trapeze, I'm still trying everything, To keep you looking at me"
Taylor still wants to believe that her career is not coming to an end (as we all do), but she feels like she shouldn't believe that. She hasn't been a natural at entertainment and performing, and she has put immense efforts time and again to perfect her singing, songwriting and performance/stage presence. Referencing trapeze and tightrope shows how careful and focused she is to always make something 'good enough' to keep her relevant, and her career stable.
SEVEN
"Please picture me in the trees, I hit my peak at seven feet"
"And though I can't recall your face, I still got love for you"
"And I've been meaning to tell you
I think your house is haunted
Your dad is always mad and that must be why"
"And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, Then you won't have to cry or hide in the closet"
"And just like a folk song our love will be passed on"
"Please picture me in the weeds, before I learned civility, I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted"
"And though I can't recall your face, I still got love for you"
"And I've been meaning to tell you
I think your house is haunted
Your dad is always mad and that must be why"
"And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, Then you won't have to cry or hide in the closet"
"And just like a folk song our love will be passed on"
"Please picture me in the weeds, before I learned civility, I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted"
Seven" is about those childhood friends who you don't really talk to or even think about much anymore, but they formed you and made you who you are, so you still feel affection for them even if they're not a part of your daily life anymore. They become a part of your mythology, and you love them even though you can't always remember all the details - "passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long." For me, it's also about childhood innocence, and the way very dangerous things (like abuse) can be misinterpreted through a child's lens to seem more innocence Children sometimes see things much more innocently, not understanding the reasoning behind an adult's behavior.
AUGUST
"August sipped away like a bottle of wine, Cause you were never mine"
"Salt air, and the rust on your door, I never needed anything more"
"So much for summer love and saying us, Cause you weren't mine to lose"
"But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, Cause it was never mine"
"Salt air, and the rust on your door, I never needed anything more"
"So much for summer love and saying us, Cause you weren't mine to lose"
"But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, Cause it was never mine"
The narrator of the song can't accept for herself that this relationship could never work out. Maybe like a self-protective mechanism preventing heartbreak and deep deep regret and shame and feeling foolish for realizing, it was never meant to be from the lover's side. She's simply in denial and drowns in self-lies. Saying, "wanting was enough" speaks only for herself. Even in her memories she only remembers the infatuation of hers and blinds out other signs which might have told her, it's nothing everlasting. The narrator cuts off everything else from that time. And those signs aren't mentioned in the song, because of that "self-protective mechanism.
THIS IS ME TRYING
"You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town"
"And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound, It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you"
"I've been having a hard time adjusting, I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting"
"I didn't know if you'd care if I came back, I have a lot of regrets about that"
"Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, Could've followed my fears all the way down"
"They told me all of my cages were mental, So I got wasted like all my potential"
"And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad, I have a lot of regrets about that"
"I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere, Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here"
"And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound, It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you"
"I've been having a hard time adjusting, I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting"
"I didn't know if you'd care if I came back, I have a lot of regrets about that"
"Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, Could've followed my fears all the way down"
"They told me all of my cages were mental, So I got wasted like all my potential"
"And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad, I have a lot of regrets about that"
"I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere, Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here"
This Is Me Trying is about someone who had so much potential and then ran into hard times and hurt people they loved, probably ran into some substance/alcohol use, and now they’re trying to get better and doing the Depression Apology Tour, where they have to try make things right. She made some mistakes, she (or whoever the main character of this song is) is "trying" to make changes and get some insight by going to therapy and not reverting to self medication. Most of the lyrics are what she/the character is sharing with a therapist/her "regrets."
ILLICIT AFFAIRS
"And you wanna scream: Don't call me "kid", Don't call me "baby"
"Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me"
"And that's the thing about illicit affairs and clandestine meetings and longing stares,
It's born from just one single glance, but it dies, and it dies, and it dies, a million little times"
"Make sure nobody sees you leave, Hood over your head, keep your eyes down"
"Tell your friends you're out for a run, You'll be flushed when you return"
"Take the road less traveled by, Tell yourself you can always stop"
"What started in beautiful rooms, Ends with meetings in parking lots"
"Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me"
"And that's the thing about illicit affairs and clandestine meetings and longing stares,
It's born from just one single glance, but it dies, and it dies, and it dies, a million little times"
"Make sure nobody sees you leave, Hood over your head, keep your eyes down"
"Tell your friends you're out for a run, You'll be flushed when you return"
"Take the road less traveled by, Tell yourself you can always stop"
"What started in beautiful rooms, Ends with meetings in parking lots"
The lyrics tell a story of infidelity about a disloyal narrator who wants to continue her deceitful relationship. She describes the details of how to maintain the relationship and whispers them as if they were secrets.
INVISIBLE STRING
"One single thread of gold tied me to you"
"Time, curious time, Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs, Were there clues I didn't see?"
"A string that pulled me out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar"
"Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire, Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons"
"And isn't it just so pretty to think, All along there was some invisible string, Tying you to me?"
"Time, mystical time, Cuttin' me open, then healin' me fine"
"Time, curious time, Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs, Were there clues I didn't see?"
"A string that pulled me out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar"
"Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire, Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons"
"And isn't it just so pretty to think, All along there was some invisible string, Tying you to me?"
"Time, mystical time, Cuttin' me open, then healin' me fine"
This is one of her more personal autobiographical songs where she talks about real life events like the song that played on their first trip to LA or the restaurant they had dinner at or the waitress who didn't recognise her on their lunch date or even the colour of the leaves in Centennial Park. She talks about how throughout her life, time was playing tricks with her, how we don't get clues or signs of what will happen to us and sometimes time will cut us open and give us the blues but in the end we'll heal just fine. She wrote this song from a genuinely happy place after almost 4 years with her partner. And acknowledges all her relationships didn't work out because she was meant to be with said partner.
MAD WOMAN
"What did you think I'd say to that?, Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill and you know I will"
"Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, What about that?
And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry"
"And there's nothin' like a mad woman, what a shame she went mad"
"No one likes a mad woman, You made her like that"
"And you'll poke that bear 'til her claws come out,
And you find something to wrap your noose around
And there's nothin' like a mad woman"
"Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy, What about that?
And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry"
"And there's nothin' like a mad woman, what a shame she went mad"
"No one likes a mad woman, You made her like that"
"And you'll poke that bear 'til her claws come out,
And you find something to wrap your noose around
And there's nothin' like a mad woman"
Mad Woman" is a ballad that confronts gaslighting and the sexist taboo regarding women's anger
EPIPHANY
"Something med school did not cover
Someone's daughter, someone's mother
Holds your hand through plastic now
"Doc, I think she's crashing out"
And some things you just can't speak about"
"Only 20 minutes to sleep but you dream of some epiphany"
"Just one single glimpse of relief, To make some sense of what you've see"
"With you, I serve, With you, I fall down, down
Watch you breathe in, Watch you breathing out, out"
Someone's daughter, someone's mother
Holds your hand through plastic now
"Doc, I think she's crashing out"
And some things you just can't speak about"
"Only 20 minutes to sleep but you dream of some epiphany"
"Just one single glimpse of relief, To make some sense of what you've see"
"With you, I serve, With you, I fall down, down
Watch you breathe in, Watch you breathing out, out"
Epiphany is a homage to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the song's lyrics describe the devastation caused by the pandemic, while deeming doctors and nurses as soldiers on beaches, correlating their emotional distress to that of her veteran grandfather Dean at the Battle of Guadalcanal.
BETTY
"But if I just showed up at your party, Would you have me?, Would you want me?
Would you tell me to go fuck myself?, Or lead me to the garden?"
"In the garden, would you trust me, If I told you it was just a summer thing?"
Would you tell me to go fuck myself?, Or lead me to the garden?"
"In the garden, would you trust me, If I told you it was just a summer thing?"
The song “betty” is sung from the perspective of James, a 17-year-old boy, who realizes he has messed up his relationship. He is apologizing to Betty after being untrue. The lead single off of folklore was “cardigan,” which tells the story from Betty’s perspective. And finally, “august” addresses the story from the “other woman’s” perspective. This songwriting technique opens up the overall story. The idea of telling the story from three different perspectives makes the listener empathetic to “the other woman,” who Swift insists is not the villain.
PEACE
"Our coming-of-age has come and gone, suddenly the summer, it's clear
I never had the courage of my convictions, as long as danger is near"
"But I would die for you in secret
The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"
I never had the courage of my convictions, as long as danger is near"
"But I would die for you in secret
The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"
Peace is the acknowledgement of being a difficult person to love (that in our own ways, we're all difficult people to love) but with the right person it's still absolutely worth it. I'll give you my sunshine, give you my best, but the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me.
HOAX
"Stood on the cliffside, Screaming, "Give me a reason"
"Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in"
"Don't want no other shade of blue, But you,
No other sadness in the world would do"
"My best laid plan, your sleight of hand,
My barren land, I am ash from your fire"
"Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in"
"Don't want no other shade of blue, But you,
No other sadness in the world would do"
"My best laid plan, your sleight of hand,
My barren land, I am ash from your fire"
Hoax has always struck me as a song coming from someone in a desperate relationship that’s been cheated on and unveiling how much their cheating partner hurt them. “Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in Don't want no other shade of blue But you” Swift also calls this person her “best laid plan” much like in Mastermind when she constantly refers to her past relationship as a plan that she orchestrated. However in Hoax she reveals that this best laid plan is coming undone— “My kingdom come undone”
THE LAKES
"Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you"
"Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse"
"I want auroras and sad prose,
I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet,
'Cause I haven't moved in years"
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you"
"Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse"
"I want auroras and sad prose,
I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet,
'Cause I haven't moved in years"
In The Lakes Swift is comparing herself to the poets of the past who chose personal fulfillment away from the noise of fame and adoration, because with that comes scorn and scrutiny. She still wants to create art but she doesn't want to have to be hunted or torn apart in order to do so. It's very post-Reputation or post-2016 when she was canceled and people tore her down like it was a national sport. She changed her entire way of living and working during 2016/2017 and found it to be healing and rewarding in a way she never thought it would be. She now does lead a fairly quiet (for her level of fame) personal life outside of what she does.
The second verse addresses her catalogue being sold and the dialogue surrounding it. It suggests she's still recovering from the hurt she suffered during 2019 and earlier. The bridge explains how she wants to put roots down and settle somewhere, she doesn't want to be running for the rest of her life. She wants the security of not having to move at all. I think "calamitous love and insurmountable grief" is a way of illustrating that is she a troubled person who is carrying a lot of pain, trauma and emotion with her at all times.
The second verse addresses her catalogue being sold and the dialogue surrounding it. It suggests she's still recovering from the hurt she suffered during 2019 and earlier. The bridge explains how she wants to put roots down and settle somewhere, she doesn't want to be running for the rest of her life. She wants the security of not having to move at all. I think "calamitous love and insurmountable grief" is a way of illustrating that is she a troubled person who is carrying a lot of pain, trauma and emotion with her at all times.
COVER
Classic fairytale style cover, with text central and motifs surrounding it. Textures overlayed to give a cloth bound appearance.
