evermore
Taylor Swift
2020
Album Summary
Evermore (stylized in all lowercase) is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on December 11, 2020, through Republic Records, less than five months after the singer's eighth studio album, Folklore. Evermore was a spontaneous product of Swift's extended collaboration with her Folklore co-producer Aaron Dessner, with whom she had developed a creative chemistry. Swift launched Evermore as a surprise album like Folklore, dubbing them as sister records. She described Evermore as an offshoot of "the folklorian woods", which is an escapist, cottagecore-inspired, alternative music direction she first conceived with Folklore in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evermore is a record blending indie folk, alternative rock, country, and chamber rock genres, carried by wintry compositions of fingerpicked guitars, somber pianos, lavish strings, and sparse percussion. Impressionist storytelling and mythopoeia dominate its lyrical technique. The subject matter has been described as an anthology of tales about love, marriage, infidelity, and grief, exploring the complexities of human emotion. American bands Bon Iver, Haim, and the National contribute guest vocals. Earning widespread acclaim from music critics, Evermore was praised for its character studies, experimental production, and Swift's nuanced, expressive vocal performance. Reviews regarded the album a sequel or a counterpart to Folklore, and various publications listed it in their year-end rankings of the best albums of 2020. Evermore was nominated for Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, a second consecutive nomination for Swift in the category after winning it with Folklore the previous year. The album reached number one in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Republic Records reported more than a million copies of Evermore sold in its first week globally. It was Swift's eighth consecutive Billboard 200 number-one debut, spending four weeks atop the chart, and marked the shortest gap between two number-one albums by a female act in Australia and the US, and the fastest accumulation of six number-ones in the UK by a female act. In the US, its tracks "Willow", "No Body, No Crime", and "Coney Island" impacted pop, country, and alternative radio stations, respectively; "Willow" became Swift's seventh Billboard Hot 100 number-one song and her second in 2020 after "Cardigan", making her the first ever act to simultaneously debut atop both Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts two times. Evermore was 2021's best-selling alternative music album and Americana album in the US and the UK, respectively.
WikipediaI'm struggling to decide between a 1 and a 2 rating. I hope that my decision to give it 1 star doesn't stem from an intrinsic snobbishness, but I think I can still ground this rating in at least a superficial logic. Namely, that while this album wasn't offensive or unlistenabley bad, it was extremely bland. This blandness is coupled with the fact that the album is less than a year old, and hasn't had to withstand the test of time yet. I can't find anything in it that I could imagine is particularly new or has "redefined the genre." Therefore, although i'd rather listen to this kind of mediocrity than another 80s synth pop album, it still only gets 1 from me.
Is this a typical Taylor Swift record? If so, what the hell have I been waiting for. Subtle, beautiful, nuanced and heart-felt. This is an album where the songs are the stars, not the singer. For me that's refreshing. The songs are great I would just ask for a little more variety in tempo and musical arrangements (read wish it rocked harder in places). 4 🌟
The experience of listening to hot chocolate while remembering your mistakes in a positive light. Great presentation, cozy vibes, and gifted songwriting.
Now here's a surprise, never, ever thought I would like a Taylor Swift Album but I have to say, on first listen to this I am pleasantly surprised at her skillful songwriting and musical ability. Highlights for me "'Tis The Damn Season" "Willow" and "Coney Island". I am converted to a "Swifty" after listening to this wonderful album. Justifiably on the list!
Like, I really hate listening to this type of music. Essentially what I hate about "pop music" is this perfect vocal-style, I like my vocals with some grit or humanness. This just feels so manufactured and processed. Instrumentally it's all fine, it's just pop vocals ruin it for me 100%. I have nothing against Taylor Swift as she clearly is successful at what she's doing, but it's just not for me in any capacity. Furthermore my impression is she has no different lyrical content beyond relationship woes which gets old, but I get it... that's a huge market. The better songs are with The National and Bon Iver but, it all still feels too "pure" for me. I can't relate to it at all. Like, it's like a 1 or 2 on enjoyment but I can't even properly rate this, so I guess it's just a 2 from me. I don't WANT to hate it but I really don't ever wanna listen to it again.
This is the musical equivalent of beige. It's a chicken korma. While it's not actively offensive, I find it genuinely bizarre as to why this has been included on a list of 1,001 albums to listen to. Speaking to my sister about it - she is, apparently, a fan of Taylor Swift - I should be paying attention to the lyrical wit and the musicianship. However - I'd genuinely prefer to listen to White on Blonde, a Texas album from 1997 that's known for being incredibly bland. I can honestly say that Texas is far more interesting, varied, punchy and listen-to-able. I cannot actually dislike this album - that would imply that it caused an emotion other the half-and-half mix of bafflement (as to why it's included) and boredom. Ultimately a nothingburger, I'm finding it hard to justify having written as much as I have about it. Oh well. At least I've listened to Texas again for the first time in nearly 25 years.
I don't like modern pop music. This is a fact. Taylor Swift to me seems to be doing the same thing every other pop artist does. Nobody in the entire genre brings anything new to the table musically.
I love this sound and this direction for Taylor, but as a whole it still is the typical “love some songs, bored by others” experience I get from a lot of her albums. The aesthetic here is great though, I wish it was a little shorter/more consistent of a project so I would want to come back to it more. But tolerate it is just enough to push it into a 4 for me.
If 2020 had any redeeming qualities to it, this listener begrudgingly admits this album was one of them. "evermore" seems to be Taylor Swift at her most balanced. The foundational country elements are noticeable here, and her foray into pop is too. This is a solid album with a rather unexpected enjoyment.
A beautifully crafted album, cementing Swift's place as today's premier singer songwriter. Poetic, witty, insightful, Swift tells absorbing stories of doomed and sometimes happy relationships. The melancholy autumnal mood of this album is delightful - the production is excellent. Her prolific output is extraordinary - nine albums and she’s only 32 . So much more greatness to come.
Man I do love Taylor Swift, though this album pales in comparison to her new Midnights Album. Evermore and Folklore were both produced by her long-time collaborator, Aaron Dessner. But Midnights has more producers on it and I wonder if that is what makes it more experimental and interesting. But evermore is a quintessential Taylor album and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Gold rush has such a great melody at: “gleaming, twinkling, eyes like sinking ships on waters…” “Tis the damn season” is a beautiful song about a high school love you leave behind. It really hit home for me. “No body no crime” just sounds pretty phoned in to me. Pretty flat song. Does Hiam just do backup vocals? What a waste! “Happiness” is a tender breakup song. I love it. “Evermore,” the last track with Justin Vernon is the best of the album. I wish his vocals were louder during duet parts and all over the freaking album. In fact, just take Taylor out and put Justin in instead. And while we’re at it, let’s just call it a Bon Iver Album. Nah, I kid, Evermore is great and I can hear the Justin Vernon influence. Let’s not forget that this album was created during the pandemic and everyone had to write in isolation. Given that, it’s a miracle the writing and production is so cohesive. 4 Stars! It didn’t change by life but now I understand Taylor Swift better! Whe!
I was surprised for that such a recent album was on the list (2020). I like the bands that contributed to a few tracks on the album. Because of my daughters I have a soft spot for Swift's '1989' album. On this first listen all of the songs were okay but nothing really grabbed me. I kept waiting for a hook. A little bit of the language made me wonder if Swift was trying on a more "gritty' image. "Gold Rush", "Coney Island", and "Long Story Short" are the favorites, but this album firmly resides in "okay".
Ugh. I did not need to hear this album before I died. I did not care for it. I suffered through it.
She has a great voice. If she would work with a real producer and some decent songwriters, she could have a real impact on music, not just on record sales. This is a perfect example of having a template for a song and being forced to copy it for an entire album.
There’s no such thing as “indie” music anymore, at least in the descriptive sense of the word. “Indie” used to mean music that came from independent record labels - and that covered a wide swath and many styles of music. Music from people that didn’t want to answer to anyone (especially a giant corporation), music that had something different to say, music that took chances. Now, “indie” just describes the kind of plucky, lifeless, navel gazing, easy listening quirk-pop that you hear on this record. “Indie” is the new elevator music. I’m serious about this…to use the parlance of our times: “don’t @ me”. That The National and Bon Iver, two of indie rock’s foremost purveyors of bland navel gazing, were involved in this record comes as no surprise to me. “evermore” is basically a Bon Iver record, with Taylor Swift’s vocals (which are, admittedly, very good) instead of Justin Vernon’s “T-Pain for people who buy artisan maple syrup” auto-tuned vocal stylings (though he does dust off that chestnut on the closing track). Maybe I’m just an out of touch old man yelling at a cloud, but a lot of this record is the kind of stuff you’d hear on Lite FM when I was growing up in the early 90’s.
This album is excellent - absolutely masterful production. I kind of knew earlier in a vague "not-her-target-audience" way that Taylor Swift deserves more credit than "pop icon on TV", but I'm very glad to have taken the time and listened to this full album. The poetic sensibility is brilliant: faintly classical in the construction and certain word choices, but naturally modern in overall tone at the same time. There are moments where I think this highly creative lyricism gets in the way of the musicality a tiny bit, but that is really the only flaw - and in the context of so many modern artists who provide nothing of value lyrically, I can't really say that caring about the narrative and poetry of a song just a little bit more than the melody can be seen as a downside at all.
I am skeptical that we have the perspective to determine the greats just a year later, but if anyone deserves the distinction it's T Swift. She has really made herself into a legend at a young age and continues to prove it. This album showcases her ability to do indie just as effectively as she navigates country or pop. The collaborations with Haim and Bon Iver are excellent surprises. "Cowboy like me" has permanently wormed it's way into my brain since I heard it. "No body no crime" is a hell of a well crafted song. The album drags toward the end, I think they could have cut some songs (like "coney island" "happiness" "long story short" and "marjorie"). But ultimately, the album showcases Taylor's exceptional and consistent songwriting ability and staying power.
Wat een heerlijk album. Mooie nummers, het lijkt erop dat het leven van Taylor niet altijd over rozen gaat..
Enjoyed this, very pleasant to listen to. Not as pop-y as earlier stuff. She has a great voice
Love this so much - never got into a full T Swift album properly before!!! The story telling, the music, the voice, love it all. Fabulous. LOVE no body, no crime with HAIM. Although happiness is not my fave tune, the layers of music on that song are delicious. Also some of the lyrics in there are... evermore with Bon Iver makes me want to cry it's so emotional. There's a lot packed into this deluxe album and it's an exciting rollercoaster.
Atmospheric, introspective, experimental. Just love it. I have pretty much listened to Folklore and Evermore since they came out. Soundtracks of the pandemic for me.
At this point, I think it's obvious that Taylor Swift is a beast of a songwriter and a powerhouse personality. She's shaped her career with sharp talent, unending energy, and sheer willpower. This album seems, on the surface, to be full of the breakup/hookup songs that seem to stuff the albums of 20-something female artists. But, once you stop and listen to the lyrics, it quickly becomes apparent that her writing is head and shoulders above her peers. The song "happiness" in particular is utterly brilliant writing. "When did all our lessens start to look like weapons..." Damn. Line after line, the song is arresting in its depth. Exceptionally impressive, emotionally aware, and surprisingly mature. I never thought I'd give a T. Swifty album five stars but here we are. Completely deserved.
Judge me. I like folkie Taylor Swift. I have this on limited edition vinyl. Yeah i'm that person.
Besides the country murder song it’s a good one (no peppy Taylor on this one though)
What a treat this was, the first album that I have ever listened to from Taylor Swift. Hugely impressed and instantly replayed.
Brilliant. How have I never heard this before? I don't go for her pop stuff (though it is clearly very good) but these folky singer-songwriter tunes are great.
6/1/22 AHHHH!!! Screaming, crying and throwing up!! So excited about this! Absolutely love this album and have loved it for two years now! This is certainly not my first time listening all the way through. The album starts out so strong with hits of Willow and one of my absolute favorites of all time, champagne problems. Plus we get No body, No crime on this album which is AMAZING as well! So happy! Such a good day! Favorite song: I can’t pick just one, but my tops are champagne problems and no body
Listened to on 6/1/22 5/5 Favorite song: champagne problems, evermore, willow I love Taylor Swift and this album is no different - the perfect sad girl fall album
This is an exquisite album. It's a big career leap few artists can successfully pull off even once. Taylor has deftly done this multiple times as if it were effortless. It's a stunning achievement. I am in love with this album. Deep and reflective lyrics backed by sparse, beautiful arrangements. There were so many striking moments where I stopped and just lost myself in the world of the song. Taylor is on an incredible journey and I'm happy to be able to tag along in this tiny way. Now I can unreservedly name one wonderful thing that came out of 2020.
This was the perfect thing for a rainy Sunday afternoon. It felt sophisticated, intimate, and warm. Loved it.
Each song on this album took me to such a vivid place. I loved each of these journeys. This is one I want to listen to again and again.
Jesus Christ this woman has me in a choke hold. Never heard this album before and it’s instantly my favorite TSwift album. Her lyrics are Bob Dylan level. I SAID IT.
Very beautiful. Her lyrical construction and turns of phrase are a joy.
Happiness makes me very not happy and champagne problems is lyrical genius- along with every other song in the album
Early entry into best of the decade. I definitely listened to this one around the time it came out as the province was going into another lockdown. Related so hard to these emotions, but also felt like it was so disconnected from our reality at the time; as in we didn’t have real experiences with each other anymore during covid.
Surprised evermore was chosen over folklore Willow - great start, catchy and I love guitarđź‘Ť Champagne problems- One of my fave songs, love storytelling on thisđź‘Ť Gold rush - this song really grew on me, love atmospheređź‘Ť 'Tis the damn season- another strong narrative song, love the telling from the other side on Dorotheađź‘Ť Tolerate it - bridge is amazingđź‘Ť No body no crime- goodbye Earl vibesđź‘Ť Happiness -v bittersweet song, trying hard not to give every thing ticks lol Dorothea- this is a such a cute song, gives me honey pie vibesđź‘Ť Coney Island- this is the weakest song on the album imo. Just not a vibe I identify with Ivy- this is a daphne de Maurier bopđź‘Ť Cowboy like me- just alright Long story short-a bop, but one of the weaker boos on the album Marjorie- a sister to epiphany, very beautiful but not something I would want to listen to all the time Closure- this song is over hatedđź‘Ť Evermore- this song is a good Outrođź‘Ť Who am I kidding? 5/5
Hands down my favorite Taylor Swift album. Stripped of most of the big pop production, you are left with writing that is poignant and an album that feels much more intimate. Folk-y Taylor Swift is my favorite of her reinventions so far.
This was my favourite album of 2020, so I'm glad to see it on this list. You can definetly feel how Taylor has matured both as a song writer and as a person in her most recent albums. And "evermore" is a great proof of this, exploring more mature and deep themes and relationships. Aside from that, it has a surprisingly good instrumentation for a pop album. Overall, it is perfect.
Siento que este álbum es mucho más oscuro que el resto, tan oscura como puede ser Tay-Tay. Reflexiva, nostálgica, melancólica, habla de amor encontrado, perdido o que nunca pasó. Las mejores son No Body, No Crime y 'tis The Damn Reason.
Blown away by this today. Never really on my radar as someone I should be checking out. The last track with Bon Iver is absolutely superb 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Wow, ok so I knew Taylor Swift, yes - the ultimate pop kitten. But this album... she's clearly off the back of some massive break-up which is not unusual for a pop record, but this is so heartfelt, and has a much softer, folkier feel to it. Amazing!
Just between us girls, Folklore is the better of Taylor's two Aaron Dessner/Pandemic albums she released mere months apart. I feel so strongly about this that I was actually dreading seeing this one show up. And it's a great album! It just doesn't have the emotional hold on me that Folklore does. The biggest difference is Folklore has no skips, whereas Evermore has some filler. So Folklore is a clear 5. My final grade here is based on the fact that Taylor released her Tapestry and Blue within four months, in the middle of a freaking Pandemic. Both albums prove how better off Taylor is when she gets away from Jack Antonoff (although in the interest of full disclosure, he does have writing credits on some of the better songs on both albums). Evermore is so much more than just a collection of Folklore leftovers. There are excellent collaborations here with Haim, The National and Bon Iver. 'Tis The Damn Season is on its way to becoming something of a Holiday Classic. And Ivy is in the running for for one of Taylor's all time best tracks. In a way, I'm jealous of those who come to this album before Folklore. There's every chance those folks have the same emotional connection with Evermore that I do with its predecessor. Time will be kind to both albums, and there's every chance history claims Evermore is her best work.
A pleasant listen, however if you really want to listen to “relationship music” with a C&W sound to them then I think John Mayer has TS licked. Not convinced it should be in the 1001 albums to listen to but what do I know, I’m just a listener
En su momento lo escuché y me gustó mucho la canción que hizo junto a Bon Iver, la que da nombre al disco. No le hace falta promoción tratándose de quien se trata.
Swift has always been more than just a singer of vindictive breakup songs, as her detractors say. The sister lockdown albums have "I'm more than what you think" written all over them, and the indie folk sound suits her well. I never thought I'd be a guy who has strong opinions about how Taylor Swift's albums are ranked, but...folklore is better. Best track: Happiness
Corona hat uns allen zugesetzt, aber nachm dritten reheasal in anfänglicher Zuneigung wirkt zunächst alles wie eine ausgelaugte „unplugged“ Version eines woken Dance Albums. Die Bon Iver Collabo offenbart den Canyon zwischen Anspruch und Wirkung. Frankenstein Pop! („closure“) Was wirklich reißt: alle Lyrics. Das hier ist ein musikalisches diary, pur und nachvollziehbar („Tis the dann season“ / „champagne problemls“, ). Außerdem wird sich nicht so groß gefühlt, eher klein, selbst Album- wie auch Song-Titel sind kleingeschrieben, quasi vor der Aufgabe geschrumpft, etwas großes zu schaffen mit vermeintlich wenig Aufwand. Aber: es funktioniert! Vor allem aufgrund des gespielt authentischen Leidens eines wachsenden Mädchens („happiness“) Ich höre hin. Das 3., 4., 5. und nicht letzte Mal. Wäre dies aber auf Deutsch, dann leider das letzte Mal. Komisch oder? Und so amerikanische Songs wie „Cowboy like me“ hieven alles ein, zwei Nummern höher. Auch komisch, oder? Seltsam flirrende 3.7
Better than I was expecting, def better than most of what I've had in the last 40 days of doing this.
Classic indie album. Quite good with it too, but nothing stands ott it for me on first listen
Ik doe eens gek en geef 4 sterren. Dit is de meest recente plaat die we tot nu toe gedraaid hebben. Dat vond ik sowieso al leuk. Ook ben ik totaal niet thuis in de Taylor Swifts, daarom was ik benieuwd. En hoewel misschien wat veel van hetzelfde, vond ik het behoorlijk aangenaam.
An excellent album. I think Taylor Swift is an excellent song writer and I'm really enjoying this new phase of music, for me it shows a that she is a very good musician. However, this album just isn't as good as Folklore so I'm very surprised that it's on here and Folklore doesn't seem to be.
I feel like there's been a trend for naming songs in lowercase, seems to be a recent thing 🤷 Taylor Swift definitely has a place in my heart, really enjoyed listening to this album, liked the one about murder, and 'tis the damn season' was great
Good music! Oh, it's about dysfunctional relationships? All of it? Still good music!
I don't know how an album this recent made it onto the list, but this and folklore were my pandemic guilty pleasures. I like folklore much more though.
4.5 People can say what they want about taylor swift but this album fucks
Well - Saturdays seem to be for pop icons now! Hello Taylor Swift. This is quite pleasant. I prefer her poppier stuff, but her gift has always been being a cleverer lyricist than her music lets on, and this more wintry album still lets her do this. There's some great stuff on here, back to back - Tis the Season, Tolerate It and No Body, No Crime are all first class. I really wasn't expecting to rate this album as highly as I did.
Good song writing that seems to stick to a theme. My only gripe is that a few tracks feel a bit repetitive in subject matter and the album could've done with trimming down a bit but overall an enjoyable listen.
The album starts of really strong with "Willow" and finishes strong with "Evermore". However the middle gets a bit samey for me. I like the new kind of style for this compared to Taylor's previous work, but I wish she went even further with it.
Ona da nema ljubavne tegobe, ne bi mogla ni imat toliko albuma, a kamoli pjesama. Paz ovo sad, ne volim baš Swifticu, a kamoli njene hc fanove - bolesni su (ima još takvih artista koji imaju takve fanove, a sad da ne govorim....). E sad, kad sam to reko, ovaj album pokazuje da Aaron Dessner (The National) i ona imaju dobru kemiju, izvuku ipak nešta da valja, da je slušljivo (u ovom slučaju veoma). Također, dobri featurinzi, nisu bezvezni, sasvim su pokazali svoje gostovanje, poput pravih gostiju. Definitivno neke pjesme idu na jednu od mojih plejlista i priznajem prije svega Hrvat sam! I sviđa mi se album (3 puta preslušao), jer ovo nije njen čisti klasični popični album, ovdje je umrljan folk u tkaninu i dodan chamber u pop smjesu. Sad me zanima i njen Folklore (album). + willow, happiness, dorothea coney island, ivy, long story short, closure
Niet gedacht dat ik dit album goed ging vinden. Niet overweldigend, maar leuk om te luisteren
Swift is solid at this point. Each album and move is more refined than the last. A great album, but no hits in my opinion.
Very simple folk music. Very easy to listen to which can be great at times. It's also very pretty. But it also doesn't knock my socks off at any point, either. It's just solid.
Perhaps I overlooked this, in preference to Folklore, but these more gentle songs are real growers
Wasn't expecting too much from this album but ended up feeling pleasantly surprised by it.
A very good example showing that strong songwriting by an artist can work in any genre. Taylor shows she doesn't have to be bombastically pop to make great pop music. Solid work through and through.
7/10 i tend to be pretty critical of Taylor Swift, and while neither the songwriting nor the vocal performance of evermore are outstanding, this album definitely has its charm. The second half especially has some good tunes, and while I found this a bit boring to listen to the production is flawless throughout.
She is very talented but this is not really my thing but I have great respect for her.
I had heard that Folklore was good but I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I can't really add more than other reviews have. It was really enjoyable to listen to and there is beautiful depth to Taylor Swifts voice and songwriting. The synergy with her collaborators is spot on, strengthening her style rather than being dominated by something different. Only minus is that some of it sounds like I have heard it before. Probably due to Jack Antonoff having written with so many other artists recently. Not necessarily a bad thing but distracting
I’m not a Taylor Swift fan but really liked Folklore and this sister record sequel continues the folky cottagecore thang…
Although its questionable if this is a must hear, it still is a very good album. This music style is the logical evolution to Taylor's early Country-Pop and she is able to create a very atmospheric experience here. No song is a masterpiece but there are a handful of 4 star songs and overall this album is, although a bit too long, a great listening experience
A natural progression in her discography. After two very commercial and radio-friendly pop album, it’s nice to see her go to her songwriting roots with nothing but a guitar and piano. If you like the sound of one song, you’ll like them all. It’s more an atmosphere being sold throughout rather than a collection of great songs on an individual levels. It works and its an enjoyable listen.
Truly a lovely album. National guitarists and one of the best country-pop songwriters equals a stunning classic, even if it wasn't created during the pandemic.
I still think Evermore and Folklore are mostly neck and neck for me. I definitely come back to this like her other album but for different reasons. This one feels more in tune to her older material like Red but more mature with Taylor's vocal experience.
I had already listened to this album prior to starting this challenge, however I have been wanting to listen to this project again for a while soooo I’m glad I had the opportunity to do so. Overall, the album was better then I remember it being. Compared to Taylor’s previous album, Folklore, this one definitely feels more folky and is more geared towards her excellent songwriting. This album feels like her most mature yet and I’m hoping she continues in this direction for her next project. Highlights: champagne problems, tolerate it, happiness, ivy
Favorite song was probably Champagne Problems. The album starts really strong, gets a little forgettable in the middle , but ends with a bang with Bon Iver.
Extremely polished and accomplished and benefitting greatly from expert production (which is a reminder of why at least one and probably multiple records from The National should be in here), this is the work of a maturing artist.
I found my enjoyment of this album increasing the longer it went on. The second half in particular is very chilled and lovely. It's not pushing any boundaries, but nice simple songs and melodies with polished but back-to-basics production. I prefer this a lot this to Swift's more showy '1989' album, which is also on this list. It's not aimed at me, but I would happily put this on on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. I wonder if the kids these days know how lucky they are to have Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish when we had to make do with B*witched and Billie Piper? Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: no body, no crime Date listened: 01/07/22
This is the second Taylor Swift album on this list.....and..... I really enjoyed the first one, and that trend continues with this one. I particularly enjoyed the collaboration with The National
This is an excellent album that I was not expecting! Last week I got another Taylor album on this list, and the difference in 4 or 5 years of her project "getting. back to her roots or something like that" is working. I still think that this album is quite long, but I'm genuinely curious about the next steps of her career (something that I never believed was possible:-P)
This album has several songs I really like (Long Story Short, Evermore) as well as others I can't remember. All in all it reminds me of Charlottesville.
Second album is fckin Tay tay. Tizzle mcswizzle. Pleasant on the ears. Applauded for switching up her style which had been the same for like a decade.
Huge fan of Folklore, so when Evermore dropped I was ecstatic! I don't think it left the same impression as Folklore, though. It's a little more subdued and a little darker in subject matter. If Folklore is wandering into the woods then Evermore is getting lost. Great album though!
Really love this version of Taylor. Think I prefer Folklore to this one, but the vibe is one of my favorites
A good album especially the first few tracks and the collaborations but not as striking to me as some of her other records. Still lovely.
evermore is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It blends alternative rock, indie folk, and chamber pop genres together to make a lo-fi, escapist, cottagecore experience for the listener. This album is an extension of her eighth album Folklore - that was released five months earlier - because they share similar musical and lyrical styles. Taylor Swift is a mind-blowing songwriter, and it's amazing how easy she can write lyrics to create a story for any instrumentals sent her way. This was the reason for this album, since she continued working on the same musical style that her previous album Folklore was created with, even after finishing up production on it. Swift has likened evermore to be a soft, but moody album for the cooler seasons of fall and winter, while Folklore has a little more pop for the warm seasons of spring and summer. To praise Taylor Swift even more, this album - as well as the previous Folklore - show that she has the ability to switch genres without missing a beat and still come up with a popular album. First it was a transition from country to pop with her album Red in 2012, and now we go from pop to indie folk with Folklore and evermore in 2020. I wouldn't classify myself as a Taylor Swift fan per se, but I can't deny this album was great and I'm excited to see what else is in store for this talented singer songwriter.
This, and its sister album folklore, was were I first really understood the hype surrounding Swift. Working with Dessner did wonders to her songs; this sounds like an artist finding her true calling and potential. Lyrically this is by far the peak of her career with her storytelling beating her contemporaries by quite a few miles. folklore is more immediately available, containing a few more upbeat songs, but after listening a to both a few times I’m starting to be convinced this is the superior twin by a hair.
Easy to listen to. Definitely some blending but still very pleasant. Good for background on a cool autumnal day with a fire and a stew.
Great album. I really enjoy Taylor's collaboration with Jack Antonoff on folklore and evermore. I wasn't much of her fan before but with this change of style I'm a changed man.
evermore is the follow up companion to folklore, both surprise 2020 pandemic albums announced less than 24 hours before their release. evermore came second and it feels ever so slightly less than folklore, like the album formed once the crème de la crème was already packaged into folklore. For me Willow is the only stand out song on evermore, but to its credit, evermore is greater than the sum of its parts. The album, as a whole, forms an essence. I get the whole folksy, forest vibe. The glitzy pop sound sound of Lover (top notch album by the by) is gone, replaced by low key instrumentation. It feels intimate, like an album that should be listened to snuggled up under a fuzzy blanket next to a fire in cabin in the woods. The answer to my question from The Cure’s Seventeen Seconds is answered: yes, there is another album with its title track appearing last. So maybe it’s not as rare as I thought. While not up to folklore’s level, evermore is a very good album on its own. I enjoy Ms. Swift’s pandemic, musical change of direction. The 1001 list includes two Taylor’s Swift albums, both which are solid but are surpassed by similarly styled, better albums. Lover should appear instead of 1989 and folklore should appear instead of evermore. Potato, po-tot-o.
I'm not a Swiftie. And the obsession of Swifties can be a bit much at times. But I do have to hand it to Taylor Swift - her knack for reinvention has kept her remarkably fresh throughout her career, and has led her to her best period with the folk pop of "folklore" and "evermore."
I am as surprised as the next person at how much I liked this album. Stripped of the over-produced mainstream sound, this showcases that Taylor Swift has actual substance that is masked by her pop song successes. I think she’s a great lyricist. I really liked the vocal harmonies. I heard echoes of Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty, and Coldplay (and for those who don’t like those bands, I suppose they wouldn’t like this much either). Solid album IMHO.
By the time we get to this album, Taylor Swift has been through many changes. She got out from under the thumb of her original management, and has matured incredibly. And it's not just that I'm friends with her bass player, Amos (humble brag), but I do think the music shows her maturity and her willingness to grow far from the place where she started. This album is haunting, well made and has terrific guest vocals. The lyrics are surprisingly powerful. I've listened to it quite a few times prior to Friday, but continue to enjoy it quite a bit.
This was a pleasant surprise! Pop's not really my bag, but Taylor (and, I guess, Aaron Dessner) sure can write a pleasing melody. Fave track - "tis the damn season", maybe? The title track with the Bon Iver appearance is also rather lovely...
Jai deteste 1984, mais je dois avoue que celui-ci est tre bon, ca secoute super bien 4
There are songs on this album (ivy, cowboy like me) that are so breathtakingly beautiful, but overall I can’t say this is a top tier album for me.
Track 1) willow Track 2) champagne problems Track 3) gold rush Track 4) 'tis the damn season Track 5) tolerate it *Track 6) no body, no crime Track 7) happiness Track 8) dorothea Track 9) coney island (feat. The National) Track 10) ivy Track 11) cowboy like me Track 12) long story short Track 13) marjorie Track 14) closure Track 15) evermore (feat. Bon Iver) *Indicates favorite track
This album was so enjoyable! From the first 5 seconds of Willow, I was hooked. I thought many of the songs were strong, and there’s a lot of variation between tight songs and open-ended songs. The production is subtle and never overpowering. Some of the transitions between sections were just masterful. It’s a little uneven in the second half… there are just a lot of songs!… but then Evermore happens and I’m like, that’s a great end. Overall enjoyed the natural confidence of this record a lot, as someone who came in expecting things to be much more buttoned-up.
My fav Taylor album since Fearless and probably her most sophisticated storytelling. I love the banjo on Willow and the harmonies with Haim on no body, no crime. Evermore gives me chills when she starts singing with Bon Iver. And weirdly, tolerate it is just one of those songs that is comfortably stuck in the background of my head on a consistent basis. Still, quite a few skips, and I’d probably rate this like a 3.7 A side note. Good album art for me can actually make me like an album better. This album has that. Its cover perfectly conveys the feel of the songs on it.
The second of Taylor Swift’s surprise pandemic albums, Evermore takes a gentler direction than its predecessor Folklore, instrumentally if not lyrically. The steady parade of acoustic pop might lull some listeners to sleep, but there’s quite a bit to sink one’s teeth into here.
It's a little strange to me that evermore is on this list when Folklore is not. I listened to this album when it came out and felt it didn't measure up to the predecessor of five months. However, after giving it another listening, I'm really relishing the spaciousness of this album. The string arrangements are gorgeous and the instrumentation really allows the songs to breathe, simmer, and build. I think this is some of Taylor Swift's finest songwriting as well. This list of collaborators, the National's Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Matt Berninger, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and Haim are a real who's who of modern indie music and lends credibility to Swift's more stripped down folk inspired pop. I really enjoyed this album from start to finish and am glad that I listened to it again.
Positives: I like champagne and no body no crime. I think they both tell a cohesive story and don’t think she uses her usual magic tricks on these. Or at least these two songs are different enough that she isn’t leaning on them exclusively. I also love a mid-song pronoun change. Criticism/thoughts: Red is her best album and I hope it will come up during this project. In general, I think Taylor swifts main magic trick is writing lyrics that are specific in a song that also contains broad lyrics. Her lyrics that are super specific make you feel like you are reading her diary, which makes listening feel a bit wicked or illicit. Then she hits you with a broad lyric that anyone can relate to it. Inevitably, your reaction is “I can’t believe she gave me that glimpse into her life.” And then “wow she’s just like me”. For example in 'tis the season, she gives us a personal lyric "I parkеd my car right between the Methodist. And thе school that used to be ours" then follows it up with something that could apply to anyone "You can run, but only so far I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave." This juxtaposition is all over the album and I think that's why they call her a lyrical genius.
Enjoyed listening to this album throughout and had never heard any of these songs. Favorite songs: Ivy Damn season Closure Evermore Least favorite: no body, no crime I like the all the textures in the production. I dig the hybrid folky meets electronic vibe but sometimes wish it went further in one direction or another. Love the Bon Iver collab at the end.
Never listed to a TS album before. Will give another go. Some decent collaborators
Beautiful album, great voicings, good lyrics. Not my jam, but I like her music craft.
Doesn't start off amazing, but gets better. Usually not a massive fan of her singing voice, but I enjoy a good deal of these songs. no body, no crime is excellent.
nice homogenic, got a bit boring at some point, nevertheless good stuff
Buen disco. Se nota la calidad de la producción y la calidad de Taylor, pero creo que aún está lejos de trascender como para ser un disco que se deba escuchar antes de morir, no niego que los premios ganados no hayan sido merecidos, pero aún no deja un legado
Didnt think I'd enjoy it but I did. Not as great as the hype, but thats the way it is with pop
Ach ja ... irgendetwas mag ich an diesem Ultrahighloss-Verschnitt eines Next-Door-Girls. Ihre Straightness, das gut kalkuliert eingestreute Spiel mit Unsicherheit und Status, und aber auch diese bossy Attitude. Ist mein Deutsch eigentlich gerade so englisch weil sie halt auch so dermaßen All American Girl ist? Ich weiß es nicht, und ehrlich gesagt bringt sie mich auch nicht gerade dazu, das jetzt sonderlich tief zu reflektieren. Schöne Musik zum Geschenke einpacken ist das, mit 2,7 Punkten dafür.
Liked it more than I thought I would, drags on for a bit though. I enjoyed having it in the background
Ik vond dit boven verwachting goed te doen. Niet van die bubbelgum pop zoals op haar eerdere platen. Goede liedjes!
Beetje gelikt en soms ook wel wat tam, maar verder best wel tof. Maar respect voor Swift om zo van haar bubblegum imago af te komen.
It's very funny to read the reviews of the album. From "crappy" to "genre novelty". I found the album quite decent. Nothing new under the sun, but very pleasant to listen to. (5/10) FT: evermore
Well well well, she popped up. Look I didn't hate it and the first one was quite catchy. I guess my problem with TS is that I just don't get the hype, like for me its all FINE and a lot of it is just so beige. I have enjoyed her tunes in the past, Shake it Off is a vibe, but a lot of this just blurred in. But I'm not going to give it a 1* just to make a point, cos it wasn't bad like recent Neil Young or Elvis Costello where it made me MAD.
In which Taylor does her best Eminem impression. Relative to her image, of course. Ssure, she's not writing in grawlix, but there are enough fucks and shits to invalidate her PG rating. Even more than "At dinner parties I call you out on your contrarian shit" 'Tis the damn season remodels her as a sophisticated dame in a whip-smart middlebrow movie. The plotting could use some work. no body, no crime is a fun genre exercise, but as conventional as they come. And I'm not sure "Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license at sixteen" and "I've cleaned enough houses to know how to clean a scene" checks out class-wise. But now I'm being picky. A lean and muscular workout that is arguably her best album by accident. And she's not just flashing her writerly talents here. She's staking her claim to being the most accomplished vocalist in Pop-Indie. Whatever the hell that is.
It was okay. I don't think it deserves to be on this list, but I don't want to be a hater. So let's go with a 3.
Enjoyed this one. Nothing crazy but I could see myself throwing this on from time to time.
Mislim da je Taylor dobar tekstopisac i njena pjesma "Style" mi je hitČINA, pa imam neki respekt za nju, žena ima svoj craft. Al me nije nikad privukla njena glazba da postanem fan. Nekako sam ravnodušna prema njenim stvarima, ne izaziva mi puno emocija. Ali lijep mi je ovaj album. Kohezivan je, sviđaju mi se kolaboracije i dosta se čuje utjecaj Aarona Dessnera. Al opet sam ravnodušna koliko god sam htjela da mi se svidi. Vjerojatno je do njene vječno iste i jako prepoznatljive tematike.
It’s fine. I enjoyed the first half more than I expected, but it began to drag after that. Would rather listen to 1984
A lot of these songs seem to hit the same chord for me. Good... not great. Really like the song with the lead singer of the National, though.
6/10. The last thing you want from Taylor Swift is an album that goes on for a whole goddamn hour, but as it turns out, that might be exactly what you get. On the upside, I kinda liked it besides that, her lyrics have gotten more interesting at least, even if the music is just kind of yawny sad-girl hours
Much better than the last Taylor Swift album we had. The music is lovely and the lyrics are nice, if not a little girlie.
Pleasant enough to listen to but not much really leapt out. The inversion of the usual trope in the "murder ballad" wasn't quite enough to elevate it (and is it, like, supposed to be some kinda girlpower anthem? Cause it's still wrong to murder someone over infidelity), and the final cut with Bon Iver gave an unflattering focus on just how watered down the rest of the folkified pop was.
better than I expected? I haven't listened to her since hs so it was cool hearing her drop fuck
Taylor Swift fait de la pop intéressante. Elle écrit bien et son virage vraiment pop avec l'album 1989 a été bénéfique pour sa carrière. J'apprécie de plus en plus cet album. Ici on se rapproche du country-folk de départ, mais avec un son pop plus subtile. Je trouve que c'est une bonne balance. Probablement un album que je vais remettre en streaming à l'occasion pour faire plaisir à ma fille qui l'aime bien et quand j'ai envie d'un peu de pop bien écrite.
Un dels discos de la pandèmia del Covid. I un dels mĂ©s aclamats. En aquells moments, Swift era gairebĂ© intocable i, tot i que el disc Ă©s força consistent, no Ă©s ni s'apropa als grans discos de pop del perĂode. Malgrat tot, del llarg minutatge hi ha molts temes que s'adhereixen i no hi ha cap de dolent
Because Taylor Swift is my wife's favorite artist, I've heard more of her work than I probably care to. Imo, this isn't her best work. It's good. It's chill. It's not exactly ground breaking.
Aina hienoa, kun levy paranee loppu kohti. Ja vokaalit on kyl miellyttäviä, paha sanoa muuta.
Yllättäen pidin tästä. Aika vimmasii tekstejä ja voksut toimii mulle kyl. 3/5
its an okay folk pop album, hollow is interesting but there is not another song that can live up to the same level. Not bad but not outstanding either.
No pop tunes here but not much I would go back for. Though the album is very listenable. Something to play when you're up at the cottage by yourself.
Taylor relies on singer-songwriter tropes but doesn’t have the clout to pull it off. Luckily there’s some well-written material amongst the cacophony of easily digestible whiny diatribes.
I found this album a bit dull. Sorry. There is nothing here that can hold a candle to Shake It Off or Look What You Made Me Do.
I appreciate how Taylor Swift has grown as an artist and songwriter; however, this really isn't my thing.
Genre: Folk Pop 3/5 Taylor Swift released her mega-hit Folklore in July 2020, an album that represented a very heavy shift for Taylor in terms of her sound, fully eschewing her usual lush pop arrangements and instead utilizing sparse folk stylings. She then immediately followed it with this, Evermore, a quasi-sequel released less than 5 months apart. This album opts for more mellow and relaxed arrangements, but much like in the movies, the sequel is lackluster in comparison to its predecessor, but it's not altogether terrible. Taylor has always had a very nice voice, and folky, pared back music like this unfortunately doesn't do it too many wonders, but her voice here does a lot of the legwork, effectively saving most of these pieces here from falling into total boreland. No Body, No Crime featuring HAIM, is a perfect example of a rather generic Americana tune totally saved by great vocal performances from all the women involved on this track. The album's outro and title track, a little ambient folk ditty that also features some song-saving guest vocal work, this time from Bon Iver. As for the rest of the album, it all plays out fairly uneventfully, but it's an inoffensive record that sounds great and feels much shorter than its 1 hour runtime. Not bad.
Folk music for teenagers. It gives the sense that it's a kind of masterpiece but it's a very lame masterpiece. Almost all songs are similar and with her expressive popish voice I myself, cannot connect with the words she singing. Good but not good enough to be included here.There are much better others artists albums of her kind ,maybe not so known that offer more interesting results
I feel like the weakest part of the album are the instrumentals. They're all pretty, but sometimes they don't match up with Taylor's voice, creating something that just doesn't blend well together. The guests on here all do well, and Taylor's voice and lyrics range from passible to good. My favorite parts are where she dips into her country music roots. Favorite tracks: "No Body, No Crime", "Ivy", "Gold Rush"
si je l'avais écouté en décembre devant la cheminée avec un chat sur les genoux j'aurais probablement mis une meilleure note, malheureusement j'étais en fait dans le métro et il faisait 33 degrés
Hey - it's the most recent album on the list, so that's impressive. I wouldn't say I'm a TS fan, but - whatever - I get it. She's a good storyteller, good songwriter, and she comes across as genuine. And this is definitely better than her first few country/pop albums. It seems much less radio friendly and more "artsy" - which I appreciate.
Cookie cutter indie pop sound with some country leanings. Not for me but it's an inoffensive listen so 3*s