What Made Taylor Swift's Folklore Legendary

[@thetrfh]

folklore may not be a pop album full of smash hits, but without it, Taylor definitely would not be the biggest pop star & artist in general right now globally. I'd say this is also the album that cemented Taylor as more of an album artist

[@EljohnMacaranas]

She’s always sorta been an albums artist to me, but to the general public definitely someone defined by her single choices (which were quite messy for both Reputation and Lover in my honest opinion, they misrepresented how good those records were in the deep cuts)

[@tayluvofficial]

It definitely made her stand stronger than before. With evermore, even more.

[@lllouise9]

What I love about Folklore is that I truly believe that Taylor did not plan the whole album years in advance or did a press tour. She was not thinking of charts or being the album of the year, etc. It's such a spontaneous, very personal kind of release that added to the magic of the album. It was not too commercial or over marketed. It's not in your face kind of album. It just shines brightly the way it is and you gravitate towards it.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

We’re never gonna get another record like this from her for some time. I felt like TTPD suffered from being overplanned and calculated which did work bc of the sales but felt empty compared to this one.

[@noneapplicable1327]

Oh it’s an undeniable classic from the teenage love triangle to just some heartbreaking classics like My Tears Ricochet 😭😭😭

[@EljohnMacaranas]

MTR is arguably the only track 5 that I think could battle All Too Well and have a case 🙂‍↕️

[@faizansari8545]

The most funny thing to me is that she didn't even told her label about the album until a few hours before it's release and the fact that republic had so much confidence in her.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Republic was more than happy with Lover’s results looking back and I assume they’re extremely glad to have agreed to distribute her music on her terms today. Smart business decision on all ends.

[@faizansari8545]

Would love to see more breakdown videos like this!!!!!???

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I plan to do one for Reputation soon and some for Gaga’s discography before Joker

[@fellipe.s2]

no because folklore LITERALLY changed my life, all the metaphors and lyrics are exactly how I felt and feel, I never get tired, if the sky is cloudy or if I'm very crestfallen folklore will be in my ears, life change, cultural reset

[@EljohnMacaranas]

So real. I feel like it made everything a bit more poetic

[@societycrumbles]

This album was what made me a fan. I never cared to give Taylor's music a chance and kinda disregarded her before, but then Folklore came out, I actually sat down and gave the whole thing a listen and I finally got why people love her. I've been a stan ever since.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think Folklore really took all the elements of her previous work and distilled them in such a way everyone could see her talent for what it was! I’m so glad you stanned!

[@slystone4892]

The same with me it was until this and Evermore that a became a fan.

[@IAmAli-xoxo]

This album once again proved her incredible versatility, but also I feel like it really expanded her artistry and songwriting to such new heights as well. Listening to folklore, it not only felt like listening to an album, but it felt like I was transported into the imaginary world that she built around making this album with Jack and Aaron. I also loved how she proved all of the people wrong who said 'folklore' and 'evermore' weren't 'stadium albums', as seeing so many people sing their hearts out to these songs at The Eras Tour was so heartwarming. 'folklore' is forever one of my top 5 favorite Taylor albums. HAPPY 4 YEARS OF FOLKLORE! :)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

HAPPY FOUR YEARS OF FOLKLORE! I agree so hard about transporting people to another world! It truly did! And we needed that at the time! Seeing everyone scream along to folklore songs at the Eras Tour was a dream come true.

[@cgomez5455]

I feel like folklore revived her career and image among the general public and although she has never flopped because her fan base has always been loyal to her, I feel like towards the end of the 2010s her start power was beginning to fade. Folklore was such a great way to start the new decade, reminding audiences the she is TAYLOR SWIFT. I don’t considered my self a Swifty but I do enjoy her music and this albums was amazing

[@EljohnMacaranas]

💯 she was losing GP steam around Lover though she could have really avoided it had she not chosen Me! or YNTCD.

[@danielisntreal6190]

@@EljohnMacaranas if Cruel Summer had been the lead single, I feel like Lover's trajectory could have been different

[@sketchycat6223]

I can’t believe it took like 3 years for people to be able to hear Folklore & Evermore live. I know a lot of people say it’s an isolating “pandemic” album , but hearing it live in a stadium full of fans changed my entire perspective of how listening to that album feels.

[@tatanooki]

Folklore really was insane audience reach wise, because i remember a VERY geek-taste game streamer put the tracks on his spotify playlist. And he usually likes game soundtracks, lofi beats and anime ost so those are the stuff on his playlist along with FOLKLORE 😂

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s such a universal record, my metalhead friends were listening to it when it came out 😭 and I was like wow hell has frozen over bc they hated Lover 😭

[@zzjamie-is-over-partyzz]

this album has basically inspired my whole aesthetic and image i use for my art, and it means a lot to me :)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The impact this record has 🤍 so glad it inspired you!

[@im_up_to_sometHIng_hi]

That’s cool

[@im_up_to_sometHIng_hi]

Did u make your pfp bc I like it

[@noneapplicable1327]

kinda gagged how she built a whole record studio in her house during a pandemic? like i know she’s rich but that’s insane

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Laura Sisk did what she had to do

[@rhofelbalensuje9215]

Her DIY record studio was actually just in her bedroom, where she covered it with blankets. There was a bts shown on the long pond studio

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Even more impressive!

[@paintingdreams290]

actually a lot of artists did that bc of COVID bc it was the only way to actually record music

[@nat2562]

Musicians having small places to record music in their houses is actually something I’ve heard of quite a lot, I doubt it cost that much money to do compared to what a lot of mainstream artists make

[@noneapplicable1327]

I will never forget the first time I heard august in full and that little outro at the end with the guitar and thinking i heard an all time classic when it ended, like it’s really one of her best songs ever

[@EljohnMacaranas]

August really is that girl and the story behind it 😭😭😭

[@aysnperopinoy]

Right TT I've been looking on tiktok early 2021 who else notice that instrumental outro, and only a few post about it. Until it became popular. It was so good

[@Cat-oj5oj]

This is so real, I felt like I ascended to heaven the first time I heard it. August is perfect.

[@ragerteenager968]

I cried the first time I listened to august because I felt seen like she had read my diary

[@josephgardner7607]

HER BEST ALBUM

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Many argue over whether it’s Red or 1989 or this one and I do think for many, it’ll be Folklore. Brilliant reintroduction for Swift.

[@beckybecky9643]

is Speak Now

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Speak Now is cute and severely underrated but Folklore’s kinda like its Pokemon evolution

[@beckybecky9643]

@@EljohnMacaranas please Speak Now's a star

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah but there’s a reason it only gets one song on the tour while Folklore got a whole set 😜

[@richmaxmchalliwchester1984]

Folklore might be the most important album of her career. As you said Folklore´s sound, lyrics and overall aesthetic opened eyes to so many people who would normally never give a proper chance to Taylor. Folklore (& Evermore) was the reason why general public became so interested in Taylor´s back catalogue and why they supported Taylor´s Versions. All of this lead to the hype for a new TS album just in time for Midnights which was very commercial album. Folklore built the foundation for Taylormania that is currently happening. I cringe when i hear some Swifties saying that Folklore saved Taylor from Vegas residency which definitely wasn´t the case. Lover´s mixed reception could lead to bit of decline of success and popularity but Taylor would never fell that low to a level of Vegas residency, but without Folklore Taylor would probably never achieve success she´s having now.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Folklore 💯 saved Taylor from eventually dropping off or just remaining stagnant. Taylormania definitely was a combination of this album’s reception as well as that ingenious move to drop both Fearless and Red TV. The general public really began to see even early on she was a brilliant songwriter and artist. Taylor def would never have become a Vegas residency artist for sure though.

[@imnobodywhoareyouu]

folklore is SO special to me. I really got into Taylor’s music with Red and 1989, but by the time Lover came out I thought I had outgrown her music, hell I was wrong. Folklore came out during the pandemic, I was alone at my apartment, working from home, those amazing songs became my company and my friends during that time. Couldn’t stop listening. Then the restrictions relaxed a bit and I would go on my bicycle to do some exercise and listened to those songs while riding. It was a difficult time and the album made my life so much better.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s the ultimate mainstream comfort record. I think it really embodied what we needed at the time. And I think it proved, we couldn’t outgrow her music entirely. I was actually a little disappointed with Midnights because it felt like a regression backwards before the 3AM tracks had dropped.

[@matthewray2570]

Its insane how this along w/ redtv really started the reemancipation of her career… & then to have midnights solidify your place at the top is just mind blowing

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Red TV coming out right after this cemented her talent to a whole demo who never gave her a chance for one reason or another.

[@matthewray2570]

@@EljohnMacaranas exactly & whats even crazier is the red era started the whole ‘oh she only writes songs about her exes’ topic of convo so for redtv era to expose her to a whole new gen of fans who hated her before (due to the nostalgia) is kind of poetic when you think about it

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m still so mad Red was overshadowed by the exes narrative but grateful it sort of forced an opposite reset

[@Prettyreader3]

Taylor as an artist is underrated...so much...but as a person she's well known and it overshadows her talent sometimes.... Some people know who she is but not for what she makes...and that's why people think she still makes shake it off when folklore is here.... Edit: happy birthday folklore 🎀

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Happy Birthday Folklore 🤍 (and yeah, she’s a very complicated person who gets shoehorned into perfect cupcake or demon witch, rather than a flawed but talented human)

[@Prettyreader3]

@@EljohnMacaranas yeh🤍

[@paarthm9681]

this album is everything to me, her magnum opus and dare i say, one of the greatest albums of all time. my tears ricochet and illicit affairs alone make this album a 10/10 for me, really hope she revisits this type of music in the future.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I expect a revisit eventually perhaps after she’s gotten the pop revival bug out of her system

[@liz.l1zzy]

This album is so personal to me, heard this for the first time during one of the lowest parts of my life. Made me feel really seen :)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

This Is Me Trying and Mirrorball legit always remind me of some of my darkest times 😭

[@kailiasage]

I absolutely love how much of a folklore stan you are! It’s truly such a magnificent album and I would do anything to hear it for the first time again. My most shocking thought is that I wasn’t a fan of the lakes when I first heard it, but it’s a favorite now. And as a The Last Time stan, it had to come first so we could get exile!! I am so glad that people give exile the love it deserves!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Folklore was like a watershed moment for me because I’d started stanning around Fearless and everyone clowned me for years especially during Lover. 😭 And yes, Exile’s so good. Literally one of her best, definitely her best duet.

[@blueser100]

Love this deep dive thank you. I’ll never forget the feeling I had lying in bed listening to the opening moments of that record during an otherwise horrible and heartbreaking July 2020. It was overwhelming and it was just what we all needed. I’m still not over that feeling, which comes back whenever I listen to Folklore. Sometimes I can’t listen.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s a record that deeply affects me as well. I sometimes get visceral throwbacks to just how miserable and alone I was at that time but I also think about how I’m in a much better place now and how this album helped me get through that tough time.

[@blueser100]

@@EljohnMacaranas My feelings exactly ❤️‍🩹

[@alltoowell13]

I still remember where I was when folklore and evermore was announced. They are my favourite Taylor albums, I’ve been a fan of hers since the speak now era. I love folklore’s songs, photoshoot, merch, cardigan video and the long pond studio sessions. I wish she posted more on IG during this era and we got another music video. I wish evermore got a long pond studio session as well. I felt the evermore era was short due to fearless tv announcement. I hope she puts the willow and cardigan behind the scene videos on KZbin after the eras tour. I would love to see them in HD.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Evermore def was a casualty to the TV project for sure like I wish both of these eras got a little more love or closure

[@Astrid_2016]

Folklore is my favorite TS album of all time! & somehow I never get tired of the world she created with this album its truly beautiful ❤️

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Perfect late summer/early autumn record

[@ganymedethecupbearer]

i just remember the day it dropped swifties were going insane

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I literally went insane that day not believing it was true and waking up to the news 😭

[@CatNagTaylorsVersion]

Ranking folklore 1. This is me trying: ok so my top 8-9 songs are really all tied for number 1, so they’ll probably just be ranked in streams so yeah. Anyways this song hits way to close to home as someone who has had family and friends in recovery for addiction and because I’ve also just delt with heavy depression and anxiety. This song has easily become a go to for those hard times where I just want to yell at everyone but can’t say anything. It’s become very close to me. This is also the only Taylor song I’ve actually knitted into a full blanket too even though it was a gift for someone else. 2. Mirrorball: ok I’ve streamed this one a lot and it’s the first Taylor song I show Taylor skeptics 3. My tears ricochet: I’ve hit at least 10,000 streams on my tears ricochet. It’s been a go to song for everything since it’s came out. The song also reminds me of two funerals I’ve been too and I play it anytime I’m thinking about those events. Every year for festival season I’ve had this song in its entirety or one of its lyrics painted (I think it’s the proper term) on my back around my waist area. 4. The last great American dynasty: while my aunt may not be harkness This is certainly the song we remember her divorce by and the song she wants played at her funeral when the divorce is brought up. 4. Hoax: “your faithless love is the only hoax I believe in”- excuse me while I go jump off the cliff for that one. It also plays religiously when I’m making my dupe version of the earwon brat Charlie xcx smoothing because I will accidentally drop my phone or but dial someone while making that smoothie and this is jump off the cliff because I ether just embarrassed myself or because I’m deeply going through it music 5. Mad woman: no notes, just anger 6. Exile: this song is special to me because it’s my brothers favorite Taylor swift song and I ended up getting it as a surprise song along with dress, my cousins favorite Taylor song when I went to the eras tour with my mom and aunt and so I think I can mark that down as the first time I openly cried to dress by Taylor swift 7. Seven: while you were all crying and chanting over The one, Betty and August I was bawling to seven and Cardigan…we are not the same. Also it’s seventh on the album, seventh on my ranking, and called seven, it was destined to be a seven but served at a 10/10 8. August: it’s on 24/7 when August rolls around 9. Cardigan: I prefer this one to August but August has more streams and as I previously stated I was probably gonna have to rank by streams for most of this album because there’s only one song I don’t like from this album 10. The lakes: do I even have to say anything…. 11. The one: she’s cute, the rat ruined her though 12. Invisible string: this song is putting me in the casket 13. Betty: never forgiving critics who listed this as her best and worst song at the same time 14. Illicit affairs: the back half of the song goes off, she’s kinda forgettable otherwise 15. Peace: someone said it sounds like she’s looking for a missing phone and I can’t unhear it. The person that said this will not be seeing heaven 16. Epiphany: one of my least favorite Taylor songs but it works I guess

[@EljohnMacaranas]

This is me trying is so underrated. I feel like it’s always overlooked so to see it be your top ranked makes me so happy!

[@Beach_flower]

@@CatNagTaylorsVersion I agree with a lot of what you said! I know it’s a ranking so something has to be last, but I want to give my vote to Epiphany. I had a sick newborn years ago and the part of Epiphany where she says “only 20 minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany, just one single glimpse of relief, to make sense of what you’ve seen” makes me bawl every time. It’s the closest I’ve ever heard to describing the experience. ❤️

[@saltyhoney_]

honestly, i understand putting epiphany lowest, but i do think it's a pretty underrated song. it's so haunting and beautiful to me

[@CatNagTaylorsVersion]

I know it’s not gonna happen but I truly hope she does a arena tour consisting of paired down biggest hits and every if not most songs from Folklore, TTPD, TTPDTA, and evermore

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’d love a straight up acoustic/analog tour of hers but I know it’d be a nightmare to get tickets to

[@vanjinathan5877]

not the “unburdened by what has been”😭😭😭😭😭 we truly exist in the context

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I could not resist 🥥

[@danyramos8139]

I can't believe you didn't at least mention all the literary references of the album! That's part of what made me fall in love with it: Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Peter Pan, A Little Princess, Wordsworth and more! They definitely enrich the album

[@shinyy160]

This video is beautiful! folklore is a career-defining album just as much and arguably more than 1989. everything about it is perfection and listening to it just brings me back to that time :)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Folklore definitely keyed her up for her second reign as pop queen, one that’s lasted longer than the one set up by 1989 which I still adore

[@shinyy160]

@@EljohnMacaranas both AOTY for a reason !!🤩🥰

[@RTimo]

This album is growing in me. Im a 1989 baby but this album is soooooo good!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s a classic 🤍

[@hannahshmulsky7119]

Folklore is the album that made me truly take TS seriously as an artist. It’s a treasure. ❤ I always knew she was talented, always thought well of her, but before Folklore her music was something I appreciated from afar, “not really my thing”…I was born exactly 10 years and a month before Taylor and my teenage years were full of Tori Amos, Bjork, Seattle grunge, trip hop, shoegaze, Ani DiFranco and NIN. The 90s indie music critic audio kit. 😅 Folklore was a total shift from anything Taylor had done before and passed my music snob test with flying colors. It’s chock full of musical treasures and I adore it. ❤❤❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I'm so glad it made a fan out of you. I feel like it was something that really channeled her innermost desires to be taken seriously and to abandon the need to be liked and popular. Ironically enough, it had the opposite effect giving her a second wind in pop which she's currently taking.

[@alexdati7940]

As my second favorite TS album im so glad to see poeple still love it even all these years later, it might carry on the legacy of 1989s timelesness but in the folk genre. I hope evermore gets just as much love someday

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Evermore 💯 deserves its flowers from everyone one day. I feel like it’s a far more personal record to her than Folk was hence why she’s kinda quiet about it

[@MrJACnny]

Folklore got me through the covid madness I’d have to say, it basically created a safe space for whoever got stuck quarantined at home, genius move but the album stays my favourite because of that

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think she more than earned her current pop queen moment after all that. Truly a savior at a dark time.

[@reactsbyalex4049]

pls I have 7 minutes into the video and I got chills , love the way you talk all the time, just thinking about your evermore video what a trip as well, omfg. folklore is my fav album I’m loving this videos thanku so much . damn , this record is my horrocrux since just left in there a lot of pain and now is there and not on my heart. So special to me this content oh wow

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! And yes! Folklore is such a precious album, it contains so much memories and meaning for me. I truly would not be the writer I am (outside this channel) were it not for the record. Thanks for watching 🤍

[@heevean1206]

IT WAS LEGENDARY!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It was a pop culture moment and a career revival all in one

[@ThePMMpc]

my fav tracks: August Seven This Is Me Trying The Lakes Cardigan

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Seven is so underrated 😭

[@albamelian5106]

I loved the video, as always ❤ For me, The 1 can also be interpreted as a song for Scott and their relationship during her music career. The references of meeting someone on the Internet and taking her "home", as in a new artist like he found her.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That’s honestly such a beautiful take!

[@Blade16produtions]

Omg thank you for making a video on folklore I’m so happy this made my day

[@EljohnMacaranas]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING. I didn't know I was making this video until I was sitting on a plane relistening to the album realizing the anniversary was coming up.

[@Blade16produtions]

@@EljohnMacaranas I can’t say my favorite cuz all of them are my favorite

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Fair!

[@mohamedAgacem]

What I love about Taylor is that she's tenacious, she just tries and tries and in doing so unlocks new sides to her artistry, and this album was the first that saw her truly elevate her sound and lyrics, and I have to apologize for being a part of the "she's dropping too many songs at once" crowd when ttpd came out, send me to jail swifties 😭, my only critcism of Taylor as of the moment is that I wish her instrumentals has longer melodic lines

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think her instrumentals have so much flow on this album, they’re sorta lacking on TTPD like we never get a chance to relish in them

[@oceanacarvalho]

idk if it's just speculation, but i believe 'illicit affairs' was inspired by Carrie and Mr Big's relationship in Sex and The City, which i kinda stumbled upon while watching the tv show for the first time last year; this song is one of my favorites on the album and it felt surreal to see how she might have transformed some of the most hated parts of the show into such a beautiful empathetic song

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh, that’s beautiful. I’m a huge fan of that show. There’s a wonderful edit of “Foolish One” to the failed wedding scene in the movie. Highly recommended.

[@icyflame716]

My favorite part of the whole record has to be the bridge of the last great American dynasty. Its storytelling and twist is truly magical.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

And then it was bought by me… chills everytime!

[@con_is_brat]

i really love this album the older it’s got the more i’ve appreciated it this album is in my top 3 with red and tortured poets but this album always stands out for me in her catalog of music this album is so minimalistic in its essence and the production and the lyrics compared to some of the maximalist tones on lover or reputation it feels calm and deliberate and honest to what she was trying to do on folklore i love this album sm and it will always be such an important record for me

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The understated nature of it really does keep it fresh. Like coming from Lover especially, it really felt so airy and light.

[@ChedaT7]

This was amazing. I have been Taylor's fan since Reputation era. But the Folklore blew my mind. This is the only album, not just hers, but any album period, where I don't skip any song. Many people might not agree, but mirrorball is my fav. It is so heartbreaking that I cannot listen to it without my mind wandering in deep. The bridge is the best of any of her songs and that is saying something - after all, isn't she known for her bridges as well. I think Taylor is becoming more and more album sale focused instead of singles. Wise choice cause I don't think in this time, things has changed so much that there is no chance anyone would break five number 1 singles from one album record ever. Hopefully, Taylor pivot to another sound after TTPD. I know it isn't fair to expect artist to change to different style every time to be relevant but this is Taylor Swift. The expectation is damn too high.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Like honestly, it’s a really magical record and I do agree with a lot of your points. Mirrorball is such a special track bc it really does feel like a refined and clearer version of what The Archer is like to her. You really get to see her beyond the titan she is and the insecure but trying human she is

[@julial4569]

This album, its songs, your essays sure made me cry a couple of times. It made me live through some dark thoughts after I had a miscarriage. This is my go-to album always, and I think it's perfect

[@EljohnMacaranas]

So sorry to hear about the loss. Folklore is such a powerful record, I’m glad that it was able to help you through tough times. 🤍

[@Azooe]

I LOVED this deep dive are you planning on making one with evermore??

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I sorta did a smaller video about evermore earlier this year!

[@Tar0245]

I completely forgot about this anniversary. Thank you so much. I truly believe this is her magnum opus. It is my favorite TS album and 2nd fav of all time under only Witness. This is the album where anyone can enjoy and be touched by it even if they know nothing about TS. This album and even this review brings me to tears. This album is so good it can make one happy listening to it even though it was released during the worst time in most of our lives. Happy folklorversary. mad woman should have been after epiphany to make it work better in the album. That is how I have it on my personal folklore playlist. Favorite tracks: cardigan, august, epiphany, the lakes.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Honestly yes! I think Mad Woman being right after Invisible String hampers it a but for me. I love that this record is one people can sort of overlook Swift on beyond being a narrator. It really lets even the foulest haters understand why she’s great.

[@sethsmit2503]

need this typa video essay for NFR!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I have a Lana series 🙂‍↕️

[@sethsmit2503]

@@EljohnMacaranas 💯am aware of it, and is great, but when your content is as good as it is. I can only hope for more. Thanks for the great video 🫶🏼

[@sakurarevue123]

i loved this video, hope you'll do one on evermore

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I have one on Evermore but it’s abbreviated because we didn’t get visuals 😭

[@sakurarevue123]

@@EljohnMacaranas i found it, giving it a watch now!

[@swiftiee-13sgb]

folklore is my favorite album

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Such a classic 🤍

[@lavieenlavande]

I love your thoughts on this album and agree with your 10/10 rating. IMO Folklore is a masterpiece and time capsule given the time that it was released and everything going on in the world. It was such a welcome surprise and I’ll always be grateful that Taylor, Jack, and Aaron (+Bon Iver and “William Bowery”) gave us such an enduring gift. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that this got me through some rough times and I know it did for others, too. August, Cardigan, and My Tears Ricochet are probably my top 3 of the album, but they are all incredible in their own right. August and Cardigan take me back to my teenage experiences with dating and starting to figure out romantic love with all its trials and tribulations. My Tears Ricochet is just so hauntingly beautiful and relatable from the perspective of being burned by someone you loved and trusted. Honorable mention to The Lakes, too, because it’s got such wonderful turns of phrase and who amongst us writers hasn’t found themselves daydreaming about a good cry at the lakes where all the poets went to die? I think Folklore will always be my favorite album in her discography although I love all of her albums for different reasons. But this one moved into my heart immediately and will never leave. I will say that TTPD is right up around there, too. Also, shout out to your folks for their efforts during the pandemic. I have a few family members and friends in healthcare, too, and I know that will affect them for the rest of their lives and sadly I’m sure they’ll never come close to being adequately compensated for the challenges that they endured.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much for this lovely comment. I’m so grateful for your thoughts and loved your picks. This album’s definitely going down as one of the best this century, honestly.

[@reactsbyalex4049]

Forgot to say that this album was also inspired by Mexican Guillermo Del Toro and mostly “el laberinto del fauno” she has an interview where she says that 🩶

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Pan’s Labyrinth inspired the record?! Ohhhhh, no wonder why it’s so good

[@looseflyingtoughts]

This album saved my life

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Same here! Thank you, Folklore 🤍

[@MB832]

Please make one for evermore

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I have a shorter evermore one but I think I might actually go back and do another one.

[@RamonGalbert]

Thank you for this, really interesting

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you for watching 🤍

[@JC-kl8zl]

Honestly the gap between Folklore and her other projects aren't that large at all, Folklore just happens to be in a genre that people take more seriously than pop. Don't get me wrong, Folklore does include new songwriting highs, but she's always displayed the capacity for that talent. Overall I think Evermore is the better of the 2, and is more cohesive as a project (I know, I know, Folklore is a collage, but even so it feels more disconnected than it has to. It's still a great album).

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Folklore is a dressed up version of her classic writing and tropes but it came at such a perfect moment. Like it honestly was never supposed to exist or some version of it would have arose when Swift became older. I think it’s such a divine record for that purpose.

[@alucardmorningstar2296]

NOTHING will ever top the feeling of listening to exile for the first time. it's like a song that should've always existed but just needed the right vessel to put it into life

[@LiveAsDiva]

My relationship with folklore is in the infancy stage.... Folklore used to be the nail in the coffin for me, my interest is dwindled from Rep, lover didnt help much, and covid strikes resulting this "snoozefest" folklore.... I LOVE Mirrorball from the jump tho.... Even in the Era's Tour, folklore and evermore is my least fave set, but it does ignite the fire of my interest... My Tears Ricochet rocks my world... Fast forward to today.... I finally, FINALLY understand it 😢... It's a stellar album, all track slaps soooo hard... It's a lyrical madness, yet genius AF.... Almost no skip from this album, she is insane for making this literary beast with folk-indie theme, i think she is the only artist can do it I think

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It doesn’t matter how long it took, I’m so glad the album resonated with you! It’s so good!

[@gmme3792]

I just wish there will be a musical movie about the folklore album...please!!!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Honestly I’d love for Taylor’s upcoming movie with Searchlight to just be the Teenage Love Triangle

[@pollenthepotato2159]

Happy birthday folklore!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Happy Birthday TS8 🤍

[@ThePMMpc]

we have the same fav song from Miss TS!!!. 2nd one is style

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yessss August 🍃

[@CatNagTaylorsVersion]

As a comic nerd I can confirm that DC had a slight run of comics of characters having storylines based off her works or just fangirling over swift herself. There also in speaking for making Taylor swift the live action version of the Laurel Lance version of Black Canary, not be confused with the Dinah Lance black canary who was played by Jurnee Smollett in the Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh wow! That’s cool! Her impact!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

What’s your favorite Folklore song? Sound off in the comments! 🤍

[@noneapplicable1327]

August!!!

[@prachijha6146]

Invisible string

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@prachijha6146so underrated!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@noneapplicable1327literally my personal fave

[@CatNagTaylorsVersion]

If Covid never happened Cruel summer, I think he knows, Miss Americana and the heart break prince, death by a thousand cuts, and Afterglow remix featuring Ariana grande (was scrapped do to Covid along with Lover Deluxe) would’ve rounded out the era and we would’ve also had lover fest. It’s crazy to think what would’ve happened with Lover era if Covid didn’t happen tbh

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Lover Era was robbed then redeemed so well after the pandemic

[@shirleyparkersk]

At points I think evermore may be my favorite, but it wouldn't exist without folklore. I love both though and it was when I actually started to love her.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Evermore has higher highs for me but I find Folklore just a tad more consistent. But truly both sisters did their job in reestablishing Swift.

[@shirleyparkersk]

@@EljohnMacaranas True. I think they were responsible for introducing her to people she would never reach (like me). Funny enough I wasn't aware of folklore 'till evermore drop out so I listened to both at the same time. This style fit her writting so much and this is why I love these albums.

[@Sequoya]

Awesome video! I have been so curious how they recorded this album. I’ve been recording at home since 1998. This record turned me into a super fan, and when I discovered your channel. I’m gonna take a break from TTPD and brat by spinning folklore. Congrats on your project developments. Do let us know more when you can.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! And I’m so glad you dropped by in the comment section! 🤍

[@NemanjaVesin]

I literally tough about watching some commentary about folklore because of its anniversary, and then u dropped this! Thank u king 🤍

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you for finding me! 🤍 Happy 4 years of Folklore!

[@cheezekeyk377]

My girl is so productive during covid 😭

[@EljohnMacaranas]

All those rerecordings, making the album, regenerating herself 😭

[@liamfrench480]

the wattpad fanfics of James, Betty, and Augustine 🤞🏻💗

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I just know some author out there wrote a novel about them unofficially and changed the names 😭

[@ymlpageofficial]

FOLKLORE IS TAYLOR’S BEST ALBUM AND ONE OR NOT THE BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME. PERIOD!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

AGREED

[@BeckyLStoutWriter]

Well, this reminded me that it has been a good four months since I’ve shared any of my lyrics over on Instagram. I better get moving on that. Thanks! 😉

[@EljohnMacaranas]

You should!

[@BeckyLStoutWriter]

@@EljohnMacaranas Done! 👍😊

[@roseleafsinging]

This is a hot take… but betty is my favorite song off folklore.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I don’t think that’s crazy! It has the key change and the storytelling and it’s unique bc it’s a Taylor song from the boy who messed up’s perspective! Lots of good points!

[@imjakedeason]

she sold us the album as being fictional 😭😭 we clowned so bad

[@Spudiffer]

😂😂😂

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I still think a bunch of it is. Like the Triangle on the other hand… well…

[@MegaJojje123]

Folklore is fucking amazing

[@CatNagTaylorsVersion]

I hope folklore and evermore are just Taylor planting the seeds for albums in the not so far future because TTPD and TTPDTA is not carrying there legacy so well critically

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think she’ll come back to it properly eventually

[@slystone4892]

She should have made a Pond Sessions with Evermore but this time with a full band not just her and the other two guys around a campfire.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

People kept saying she was gonna do one in England but it never happened

[@HsioxIdixii]

Guys it’s almost ✨August✨ 😊

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Stay tuned I have a surprise for August 🍃

[@alexanderwee2055]

I don’t think folklore is her best album, not when red and 1989 exist (not my fav albums but objectively her best), but I do agree that it’s legendary and we wouldn’t be here today without her. Folklore is such an impactful album and it’s truly something extravagant

[@s.a.morales]

Honestly I was a fan of her since Speak Now until Red, 1989 gave me a bad taste in the mouth about her (I only listened to that album 2 years after it dropped), Reputation was a bit corny for me and like only a few tracks, the same as Lover. So, at that point, I was a past Swift stan, but when this album dropped, it pulled me back to her. It's just that good and still her best album for me, it showed her growth as an artist and her writing style has peaked during this era.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think the pivot to pop (loved it a lot at the time) was successful but caused the general public to forget how much of a lyricist she is. Red was so ahead of its time while the others were v much of their time. Folklore was a return to that.

[@Ayan4Khan]

Can do a video on Melanie Martinez? Can you discuss about Crybaby, K-12, and Portals. I would love to hear your opinions about these albums? ❤😊

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Once the release is a bit lighter, I feel like enough people have asked me for it and I do have some thoughts (mostly positive about her)

[@frappes_]

that imagine what can be unburdened by what has been sneak... 🥥🌴

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Could not help myself 🤭

[@mf8347]

Complicated feelings towards this album. I love the music and the ways it changed Taylors career forever but still think she's made better music before this album and after this album. The way a lot of people online talk about this album and kind of put down everything else she's done seriously rubs me the wrong way and especially the stans who joined the Swifties this era are some of the most obnoxious people. I listen to evermore more but hoax, cardigan and mirrorball are still all timers in her discography.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think it’s always gonna be a benchmark of sorts for some listeners, it was unavoidable bc it ended up being some people’s first Swift record

[@themaddiecommittee]

God this album is amazing. My partner always gets mad about James when we listen to Betty. They think he's such an asshole lol. And valid.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I agree, I cannot believe Betty took him back! But I do like to imagine this took place in some alternate universe where people really change for the better and there weren’t iPhones around when they were young

[@turtle4llama]

I don't think the "but I didn't pour the whiskey" line is about restraint. I think its about deflecting blame. I think someone else poured the whiskey for her, reminiscent of the line from Delicate "but you can pour me a drink."

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Ooooh, did not think of that 😭

[@jevonchan2297]

fyi: Gracie did work with Dessner way before folklore was produced

[@Imalittlelobster]

I wonder when we'll get another Taylor album that's more about the art itself. Midnights and ttpd were cute but have started this enormous hate train against her.. I think she should focus on solidifying her catalog and take more time to make a refined project that's worth something..

[@Elway0757]

Hate train is from social media. It is irrelevant. Social media is overrated as a gauge of reality.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think she’s basking in the pop afterglow, it’s a genre she truly loves and excels at. I think she’ll pivot back to Folklore/Evermore/some new direction soon. When she’s ready to. I felt like with different production and maybe some more time to refine it, TTPD could have been on the same tier as these two. The Anthology itself almost felt like a wink to this version of herself.

[@Imalittlelobster]

@@EljohnMacaranas but that doesn't justify her putting out half baked albums especially at a time where whole projects are valued more cuz of the easy access. We can see how important that is just by looking at the hostile chart takeover every popstar has after their album is released. Deep cuts are more important than ever. You can never guess which song the public will like anymore.. she should know that better than ever after several of her songs went viral on socials

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I agree to a degree because this summer seemed like it’d be dominated by Swift (and yes she took the album charts ofc) but in terms of individual songs or the cultural zeitgeist, it seems Chappell and Sabrina represented pop more. While Charli’s Brat didn’t sell nearly as much as Swift, people are saying “brat summer” and even VP Kamala Harris has acknowledged the record and its aesthetics. TTPD kinda fell by the wayside, Fortnight being mostly forgotten post release week.

[@mzelk995]

Important to note: the pandemic never ended. “During Covid” is right now. The eras tour may have been a profoundly special experience for millions, but it has been a series of super-spreaders leaving a trail of disability and death in its path. Someday many will have to reckon with the eras tour as a part of the delusion times when people thought they could sing and dance away the horrors of our current reality.

[@BORGNY2]

Get well soon

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Ooof

[@apphilosophy79]

Love your recap on this, thank you! I never liked James, tbh - he apologizes, fine, but he then just keeps portraying himself and his "summer fling" as something not really serious which makes Augustine seem bad and stupid and himself not doing anything THAT wrong, and he keeps being dismissive of Betty as well (I hate boyfriends who try to get their girl away from their friends - less competition and less criticism of him, then). I was disappointed when Taylor told us about how she envisages the end of this story. I don't. I rather imagine that Augustine moves on but stays idealistic, and Betty grows up and becomes a successful busineswoman or so. And James? Maybe he understands that this is not how you apologize and act - and subsequently matures as well.

[@apphilosophy79]

My favorite songs are august and epiphany, btw. But they are all so, so good!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

James definitely got away with too much, I want to believe he grows up. Like it makes me think James and Betty and August weren’t teens in 2020 but rather some other time when people would have let it slide bc in the age of like the internet… Betty… 😭

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Also love your picks!!!!

[@WJSN_officiaI]

the 1, cardigan and mirrorball. that’s the comment.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Love those three!

[@highperformer5532]

be honest do you still think that once evermore will surpass folklore in public's perception? Folklore is my all-time favorite album which made me a swiftie. My top-3: august, mirrorball and illicit affairs. What's strange is that I've always thought that I prefer Aaron, but somehow Jack's songs are at the top.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Evermore will likely always go down as that underrated gem that was buried between her artistic high and her return to pop queen. I love your top 3! And agreed, I think Jack does have better highs overall but Aaron is a more consistent producer hence that ranking

[@highperformer5532]

@@EljohnMacaranas You can't dare to dream about it anymore, I see. :) In marketing they say it's better to be different than better. Evermore is different. :)) If you had a chance to replace Mad woman with any song from her di then what song would it be?

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I would have definitely stolen either Dorothea or Gold Rush from Evermore to replace Mad Woman, but I’ve come to recognize those as so Evermore it’d feel wrong 😭

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

I suppose it was an intentional choice not to go there but after TTPD it’s really hard to not view Folklore, Evermore and Midnights in hindsight and how Taylor’s relationship with two different men informed all of these records. The fictional teenage love triangle not really about teenagers nor completely fictional (sexes of the characters changed to protect the guilty).

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That one tiktok about Cardigan and Matty Healy and them doing the whole “This is about you, you know who you are. I love you” more or less sorta reveals who exactly was who.

[@zebratroopfan6695]

Taylor has always been a lyrical savant in my opinion. Folklore allowed people who turn their noses up at pop to actually stop and listen. It’s a brilliant album. Although it’s completely different, Speak Now comes to mind. I say this because Speak Now was an album made to prove that, yes, she is writing these wonderful songs. Folklore cemented her reputation. No one can listen to this album and not recognize the brilliance. I think TTPD will be looked at in much the same way; it’s just going to take time. People were not prepared for the subject matter, and people love to critique Jack. I compare TTPD to Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk. Critics didn’t get it, and fans were disappointed because the band didn’t write a bunch of hits. That album is viewed completely differently now. I think TTPD will be the same. It just grows better with age. Folklore allowed TTPD to breathe, and I’m so grateful.

[@gleamingtwinklingandsoinviting]

pls lets not be delusional now, ttpd pales in comparison when matched against folkmore, let alone her 4th best written, Red😭i can agree with you if the ttpd ur talking about is the anthology, so idk

[@zebratroopfan6695]

@@gleamingtwinklingandsoinviting I tend to disagree. I personally find it impossible to rank her albums. Folklore is usually at the top of the list but everything else seems to churn. An example is reputation. I look at it much differently than I did when it came out. TTPD is too new but I believe it will age very well. It’s an album that hits different the older and more life experiences you have. Of course this is just one man’s opinion.

[@zebratroopfan6695]

By the way. Yes I include the Anthology

[@gleamingtwinklingandsoinviting]

@@zebratroopfan6695 first and foremost, yes, i do believe that every opinion is valid (unless were going to the insult border). For me, the only two things i have against ttpd is that the lyricism had already been done (and done much better) by taylor's previous works, mainly red and folkmore, and her country albums. The main theme also reminds me of red, which red actually did a great job at (not messy, but kept the "messy" emotions still cohesive while being different from one another throughout the whole album). The last complaint i have is that the production doesnt give the songs any life at all. Although there are some songs that have a new sound, the rest are just a downgrade midnights (which is already a downgrade coming after evermore)

[@gleamingtwinklingandsoinviting]

@@zebratroopfan6695 i can agree with you on this one

[@thalklore13]

what can be and unburdened by what has been 😭 okay big sister general

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Gotta slip that in there 🥥🌴

[@matthewcraven-jm7of]

Where can I read your stories?!?❤❤❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Possibly next year for the book, def will promo it on here. As for the movie, well… 👀

[@Spudiffer]

Folklore gave me a creative songwriting awakening when I first heard it 😅

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Whoa!

[@timeladyana9872]

reputation and lover weren't really my style and threw me off of taylor's music. folklore drew me back in and to this day is my all time favourite!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Folklore definitely felt like an earned break after 3 back to back pop albums!

[@Sparlunar]

Wait. You said physical copies weren’t made at the time of the album because the label didn’t know about it? Then how did the name “woodvale” get left on the cover if she already knew the title of the album? Genuinely confused

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah, Republic couldn’t print or make any records within less than a week’s notice. Taylor and her team design the albums themselves (art and all) and send it over to UMG to make the records, all they really do is provide manufacturing support and slap their names on the records. She likely just sent the wrong file over to UMG for one of the variants.

[@Sparlunar]

@@EljohnMacaranas oooooooh that makes more sense. Thank you for explaining!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah, it was a bit confusing but it makes sense no one caught the error until it was too late. Goes to show how much faith Republic has in her

[@nat-qj7od]

noah kah-han?? 😭😭 lets try that again

[@EljohnMacaranas]

lmao i don't like him enough to bother

[@netizen_a]

She gave us hope and lifted our lock down depression in 1 go. I’ll stay a Swifty till I die.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yesss! 🤍

[@ganymedethecupbearer]

11:51 i thought she is the only one after midnights?

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The record for overall wins in general, some producer has 5 AOTYs.