Welp! Taylor Swift did it again. “It” being “recording a secret album and dropping it on her fans, Beyonce-style, when they were least expecting it.” The Snake Fam already felt well-fed with folklore, the album Taylor released several months into lockdown, which was already nominated for tons of Grammys. Now it turns out that Taylor has recorded a companion album, a sister album to folklore called evermore (again, tay is against capitalization). She posted two Twitter threads explaining what happened:
I’m elated to tell you that my 9th studio album, and folklore’s sister record, will be out tonight at midnight eastern. It’s called evermore.
To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.
I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning.
I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into your lives. So I just kept writing them. And I loved creating these songs with Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, WB, and Justin Vernon. We’ve also welcomed some new (and longtime) friends to our musical kitchen table this time around…
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Ever since I was 13, I’ve been excited about turning 31 because it’s my lucky number backwards, which is why I wanted to surprise you with this now. You’ve all been so caring, supportive and thoughtful on my birthdays and so this time I thought I would give you something! I also know this holiday season will be a lonely one for most of us and if there are any of you out there who turn to music to cope with missing loved ones the way I do, this is for you.
Okay, that was kind of nice – “I also know this holiday season will be a lonely one for most of us and if there are any of you out there who turn to music to cope with missing loved ones the way I do, this is for you.” She’s not wrong? This has been a good year for music and people enjoying music at home. Taylor actually captured a real vibe with folklore, and I’m sure that same vibe will continue with evermore, and it’s a vibe which suits this crazy year. The vibe is gentle, folksy, listening-at-home-with-a-cat music. Good for her, honestly.
This is truly Taylor’s Woman of the Woods Era.
Tonight the story continues, as the music video for “willow” drops at midnight eastern. pic.twitter.com/T3o0nsANpY
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 10, 2020
Photos courtesy of Taylor Swift’s social media.
Wow, the National and Bon Iver have sold out.
It’s one guy from The National, not the whole band. Also, musicians like making music with a wide variety of people. He shouldn’t be stuck only making music with The National and his brother his whole life.
By collaborating with a well known artist and producing a critically-acclaimed album full of music that he enjoyed working on? Yeah, jeesh, what a sell out (insert eye roll)
Nah. Collaborating with fellow musicians who understand you and who you admire is an artistic endeavor. I hate the term “sell out.” People should make the kind of music they want to make with who they want to make it.
I loved the collaboration in folklore and loved that my guilty pleasure worked with my favorite band. They did a great job together at a time when most of us need the distraction.
If you want to talk about sellouts look at all the so called artistz that turned to reggeaton simply for the sales and fame.
Listen. Not even reggaeton.
AFROBEATS were stolen and as an African I felt second hand embarrassment for some of the music that came out.
I actually think it’s admirable that they were willing to go outside their genre to work with a musician who was also branching out. How boring would it be if everyone stuck to one thing all the time?
I’m all for it. Folklore was one of the better things to have come out this year.
I was never a big Taylor Fan, but I really connected to her Folklore album while locked down at home. My brain wasn’t ready for a banger album and I appreciated this quieter album so much. I am really looking forward to this next one.
Yeah, me too. It took me places, mostly from my past. I’m not sure I’m ready for another trip!
This is how I felt. I liked folklore a lot and I’m not a big Taylor fan. It felt like she was returning to her roots and the album was very “comfortable,” so to speak. I’ll give evermore a listen.
Love folklore so I’m sure I’ll love this one too.
So excited!!!
folklore was her best album so I’m excited for evermore!
Oh wow. I didn’t know. I’m still not done with Folklore.
Yay!! I am so looking forward to listening when I’m doing my Christmas shopping this weekend. I loved folklore and I definitely wanted more. I think writing wise folklore is her best album. Musically I loved Lover more but the songs in folklore are so rich with words. Tay deserves a song writing Grammy for sure.
My daughter is going to lose her damn mind when she wakes up and hears this news. We’ve currently got a vinyl of “folklore” wrapped under the tree, and some sweater that Taylor wore in a video. She loves Taylor so much.
awesome 🙂
I’ve been listening to folklore a lot lately…and I’m not even that big of a fan. Or didn’t use to be.
this is genuinely epic, can’t wait
I’m beyond excited. Folklore is by far my favorite album of hers, and really was a highlight of this year for me. I’m SO ready for more! Some much needed happiness as we head into a dark winter.
I’m actually really excited about this – ‘Folklore’ gave me back my faith in modern music..!
I woke up to this news and it made me so happy. I take each album as it is–don’t love all her work but she’s put out some songs that have defined various eras of my life (looking at you, Red album). I REALLY loved folklore. It was exactly what I wanted and needed to hear this season. I have listened to it almost nonstop some days–it’s a relaxing background to my work. I have missed her storytelling lyrics and folklore felt like a return to that.
I’ll be sitting on the computer ready to listen tonight. I’m making this album a Christmas gift to myself.
Hell yeah! This Taylor era is my fave so far
That twitter picture looks like instagram cosplay for Miss Havisham. I could embrace a ‘stuck at home and mad at the world’ vibe this year…
I would love a song inspired by miss havisham’s point of view
So excited!
My dog’s food is called Evermore so that’s all I think of…wet dog food. 😑
I feel like I need to give folklore another try, it wasn’t for me the first time I heard it. Will listen to evermore as soon as it’s available.
Is that picture in the lacy ivory number a hint that she got married?
This is what 2020’s doing to me…after months in quarantine, I’m now actively combing for Taylor Swift clues.
Lol I had the same thought. It’s probably a still from a music video or something.
It looks very bridal, doesn’t it?
I actually need to give folklore another listen. J l really enjoyed Red and 1989 specifically, and actively disliked the reputation whining album. Didn’t listen to Lover and I probably should.
So, good for her. I’ll listen. This is nice.
I kind of just started in on folklore! And now I’ve got a whole new album to listen to. And McCartney III coming out in a week’s time too. Okay, well, I know what I’ll be doing over the holiday break.
I loooved folklore and if I hadn’t been listening to the divorce anthem album by The Chicks lately, it would probably still be on repeat. Super ready for evermore.
Taylor is a talented artist who is taking ownership of her creative and professional output, which I applaud. So, I feel like the pettiest bitch alive when I say that I detest the wavy bangs…
Im not feeling her curly/wavy hair i gotta say it doesn’t do her any favors IMO
But this is her natural texture–As a curly girl myself I am glad to see her embrace her curls. It’s hard to have bangs with curly hair though.
I loved loved loved folklore (and I’m not even a Taylor Swift fan), but it annoys me when artists say they’re “gifting” an album to their fans. She’s going to make tons of money off this as she does with all her albums – it’s not a gift.
Folklore was a slow burn for me (apart from Exile, that song is just fantastic from the first listen), but the more I play it the more I like it. Can’t wait for round two.