"Drop Everything Now", literally - folklore (deluxe ver.) by Taylor Swift Review

"There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen; I had a marvelous time ruining everything."

folklore (deluxe version)

Taylor Swift

24 July 2020

16 Songs + 1 Deluxe Song

Available on Apple Music, Spotify

Last July 23, 2020, Taylor Swift saved everyone's quarantine as she announced the release of her new album, folklore. To say that fans were shook was an understatement. Everyone lost their minds because Taylor really used her old lyric "Drop everything now" from her song Sparks Fly (2010) literally and dropped folklore the very next day.

Track Reviews

01 the 1

"You know the greatest loves of all time are over now."

Ria: The whole song hints at the different parties, loves, that happened in the past and how it had been key to how things happen now. It's like how this song is the introduction to a new Taylor Swift era – the era of folk songs which is heavily used in folklore. The imagery to the great gatsby: "roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool". This is a direct symbolism to all the parties they've been hosting and as the book's setting is the roaring twenties. "would everything be different today?" hints on if different things had happened in the past what would've happened now, in the future.

"In my defense, I have none

For never leaving well enough alone"

Jhanya: A highly relatable song in terms of the mindset, not the situation (for my case, nbsb so ;D). We always have times when we contemplate and think of "what could've been. Even though it can hurt to think about what never happened, it's nice to look back and think of what you've done wrong. It's also nice to see that Taylor also owns up for her mistakes in the relationship with the said past lover.

02 cardigan

"Chase two girls, lose the one, when you are young, they assume you know nothing"

Ria: The way cardigan is a person making all the mistakes possible in a relationship but still goes back to their lover in the end. It shows how they chose to follow their heart and in turn, chose the person they love. Throughout the song you can hear how conflicted the person was, they treasured their lover and constantly validated them, "And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite.", but also left for a short while, and finally returning to them. "And I knew you'd come back to me, you'd come back to me.

"You put me on and said I was your favorite"

Jhanya: Young, lost love. That's it, that's the song in a nutshell lmao. In all seriousness, this song is part of the "Teenage Love Triangle" collection in the album, and this song is told from the perspective of Betty. It shows how young love changes a person and how it makes them feel all the good things, and of course, the pain of it all ;-;

side note: My favorite lyric is just pain. It means niloko mo ako, pinaasa mo ako in simpler terms huhu

03 the last great american dynasty

"There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen

I had a marvelous time ruining everything."

Ria: The storytelling of this song is my favorite part. The bluntness of the words and how the story goes is just so unique and relevant. After some research, this song was actually about a real person – Rebekah Harkness. The story starts with Rebekah marrying Bill, a rich person, and throwing parties often. As the story goes on, Bill dies and everything is left on Rebekah. Many of the lyrics state Rebekah as a mad and shameless woman, making her the antagonist in the story. As a widow, she stayed in Rhode Island for the rest of her life. She had numerous luxurious parties with her friends, as said in the song. And when she died, the house they had bought, Holiday House, became quiet again.

"Fifty years is a long time, Holiday House sat quietly on that beach, Free of women with madness, Their men and bad habits, and then it was bought by me".

The story then transitions to Taylor buying the house. She's then labeled similarly to Rebekah – loud, mad, and ruining everything.

I believe the song to be from the point of view of the paparazzi, who usually paint people in a bad light. It could be that both Rebekah and Taylor were just chasing their happiness and enjoying what they thought was right. This song really teaches us to stop judging others based on what we only see on the surface. There are a lot of other details to something in a person's life

Jhanya: Women doing something new or "out of the norm" for women has always been something people saw as something catastrophic and something that could "ruin everything. Throughout the song, we hear about Rebekah Harkness's story and how her life took a turn after her husband died and she was blamed for it all. However, during the last chorus, Taylor switches to the first person, using I instead of she (Rebekah). This part was just epic, showing how she has also stepped out of her cages and decided to do what she wants even though people will judge her.

04 exile (feat. Bon Iver)

"I think I've seen this film before

And I didn't like the ending

I'm not your problem anymore

So who am I offending now?

You were my crown

Now I'm in exile seein' you out

I think I've seen this film before

So I'm leaving out the side door"

Ria: To be honest, I couldn't really decide my favorite lyric so I just took a chunk of it. It’s one of my favorite songs in the whole album, actually. This is a duet. I see it like two ex-lovers talking to each other about why their relationship fell apart. It tells how the guy never really saw the reasons why but the girl has become so tired of the relationship and stated out how all the signs were there. With the song being a duet, I have to talk about the blending of Justin Vernon and Taylor Swift's voices. The roughness of Justin's voice fit perfectly with the high falsettos of Taylor. And with their lyrics contradicting each other, I really love the emotional depth the song portrays and how it was beautifully portrayed by the two artists.

The last "You never gave a warning sign"

Jhanya: Every time I hear this song I remember the Wattpad books that need a sequel because the MCs broke up at the end of the 1st book. Most of it happened because of miscommunication in their relationship. In each singer's part of the song, they show their point of view, which are very contrasting even though both of them were in one relationship, meaning they never addressed their problems at hand. As for my favorite line, which was the last line in the song, only Bon Iver sings this part showing how Taylor left the "argument" despite it not ending yet, showing how miscommunication really is a reason for their break up.

05 my tears ricochet

"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace

'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave

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."

Ria: betrayal. This song screams betrayal. Similar to how someone you trusted the most took advantage of that trust and ripped your heart into shred, almost as if killing you. This song is a great song to cry to actually, especially to those who've experienced betrayal. The karma the person got was also great as the song implies how heartbroken the other person felt in the end. "You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same." I also love the bridge of the song. The instrumentation and musicality of it is something I really liked. The overlapping drums and bass plus lyrics and overlapping voices for the harmony is *chef's kiss*.

"You turned into your worst fears, ..., Crossing out the good years"

Jhanya: This song is mainly about Scott Borchetta, the CEO of BMR which was Taylor Swift's previous label. Here Taylor talks about how he betrayed her and disregarded all their years together as business partners just because he "had the power". Taylor Swift said that this was the first song she wrote for this album, and to be honest, it can be seen how most of the songs' tones are similar to this.

06 mirrorball

"I can change everything about me to fit in."

Ria: My favorite part of the song is the synth-like music and the meaning of the song. Synthesizing the music really helped elevate Taylor's voice into that breathy tone in the song. The meaning also tells how Taylor is not just one-sided. She can be whoever she wants to be whenever. She has different sides that she would like to show to people just to please them. But aside from that, she can also bring all your sides out.

"Hush, I know they said the end is near

But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes"

Jhanya: The song shows how even though everyone is saying that Taylor's career is nearing its end, Taylor herself still tries her best to please her fans :') like the disco ball that she is.

07 seven

"And just like a folk song,

Our love will be passed on"

Ria: The imagery is what I love the best. It images innocence and the childish nature of kids. The music perfectly matches that and it’s like Taylor was back to being seven years old.

"Love you to the Moon and to Saturn

Passed down like folk songs"

Jhanya: The melody and instrumentation of this song have a very childlike wonder that matches its lyrics perfectly. It shows the childish nature of kids to think that every problem can be easily solved. The comparison with love and folk songs being passed down to others, not only speaks for the song, but also for the album, which is titled folklore.

08 august

"And I can see us twisted in bedsheets,

August sipped away, like a bottle of wine,

Cause you were never mine."

Ria: This is the second song to the song trilogy in folklore. This song actually tells the story of an illicit affair that happened during the summer. It is narrated by the girl James had an affair with against Betty. The girl hoped for more than just a fling and actually wanted James. It is actually quite heartbreaking how one girl wants another person with whom she had an illegal relationship with only for her to be left behind.

"August sipped away like a bottle of wine, 'Cause you were never mine"

Jhanya: Now told in the POV of the girl who the guy cheated with in cardigan, It tells how fast and sudden the relationship started and ended as it happened over one summer. In a way, it can also be read from the lyrics that the girl got over the relationship already as she understood that it would never last long and she wasn't the only one in the first place.

09 this is me trying

"I just wanted you to know,

That this is me trying,

At least I'm trying."

Ria: The lyrical meaning is quite straightforward. Taylor just wants to be acknowledged for all the efforts she puts into her life. She tries to please everyone, tries to achieve her dreams, tries to make every relationship work. She says how hard it is to work in a relationship and how hard she tries. All she wants her partner and everyone else to know is she is trying.

"I just wanted you to know that this is me trying"

Jhanya: This is me crying. Out of all the songs in this album, this is the only one that brought me to tears. It, in a way, shows us how Taylor is trying to apologize for past mistakes and shortcomings as mentioned in the song. Apologizing is never as easy as it seems in public media. Each apology feels like delivering a heavy rock to a person with only yourself to carry it, and this song perfectly encapsulates that feeling, that even though it may not seem like it, she is trying. And one way of hers to try it is through this song and the album.

10 illicit affairs

"And you wanna scream, (...)

Don't call me kid,

Don't call me baby,

look at this idiotic fool that you made me,

You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else;

And you know damn well,

For you I would ruin myself,

...a million little times"

Ria: Another one of my favorites! Well, from the title itself, this song is obviously about infidelity. I love the lyrical value the song gives and its meaning. It was able to say how the illicit affair started so beautifully but ended disastrously – them breaking up.

"And you know damn well

For you, I would ruin myself

A million little times"

Jhanya: The thing about real illicit affairs is that it is a secret language only spoken between you and your partner. Throughout the whole song, Taylor tells us how most illicit affairs come to be and what happens. But the outro shows how despite all the lies, the glances, and the risks, people in affairs usually end up having this addictive cycle of continuing it despite the grave consequences.

11 invisible string

"And isn't it just so pretty to think

All along there was some

Invisible string

Tying you to me?"

Ria: invisible string nods to the Chinese superstition that a string holds two lovers together. There are actually many nods to Taylor's older albums and songs.

"Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA" nods to Taylor's Bad Blood song.

"A string that pulled me; Out of all the wrong arms, right into that dive bar" nods to Taylor's song, Delicate.

Near the end of the song, she sings how this invisible string has now brought them together and has turned gold. She also sings how she's gotten over all her older lovers and even sends presents to their children.

"Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven"

Jhanya: Call me a hopeless romantic--which I am--but this line (in purple, above) is basically saying that after all those bad breakups and messed up relationships Taylor had before, in the end, she was brought to heaven, that is her relationship with Joe, *sighs* I'm so single. Speaking of heaven and hell, I also see this as a reference to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy where Dante literally journeys through hell just to get to his love Beatrice in heaven. Overall, this song has to be my favorite, it's just such a feel-good song about fate and destiny.

12 mad woman

"And there's nothing like a mad woman,

What a shame she went mad,

No one likes a mad woman,

You made her like that."

Ria: all I can say is. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"No one likes a mad woman

What a shame she went mad

You made her like that"

Jhanya: I see this as a sister song to the last great american dynasty. But this has a lot more anger as it is a direct message to all the people who have hurt and took advantage of Taylor. Scott, once again, is referenced multiple times in this song, showing that this song is also Taylor expressing how much she wants her masters back. In simple terms, the song is one big f--- you to the a-holes who did her dirty in the music industry. Which is a power move for the mad queen that she is.

13 epiphany

"Only twenty minutes to sleep

But you dream of some epiphany

Just one single glimpse of relief

To make some sense of what you've seen"

Ria: The uniqueness of the song is what really got me. It talks about the hardship of war and trying to find that peace. The hardship of a doctor as well when trying so desperately to save a person to return them to their family. And once you rest, you find that peace that can give you some epiphany.

"With you I serve, with you I fall down, down (Down)

Watch you breathe in, watch you breathing out, out"

Jhanya: Definitely my least favorite melody and instrumentation in the album, because at this point, to be honest, the songs are pretty much going into the same pattern in terms of the tones, and this song just felt too long compared to the others. In terms of the lyrics though, this one hits hard. It talks about Taylor's grandfather who fought in the war, but it also references the medical frontliners and experiences of patients during this Covid-19 pandemic, which we all know won't be going away anytime soon.

14 betty

"The worst thing that I ever did,

Was what I did to you."

Ria: betty, the third of the song trilogy, is a song from the point of view of James. It had a unique twist to the song wherein it tells the story of how a guy did something foolish and in return had to pay the price by losing the person he really loves. He fails to really own up to his mistakes while Betty does and sees her own worth.

"Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long"

Jhanya: The lyric above is not my favorite lyric, but it was the lyric that brought out emotions from me. I've read and heard this line hundreds of times from cheaters (fictional, of course) who will always say the same excuse when they're caught and I'm just so tired of it ugh. On the bright side, I love how we finally get a song from Taylor Swift that is told fully from a male perspective. It was also interesting that it is an apology of a 17-year-old boy who "didn't know anything" lmao who are you kidding. This also has to be one of my favorite instrumentations throughout the songs, the harmonica in the background is just *chef's kiss*.

15 peace

"And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences

Sit with you in the trenches"

Ria: The instrumentation of this song is more subtle and sounds simpler. It allows Taylor's voice to shine through more clearly rather than overlapping it. I think the meaning of the song is also how Taylor hopes that despite her shortcoming in their relationship, her partner wouldn't leave her.

"The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me

Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?

Jhanya: Taylor talks about the struggles of trying to live a normal life while having a very public life. She opens up about her fear of falling in love with a person who lives a very grounded life when everywhere she goes, there are people taking pictures and following her. Would it be enough that the person knows she loves them or would they leave her because of her situation? On a technical note, I'm not sure if it's just me, or the beeping sound in the background was annoying and it gave me a hard time fully appreciating the song :(

16 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"

Ria: Taylor describes her hardships in toxic relationships and how those have changed and shaped her. How it first broke her but how she has become stronger even though some scars would still hurt. It ends the album and it really encourages more people to get a grasp of their life and continue fighting for themselves even in the toxicity of the world.

"Don't want no other shade of blue but you

No other sadness in the world would do"

Jhanya: A perfect closing song for the album. From the instrumentation to the lyrics. The sad but hopeful tone of it all makes the listener feel satisfied but sad that the album is over. This review is also short because that is all I can say for this track, it's the perfect last song.

17 the lakes (bonus track)

"I can change everything about me to fit in."

Ria: This bonus song is pretty meaningful. She compares herself to other poets, artists, and muses and realizes herself to be one of those as well. “These hunters with cell phones” are those people who have been defaming Taylor Swift (mostly paparazzi) and now she has gone to the Lakes to find her peace. This bonus track really helps us see how hard she has had to deal with her fame and what she had to do to save herself.

"I'm setting off, but not without my muse"

Jhanya: A beautiful but simple bonus track with a pretty literal meaning. I love how Taylor compares herself to the poets, and them having muses. As a poet/lyricist herself, she also has a muse (even multiple tbh), but of course, in their time periods, Taylor wouldn't be acknowledged as one herself because she is female.

Final Thoughts

Ria: Overall, this album gives off such meaningful lyrics. It had a layered story with the addition of the song trilogy (cardigan, august, betty). And it touches on illegal affairs, toxic relationships, and a woman’s fury. It also touches on a child’s innocence. Musically, it took me several listens before I really got into it, and when I did it really was beautiful. I really liked how Taylor has started a new era in her artistry. She’s touching on folk music and it actually suits her quite nicely. My favorite songs have got to be the last great american dynasty, exile, and illicit affairs. It is a bit alarming at times since all these are heartbreaking songs, but I love its musicality, lyrics, and instrumentation.

Jhanya: Even though the album as a whole isn't my type of genre, it still is a very beautiful and well-thought album (I prefer evermore over this imho). My favorite part is definitely the "Teenage Love Triangle" simply because of how out of the box it is. At first, it may not immediately click, but when it does... wow, the pieces just fit so good together and the way she wrote those lyrics are amazing, especially betty, where everything in the story falls into place. If someone were to ask me what my favorites were, I would have to say it's invisible string, betty, this is me trying, and exile. To end this review, all I can say is Taylor has really outdone herself with the lyrics of each and every song, and I can't wait what more she has up her sleeves in the future.

Rating

FINAL RATING: