This morning, Taylor Swift dropped her 9th studio album, evermore. The album is closely tied to her previous album folklore, between the woodsy aesthetic, atmospheric echos, and country twang.
Because the album is so similar to folklore, I love the sounds and lyrics just as much. Like folklore, evermore was also produced and co-written by Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, and anything to do with Jack Antonoff immediately reaches the top of my list. Multiple songs are co-written by Swift’s current boyfriend of four years, Joe Alwyn, who writes under the pseudonym, William Bowery. The lyrics follow similar storylines to folklore, blending fictitious narratives and real-life experiences.
Although Swift has not given much information on the background of the song yet, fans have speculated the inspiration behind their stories. The beautifully sounding champagne problems appears to be telling the story of a rejected marriage proposal, while the breathtaking marjorie pays homage to Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie Finlay. In no body, no crime, she describes a murder mystery with an eerie twist. Some fans believe happiness to be a reference to Swift’s ongoing battle with the possession of her masters.
Although I’m going to have to give the album many more listens, here is my initial ranking of the tracks:
- champagne problems
- ivy
- gold rush
- no body, no crime (ft. Haim)
- willow
- long story short
- evermore (ft. Bon Iver)
- dorthea
- marjorie
- closure
- happiness
- ’tis the damn season
- tolerate it
- cowboy like me
- coney island (ft. The National)
