SuSwift, Taylor: Folklore (2LP, Sur''In the Trees'' edition) [REPUBLICSu

Taylor Swift's "quarantine" album, Folklore was surprise-released on July 24, 2020, after the singer spent her months in COVID-19 isolation following the cancellation of her Lover tour by doing what Taylor Swift always does: pouring her heart into her songwriting and cranking out yet another record.

After the high-gloss stadium pop of Reputation and the stardom-affirming Lover, Folklore marked a quieter and more pensive turn for Taylor. Piano, acoustic guitars and strings abound and the vibe is overwhelmingly low-key and mellow -- indie-folk luminary Bon Iver even makes an appearance on "Exile" -- while Swift abandons her trademark "diarist" style of writing to explore a number of fictional scenarios and narratives. That didn't hurt the record's commercial fate, mind you, as "Cardigan" quickly became Swift's sixth No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 and Folklore wound up becoming the best-selling album of 2020. It even earned a place in Rolling Stone’s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2023. 

For trivia's sake, too, Folklore stands as the first of Swift's numerous ongoing collaborations with Aaron Dessner of the National, although as has become custom her right-hand man in the studio -- or this time via remote file-sharing, at least -- remained Jack Antonoff. Why mess with a good thing when you've already got one going, right?

TRACKLISTING:
1. The 1
2. Cardigan
3. The Last Great American Dynasty
4. Exile (feat. Bon Iver)
5. My Tears Ricochet
6. Mirrorball
7. Seven 
8. August
9. This Is Me Trying
10. Illicit Affairs
11. Invisible String
12. Mad Woman
13. Epiphany
14. Betty
15. Peace
16. Hoax
17. The Lakes