I saw this comment existing
"Totally, glad I'm not the only one who made this observation. I really think folklore was a win for Speak Now stans while evermore is a win for 1989 stans; these albums are basically more mature, down-tempo glow-ups."
So for reference:
1. Upon release. I wrote a very seething review of how 1989 was a complete regression for Taylor Swift. I got called a fake swiftie for calling it unauthentic and seemed she was trying to convince everyone she was quite happy and well when she wasn't. I get the last laugh after Miss Americana the documentary released though considering her discussing the issues during that time, including anorexia tendencies. Maybe it was because idk...I had been growing with her as an artist since I was fucking 9-10 years old? Maybe?
2. 1989 is not a lyrical master piece. It has some decent highs but many of the songs are ear wormy and half baked at best. I do not revisit many of the songs on the regular. In fair defense, 1989 was not so bad once Lover was released. Lover is a very far distant last on my list of Taylor albums.
3. I have a very strong emotional attachment to Reputation. It has a lot of attitude and came out at a time I was also feeling very "fuck you" like many of the songs do. Hence, despite lacking in the same Taylor lyrical prowess, I liked it a lot more. Reputation is my favorite of the pure pop Taylor albums. I will die defending Reputation and I will outright defend it as a more authentic emotional experience than the cohesive so obviously made for a damn trophy 1989 ever was. I mean in actuality I wrote someone a 5000 word defense of why Reputation actually was more storylined and mature than most of the songs on 1989. I will DIE on this hill and I'm not even sorry. I actually wanna skim and see if I can find that again and destroy everyone's eyes with my powerful desire to defend this attitude album.
4. I do not, in gods name, know why people are calling Evermore a "poppier" piece or poppier than Folklore. Folklore was a bit toned down but definitely with Mirrorball, Epiphany, The 1, Cardigan...Folklore is superiorly a poppier piece. Albeit it is mostly indie pop, it is still POP. Evermore is far deeper experimentation into ACTUAL alternative and some of her older country/pop/alternative roots.
I watched the Willow premiere first and okay hear me out. Taylor and I have had a long battle fan wise about her change and lack of authenticity. Speak Now, is my favorite Taylor work by far. And Willow was the first Taylor song I have heard since Speak Now that just grasped that enchanted romance vibe she always had early on. And I was nearly crying. Because that's the Taylor I grew up with and knew. Maybe she's gonna come out of the woods. Maybe it was just a moment in time. But those love songs will never grow old.
Upon more of a listen, I would much more readily compare Evermore to "Red". It has a few strong obvious single bait tracks, but the quality is far more subdued and more authentic. It obviously at its finest was not intended to be this cohesive perfected unit but focused upon the emotion and the drive behind it. I honestly like Evermore a bit more than Folklore. And I do like Folklore too, but Evermore has hooked me. Evermore feels like the closest thing I have had to Old Taylor. Sure everyone's gonna scream about Betty. But my favorite Taylor songs weren't bombastic country pop hits.
The ballads. Dear John. My favorite Taylor song is Last Kiss - the one many call her most boring song. Sad Beautiful Tragic. I Almost Do. These are the Taylor songs I loved for the purity of emotion, the rawness, the perfected subdued musicality to match such moods. And Evermore is full of this. If you find this boring as many do, you'll hate Evermore. But I imagined after Red this would be the sort of direction, especially with the pinnacle success of All Too Well. Instead she did 1989 and shook me.
My Taylor album rating before this years release by the way
1. Speak Now
2. Reputation
3. Fearless/Red I can never decide one dammit
5. debut
6. 1989
somewhere off in an abyss: Lover
Now:
1. Speak Now
2. Evermore
3. Reputation
4. Fearless/Red
6. Folklore
7. Debut
8. 1989
and still off in an abyss even FARTHER now because with 2 new albums I can gradually forget it ever happened: Lover.