evermore

I was not familiar with any of these songs. Nice album, nice scaled back instrumentals. 4*

this album meant so much to me when it first came out. although i don’t listen to taylor anymore, it’s certainly nostalgic, and i do believe this is her best album by far. it’ll always have a special place in my heart.

3.5 stars. Downbeat alt-pop with a much more atmospheric folk style than her synth-pop heavy previous work. Vocals are softer with more layering and backing than her bigger, louder pop albums. Enjoyed the collaboration choices of Bon Iver and The National lead singers. For me it does well as an album as opposed to track vs track standouts and duds.

I went into evermore expecting to confirm my long-held indifference toward Taylor Swift. Her music is intensely emotional in a way that feels narrow. Fixated on romantic turmoil, rendered in glossy pop slop that left little room for ambiguity. Popular, yes, but not compelling. Evermore is an unusual entry in Swift’s discography. It is not overtly autobiographical, yet it is intimate. Most striking is the writing. It is the most thoughtful and disciplined lyricism of her career. Tracks like “willow” and “gold rush” wouldn’t feel out of place as modern indie standards. Their incorporation of folk and chamber-pop textures gives the songs a depth and patience absent in her commercial work. The album’s centerpiece is “coney island,” a collaboration with The National and arguably Swift’s most mature song to date. The lyrics favor regret and restraint over melodrama, choosing subtlety where Swift often opts for excess. For any musician, evermore would be a career-defining album. That it exists alongside and is eclipsed by albums that are inferior in quality and thematically shallow is baffling. The preference for those records feels like a collective failure of taste. Because in this album, I glimpsed an artist.

Evermore and folkore are taylors best albums for sure!! with that said, folkore is much better than this one. RIP pre-NFL taylor

A loving folk twist in the pandemic that expanded and reinvented Taylor.

Wonderful album - I like the vibe, just like her other album from this period, Folklore, which I might like a little better than this. The three collab songs on here are especially good

Taylor Swift amazes me. Her music crosses many genre lines.

My first time ever(more) listening to a Taylor Swift album all the way through. This was a very pretty album. I would love for a Swiftie to explain the lore behind each song to me. Willow, gold rush, and champagne problems were some notable hits. Although sometimes Taylor’s lyrics and metaphors are a miss for me, I can appreciate her musical talent and its showcased in this album for sure

After learning about what Taylor decided to do in relation to not owning her music and re recording her first 6 albums I gained a massive amount of respect for her and decided to start giving her music a listen. There are some albums I really like like Red and there are some I can pass on, the debut and speak now to name a couple. The 2 lockdown albums, this one and folklore are brilliant. I think folklore just edges it but this is a close second. This is great!

Probably the best taylor swift album

This album hovering at a 3 just shows that people are rating a name and not the album itself. It is not Taylor’s best work, but it probably in her top five.

tay tay

Not what I expected when a Taylor Swift album showed up. I was expecting the pop hits we know from the radio, not this. I was pleasantly surprised though and really liked seeing this different side of her that I didn't know of Standouts willow 'tis the damn season evermore 4/5

I don't know much Taylor Swift, I'm not the target audience, and I have no idea how this ranks amongst her other stuff. But it sounds great throughout, she obviously puts everything into her songs, with the result that each one comes across as an event in itself - exactly how music should be. As someone very wise once said, "we're all Swifties now".

Favorite Track: Evermore

Cringe oh no. I knew this was coming. After the last couple of nfl seasons and her giant 2024-25 eras tour America had Taylor overload. But I’ll listen. Damn. I liked it. It was very chill. I was expecting all the shake it off and poppy stuff. This felt mature. Pleasantly surprised. I’ll even give it 4 stars.

Not gonna lie, I like this album. Not her best, but solid.

This project has caused me to pay more attention to Taylor Swift than ever before. Shame on me! And evermore is a damn significant improvement on 1989, the album I previously knew best. The songs are far better, and the delivery—less-frothy, more indie-folk—is more compelling. Faves, among others: “willow,” “coney island,” and “no body, no crime.” Super-solid stuff. Do I owe Swift an apology?

Not the most interesting to listen to but nice as background music. Many songs in the same ballad style...

Not the best, definitely not the worst Taylor

I was under the impression that Folklore and Evermore were the albums that made the music snobs go "I always thought Taylor Swift was a vacuous pop star, but now I know she's heard of The National, I guess it's ok to listen to her", but you lot are clearly a tougher crowd. Luckily, I've always been uncool enough to really like this album, with the caveat that I'm surprised it made the cut above Folklore.

Probably Taylor's best album she's ever made. And that's completely un-ironic, this is a good album. It's got some of her best and most thoughtful songwriting and a very atmospheric instrumentation. Especially along with Folklore, it's a lovely listen. Honestly it makes most of the rest of her output a bit disappointing, knowing she can do work this good when she really wants to. But for what it is, it's a good pop folk album.

Somewhat sombre record for Taylor Swift. Songs are as catchy as usual, but the album goes too long in my opinion.

This was better than I expected to be, this was just a solid modern pop album.

4/5

I was a Swift hater for a long time. Didn't want to conform to the ways of music. But I have to say after listening to it... I can't be anymore. I will say, definitely a lot of boring songs on here, but with willow, champagne problems, evermore, right where you left me, and it's time to go, it's hard to hate on this album. I WILL say it's not perfect which is why it's not getting a 5. I think maybe if I relistened to it and listened to the lyrics which I know is what people say makes this album great may change my perspective. Really enjoyed it more than I thought I would though.

not my favourite taylor but still good

Enjoyed this one, really nice. Better than expected

Love her or hate her, she writes a ton of songs that are above average/good/great. Could listen to this album often and enjoy it each time. Not 5 stars, but a very solid 4.

I enjoyed this far more than I expected, almost enough to give it a full five stars. I felt it was a very strong four star album, well produced, well sung, and great lyrics. It's not the sort of music I would typically enjoy listen to, and I felt I'm definitely not the target audience in the slightest. Even so, I felt an "emotional swell" throughout listening and I will almost certainly give this a few more plays. It never felt jarring, annoying, sickly-sweet, vacuous, or any of the other vibes I was expecting based on other reviews. I feel there must be a deal of snobbery out there, with people downvoting a popular artist to "make a point". I also struggled slightly to not award Ms Swift an extra point or two simply because she's anti Trump. I don't think music and politics is a good mix, but it's sometimes difficult to separate the two.

Have never listened to Taylor Swift before, but this album at least is pretty good. 4 stars or B-.

Peak TS in the Dessner era, that is on par with her best work (RED or 1989). Folklore is probably the better album between these two. These albums are what she so desperately wants TLOASG and its predecessor to be: pushing her music forward and maintaining a strong voice. The collaborations here (and the relative weakness of everything after Midnights) are evidence it works.

Quite enjoyable. More atmospheric and introverted than I expected. I think I was expecting the confident brash pop star that half appears for 'long story short' (which is also a great track for me by the way) and I was surprised that there is more tentative delivery and melancholy. It reminds me of bon iver's first record (and that's before Justin Vernon shows up.) No body no crime broke the spell a bit for me - took me out of that dreamy atmosphere. Quite 2d for a character piece maybe? Are we supposed to rejoice in the revenge murder?

Day674 - i’m somewhere between hater and swiftie and i’m starting to lean more swiftie

Of every period of Taylor's career, I get the feeling the '-ore' duology might be the weirdest to look back on, because ... well, I have to wonder, honestly: was any of this ever real? Like, did she ever truly mean it? And this is something I've been thinking of for a while now — long before 'The Life Of A Showgirl' was plopped out, even. Believe me, songs like the one where she fulfills the joke about how she'd call her boyfriend's dick a redwood tree don't help anything, but I think I've been having these thoughts ... as far back as 'Midnights', I'm sure? When news of The Eras Tour was going crazy and she **really** started getting over-exposed. And at some point, the thought occurred to me: I really thought she'd still be making albums like the '-ore' ones. I mean, consider the arc her career's had. She started in country music, making light, teen-age country songs. As time went on, she moved more and more into pop music until she finally dove straight into the straight-up shit on '1989' — and it blew up. The **hell** up. It made her one of the biggest artists on the planet! Just in time for her to crawl almost completely up her ass with 'reputation'! An album where, if you didn't give as much of a shit about personal drama as she did ... hoo-boy. It wasn't too well received by the public (so I remember). She tried to course correct with 'Lover', and she **did** achieve some mild success with it. I just don't think it was enough. Cut to 2020, then: the pandemic's hit and she's released her first album of indie folk tunes, 'folklore', to be shortly followed by 'evermore' later that same year. And I really think it was those two being released so close together that gave me the impression that this was going to be her direction from now on. Sure, it might've just been that she was bored during lockdown and, like everyone, couldn't tour, so she popped out two albums to keep her momentum up ... but again, consider that she started as a teenager in country music. To me, her making indie folk felt like she'd come full circle and became an adult. And she wasn't writing exclusively about herself anymore! She was writing stories about characters! Like, she tried diving deep into her "lore" with those last two albums, and it was a **litle** embarrassing (especially on 'reputation'), so now that she's got that experiment out of her system ... y'know? Now can she spend the rest of her career making this kind of music. That'll be just fine. Nope. The '(Taylor's Versions)' re-recordings happened. The Eras Tour happened. 'Midnights' happened. And not only was she done with indie folk, she made clear that she'd be happy to keep hammering on one topic for the rest of her career: her lore and herself. To the point where I've seen shit like 'The Tortured Poets Department' called "lore drops" way too often to not mean anything. This is what I'm talking about: did she ever **really** want to be an indie folk artist? Is this truly where her heart was? Or was latching onto the cottagecore aesthetic just convenient because COVID was rampaging and people maybe weren't in the mood for 'Lover 2: reputation Part III'? I know this much: she **does** seem like she wants to be talked about in the same breath as indie artists. It seems that's why 'evermore' and later 'The Tortured Poets Department' would feature so many. But given her retreat into "let's talk about ME!" pop music, I hafta wonder how much she really wanted to do that here, in indie folk. Now, I'll tell you: it's not like it really matters to me whether or not she was 100% truthful about this folk pivot. This isn't something like "Shake It Off", where she's so clearly lying through her teeth (and grinning so hard through her anger that her teeth might shatter) that the whole thing pisses me off. Besides, I'm not enough into her music anyway to be invested in whether or not this sound was actually a reality or not. To be quite honest, of the two albums she has on this list, this is the one I was looking forward to **way more**. Even if '1989' has songs like "Style" and "Wildest Dreams", it **doesn't** have shit like "Shake It Off" or "Bad Blood". As I've been saying: it's indie folk! Where she sings about other people! I can handle that just fine! It's just, having lived through so much complete Taylor overload and overexposure ... it's hard **not** to wonder, y'know? I mean, I'll give her this much at least: as far as indie folk goes, this album is perfectly pleasant. Y'know. I'm not head-over in love with it. But it's a pretty nice hour of stories. I'll admit, when she's not trying to diss Charli xcx, she has a bit of a way with a pen. "marjorie" is the one I'm particularly drawn to, given how it was written during the pandemic. Goodness. And her voice is good, too, over these folky instrumentals. I mean, I never thought she had a bad voice, but it plays much better here than over, say, whatever the hell "...Ready For It?" was. The guests do good jobs, too — Bon Iver on the title track is particularly neat. And ... that's about the size of my commentary on the actual album itself! One paragraph buried deep under a lot of babble about exterior context. I really should have more to say about the music itself, but it really didn't inspire me to write too much. At least not as much as its historical context did. I mean, if that ain't the Taylor Swift experience for me, eh? Where it seems like the context and "lore" are more important than the actual music is. And I'll emphasize again, this is particularly good music from her; I really **did** like a number of songs on here. Jus', eh — what it is, y'know. So, whether or not she was being truthful with this indie folk swing ... I guess it really doesn't matter too much. Even if it **was** a lit, she still produced some good tunes. And ultimately, that's more important. I'm not enough of a "hater" that I can't give her kudos for that. Seriously, I wish she was still writing stuff like this and not shit like "CANCELLED!". Honest to goodness, I know your lore pays the big bucks, but seriously...

It's good, but it's nothing too special. 3.5 bumped up to 4.

Honnêtement je suis pas un swifty mais j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé, beaucoup plus calme que ce dont j'ai l'habitude

Guilty Pleasure

Catchy pop. It's nice but doesn't do much for me. Sounds a lot better than most of the pop I'm exposed to - the music is nice, Taylor's voice is nice, the songwriting seems a little better from what I can tell. My frame of reference is a little lacking I guess. Like even though it's not really something I'd listen to regularly, I think I understand why people like her music so much.

Haters, as the young people appear to say, gonna hate. I quite liked this. Not something I've heard before, but the lo-fi nature with folky bits helped, and I found myself on a long drive and choosing to listen to this four times. Which says something about it. There's enough to enjoy, although perhaps it's a little too polished in places. Or maybe that's just the song writing. The gents melancholy nature of the sound was attractive, and I imagine that if you wanted to you could take all sorts of meaning from the lyrics. But I'm not 15, so I won't listen too hard. I wondered if I might get to a 5 here, but ultimately it's too long – 15 to 20 minutes shorter would have been a better choice probably.

Not a swifty by any means, but this is good. She does have a good voice and the instrumentation is fitting. Sounds like songs for a rainy day. 4.5/5

I liked it. More than 1989 which I happened to listen to over dinner with my parents. Didn't know any songs going in. It's a winter album, but suits sitting in a national express bus in Autumn. Forgot about the National and Bon Iver colabs. Is Tis The Dam Season a Christmas song? Stand outs: tis the damn season, coney Island, marjorie

3.5/5

I'm not a Swiftie. But I am a Bon Iverie, and I liked most of this album. Also our old babysitter was her personal assistant and apparently she was a very nice person. I like nice people. Shoot me.

In the current taylor swift climate, i refuse to believe this was given to us at random. I sang every word. Loudly. Proudly. Adam Dreschner [sic] made this album anything it was going to be.

I quite liked it! Some of the songs did start to sound similar though in some parts. I thought the way it was written was really creative and thoughtful. I can see why she is so popular. I liked 'evermore', 'closure' and 'willow' I can find myself listening to this again

I can see why Taylor Swift is so popular. This was a good album with heartbreaking lyrics and uplifting melodies. She duets well.

Relaxing and very well produced folk pop album. It follows some of the Taylor tropes that you find on most of her albums but does display a lot of mature songwriting ability. Perfect for a quiet October morning.

Okay, I know this one by heart, and it is BEYOND phenomenal. Her penmanship on this album is unmatched [maybe a fair fight between this and Folklore] within her discography. So so awesome.

Bra vibes rätt igenom. Har Taylors sound nånsin varit såhär moget? Kanske.

najs med taylor

Pretty good stuff here. A bit long given some of the songs sound a bit similar. But I do love The National and can see the influence. Not quite heights of 1989 where she is just at her poppy best though. 3.5 Simpsons: Yes

Never did I think years ago that I'd one day consider myself a Taylor Swift fan, but I really do like her music.

good for fall

For some of us, Swift's irritating omnipresence can overshadow her singular talent, I think. If you can ignore all of that, though, she's certainly terrific. Great songwriter, great performer.

Good music from a gurlllllll

This was the first Taylor Swift album I’ve listened to. I’m not a huge fan of her voice, but I did enjoy this album and I really liked some of the lyrics. Makes me want to check out Folklore. I like the mood of this album more than her other more upbeat stuff, although it’s a tad poppy for my taste. She may not be someone I care to listen to, but she absolutely deserves to be on this list, no matter what people may think of her. Way more than other stank artists that I’ve seen on here.

I've never listened to a Taylor Swift album until now, and probably not the best album to listen to on an emotionally difficult morning, but I really liked and will listen again. I realize this isn't her normal style but I enjoy the more mellow and melancholy vibe.

Awww feeling wispy ❤️

This is a good album but I dig the more upbeat Swift music

Its hard to talk about Evermore without referencing Folklore, as this feels like b-sides or vault tracks from the Folklore sessions. Now people will see the name Taylor Swift and just immediately hate on this, but this is a really good album, not as good as Folklore, but has some real strong songs within like "Champagne Problems" or "Right Where You Left Me" or "Dorothea"... I'd have loved a Long Pond Sessions version of this like Folklore got but oh well.

She is enormously talented and her songwriting is excellent…it is clear why she is a superstar.

Kind of perplexing as a choice from the Swift oeuvre - it's probably her least impactful album since it's basically "folklore, and it's completely different but also still folklore". And while I like quite a few of the songs on their own merits, somehow the album comes across as less than the sum of its parts. Still good though.

Never cared for her hits that were always overplayed, and I therefore never listened to any of her albums other than The Tortured Poets Department (which I surprisingly liked). This is the second album of hers that I have listened to, and really enjoyed it. Beautiful music and the lyrics are so good.

☆4.0 カントリー歌手の面影はもうない。 アダルトな雰囲気の楽曲が多め。AOR? テイラーが注目している、ちょっとマイナーなアーティストをフィーチャーしている。（THE NATIONAL、Bon Iver) 新たなアーティストと出会うHubとして優秀かもしれない。

Aldrig hört taylor swift med flit förut. Väldigt enkel musik som är lätt att ta till sig. Över medel men inte toppen, så helt enkelt en perfekt fyrstjärna

Taylor Swift would not made it to icon level without Folklore and this album. I do doubt that posterity will see this as the Taylor Swift album that must be listened to above all others (unless she has other ones on this list, but it’s still great stuff!

You know, I'm starting to think the author of the book kinda sucks at picking albums from the year 2000 or later. This isn't a criticism of evermore (I actually quite like it), it's more that I just get the feeling that the author is out of his element when it comes to modern music. Putting on Queens of the Stone Age's S/T over Songs For the Deaf? System of A Down instead of Toxicity? Then it's putting albums on WAY too early before the album had a chance to gain influence, especially when there's much better picks from the same artists. Fetch the Bolt Cutters over When the Pawn...? Chemtrails Over the Country Club over Norman Fucking Rockwell!!? It's like the author either understands a band should be on the list, but doesn't listen to the band, or he wants to be ahead of the game with declaring an album an instant classic, and whiffs every time. evermore definitely falls into the second category with albums getting on way too early. Sometimes an album comes along that is quite clearly an instant classic (I'd argue Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is that), but evermore is not that. Hell, it's not even Taylor Swift's best folk album from that same period, that would be folklore. And I don't even think folklore necessarily should get onto the list itself (Although I'd hear argument), despite it being what I think is her best album. That said, evermore is a fantastic, cozy little winter album. The best thing Taylor Swift ever did was hunker down, write lyrics that focused more on telling a story instead of continuing to rehash her relationships, and make these folk albums. Not to say that what she was doing before wasn't good, just this is a breath of fresh air that she needed. Compared to folklore however, this one I think tends to fall into a little bit of repetitiveness with a lot of the songs kinda just carrying on the same vibe without trying to evolve or crescendo. It doesn't have the emotional gut punch of a song like exile (feat. Bon Iver). But I do like it a lot. Songs like no body, no crime (feat. HAIM) with it's very Carrie Underwood Before He Cheats vibe and coney island (feat. The National) really stand out for me (And I swear the songs with features aren't the only good songs on these albums, cardigan, the next great american dynasty, and invisible string all from folklore are great as well. From evermore, long story short has a great drive to it, and generally the rest are all solid). Overall, great album, just not a great pick for this list. There are better picks from her discography (folklore), and it feels like way too soon to be adding this to the list anyways.

I really enjoyed this. I’ll play this again on a Sunday morning or when I’m having a relaxing evening at home.

She’s very talented and this album was chill. I liked it even though this is way off-brand for me.

Wait... Taylor Swift had an album that was basically a collaboration with The National? And it features HAIM and Bon Iver as well? Considering how famous she is, how did I not know this? Taylor Swift brings up some extreme emotions in people. She's so widely worshipped and villified that it's hard to review her music objectively. But honestly, she makes some decent music. I suspect that a big large of the support and backlash is that she sings a lot from a strong women's perspective and supports LGBTQ+ issues. I'm completely cool with that, though plenty of others have come before her. Admittedly, Swift has more universal appeal than, say, Bikini Kill. And I think it's also the moment we are in. But try to seperate out the extreme reactions she gets and judge the music for what it is. It's really not a bad album at all, and The National bring a lot of their calm indie style to her. There's a bit more country twang than I'd really like here, but I appreciate it's Swift's background, so fine. I'd actually return to this one.

I'm your typical middle aged white guy who doesn't follow current pop music closely. I know Taylor Swift is bigger than Jesus, but Shake It Off was the only song I could name off the top of my head. So when this album popped up, I was thinking I was gonna get an hour's worth of danceable bubblegum pop. Oh, contraire, mon frère! It's a moody, mature, and even dark collection of slow to mid tempo country tinged indie folk vignettes about heartbreak, anger, and regret. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. Kudos to you Taylor Swift! 4/5 #146

I really like this album and the direction it went in compared to her other music. It’s not as good as Folklore to me, nor is it her best album, but it’s still an excellent album (and the last really good Taylor Swift album before a noticeable decline in quality).

Have never listened to a Taylor Swift album front to back, this despite the fact that my daughter is a huge fan. This record was assuredly not what I was expecting. This is modern pop folk wiith great melodies merged with a literal storytelling lyrical style - sort of a latter day Suzanne Vega. I don’t know that this has sufficient originality to warrant inclusion on this list (Suzanne Vega’s first or second album would probably have been a more thoughtful choice), but this is entirely pleasant and something I would listen to again. Solid, strong even, if not groundbreaking.

Wow there's really a huge divide in the comments about this album. She's arguably the most popular artist of the 21st century if not history - given that music is generally more accessible nowadays, of course, so not something that could be judge in numbers alone. This is a good album - could agree that's not particularly ground-breaking or innovative, but it's certainly well written and not just a shallow effort to appeal to the hipster girl masses. Certainly enjoyed it.

so I'm finally able to listen to tailor swift. This is an album from 2020, so I'm five years late. It first song was quite good, but I think I've already heard it in the radio. It must have been popular. the other songs are not really memorable

Dope

I found the other one of her albums she released in 2020 after 1989 was recommended on here and really liked it. This is very similar. I feel like these two albums really allowed her to mature as a musician and producer of music, and you can hear the influences on her pop music after these, but my god the lyrics whenever I actually heard the words are from a place of a life of no hardship of no real pain. it feels so flat especially with the depth the music has. If only the music of this album could be paired with the lyricism of lana del ray this would have easily been a 5 for me. but that being said this is a very strong 4. This is clearly the music she would be writing if no one was watching her. The fact that once COVID restrictions let up she went right back to the bland pop sound Is sad. Why she is this far in her career yet she still feels the need to be #1 and not an artist she could really be in the vein of Joni Mitchell and instead chasing katy perry is a bit depressing for a number of reasons. Thats a topic that needs an album. Well, I guess we got Anti-hero?

One of the better Taylor Swift albums, in my opinion, since I prefer the singer/songwriter vibes over the more pop vibes of some of her other albums. This was a nice surprise right in the height of COVID, imo.

I make no reservations that I’m a middle aged make swiftie. Partly because of my teen daughters……but mostly because I know and appreciate great music. She really showed her maturity in creating music on this and Folklore. Great stuff.

This album was so good. My first TSwift album and I liked it a lot

If we examine folklore and evermore together as a pair (as I usually do given their proximity and sister-like similarities) they are an impressive feat and a significant experimental detour from the pop-maximalism of Lover. Both albums released within a single calendar year during the global pandemic that was COVID, these album capture a stripped-down melancholy vibe of isolation, regret, and inadequacy. And yet there are moments of hope throughout. Of the two, evermore is the lesser in terms of overall quality and staying power. That said, it's hard to argue that it isn't at the very least beautiful throughout. For me the second half drags a bit, but is redeemed by strong closer evermore which features Swift pairing with Bon Iver to solid effect. Not the same magic that they were able to bottle on exile, but their two melancholy spirits play well off one another all the same. For her "indie" era, folklore >> evermore. Even so, this is a quality album with solid songwriting paired with the best production money can buy. champagne problems is among my favorites on here. Love the haunting layered vocal effect over the simple piano. tolerate it is another favorite of mine here -- more for the burbling Bon Iver-esq instrumental than the song itself. no body, no crime is a fine song, but feels a bit out of place sinking into a classic narrative country vibe. For all that it is, this is a fine album that has moments of greatness. For me it is a high 3 to soft 4. Nudging given that this has a quality to it that I never fully tire of.

Very folky album this time by Taylor. Really chill easy listen with no really high or low points. On the lower side of a 4

while this might be a hot take, this felt like the first time that Taylor wrote from a primary position of introspection and relative peace. The thoughtful compositions are far more reserved and peaceful, and it made for a nice change of pace that i really enjoyed. Also loved the feature list, and "no body, no crime" is criminally underrated.

# Playlist Track - no body, no crime (feat HAIM) # Notes - Not particularly interesting, but not too bad either. - I'm 39, so not really the target demographic in here. - Soothing, slow, smooth, pop-country whispered-singered ballads with catchy choruses. - Great artist feats! - A bit too underwhelming for me. Didn't really pay attention to the lyrics, to be honest.

Sad but nice

Pleasant!

Not quite Folklore, but still goid

01) Willow - 10,0 02) Champagne Problems - 9,0 03) Gold Rush 8,0 04) Tis The Damn Season - 8,5 05) Tolerate It - 8,0 06) No Body, No Crime - 10,0 07) Happiness - 7,5 08) Dorothea - 8,0 09) Coney Island - 8,5 10) Ivy - 8,0 11) Cowboy Like Me - 8,0 12) Long Story Short - 8,0 13) Marjorie - 8,5 14) Closure - 8,5 15) Evermore - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,43 (84/100) Current ranking: 117/584

Me surpreendi positivamente

Pains me to give this a 4

Pues es la reina, junto con Beyoncé. Así de simple. Su mejor disco? Da igual, este es intimista destacando Coney Island con otros gigantes como The Nationa o la colaboración con Haim que ese año publicaron un de los discos del año. Dorothea y Evermore (con Bon Iver) son excelentes. Alma gemela de Folklore, editado ese mismo 2020, ambos son imprescindibles. Otros discos de 2020, al margen de esta dupla de Taylor: El mejor de todos, muy por encima del resto: The Flaming Lips – American Head. Future Nostalgiade Dua Lipa, Women In Music Pt. III de Haim, A Hero’s Death de Fontaines DC, After Hours de The Weeknd, Untitled (Rise)de SAULT, We Will Always Love You deThe Avalanches, Fleet Foxes con Shore, Morrissey – I Am Not A Dog On A Chain, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy, Pet Shop Boys- Hot spot, Tame Impala- The slow rush...

Déjà un grand fan de Taytay. Elle a su garder le cap avec le concept de l'album dans ses tourments du 21e siècle. Certains questionneront sûrement le choix de cet album particulier. Je crois qu'il y a quelque chose de très abouti dans les narratifs de cet album. La valeur est définitivement dans le storytelling. Quelque chose qu'elle a développé depuis All Too Well. champagne problems, tolerate it. Quand même pas le meilleur.

Je connais peu Taylor en dehors de gros hit… sauf Folklore et Evermore, que j’ai écouté à plusieurs reprises dans la pandémie. Evermore la chanson me hante encore parfois. dorothea excellente. La poésie de Taylor, pas toujours sur, parfois on dirait qu’elle essaie d’entrer trop de syllabes en même temps, ça feel « crammed ».

Solid effort from Taylor. I like the songwriting and overall flow. Drags in places, but also has some really well-written catchy songs.

I found this to be a very subdued album; more so than I was expecting. I very much liked "willow" while all else was solid and can see why all these girls and women love her. I did find some of the stuff a tad weak though. 8/10.

It's an introspective album for Taylor and honestly one of her stronger albums. It is interesting without being annoying (something that cannot be said of everything she creates)

This is the first Taylor Swift album I've listened to from first to last. As 55 year old guy, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

I really enjoyed this one. I felt like a lot of the intro tracks brought Taylor back towards her country roots but showcased a more mature songwriting than previously. This album was a great example of emotion into music, and did an excellent job switching between styles inside each song to explain that journey. I don't think I've listened to much of Taylor's stuff past like 2018 so this was a nice one to hear.

3.5

*Tater-more* - IDKW, but I do actually legitimately like this album. It's a lot for there's still things that she does that bugs me, but I think overall the more folkier she gets the better she sounds. I've never considered her a great vocalist, but I think she's carries emotion in her vocals pretty well. (Probably why in her more whiny pop songs feel even whinier) With an album like this, which feels a bit more vulnerable then her straightforward pop, her approach actually kind of works for me. Light four stars 8.2

3.5/5

4.5

True confessions. I simply do not listen much to radio play pop music. Haven't for years. It is not a judgement or a rule. I just don't pay attention because I have so much to explore in my techno/ synthwave/ electronica/ trip hop... And while for many years I was apologetic about that, I am less likely to care any more. The trouble with it, of course, is that now and then a band will come along that is pretty great and popular and "everybody knows" and I will "discover it" years later. This IS the case with Taylor Swift for me. Her music has never popped up in any recommended music for me. Yet it is singer/ songwriter like, her lyrics are remarkably deep, her voice emotional. She clicks on all the right boxes and to a certain degree I can easily understand her popularity. I love how she has that folk/ country pop blend thing going on (country with swear words) and she dares put herself in her work. If I listened to the genre more I would be into this for sure!

𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 feels like Taylor Swift wandered into the woods with a notebook, a flannel shirt, and a thousand unresolved emotions — and honestly, I’m here for it. It’s moody, introspective, and occasionally sounds like it was recorded in a haunted but emotionally supportive cabin. At times it leans a bit too hard into the melancholy, but it’s beautifully written and full of quiet power. Basically, it’s the musical equivalent of staring pensively out a window while it rains — dramatic, but kind of perfect.

Kinda cool that there’s a TS album with no songs I recognize on it. Like other Swift albums I’ve heard, it’s hit and miss, but the stuff that works, like Happiness is really good. The stuff I didn’t like as much was okay, just a bit too polished for my tastes.

Boy people love hating on Taylor Swift, huh? 😂 As neither a fan nor her target demographic, this album caught me. Yes the songs all have a similar flavor, but her lyrics’ rich storytelling kept me engaged the entire album. Lovely.

it was honestly quite calming. not too shabby, but not something i'd go out of my way to listen to. not really a huge taylor swift fan, but she has some good stuff and this is some of it.

I'm not a Taylor fan so I've never listened to her more than what gets played on the radio. I didn't hate it. In fact I liked some of it. I could have wished for more variety of sound and, if this is a lot like her previous album, I agree with others that it doesn't need to be on this list. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Thought it was great! Swift is a great storyteller, which was the main interest for me for this album. The songwriting is great too, but that falls more into the background for me, since most of the music I listen to I really appreciate from that perspective. I can see why people are big fans of hers

3.5

I enjoyed this one loads more than I thought I would.

Hehe.... nothing to see here

Decided not to relisten because I'm so behind but yass!!

Great songwriting

Should be tailored down to a swift 40 mins but otherwise it's pretty decent.

champagne problems is so beautiful. Love the rest of this album as well.

This is very okay for a Taylor Swift album. Many bonus stars for the songs feat. The National and Bon Iver...

A emotional rollercoaster I wish I didn't have to ride.

it's no folklore

I have gone from hating Taylor to not really caring about her and to somewhat liking her. I watched her concert and I will be honest I didn’t know how poetic her songs were. So this was a nice experience to sit and listen to an entire album. There is so much to dive into with Taylor. First her voice is beautiful, and it goes along with the subtle melodies and chords she has created. Song after song is calm, beautiful and subtle emotions of someone looking back. Criticism is that all of the songs are similar in terms of melody and tone, nothing makes me want to stand up and dance and nothing makes me want to cry. Its something I would have listened to in my late 20’s while cleaning the house. The actual lyrics are poem after poem. Some have hooks and choruses, but most are just long poetic stories. She uses her words to craft depth, beauty and emotion into simple interactions. That might be part of the draw, all of these young middle/upper class individuals that feel their simple everyday lives are not noteworthy, connect with her because even in simple live there are deep noteworthy feelings we have. In that she has the ability to pull out the simple toxicity in simple life (Tolerate It) and maybe that is why so many men hate her. She doesn’t allow light to everyday toxicity in relationships, she pulls at each moment shines a light on their behavior. In contrast, one thing she lacks is any accountability in her songs, mostly it is always about the others making her feel worthless, and they may have mostly sucked. Happiness was one of the few where I really heard her reflect and discuss her side of things and that there was some accountability, and maybe that is because she took a lot of time to reflect. It was also really beautiful because so many of us have those feelings about some past relationships. Its pretty, simple and complex. She has a talent for writing and connecting, and this album is a good example.

This is very dreamy and felt a little like a fairy land. I tend to enjoy the Taylor songs I know, but I'm not a Swiftie and don't think I've ever listened to a full album of hers. Always fun to dig under the surface of someone's hits, and she has a way of making even the slowest songs catchy. She's also a great storyteller. no body, no crime was a particularly fun story. I also really loved her tribute to her grandmother in Marjorie. This was a beautiful project.

Slow soft ballads. Not too bad actually I enjoyed the melancholy vibe and a few songs were pretty catchy.

I am pleasantly surprised - many pleasant songs

Taylor has some good stuff, I just think the Swifties do her a disservice by grossly overstating her place in music history. No Body, No Crime is probably my favorite swift song ever.

4-

This feels more biased than my other reviews just cause I’ve heard this one far more lol

Taylor Swift music normally isn’t for me, but I really enjoy this album. It’s gorgeous plain and simple.

i love relationship melodrama

Starts off brilliantly but fades a bit

Just beautifully done. Her voice is lovely and the songs (though lyrically a jejeune at times) are thoughtfully arranged and perfectly adorned. Indeed, the production is so good (which reminds one that The National should be represented [and really more than once] in this list. It's easy to not take her seriously, but this is substantive and interesting and, at times, moving work, as well as being highly polished and mature. Stately and nicely reserved, if a little flat.

Not my favourite Taylor Swift album but a beauty nonetheless.

Obviously coming in with a higher degree of familiarity to most albums on this. Is clearly very nice. Too long, needs a good editor, can get a little dull. Behind 1989, RED and folklore at least. Still v good tho despite sounding negative!

I....actually...really...liked this one. Maybe because Aaron Dessner is all over this album as writer/producer. Vibes of The National all over this thing. Throw in Jack Antonoff and Justin Vernon and baby, you got a stew going. 'No Body No Crime' doesn't fit in at all....sounds like a 'Before He Cheat's knockoff and ruins the flow of the album....Otherwise, quite a pleasant surprise.

I thought this album was really solid overall. I don't particularly want to like Taylor Swift, but I can't deny that she can write a hell of a song. I liked 1989 better, but that was also designed to be a funner album, so I'm once again stuck here liking Taylor Swift 4/5

This album is really really good. It is hard not to compare it to folklore tho, which I will try not to do. I think there are a lot of great songs here, but some stay too stagnant for my liking (unlike folklore). "closure" may be Taylor Swift's worst song ever but "willow" may be one of my favorites and has one of the coolest guitar parts. Actual rating is a 3.5. Liked Songs: "willow" , "champagne problems" , "gold rush" , " 'tis the damn season" , "no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)" , "dorothea" , "ivy" , "long story short" , "marjorie" , "right where you left me"

liked songs: champagne problems, 'tis the damn season, tolerate it, no body no crime, closure This is a very good album, but I can't not compare it to folklore and it's just not quite as good. A good handful of the songs here just don't get to where they're going; they sort of just build to nothing. That said, this is still top 3 Taylor Swift albums for me. 3.75

Surprised by this album. Really liked it.

With the exception of her collaborative recording with The National, which I am very fond of and which appears on this album, this is the first music by Ms. Swift I've ever heard. First, I enjoyed the whole album. The track with The National and the work with Bon Iver and several others are very nice. Second, I cannot reconcile in my head the cover art, the music and writing with all the photos and clips of her in spangles and being and tights and leotards, back-up singers and dancers and pyrotechnics. She must have a whole other style of which I am unaware. In any case, I think this is very good. It lacks the edge of Adele, but good listening.

"Evermore" is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The music is described as "blending alternative rock, indie pop and chamber pop styles, carried by finger-picked guitars, somber piano, lavish springs and sparse percussion. It was a spontaneous product of her extended collaboration with the National's Aaron Dessner who produced her previous album "Folklore" and produced the majority of this album. Thr album had wide-spread critical acclaim with critics praising the character studies, experimental production and Swift's nuanced vocals. Commercially, it hit #1 in 9 countries. A finger-picking guitar and bass open the first single "Willlow." Programmed drums, strings and a glockenspiel. Subtle, gentle. A pretty straight-forward love song. Swift tells a crime story of revenge as the narrator murders the cheating husband who murdered his wife in favor of his mistress in "No Body, No Crime." Police sirens open. Piano and more of a country rock beat. Backing vocals by Haim. Good song. "Coney Island" is an indie-folk duet waltz. Yes! More finger-picking guitars. An easy beat with strings entering later. Swift's voice is contrasted with The National's Matt Berninge's baritone in this nostalgic story about Coney Island. "Majorie" is one the few personal songs on the album as Swift expresses grief over her opera singer grandmother. Buzzing synths and pulsing, building beats. The song ends with vocals from Majorie. The album closes with the piano ballad "Evermore." Swift feeling depressed and desolated about a relationship. The pace picks up as Bon Iver's Justin Vernon joins in and reminds Swift pain is temporary which lifts Swift's spirits. The music is spacious and lush with the strings. This is defintely not in-your-face pop. Thanks! Swift vocals are subdued. Her storytelling lyrics are compelling. Dessner's production is excellent with multiple instruments and musical styles (chamber pop, country, country rock, folk, Americana, rock). Nothing is rushed on this album. Nice selective and strategic use of guests (Berninger, Haim, Marcus Mumford and Justin Vernon). I quite enjoyed this as has most of the world. No use recommending this or not since I'd imagined everyone has a stance on Swift. Although, if you think you would not like Swift, this might be a good starting point since it is a lot deeper than typical pop.

I was caught off guard and amazed by how good this album is, and by how much I actually enjoyed most of it. I’ll be honest, Taylor Swift typically appeals to a demographic that listens to music I don’t usually find enjoyable, and vice versa. But this album had a surprising level of quality to it. While I didn’t love every song, a good portion of the album caught me by surprise with its lush production, atmospheric approach, and subtle electronic elements. I imagine this was more of a coincidence, but I’ll take the wins even when they accidentally fall in your lap. I doubt I’ll have many more positive reviews for her moving forward, but at least when my wife wants to listen to her in the future, I’ll definitely be more accepting of it.

Not my favorite type of music, but I liked it a good bit more than I thought I would.

I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan, but by no means am I a hater. I don't understand why so many reviews are mean. The bonus track 'right where you left me' is a song I have always loved! Listening to the album as a whole, some songs fall a little flat for me, but it's definitely my favourite album listen so far from this website, although its only been 12 days.

Great album.

Evermore made the list over Folklore? Hm ok I've always said Taylor wasn't made for pop (even though I love 1989, don't @ me) I'll admit I was never a fan of this album and had never given it a chance until I went to the eras tour. It grew on me after multiple listens These sort of songs are the right range for her voice, and she should stick to this type of stuff! So why the hell she chooses to continue releasing crap is beyond me. She has some very beautiful songs here but instead her latest album included lyrics "touch me while your bros play grand theft auto". You know you can do better girl! No Body, No Crime is my favourite song off this album, and it reminded me of earlier Taylor when she was still country An enjoyable album that wasn't quite a 5. Too long with a lot of filler between the gems 4 ⭐️

I began this list exercise not being much of a fan of Taylor Swift, but now I realize that I am a fan of the musician and songwriter part of Swift. I am not a fan of the icon (whatever prefix is used before that word) side of her. I ended up loving the Pop explored on 1989 and I am astonished that the same artist pivoted and recorded EVERMORE as well. Given her musical origins I guess I should not have been. This feels like it easily could have been written and recorded by Suzanne Vega. As an adult of a certain age, I appreciate EVERMORE'S themes things coming an end and loss. The aim was to make an album that reflected themes of Fall and Winter and it works. When listening to this album for the first time, I can feel the frostbite forming on the tips of my ears and the tears warming my frigid cheeks. I do wish that we lived in world where artists felt comfortable enough not feel the need to deliver perfect vocal performances that may or may not be realized by use of things like Auto Tune and other corrective measures in the mixing process. I think an album like this could have been elevated even further if there were a few more imperfections in the process. It is apropos that the God Algorithm served this fine album up on a dark December day. I suppose this means that at some point soon I will have to warm myself by exploring the stated themes of Spring and Summer on FOLKLORE.

Enjoyed the singles a lot - but with 22 songs on the album the standard does slip a bit and some of filler were a bit meh. Scoring it 4 to annoy Aga who most certainly is not a swiftie.

classic! mein lieblings taylor album

I'm far from being in Taylor Swift's target demographic, but I'm happy to give this a listen, and it's fine. Nice production and a set of fairly intimate little songs. But, I'm not hearing anything that really makes me understand her appeal. An hour after a first listen, and I can't recall any lyrics, hooks or track titles. A safe choice for background music at a dinner party. if I ever had such a thing.

I have had one or two Taylor albums on the 1001 so far, and wasn't looking forward to this one much, but that said, it's not bad, and I think given what I've heard so far of her output, I have to give it four stars. It's the most mature and coherent sounding record I've had from her, which makes sense, she's getting a little older and has a bit more to say, I think.

not bad

I was expecting this album to be Country & Western, but it's Folk-Pop-Rock and I quite liked it.

I do like the album but I think that Taylor has some that are better. Still it’s really good!!!

I haven't listened to this album until now, although I like Taylor Swift. More on the folk-ish side again, quite stripped-down arrangements. Well-written and produced, this is not the usual sing-along album, but still entertaining.

Nawet niezłe

8.5/10. Taylor Swift is dominating today's music scene, and for a very good reason. She is talented, and her music is great. This album has a very sweet vibe. While this album is relatively new, this album will most likely still be relevant in several decades. :)

I think Taylor's a good songwriter but a very mediocre singer. I feel like she sounds tuned and/or she's half-singing/half-talking. I find it difficult to listen to too much of her at once, even though I usually like her music in smaller doses.

I know it has sort of swung all the way round from her not being cool, to being cool to now no longer cool again, but this is a genuinely great album. I was prodded into listening to Folklore and was floored by how good it was, and while this one doesn’t quite match it, it’s still a great listen - both being musical highlights of the pandemic era of nothing to do but listen to new music. What really stood out is the production, I found myself googling the instruments used in the songs as some I’d never heard/noticed before. The title track with Bon Iver is the stand out for me.

Was not expecting this to be on here but I’ll take it! That was the same reaction I had when the album came out in the throws of the pandemic, another folksy forest balm for the fans. It’s hard to separate it from its sister album, and I may enjoy the first more, but they both capture the spirit of fall. That nostalgic memory we all have that never existed sort of thing. Album cover also helps get into that mood. Kept Willow, champagne problems, tis the damn season, tolerate it, no body no crime, and evermore.

My preferred of the two COVID-era Taylor albums (they call it the "folkmore" era I believe). I do appreciate her commitment to a more stripped-back sound, while still having a crossover pop hit or too ("Long Story Short" is an all-time favorite for me). But then you have songs like "Happiness" that really showcase her songwriting. The maturity displayed on this album was entirely missing from her most recent, the Tortured Poets Department (easily the worst thing she's ever created). But I know this artist still exists under layers of irony and solipsism and more than a billion dollars. Long story short, great album! Favorite tracks: Long Story Short, Happiness, Dorothea, Evermore, Ivy, Willow, Gold Rush. Album art: One of her better covers, her face turned away. A cool flannel jacket as she stands at the edge of a dead forest. 4/5

Taylor has been on repeat at home this year b/c of my daughter. This is one of her better albums. Taylor’s, not my daughter’s.

i have an interesting relationship with taylor swift. like many people, i don't think i totally "get" taylormania and the swifties. but i also rankle at what i see as unfair criticisms of her music just because she's 1) arguably the most famous musician (person?) in the world, 2) a woman, and crucially, 3) a woman with a checkered dating history ripe for dissecting. she's so popular that it's almost meaningless to say you're a fan - who isn't? but it's also fashionable to hate her with a virulence i can't help but see as misogynistic. it's a weird intersection of big feelings. but it's more simple for me - i like taylor swift. i previously considered her a guilty pleasure (is 1989 on here? if not, it should be), but honestly, this album is what made me reconsider just how guilty i should feel. i'd listened to about half of it on my own during the pandemic and remembered thinking, "this is taylor swift? *this* is taylor swift?" the stripped down and folksy sound was such a departure from her frankly kind of embarrassing Baddie Era. it was a breath of fresh air. like the rest of her catalogue and public presence, a lot of this is album and sound is very carefully constructed, right down to the messy "look how much of a normal girl i am" braid on the album cover. i recognize and can see the artifice. and yet, that doesn't make it bad. this was a very deliberate reinvention and it works for me. there's nothing groundbreaking in these songs, but they're more mature and elevated in a way i hope we continue to see from her. some great features, too - no body no crime is a standout. overall: good album, not great, and let's all calm down and be normal.

it was only a matter of time before we got a taylor album that divided the populace. i think the 5-star-rating swifties are a bit blind to this when considered as simply an Album with Songs (don't @ me), while the 1- and 2-star haters have overcorrected too hard in the opposite direction. I'm not a huge fan of taylor's ultra-celebrity persona and lifestyle (she's a billionaire who has two private jets and generates roughly 8,000-10,000 tons of CO2 every year, while most other people generate between 1 and 30 tons) but ANYWAY this album is basically all slow, pleasant, cozy tracks. it's nice at first, but feels pretty samey after a few songs. the guest features are solid, and the vignettes in songs like no body, no crime are neat. taylor has a very poetic lyrical style that only suffers from many songs following the same formula and overarching themes (though she's got nothing on this album's Wikipedia page, which has the most biased purple prose I've ever read). it's almost laughable what lengths the _only person to ever become a billionaire solely through songwriting and performing_ has to go through to sound relatable to the rest of us. it feels gross when i think about it too hard, but i'm sure thinking too hard is antithetical to this album's mission anyway. ultimately, i'm not sure where i land on this but the songs are pretty good so how about four stars? favorites: willow, champagne problems, no body no crime, coney island, long story short, evermore

First time listening to Taylor Swift. Not what I expected, good writer. I don’t know if this is comparable to her other work but this was a nice introduction.

Great pop album, but the hipe about this girl makes me a little bit angry

I'm not a Swiftie, but I do admit to really enjoying folklore and evermore when they were released in 2020. Of the two, evermore is the weaker one. It feels like a lot of b-sides that weren't quite good enough to make it onto folklore. There are some solid songs on here though, "No Body, No Crime", "Champagne Problems", and "Closure" all stood out to me on this listen.

08/10/24 Surprisingly enjoyed this.

I just want to give her a hug after listening to this album. “Champagne problems” was definitely coined by an ex or their family. You might not like her music but you’ve gotta give her credit for what she’s achieved.

It’s really just Taylor poppifying 2010s indie sleaze. Doesn’t mean it’s not good, but it’s neither the best TSwift album nor the best downtempo pop album of its era.

Full disclosure - I used to be a Taylor Swift hater. While I was lukewarm to “You Belong to Me” and “Love Story” early on in her career, I did not enjoy her transition to full-on pop as the singles that got big were obnoxious to me (e.g. “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, “Shake It Off”, “Look What You Made Me Do”). For a couple of years, I never sought her out as a result of that shift. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I remember switching to working from home, and after exhausting the music I usually listen to, I was itching to check out other artists and expand my horizons. That’s when I noticed Taylor decided to surprise release an indie folk album called folklore. I was curious, checked it out, and I came to realize I was wrong in dismissing her so easily. Don’t get me wrong; those aforementioned pop singles still weren’t great. But approaching Taylor’s music from a different lens and with a bit more understanding, I came to appreciate her songwriting and attention to detail. In a sense, folklore helped me come to terms with who Taylor Swift is as an artist. So color me surprised that folklore isn’t included on this list, but rather the “sister album” evermore. I put “sister album” in quotes because while the two have similarities in producers, guest collaborators and content, evermore is admittedly closer to the country/folk songs off of Red. I have to assume it’s because Aaron Dessner of The National took a more hands-on approach in the production of this album compared to folklore, with Jack Antonoff only having credits on “gold rush”. That does mean the guitars are warmer, the bass is more supple, and there’s more oomph from the keyboards, at the sacrifice of some electronic touches and swell that could have elevated this album a bit. The one really noticeable drawback though is the clattering percussion on “closure”, which does not fit with the spare piano arrangement. Another complaint I have are with the guest collaborators. The HAIM collab murder ballad "no body, no crime" should have had more detail in the danger and stakes. Also, while the collabs with Bon Iver on the title track and The National on "coney island" were solid, neither of those two tracks were anywhere near matching the gravitas of "exile" off folklore. That all said, the biggest draw for a Taylor Swift album is the writing, and she does continue the loose fictional narrative weaving from folklore. She’s able to build off old relationship drama with a keen eye on the emotional nuance for both parties involved. It’s why “champagne problems” is such an early gut punch where she abandons the boyfriend who is on the cusp of proposing to her but never quite “got” her, or why “‘tis the damn season” and “dorothea” share this conflict of the girl who chased dreams out to Los Angeles that never quite stirred her soul to the same extent versus the guy she left behind who holds the key to her heart, or why “cowboy like me” focuses on the love of two con artists paired in their unique wiliness. But then you also got the agonizing “tolerate it” where the more experienced lover withholds affection from her, which bleeds into the implied fractured relationships on “coney island” and “happiness” where there’s a real sense of vulnerability in the scenes painted, framed by Taylor’s recollection of her grandmother on “marjorie”. Sure the stakes across these songs are generally smaller like it was on Red, and the more I think about it this album is just Taylor coming back to her comfort zone of being the everywoman, but these songs do work as a necessary catharsis as she tries to close the doors on her past and move on; emphasis on “tries to” as we know she’ll continue with Midnights onward. At the end of the day, evermore is a solid album that does feel like a necessary transition period for Taylor. Some individual moments are great, and the album is consistent enough for what it is. Personally, I probably would have picked folklore for the list as the songwriting and production were much more elevated with that prior release. But still, evermore is a good album, and it will certainly be appealing to those who look for a more grounded connection in the music.

Loved this album. Favourites- willow, champagne problems, tis the damn season, no body no crime, happiness

I like this album but don't love it. I like the Dessner influence and the inclusion of the National on Coney Island. It is an easy listen with some really good tracks.

Pretty good, sad and broody. Maybe 4.5 stars

Beautiful and mellow. An entire mood. Careful instrumentation and vocals, a real treat.

Not a Swift fan. But this album is definitely worth a listen.

I love this Taylor Swift era, very descriptive with its lyrics and precise with its arrangements. If folklore was in this list, I might have given a 5 to a Taylor album, but this one is a little bit less memorable, even if I respect the experiements with odd time signatures, and the song Closure which I love for its sound design

Love the first song

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. The lyrics are pretty good, as is the music. With a few more listens I think it could be four stars, so I'm just going to rate it that way.

Ok, I get it now

'Evermore' was a turning point in me becoming a fan of Swift's work, and it's still my favorite album of hers. "marjorie" in particular absolutely guts me every time I hear it. When the sample of her grandmother singing comes in at the end? Turns me to dust. "I should've asked you questions/I should've asked you how to be." I'm certainly in no position to tell Swift what to do, but I'd love for her to write like this again. It's one of the few records of hers where she sounds unburdened by public clamor and uninterested in audience expectations. Also, my favorite title track of hers. It's just beautiful. Highlights: champagne problems, gold rush, 'tis the damn season, no body no crime, ivy, cowboy like me, long story short, marjorie, evermore

I was a little surprised by this, given it is not my style or go to by any means. When I saw it pop up I immediately thought “here comes a 1 or 2”, but I approached it with an open mind. While a bit formulaic and playing on the sad/scorned girl theme, she is a better pure songwriter than Adele and the like by leaps and bounds. She doesn’t over sing like some either. I thought she could have picked a more complimentary voice for the duet on Coney Island. If I had to choose an easy listening TS album on a road trip or just chillin, this would probably be the one. Fav track would probably be “Tolerate it” for the piano melody. Rounding up a half star for the song title “Tis the damn season” and album cover. 3.5/5

My favorite of the eras.

Big phan of the break from pop to go back to country/folk. One of my favorite Swift albums, although Folklore did it better. Fantastic songwriting, but the vocals can get a little old. There’s some range here and there, but samsies for the most part. I enjoy it though. 4/5

Not bad.

Inoffensive pop, less sonically adventurous than more recent TS albums

4.5

pretty mellow stuff

Ok, I guess

own

Lovely, if repetitive.

Evermore I’m pleased this came up as I have no idea where to start with Taylor Swift. I know some of the bigger singles but she seems to release an album every few weeks and I get a bit confused by it all. Indeed I’d never actually heard of this album but understand it was released not long after Folklore, which I had actually heard of, but never listened to. Willow, this is very nice. Love the percussion and pared back instrumentation. Champagne Problems a bit of the opposite of a grower, as it started to grate a bit after a couple of listens. I really liked Gold Rush, love that pulse under the chorus and the slightly dreamy feel. I wasn’t as keen ’Tis the Damn Season. Although the electric guitar figure is nice the use of Damn in the title I find a little irritating. Tolerate It is a fine bit of slow tempo pop music, and I liked the percussion on it. No Body, No Crime, I really liked this one on repeated listens. I like Haim anyway but I enjoyed the revenge fantasy lyrics and - enjoyed the Nebraska style harmonica. Happiness is a grower too, really nicely constructed with a spooky mistiness to it. Dorothea I found a bit forgettable, it has a bit of a 90s soft rock feel to it. Coney Island, however, I really liked. Her and the guy from The National’s voices work really nicely together. I liked the guitar on Ivy, although at times it veers quite close to Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants. Cowboy like Me is another fine bit of country indie pop if a tiny bit forgettable. Long Story Short was nice change of tempo, although it feels like it never quite takes off in the way it should. Marjorie really passed me by and Closure I wasn’t keen on, the vocal intonation on ‘do-in better’ is annoying. Evermore is great though, love the piano riff and the duet. Excellent closing track with a great feel. I’m not sure if you are supposed to listen to Folklore first to understand the context of this and also I don’t know enough about her whole catalogue to judge how this sits alongside her other stuff but I thought this was a great collection of country-ish indie pop. She seems to have that great knack of making things seem effortless, and I like her approach to vocals. I guess she can belt things out if she wants but sings with a tasteful restraint and poise. Sure there is a fair bit of earnestness and sometimes she does walk the line of winsomeness but I think she just about keeps out of trouble in the main. Overall I really liked it, but it is a little bit long at an hour. I get that there is a consistent musical and stylistic intent behind this, which I think has been realised, but an hour is a lot, it definitely dips in places. It would benefit massively to lose say Champagne Problems, ’Tis the Damn Season, Dorothea, Marjorie and Closure and bring it down to 45 mins. Vacillating between 3 and 4. It’s a very well made and tasteful album with some very very good songs, and I would definitely put this on again. It also makes we want to give the albums either side of this a go, so I’ll just tip over to a 4. ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

Folklore and evermore are my favorite T Swift albums

Solid and chill

Mellow and nice sounding

very nice

don’t know any of these songs going into the album. Really nice album. 4/5

❤️ I guess I'm a Swiftie now.

Great pandemic album, but not as great as folklore!

4.3 - this album surprised me a lot and thought it was really beautiful. However, I’m not sure if it’s swifts lyrics or her delivery that doesn’t quite sit for me. Aaron dessner brings an amazing musicality to Taylor swift and I think it works well. My issue is more to do with lyrics I find unsubtle and a bit cringey. But that’s just me I think

Excellent lyrics

A real departure from the pop that made her the cultural icon she’s become. Much more mature, grown up music. Not quite as good as Folklore for me, but credit her for making this shift.

Completely surprised me. This sounds like she listened to a bunch of The National, and decided to make a record like that. Wish more was like this.

Finally a Taylor Swift album! I used to have a big Taylor Swift phase back when this came out but I listened to few songs on this project, especially compared with her other albums. Heard before: ‘Willow’, ‘Champagne Problems’, ‘Happiness’, ‘Dorothea’, ‘Marjorie’. After listening, I do think ‘Folklore’ should be on this list instead of this one. ‘Evermore’ is different, admittedly, but every song sounds similar to each other (except ‘Closure’ with its industrial influence and atypical time signature). This album is definitely different to most of her recent synth-pop from ‘1989’ (or even ‘Red’) onwards, but I’m not a big fan, especially due to the greater country influence here than on ‘Folklore’. Of course, that part is purely subjective, yet I don’t think it’s like ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’ — ‘Amnesiac’ is actually better in my opinion, but both of these contain plenty of interesting, brand-new, avant-garde experiments. ‘Folklore’ is supposed to be more hopeful and ‘autumnal’ (whatever that means), whereas ‘Evermore’ is more muted and ‘wintery’, with more detailed characterisation. But Taylor Swift is not a poet focussing on intricate techniques to engage the reader and encourage them to explore subtext. Does that make her art any less valid? No. She is a songwriter. The fundamental difference is the necessary musical accompaniment in songs — lyrics are secondary in music, self-evident given that plenty of excellent music (mostly art/classical) has no lyrics. Whereas ‘musicality’ (e.g. rhythm) is secondary in poetry. Are song lyrics literature? An excellent question that entered public consciousness after Bob Dylan’s famous (or infamous) Nobel win… so I’ll leave that up to you. To conclude, I think ‘folklore’ is more important, not just because the critics have given it so much more attention (‘Evermore’ was released after most year-end lists came out, interestingly. I will never understand why they don’t make those lists in January), but because the music and production is more varied while being completely different (indie/folk/pop) to anything she did before. ‘Folklore’ introduced us to this other side of Taylor Swift, demonstrating her ability to truly rise above genre (and wider societal) stereotypes of ‘dumb blondes’. Also, ‘evermore’ is more an afterthought: studio extras so to speak. Given that she is currently one of the most popular singers in the world, ‘Folklore’ should be here, even if some would argue it doesn’t ‘expand’ the genre. I think the mere fact that this incredibly popular singer took a risk by surprise-releasing a ‘folk’ album with no singles beforehand is expansion enough. ‘Evermore’ is simply part two: interesting for Swifties, reasonably interesting for those who claim to have never heard her sing (…) but not important for most people interested in music. 8/10

A different style for her, and I really like it. Now I need to go back to folklore

- back when this came out it seemed a bit slow for me but since then i’ve grown to like most of the songs - not perfect but definitely one of her better albums imo, my favourite is tolerate it - i hadn’t heard evermore (the song) before, i like it! - i’m more of a modern music listener so seeing this here was a fun surprise!!

Probably the first Swift album I've listened to as a whole. Actively disliked Coney Island but loved both Marjorie and also No Body No Crime. So this is getting a 4 - I'll listen again.

Not crazy about t swift, but this was quite different and nice listening

I like swifty songs. This album isn’t any different from other songs I like from her Solid 4

On first listen Marjorie hit me. Made me listen again and do some research. As someone who named my company after my grandmother, of course it hit much different and harder. Taylor's pretty undeniable at this point. I'm a fan.

I'm familiar with her albums (I have daughters who have been huge fans since her first), and I generally like them. She writes, she plays, she sings, unlike many other pop stars. Yes, she has co-writers, , but I think in the end she makes the songs hers. I like evermore and Folklore, Taylor with much of the glitz removed. I'df listen more of this kind of thing from her. 4/5

like

evermore and folklore are the only two Taylor Swift records that I would ever actively seek out to listen to. The dreamy, ethereal, stuck in the woods vibe fits her really well, and I enjoy her storytelling against that backdrop. Especially with the stronger country sound that's also present, the songs sound more lyrically and musically interesting. They're never boring or lazy either, which was sometimes the case with some of the slower singles I've heard from her. As usual, Taylor is a little too heavy on the metaphors and figurative language, so I actually appreciated it more when she went all the way and wrote a murder ballad. Use that creative writing talent and give us stories, girl! For a record released so recently that its long-term cultural impact still remains to be seen, I'm not mad that evermore is on this list. It's a good album, although a little bit too long. Standouts are 'tis the damn season, no body, no crime, dorothea, and cowboy like me.

Nice folky stuff with some pop and country leanings

This album sounds like it was created from the hands of a cottage-core goddess. Between this and folklore Taylor Swift expanded her sound to appeal to wider audiences. I kinda get it, cuz it’s not a bad album and it’s refreshing to hear a departure from the overly produced pop anthems of her and Jack antoff. The storytelling is a vivid continuation of the fictional Folklorian universe, with themes of messy, young adulthood at play. touché, swift, touché. My favorite songs were Willow, No Body No Crime, ‘Tis the Damn Season and Ivy. Great addition to Taylor Swifts other albums on this list. Also love the features. This has been a Chloe and Rolf joint review thank you.

Haven't really listened to much Taylor Swift before, just heard the radio hits from time to time. champaign problems is the stand out track so far, willow was pretty good too. no body, no crime is a great twist on a murder ballad. Back half of the album was a little weaker than the front half, but evermore (song) is pretty good.

Favorite Tracks: willow coney island (feat. The National) evermore (feat. Bon Iver)

Nice chill music

First ever listen to Taylor. Loved it! Such pretty singing and instrumentation

Not my genre, I’m not here target audience but I can recognize that this is a really good album. The National and Bon Iver collars are really good too - that’s more my speed.

USED TO THINK IT WASNT GREAT. NOW I LIKE IT.

Gotta love the reviews on this. I'm no apologist, but the slander is real. This is a break from her country and pop roots to create a warm heartfelt sister album Masterpiece in Folklore and Evermore. This is the lesser of the two, but poppy? Manufactured? Please... the reason. This sounds like othe music is because every artist is trying to accomplish what she has and stil is. You've gotta love when someone succeeds at their goal (songwriting) so astonishingly well that those that decrie her claim the work is contrived, or banal. No, it's so good you can't believe it was constructed by a mere mortal.

I liked this album a lot more than I thought I would. I’m not a Swiftie, but some of this was really good. Some of it was also very juvenile in the way that I find lots of Swift’s other songs and albums to be, but overall this has a much more mature sound. I definitely think this is more worthy of inclusion on this list than 1989. My favorite songs were, “willow,” “no body, no crime,” and “dorothea.” Not 5 star worthy, but still really good.

Slow build but great album

I'm not a Swiftie but I can see the evolution of her music. its not the poppy stuff you usually get but more subdued and IMO more listenable.

This album and Folklore remind me of Born and Raised/Paradise Valley by John Mayer. Interesting detours with some of their most interesting work lyrically and musically. The title track is a great song

I loved this. It’s slightly bland for my tastes but the lyricism is amazing. Something delicate about a lot of the vocals.

Had some bangers Favorite song: no body no crime

I'm not going to lie, I knew some songs from Taylor Swift but I never really spent much time listening to her albums. This is now my second of her albums, and this was so much better than Midnights. I like the folk pop style, and I think that works so much better for her song writing style. I'm glad she is willing to try different styles, but honestly more list this! Not that she needs advice, she is going to be okay. I'm never going to be a Swifty; I am always going to side with Olivia Rodrigo (if you know you know). To be honest, I can see she is a great songwriter, and a savvy business woman, but I don't think her songs are to my taste. Standouts: willow, tolerate it, no body, no crime, evermore

Actually quite calm and to my liking. 1st Swift album too

I appreciate the production and I love the sound of her voice on this record. The songs are nice enough, though I don't think I will be coming back to this one because of the strong disconnect I feel with the lyrical themes.

Minder slecht dan ik had verwacht.

i do like a good hook and a pop sensibility, but I like more earthy or stripped down sounds. For a Taylor Swift Album this consistently hits my preferences. Well produced, catchy melodies, but it's uniqueness seems to come from a relatively simple, uncomplicated approach compared to the more blatantly sugarpop type sound I am familiar with Taylor. It's still got that signature and doesn't break ground, but it's in a sound that is more appealing to me. willow, 'tis the damn season, coney island are good songs. Enough decent stuff that I would come back to listen to this album more.

This is going to be the first album that I question to credibility of making it on this list but I decided to give this another chance. I've previously heard this when it first released but I never made the effort to return to it, especially when folkore (the album's predessesor that came out months earlier) is the superior listen. After relistening to it as a whole, I can firmly say that I still feel the exact same. However, I can admit that it was a solid followup to folklore. It provided the necessary contrast of melancholic feelings and emotions that wasn't delved into. Taylor hops and in and out of complex stories of love, loss, and further experiences of life. One thing that can never be taken away from her is her ability to write. Given the period this was released, this was a pleasant pivot from her previous work. There seemed to be more emphasis placed on how well she executed this world within the music. This album and its "sister album" really made me take her more seriously as an artist and understand that Taylor was more than the headlines that follow her. 4 out of 5 stars.

Surprisingly good. Great rainy day album.

herbstige swift vibes

Biy samey to be honest, but I never thought of myself as a Swifty.

I really enjoyed this album, famously recorded along with folklore during COVID in a cabin in 2020. I think this sort of signified a renaissance for Swift and when I personally started taking her more serious as an artist.

Man, T. Swift really solidified herself with this one. Prior to Folklore I really only viewed Taylor Swift as a decent enough Pop star but not much more. Enter Folklore and her reputation changed entirely. Pretentious dicks like me thought 'Yeah this was good but it's probably a one off deal" and then BOOM enter Evermore and she proved the h8ers wrong. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm a swiftie but my appreciation and respect for her as a musician and artist changed exponentially after that. I think I like Evermore just a touch more than Folklore - not sure why that is. A really great album that I think will stand the test of time (alongside Folklore) 4

Folk Taylor is a lot more interesting than pop Taylor

oh! might be easier to listen. Solid.

I'm not a Swiftie, per se. But I do like certain Swifts a lot. And this is very good. It feels like it's millimeters away from something that doesn't break through, but it still breaks through. I don't really even like anything else that sounds like this. But I mean, 10 billion Swift fans can't be wrong, right?

As an old man, I tend to avoid the young fresh female artists because it just seems wrong. Taylor Swift at this writing is safely in her mud-30s, so I no longer have the reluctance to listen to deeper cuts. Absolutely loved this album. Presentation seems heartfelt and pure. Type of album that will lead me to listen to more TS. Golly, if so many young artists could be confident enough to do an album like this!

4*

Too soon?

Like a cup of coffee on gray afternoon in January. I wouldn't call myself a Swiftie; I think that 1989 is a pop masterpiece, but the other Taylor Swift albums I've listened to range from "good" to "eh, not my thing." For me, Evermore established a notch above "good" for Taylor's non-1989 albums. I loved that this album relied heavily on various stringed instruments and the piano; it really helped create a sound that I think Taylor Swift excels at. The minimal percussion worked well for me as well, which I was surprised by, because I normally don't enjoy minimal percussion (I'm looking at you, Either/Or). As far as low points go, "no body, no crime" really stuck out like a sore thumb to me. I love Haim, but this song's sound and vibe felt really out of place. I liked the other duets though (I'm big fan of The National). A few other tracks, like "dorothea" and "marjorie" weren't that great, but in general, I thought this album was great, and it makes me want to listen to Folklore. Favorite track: "champagne problems"

A perfect expression of pop with great songs and great lyrics. Much better than some other pretenders (Adele). I’ve no idea whether it stands up long term or how it fits in her catalogue but I enjoyed it.

Team Tay Tay

it's a nice one, i think between this and folklore you've got one really strong album, but i do like it

Aw man, you're gonna make me listen to swift? Alright, I'll give her a shot. Wow. Effortlessly classic. Such solid instrumentation and theming. Really nice structure. I wish I liked her voice more, but that's on me, there is nothing wrong with it. Might listen again

Not the best Swift album. Still liked it.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Love the literary references (Rebecca is my favorite book and Gatsby is probably top 3) and the overall cozy atmosphere. Will definitely have to check out folklore now.

-okay so i have this album on vinyl and really like it -BUT! its not her best -i personally think folklore is better -but i really like cowboy like me, gold rush, and right where you left me, coney island -i have to give this album four stars and i’ll explain why - marjorie and right where you left me are two of my favorite songs ever period -if folklore showed up on this list it would get four stars also but again. marjorie and right where you left me are the ONLY reason this album gets four stars

I love the cadence in this album. The brilliant song writing and subtle renditions allowed me to discover Taylor Swift. I'm now a fan and wonder why it took so long.

This has always been the lesser of Taylor's lockdown albums for me - there are a few great tunes but mostly it breezes over you more than astounds you like the tracks on Folklore. Still great though.

I like Taylor Swift in general, but it's funny to me that all she had to do to get the best reviews of her career was to make the arrangements sound appropriately indie enough to satisfy the tastemakers. Music criticism is a sham.

Nice album, but not my cup of tea.

Genres: Alternative rock, chamber rock, folk-pop, indie folk Formed: 2004 Run time: 15 songs, 1 hour The tracks "Willow" (over 500M plays), "No Body, No Crime" (almost 188M plays), and "Coney Island" (over 122M plays) were released as singles. The least played track on the album has over 83M plays on Spotify, everything else has over 200M plays. I can’t imagine Taylor Swift singing about murder, but that’s what "No Body, No Crime" is about. It’s a gripping story: Este's husband cheats on her. He then kills her and moves the mistress in. Este’s friend then kills him. The mistress knows it's the friend but can’t prove it. The police think it’s the mistress because she’s taken out a large life insurance policy, but they can’t prove it. Musically, the songs are great and they are well written and produced. Taylor Swift has broadened her genres since her early country beginning. It’s not my taste, but she is very good at what she does. I can see her career lasting for many decades to come (like Madonna and Kylie). My Rating: ****

This album is good but not as good as its more famous predecessor 'folklore'. This pair of albums is generally much better than anything from her pop diva phase and having built up a lot of goodwill with fans, she was able to make this transition and have it be a massive moment. She's good at this light commercial folk pop sound and it clearly challenges her to focus more on the actual songwriting. Mirrorball is an excellent cut lyrically and the acoustic Betty is a mature masterfully composed retrospective on 2006 "Teardrops on My Guitar" Taylor Swift. But if you want me to be brutally honest, as glad as I am that this is the Taylor Swift our democratic society has decided to hear, I think I would much rather listen to Bon River's "For Emma Forever Ago". 8/10

Most TSwift music feels a bit overly polished to me, and this isn't an exception. It is generally still really good though, and this is much more folk-y than most of her other music. Collabs with HAIM, The National, and Bon Iver all make it much stronger than it otherwise might be. Strong influences from The National and Jack Antonoff come through throughout. Favorite song: champagne problems Honorable mentions: 'tis the damn season; no body, no crime, coney island, closure

7/10

For some reason I has missed this. The first Taylor Swift album I've liked. 5

This can't quite deliver the complete shock of Folklore, an utter sidestep from Swift. But it's an excellent collection of tunes, only disturbed by the somewhat disturbing eruption of Matt Beringer's dad vocals. Bon Iver is a much better fit though the National again are the indiefolk magic sprinkled throughout.

It’s pretty good. I prefer 2020s Taylor Swift to 2010s Taylor Swift, and the reason is the vastly better songwriting on songs like ‘champagne problems’. Not every song is great, but a good listen.

Mooie zwijmel-liedjes

Much better than expected

good pop

Bello, con una storia da seguire, ma senza canzoni particolari.

Not my thing, but her voice sounds great

I was surprised. Thought she had a different style. Liked it.

I didn't realize that Taylor Swift collaborated so much (with a couple key people) on her songwriting and plays so little on her recent albums like this one. A bit disappointing but she still writes all the lyrics, which are always thoughtful and are at worst cheeky but at best profound. And her collaborators composed some solid soft songs. Some of it sounds too poppy or pandering to the masses (Gold Rush) or has too much drum track/fakeness (Tolerate It), or both (Long Story Short), but I really enjoyed Willow, Champagne Problems, Tis the Damn Season and its companion Dorothea, Ivy, and Marjorie (ode to her grandmother). No Body, No Crime has an interesting country sound (as opposed to Cowboy Like Me, which I didn't really care for). The two collaborations with the National (Coney Island) and Bon Iver (Evermore) are decent but could use more integration (don't feel truly collaborative but a bit pieced together). Taylor Swift is super talented and this is a good, albeit imperfect, effort.

"My picture was in your wallet?" What the heck is a wallet? But her voice is so smooth, engaging, soothing...

Pretty and peaceful. Very approachable and songs like willow and no body, no crime are exceptional. Had a great time listening to this multiple times.

Marvellous

First intro to Taylor Swift - what so stood out were her lyrics. Got a knack for conversational connection

Nice album, lots of lockdown nostalgia, but I agree, it's not quite Folklore is it

Honestly her lockdown albums are my favourite but it is no folklore

Taylor is a great story teller. Her music is very accessible but can drift into the background not holding my attention. I like the production of this album.

She’s a great lyricist. I was interested in almost all of the stories told in these songs. Standouts include ‘Willow’, ‘No body no crime’ (ah, HAIM), ‘Cowboy Like Me’ (with Marcus Mumford), and ‘Coney Island’ with The National. I’m not fond of the song with BonIver on this album, although I love the song ‘Exile’ that he sings on in her Folklore album. I thought the mixture of musical styles in Closure didn’t work. And the songs with girls’ names were not my favorites.

While only a Swiftie by proxy, I am familiar enough with Taylor's catalog to know this is a curious choice for inclusion in the 1001 list. Sylvia, the #2 fan in the house, suggested that Folklore would have been a better choice, though even that seems like it wouldn't have made the top three in the rankings had he been the one to choose. All that said, I enjoyed the album, and while I wasn't quite at a 4, considering I rated Pet Sounds at a 3 and liked this album considerably more, I couldn't rate it the same. This whole system has its flaws, many of which I bring to the table. So... the album... certainly a bit samesy from front to back, which detracts from the overall experience, but I appreciate that Taylor and company set out to make a particular flavor of record, and they didn't stray. The album sounds great, and there really isn't a bad track in the lot. Standouts for me included "'tis the damn season" (snarl) and "no body, no crime." I may never be a true diehard fan, but that doesn't mean TSwift doesn't bring the goods.

Really good album, the songwriting is amazing.

kind of one note

I suppose the criticism of her I hear is largely due to how immensely successful she is as a musician (I don't know anything about her personal life, and I don't have an interest in that) because when I just listen to her work, like this album, I truly enjoy it. I hear an excellent writer, performer, artist, etc. That's more than enough for me. She cuts across various styles and genres on this and other albums. Very strong work here.

Really like this album.

In context it’s a 4.5, I love the style, goth-folk, and it showcases Taylor swifts skill as a lyricist, which I think is her best talent. This album should almost have been combined with folklore, since the recording/ writing overlapped so much they are two sides of the same coin. Evermore is more experimental, and some songs just feel out of place - no body no crime for example. I feel like this album is here because it seemed a little passed over - released 6 months after folklore and 3 months before fearless (TS version), but folklore should be here instead. Folklore was the huge change for Taylor Swifts style and evermore is the B side Overall it’s interesting to return to one of my top albums of 2021 in this context of listening in a Vacuum - 4 as a standalone

Overall liked this more than when it came out. Champagne Problems -> Gold Rush is a great run of 4 songs. Not the hugest on any others but that run is 4* worthy alone

I never bothered to listen to this record before because I just didn't have any interest in Taylor. She isn't known as a vocalist and I often found her voice to be a bit bland but I enjoyed her singing on this album. Although it wasn't doing very much- it was calm, like a conversation. There were catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics. I was close to giving this record a 5-star rating. But, I find that I have to experience an album more before I give it such a perfect rating. I kind of use the rating sparingly. So it's a bit scary (for me) to give something new that you don't know so well a good score. What will reduce it to a 4-star rating is the second half of this album. It's slow-paced and takes more energy for me to pay attention and notice details. It's like I have to work to remember the songs. Nonetheless, still an exceptional record. Definitely calls for another spin later on. Highlights: willow, champagne problems, gold rush, no body no crime, happiness, marjorie

Emerging from her Pandemic Indie album Folklore, Swift finds a line between Pop, Folk, and Indie in this record. While not her greatest album, it's a seminal piece that shows just another era of music and styles that she can boast as one she's conquered. With deeper, more cutting lyrics than she may have used in the past Swift sets a tone of mature themes and heartbreak that just isn't a catchy break-up song after catch break-up song.

ok

Surprisingly good

WILLOW <3 I love that this is the first album I’m getting as a Taylor swift Stan. Willow was my 4th most listened to song of this past year. This album feels more woodsy than Folklore. I think Folklore outsold though. However, some great tracks here and I glad she released this as a follow up to Folklore! Highs: Willow, Champagne Problem, Gold Rush, Tis the Damn Season, Ivy, Long Story Short, Evermore Lows: Coney Island, Happiness

Just got better and better as the album went on. Shout out Taylor

Fantastic, some of Taylor swifts best music yet

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.

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.

A pleasant surprise.

Ok

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.

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.

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.