evermore

the piano playing in champagne problems sounds like it was made by an ai. this sounds like any 00's-early 10s indie folk polished to a perfect sheen, no seams, no missed notes, no raw performance that would make it sound human. which misses the entire point of that style of music. did her and antonoff keep aaron dessner shoved in a walk-in freezer, this does not sound like high violet. how did the haims get sucked in to this. why are bon iver and matt berninger here other than to lend her their credibility. need a palate cleanser after this.

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.

didn't mind the arrangements, but tswift lyrics are kinda weird, and not for me

Some enjoyable parts but not my jam

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.

If you're looking for some inoffensive background elevator muzak to play at Starbucks this is definitely up your alley. Wait, nevermind, she does some swears. How does the first track have almost a billion plays on Spotify?! Don't these people know there's good music out there? Don't get me wrong, there are Taylor Swift songs that I enjoy but they're not here. And it's an hour long. This album is so boooooooooooring. It's the same acoustic guitar and the same piano part on every song. Why do the songs all sound the same?

Wonderful songwriting from Swift.

I liked the country stuff, but her Pop era stinks!!!!!

Can't stand her trashy crap

Good vibe, not really a stand out record. Still it’s pleasant to listen to.

The second of a one-two punch that brought her back from a unsteady period, evermore continues Taylor Swift's musical metamorphosis as she taps unlikely indie rock collaborators to give her songs a bit more flourish. These are the type of songs that can define an era or two or perhaps more. Favorites: gold rush, 'tis the damn season, tolerate it, happiness, dorothea, coney island, ivy, closure.

Maso

prima, overhyped wel. 6/10

Sorry I don’t get it??? But still gave a decent vote as obvious talent

Oh my god, the haters in these reviews… Look, I understand she’s the biggest star in the world, and naturally that’ll inspire some backlash, but this album proves she’s got the talent to back it up. Taylor Swift has more musical ability than 90% of top 40 artists combined. Folklore is probably more deserving of the “1001” spot than this, but Evermore certainly can hold its own. It’s stunning, it’s haunting, and it is absolutely deserving of its reputation (hey, that’s the name of another Taylor Swift album!). I'd love for Taylor to take more indie left turns like this. She’d probably own it.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this album. Willow, champagne problems, ‘‘tis the damn season are the better songs, but the sleeper is no body, no crime. 1001 album worthy: Yes - 7/13

This is a nice listen. I was a fan of folklore and evermore is in a similar vein. Cosy, soft acoustic based songs. It does feel a little like a b-sides compilation from folklore as not all the songs are particularly memorable. Highlights are Coney island, Ivy & Cowboy Like Me. A decent album but not one of Taylor's best.

classic! mein lieblings taylor album

Album 612 of 1001 Taylor Swift - evermore (2020) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Decent album with some decent songs but the tone never seems to change, throughout. While some of the songs are obviously trying to cross genres, they sound a lot alike. Never noticed how her voice is so much like Suzanne Vega's.

I liked it more than I thought I would. but it was a little one note for me. Pretty slow which is fine but most of the album was that way. I liked the album photo. Felt very autumnal.

Pretty decent from T Swizzle. Slower then I expected but there were some pretty catchy songs. My favorite was the one where she was going to help murder her friends husband

I understand TS hype in some ways, but i think she has better albums to be on the list. This is a great album, but not necessarily to listen before we die :)

I like to think of myself as very much pro-Taylor Swift but I do have to admit that I kind of gave up paying attention to her albums after 1989. Even the fact that at some point she started working with the guy from the National - theoretically right smack bang in the middle of my indierock listening middle aged white male wheelhouse - didn't make me jump back in. This is one of those album with Aaron Dessner. It's nice. The songs are well crafted. The lyrics are pretty smart. It sounds very grown up but also nothing stands out. I keep waiting for it to get going. It kind of sort of does a bit in Long Story Short but it's a bit too little, too late for me.

This is nice enough but a bit bland, the songs a bit more forgettable. I think she's done better. For me, Folklore was better. I'm not convinced this album belongs on this list; it smacks of a change that needed to be made to ensure a new edition of the book had new things.

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.

Sorry, this is just dogshit.

Hmmmm not quite sure how this has made the list

Καμια ποιοτητα στη παραγωγη, απολυτα βαρετα κομματια. Τιποτα σπουδαιο στα vocals, απλα καποιες smooth catchy μελωδιες. Επαναλαμβανομενα κομματια. Κριντζ και κορνι λυρικς. Rating: B-

This album and Folklore are my two favorite Swift albums. I loved the more chilled vibes we get from the songs spanning across Evermore. I saw this pop up this morning, and immediately hit play as I was walking out the door to walk the dog. To me it represents Taylor’s best work as an artist. It’s most deserving of her stuff to be on the list in my opinion.

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!!!

Well here I am folks! The female in 2024 who has never listened to a Taylor Swift album- until today. This is very low energy. So bland. I know I’ve heard her be more pop on the radio. Not gonna lie I dozed off in the middle and had to go back and listen to a song I missed. (Dorothea everybody wants to be ya 🤨) She has made more money than anybody else for so long now. I’m going to give her the benefit of doubt that she has better albums than this one.

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.

Fun enough.

inga versaler

pas écouté et pas envie .

okay annika und alli swiftues woni kenn i try. willow cute mit de jolene-ass gitarre. come back stringer thana 90s trend cringe cringe. aber de song isch easy. aso nöd woow aber finds okay. champagne problems fangt schomol mit 8 täkt 1-5-6-4 aah ohni nüt anders. i cha nöd glaub. s melodywriting und de text isch super. arrangement au seeehr cool mit immer meh stimme liislige gitarre. gold rush het coole prechorus, checki no dasch no nice und d strings sind super. find d gold rush wiederholig chli meh. sie isch sehr guet im reime und sie fühlt sich sehr nöch ah uf dem album, sehr persönlich, intim. no body no crime tönt mega noch tom petty und ich ha gern tom petty. isch sie am fantasiere wie sie ihren ex umbringt? happiness isch herzig, sehr sad. gseh wie de nöch cha goh. dorothea hani chli langwilig gfunde. ab coney island isch sie mich chli am verlüre. aber finds etz nöd schlecht, gar nöd. titelsong würkli chli jäääääh. bin au würkli kein bon iver guy. he zwüsched 2 und 3. sorr.

ok han chli angst ok de ahfang hani recht gern, d giti mitem klavier isch cute sie singt tüfer als ichs in erinnerig han? hmm ja de refrain macht leider nüt mit mier "I come back stronger than a 90's trend" HAHAHA champagne problems kenntmer vo iwo? hets da nöd e backgroundstory? ok nüt konkrets ussert eig na es schön verzellts lied gold rush findi seehr en coole beat, iwie sehr nervös aber au ruhig? defür ischs für mich nach dene erste 2 lieder chli en musikalische break wo für mich gad nöd so sinn macht? aber s lied ah sich hani cool gfunde, au wenni das "goooldrush, gooldrush" scho bi anderne lieder ghört han damn season isch eig na cute (v.a. de text) au wenn nöd unglaublich spannend de "gegesatz" vom klavier undem bass findi cool ohh de refrain het sich sehr schön gschlosse die höche, mehrstimmige "ariana grande" vocals gfalled mier eifach nöd so uuuh am schluss nachli striicher und de bass wo liecht verzerrt isch (?) findi mega FROOONKREICHH? mmh ja no body gfalltmer gaaar nöd happiness findi ok vom text her (chli sehr cheesy) aber leider für mich gad sehr langwilig neiiii es het so guet ahgfange, au mit dorothea chani jz nüt ahfange CONNY LAND IM THURGAU??? ivy ganz schlimm cowboy like me isch na funny und so sehr nonchalant, au wenn gad alles chli zu ähnlich und langsam isch d gitarre und schnurregiige am schluss findi sehr herzig AAAHH ENDLICH MAL CHLI PACE leider gad mitgrisse hetsmi au nöd evermore findi sehr en schöne schluss poaah wenn bon iver innechunnt, seehr schön jo ebe, starche ahfang, doch leider so nacheme drittel isch für mich alles chli glich gsi, mit es paar usnahme, evermore isch jz aber wie gseit sehr en schöne schluss

Nawet niezłe

not a swifty

This is #day91 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... over 90 million monthly listens on Spotify prove the world is flat. After listening to this (yes, I did it... against every single fucking odd), I feel like putting on some Einstürzende Neubauten... Has to be the blandest shit I've ever heard. Don't be ridiculous, don't listen to Taylor Swift before you die. Fucking challenge yourself. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day92.

some basic small town pop love songs. first one is fine, the rest are completely unmemorable

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. :)

Pop singer makes indie folk-pop album w/ guy from The National, and results are pretty decent. Still contains pop elements in a subtler way. A pretty quiet, Wintery album. Songs have both a softness and sparseness but also moments of musical depth and lushness. I can understand her talent as a lyricist here, writing picturable stories of different characters. Fine album overall, I’m just not really the target audience and feel her truer pop music packs a bigger punch.

I don't think I could have asked for a better album to listen to while raking leaves. This was a pleasure. I'm not a big Taylor Swift fan but I usually enjoy engaging with her music and listening to an album straight through. She has a gift for writing melodies and she's an expressive singer with a gorgeous voice. I also enjoy engaging with her music with a critical eye. For every clever line she writes, there's another that makes me roll my eyes. Her lyrics can feel like high school poetry -- they're earnest and heartfelt but often cheesy and filled with clichés. She also has a tendency to stuff a verse with a bunch of different metaphors, which dilutes the power of what she's saying. Sometimes I want to yell, "Just stick to one image per verse!" Here's an example of the sort of mixed metaphors she writes from the opening track "Willow": Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneakin' in As if you were a mythical thing Like you were a trophy or a champion ring And there was one prize I'd cheat to win First off, trophies and champion rings aren't mythical things. They're difficult to get but "mythical" feels like the wrong word choice. Also, the first line here is wonderful. Why not stick with the wind and tree imagery a little longer? Why introduce something new when the first metaphor is still ripe and has more to give? But just when I start to get grumpy listening to Taylor Swift, there's a song like "'Tis the Damn Season" that wins me over. It perfectly captures that vulnerable, nostalgic feeling of returning home for the holidays and running into people from your past. "Happiness" is another strong song. There's a lot of poignant lines here. "Tell me, when did your winning smile begin to look like a smirk?" is a biting one-liner. And "All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness" is a wonderful way to describe the conversations people have after a break-up. The production is also fantastic here, mostly by Aaron Dessner from The National, along with Swift. The music is just gorgeous.

Haven't seen a Taylor Swift record on here yet, and it's been a while since I've listened to one of her albums full through. This one I have heard in its' entirety but it was a while ago and right when it came out. I remember looking forward to hearing it because it's her folky pop album but I was kind of unimpressed but we'll see how this time around goes. The production is solid- excellent even, albeit a bit uninspired and at times milquetoast. I would have loved a folky-pop album that uses that as a creative kickoff point and chooses to try more and not just remain grounded in the typical sounds for the sake of it being cohesive. My biggest gripe with Taylor's lyrics is that she treats them as if they are some authoritative element of her songs and she will too easily take a really well fitting established melodic sequence and then throw a wrench into it and add or remove syllables in order to accommodate a precious lyric. It makes it so that the listener is treated to a nice consonant sequence and then is jarred by some odd addition to the melody because she HAS to awkwardly slide a specific lyric in. We hear it about 6 minutes into the album on "champagne problems", where she sets up a pretty typical dotted eighth syncopated melody against a piano harmony. It's pretty and nice, and the lyrics are her typical love/broken heart/breaking heart usual garden variety stuff but then she switches the melody completely to triplet feel on: "She would've made such a lovely bride What a shame she's fucked in the head" they said But you'll find the real thing instead She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred". I can see some kind of argument for "well this is the big moment in the song, this is the realest lyric that comes out and states the obvious", but it's just kind of corny and cringey? We're getting this weird change in the structure for some blunt part that isn't memorable or creative, it's just in your face and obtuse. I wouldn't dislike this concept so much if it wasn't seemingly always occurring during an awkward lyric, which continually hurts her songs over and over and draws way too much attention to a part that I don't want to be a focal point. The on-the-nose idea comes up a lot in her lyrics too and it drives me a bit nuts how she so seldom blends basic poetic concepts into her lyrics. I often fall into one of her songs where it's a lot of blunt lyrics like: "On that night late in November I walked away from you wearing your sweater You must have tripped and fell Trying to catch up to me" And then she adds in some line that is overly poetic with some recently encyclopedia'd words to make up for the lack of poetry that far into the song: "Decanting our love, no, you're miscasting our spell" This is her lyrical template: Boring line about love / describes a scene Boring line about some guy in that scene Boring line that ends on a specific word to easily rhyme with Superfluous and overly poetic line that contains verbiage that doesn't exist anywhere else in the song It's like she HAS to end every single section with a lyrical punchline. It's just kind of pretentious and annoying. "Oh I know my fans will eat up this part about how I walked away from that guy on that scene and left him with some (not actually) profound poetic phrase that I came up with in the shower while I was rehashing our argument". "tolerate it" is cool, I actually really love the piano part. It's so emotive and interesting and still fits well into the context of the album. It again has odd out-of-breath lyrical moments where she feels the need to cram in, like the whole bridge feels so rushed vocally. "Now I'm beggin' for the footnotes in the story of your life" Damn just take your time girl, that can be 2 measures instead of 1? I actually really like the idea of hers to go through "eras" with her albums and just have different kinds of concepts come in and out. It's fun, not too far from what I like in my own music, but the continuous thread throughout all of them is love song after love song after love song. For me, that's OK to an extent, but hers are so typecast about some scorned love affair and how she gets someone back that it's tired and a bore to hear over and over. I feel like Taylor Swift is a person that hasn't always had the right people around her to flourish as a pop mega superstar in a healthy way. Lots of "yes men", but I don't think that she is completely innocent in the intimidating and oppressive way that she manages her brand and releases. She holds onto songs and releases limited editions with a new acoustic version or two of a song, all strategically released at times when other artists take over number 1 spots on charts so that her sycophant fans can spend another $50 to push her album to the top and to continue to stroke her ego. I don't like the way she handled Olivia Rodrigo blowing up; probably the first time that a younger and more talented songwriter came and threatened her throne. She just comes across as this overly fake god-like figure that has to be the best in the sport that we all call "the music business". The toughest thing for me to wrap my head around with Taylor Swift is that when all is said and done, when I remove the element of her odd management, her cult-at-times fans, all of the forced "who is she dating now" tabloids / nfl game coverage, I simply think her music isn't worthy of all of the pomp and circumstance. The songs themselves actually aren't some otherwordly pieces of art that deserve this level of adoration. I could understand girls screaming and feinting during live performances of the Beatles, I could understand it if it happened for Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Nirvana deserves these levels of fans. But these songs are just really so straightforward and not groundbreaking or anything close to what I think of when I think of truly deserving rabid fan bases. To be fair, I do think that every album of hers has around 1 or 2 bangers on it, but not like "stop what you are doing so you can hear this song" kind of stuff. It might seem like I'm just writing this review to rip her apart, but I think it's more because I'm trying to understand her music & fandom more, and this is how I tend to do it with every artist. Part of me wants to give this a 2/5, but I've given so many 3's to other albums solely because of their importance in music as a whole and I feel like any of Taylor's albums deserves that too because she is such an important (and polarizing) person for music. I also think it deserves at least a 3 because the production is so tight, as expected. I usually give 2's to albums that I think are just OK and are questionable inclusions on this list, and there's no question for me that Taylor Swift definitely deserves to be included. 3's for me are usually a solid album that sounds good and does a few things pretty well but for the most part isn't really memorable, and 4's are usually really great albums that can be considered standout works of art, and 5's are reserved for those "best albums of all time" categories. I already established for myself that this has to be higher than a 2, so is this a truly great work of art to deserve a 4? I don't really think so. So that's my rationale. It's a 3.

Not in my edition of the book! 2020. 3 stars. Sounds like Lana Del Rey's younger cousin, even down to some of the vocal phrasing. Decent tunes, sharp lyrics, but it does seem over emotionally wrought and veers dangerously into teenage girl poetry at times.

It's not a bad album, but genre-bending and experimental?? BITCH WHERE??

não gosto de taylor swift, jamais gostarei de taylor swift, pra mim é a grande representação de um bife de frango que não ficou tempo suficiente dourando e acabou ficando pálido e sem graça

pqp kkkkkkkkkkkkkk #quintou devia ter ficado no pop comum. essa parada de folk pau mole é muito chato mano. achei paia. o album mais não fede nem cheira do mundo. muito sem graça, parece que falta alguma coisa no album todo.

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.

Begint sterk maar gaat wat mij betreft wel te lang door. Hij had best een paar nummers korter mogen zijn. Pluspunt is wel dat de kinderen er goed bij in slaap vallen.

One of the best albums by her

All over the place and very much of its time. But it’s a good start. I prefer Post from this period.

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.

2692 - Technically competent, but very boring. I like the country songs. C

Phoebe bridgers for people scared of queer artists 5.2

I only really liked "Willow" from this. Everything else kind of has the beauty of the perfect shade of millennial gray. The songs all sound the same, but they don't sound bad.

So this one wasn’t really my thing. She just kinda talk sings the whole time and every song sounds the same.

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.

First Taylor Swift album I've ever listened to. It okay.

Man this blows. I do like the singer from The National but everything Swift does is built to be commercially emotional. This feels like the fall of art. Fully customizing every heartstring in the simplest form with the laziest symbolism and the most generic lines to remember. I'm glad people find meaning in this but the pretend depth is brutal to hear. I do think Swift should be on the list, but if music wasn't a way to be rich, there's no way this would exist. Production is strong.

Probably would be better if they replaced her vocals with a trumpet. Created in a lab. The track happiness at least sounds a little more stripped down. The content is so repetitive. This is too sanitized and no catchy hooks.

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.

mix of ethereal pop and folk. once again, the “stickiness” of the choruses are undeniable.

I dunno, man.

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.

I read a review of this album that said “this is the musical equivalent of beige” and that is a perfect comparison in my opinion. This is very bland music, lyrically, vocally, and musically. Almost nothing for me to sink my teeth into. This is my first time really listening to Taylor Swift and I did not enjoy it. This is like AI generated pop music, easy to sell, easy to consume.

Good production and she has a beautiful voice that doesn't sound autotuned, which is a very good thing these days. I just can't get into the lyrics at all though.

I think I understand why she is so popular.

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.

I teach piano. Years ago, a young student wanted to learn a Taylor Swift song. She had bought the music online and printed it out for her lesson. I said, sure, we can take a look. She was an absolute beginner, so I thought maybe we could help her learn to play just the melody. Whatever song this was (long forgotten), the melody was only a couple of notes, over and over again. Then maybe a third. The whole song went on like this. She played the melody, but there was nothing there. It was difficult to determine where she was in the song. Nothing to hold onto, nothing to remember. It didn't sound like anything. I think of that every time I hear a TS song.

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.

God this is dull. While I’m a fan of cohesive albums, this is like a gradient of all the most inoffensive beiges—everything sounds like everything else and everything sounds fucking boring.

I really don't like Taylor Swift. I expected her foray into folk to be a novelty, but this album was a pleasant piece of folk pop. I fully approve. EDIT: I actually take back my review, this blows

I like folklore better. Evermore is better than her overtly pop stuff, though.

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.

Totally decent album that would have greatly benefited from a fat trim. Some clever lines, I really liked Champagne Problems but there were a few absolute duds too. This could have been a tight 45min album. There were some good guests here too that helped raise the album up. 3 stars

terrible. terrible production, cookie cutter songs, non-existent instrumentals, basic bitch lyrics, zero creativity. this album does not deserve to be in the 1001. not unlistenable, so I'm not going with the nuclear option of 0 or 1 2/10

4 chord, 4 min songs, with no need of forethought. World class production, because well of course.

I like the opening songs, strong start out of the gate.

This is one of the other reasons this lady makes $10 million every single day.

First Swift album I ever listed to... and I guess I am a Swiftie! This works - maybe because it's not that "Pop-y". Nice music and lyrics work.

The music is quite good The lyrics are mostly bad. Just so cringy, and I know her fans like these kinda cringy lyrics and references, but they ruin good melodies on nearly every song.

😴

Surprisingly excellent. Started off really, really strong and only got slightly weaker before ending on the high of evermore. I started off at a high 4, but I started listening again to pick out the highlights and realised that almost every song is a highlight. Extra-special highlights: willow, champagne problems, gold rush, tolerate it, no body no crime, ivy, and evermore.

Honestly, not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

it’s a tragedy that evermore is on this list but folklore isn’t. this album is VERY okay. folklore is actually great and i think will age better than most of her other stuff. this album isn’t even bad but it’s in the bottom half of her discography and there’s a companion piece that is LEAGUES above this one so there’s no reason for it to be above 3 stars

Taustamusaa ilman isoja tunnelmia.

Täysin basic mun korviin

It's a Taylor Swift album. To me, many songs sound the same and the album doesn't excite or surprise me in any way. That being said, there are some standouts, like 'Willow' and the voices of Bon Iver and Matt Berninger are welcome.

Ik heb niks met Taylor Swift en heb dus ook nog nooit een album geluisterd ofzo. Het enige dat ik weet van dit album is dat er een nummer van Bon Iver op staat en dus alle indie-hipsters veel te enthousiast zijn hierover. Het heeft dan ook 4.5 sterren gekregen van HUMO, waarschijnlijk door dezelfde recensent die The Last Jedi een review van 4 sterren gaf. Bon, de essentie. Ik heb me beperkt tot de standaard versie van het album. De twee bonus tracks zullen voor een andere keer zijn. Willow vind ik oké. Geen slecht nummer, maar nu ook niet super. De rest klonk wat meh, allemaal een beetje hetzelfde. no body, no crime was dan wel weer een oké nummer, maar da's misschien meer door HAIM. De rest was weer meer van hetzelfde, met nog eens een feature van The National (unpopular opinion: ik vind The National helemaal niet goed) en Bon Iver (unpopular opinion: ik vind Bon Iver helemaal niet goed). Conclusie: ik ben nog altijd geen swiftie en begrijp de hele hetse rond Taylor Swift nog altijd niet zo goed. Ik snap wel waarom ze populair is, maar is het dan zoveel specialer dan Lana Del Rey ofzo? Bon, toch maar een 2.5.

From the songs I’d heard, I wasn’t a big Taylor Swift fan and when this popped up, I wasn’t looking forward to it. This was better than expected. For me, she works better with a more stripped down approach like this album. I don’t think this is great, but it at least creates a nice mood.

So bad. It really is beyond me how she is so popular, it's obviously not for the quality of her music. When you get this album in your list, you have my deepest sympathies.

Love her dancey stuff more

This was all a bit samey for me. And I like the artists she collabs with on this but idk what it is. Her voice I think makes it all a bit drab? Anyway, the upshot is I prefer poppy TS

Only gave it a 2 because it got a cozy atmosphere, but other than that it was boring and bland

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.

I'm not one of those people who hate every album of this woman just because hating all Swift-related sh*t is apparently trendy these days. While I do admit I'm not the biggest fan of her earlier stuff (excluding a couple of songs, I dislike most of the self-titled album, 'Speak Now' and 'Red'), but I do admit that she put out some solid pop stuff throughout the years, the album '1989' being the prime example of it. I can appreciate good pop when I hear it, and she's put out some bangers, even if she's also had some pretty big misses (see her latest travesty of an album, or the slightly better, but still painfully overloaded 'Midnights'). 'Folklore' and 'evermore' took me by surprise, though, mostly because it's not the kind of sound I'm used to hearing from her... and it was a pleasant surprise. Both albums had a mellow vibe, were nicely arranged and pretty-well written from a songwriting perspective. While most people I know prefer 'Folklore', I'm glad 'evermore' ended up on this list, as it's in my opinion, Taylor Swift's best album. Whenever someone asks me why I prefer 'evermore', I always answer that unlike its sister album, it doesn't start to drag midway through. While there are tracks I'd easily cut from 'Folklore', I don't feel that way about any part of this album. Even the bonus tracks hold up, with 'right where you left me' being one of my personal favourites. Highlights: cowboy like me; 'tis the damn season; no body, no crime; dorothea; right where you left me; champagne problems 4.5 stars

i can see why these weren’t put on folklore lmao damn near a 1 star bc i can’t stand that willow song after working in retail

NO, just fucking NO. Like how in the world is this on any "must hear" list. Empty pop vacuums for 12 year olds..really?

If the feeling of being nauseous was an album. It felt like one, long, boring song. I read that this album consists mostly of offtakes from Folklore, which I really like,yet Evermore is so much different. Definitely there was a reason those songs weren't used in the original album, it's most likely a cash grab. Another wasted half an hour.

Obviously, I'm not the audience this is aimed at. It was okay: I wouldn't try to block it out if it came on while I was sitting in Starbucks, but otherwise it wasn't much more than aural wallpaper for me. Maybe I need to listen enough to get the lyrics or something...?

Ah, Evermore, Folklore's younger sister. Evermore wouldn't have existed without Folklore, and so I think any discussion about Evermore should always involve Folklore. After all, Evermore only happened because Taylor and her music friends were celebrating finishing Folklore and... they just kept writing songs. I was so excited to get this - it's an album I have listened to its entirety multiple times, which is the first time I can say that about a generated album! I think this is Taylor's last great original album - Midnights was a hot mess with a few good ideas, and we won't even talk about the abomination that is TTPD. I do think that Folklore as a whole is better than Evermore (and that Folklore is her best album, period), as Evermore has felt to me like a collection of afterthoughts that were left off of Folklore. I think Taylor is at her best when she's not writing about herself, even though that's what she's known for and why she became so popular in the first place. The Folkmore albums are so special because she's weaving stories about (mainly) fictional others. I remember when this album was released and how much of a complete surprise it was - just seven months after Folklore, right before Christmas in 2020. I think it's a perfect wintry album and representative of that specific time - the isolation, the collective pause, the quietness that fell over that muted season. To me, this album evokes walking through a forest crunching through freshly fallen snow. Ultimately, though, I don't think Evermore belongs on this list - I would've argued for Folklore's inclusion instead - but it's a damn good album regardless. It's a good length, and it's not bloated (which certainly cannot be said about many of her other albums). I'll be listening to this again during my drives in winter, sipping on hot tea, surrounded by glistening snowflakes. Favourite tracks: "No Body, No Crime" (which is basically the 2020 version of "Goodbye Earl"), "Dorothea", and "Long Story Short"

I was willing to give this a fair shot, but what a nothing album this is. 1 hour of Taylor Swift being accompanied by little more than a piano puts any man to sleep, the lyrical prowess on display really isn’t good enough to make an album like this. Any 4 minute song feels like 10 minutes halfway through. Is this what the hype is all about?

Pretty good, sad and broody. Maybe 4.5 stars

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO im listening to this on youtube, im not letting her taint my spotify or my scrobbles. willow- thats my man. 3. its just not good. "i come back stronger than a 90s trend" throw her away champagne problems- 2 or 3 gold rush- 2 or 3. bad tis the damn season- ... 2 tolerate it- i wont. sad roblox story type music. 2 no body no crime- std's?? its ok tbh i think shes better as a folk singer than pop star. 4 happiness- 1 or 2 dorothea- more like diarrhea. btw had to look up how to spell diarrhea. 3 coney island- lou reed did it better bitch. i hate the dude. 2 or 3 ivy- shes covered in me ???? its ok i cant deny it sounds like a magical disney princess song but i can say its extremely boring and i dont like it 3 cowboy like me- 2 or 3 long story short- 1 or 2 shit is ass marjorie- is this about her dead grandma? 3 sorry granny closure- i liked the first 15 seconds. 2 evermore- 2 theres no reason this shouldve been 15 songs. i cant give you a zero so i give you a one

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

I tried not to be a hater but honestly I was falling asleep. Not like I had to turn it off or anything but I didn't feel anything listening to this. 1.8.

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

She has good songs and she has "yeah, that sounds pretty good" songs. I rarely wanna listen to either category

I listened to this. The first TS album I’ve ever heard. It’s not something I’m going to listen to, but within the space where her music exists (meaning she doesn’t veer away from her strengths), she can write songs that appeal to the masses. So it’s not a 1/5. I do think that she could stand to have parts of her songs where there is no singing. She’s singing at all times. Just let the songs breathe a little, you know? 2/5

August 11, 2024 HL: "Willow", "Gold Rush", "Happiness", "Marjorie" As good as the music has been lately, much of it seems suited to much colder weather than what I've been having; Seventh Tree, Porcupine, & especially this, tisn't the damn season Funny that around the same time I started this project (early 2021), both this and Folklore were still pretty new & fresh. However I gave the latter my attention (rare for anything Swift-related), while only hearing a couple songs from this one. Since it's been a few years since I listened to Folklore in full (& a year since listening to 1989), I can judge Evermore as its own release and not just offcuts from the preceding album. It's definitely the most interesting of the 3, in my opinion; the electro/acoustic sides balance themselves really nicely, & some rich, atmospheric moments ebb and flow by like in "Happiness", "Closure" & "Gold Rush". I do wonder whether my preference for this over 1989 has more to do with the "sad Christmas" aesthetic than actual lyrical content & song structure. For every "Willow" that I was vibing to, there was a "Champagne Problems" that I didn't really engage with. It's still a pretty consistent listen. A far cry from 1989, which had at least one song I plain do NOT like ("Bad Blood"). 3.5, maybe a 5 later

Pfffffbbbbbfffffttttt

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

I don't get how Taylor swift is so popular. The songs were good, the lyrics too. But nothing that amazing. I thought it was ok. Just ok. This is not an attack on the fanbase or the artist but for me it is just okay. Nothing special. Judge me.

I can respect the appeal TS has for her fans whilst remaining immune to it. This is a pleasing thing.

Love the first song

Indie vibes with that familiar Swift style. I was hoping TayTay was gonna step out of her comfort zone with this one and make something interesting. Alas I am disappointed again.

Maybe this album will make a lot more sense to be included in the list 10 years from now, but right now it felt extremely uninspiring, even in its blandness. Most of the album just passed by, one song blending with another, with the rare exception of the ones that had a feature as supporting vocals. I can't say I liked it, I can't say I hated it, so placing it right in the middle.

For a star as big as Taylor Swift, I'd be expecting a bit more but a lot of this album felt very samey and didn't really grasp me at all

Nope

Crap. Total crap. And bland AF.

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.

If you time traveled and told me that the blonde Disney “Teardrops on My Guitar” country star who I listened to as a guilty pleasure when I was 14 made a classic album, Evermore is the album I would’ve imagined in my head. Ironically, adult me would be talking about Folklore, and while this is no Folklore, Evermore is pretty damn close. If Folklore is Swift on her Joni, Evermore is Swift being herself, mature and at full strength after all these years. I was so dismissive toward this when it came out, and I think it’s because Folklore was just so overpowering and such an obvious, instant classic (although it was a bit of a personal grower for me), and it was hard to not see this album as a b-sides companion to those sessions, especially given the release timeline. Listening to this now, it’s a lot closer to her country music roots, like a barrel-aged version of Fearless/Speak Now. Songs like “No Body, No Crime,” and “Ivy” have that twang but bring a singer-songwriter touch to that style; meanwhile, songs like “’Tis The Damn Season” and “Cowboy Like Me” add some Nashville gleam to coffee shop jams. But most of Evermore is just a quiet record, with observational lyrical tales that seem to have nothing to do with Taylor herself, for once. It works, though, because sonically, this feels like her at her most authentic. This lends her the opportunity to explore her talents with full-on confidence, and while that normally means sparse acoustic numbers like “Dorothea,” and “Champagne Problems,” it also allows for an eco-friendly spin on her pop charters, with “Long Story Short” and “Gold Rush,” and more subtly on “Marjorie” and “Closure.” And while this whole record is clearly strong, it’s elevated by its bookends – the opener and closure rival the best Taylor Swift songs ever, and may win out in some pairings, in my opinion. I still think it has a couple misses in my opinion, mainly in “Happiness” and “Tolerable,” but I’d be lying if I tried to pretend it wasn’t an excellent record overall. It’s so good that even the bonus tracks are not only excellent, but essential to her overall discography, especially “Right Where You Left Me.” This is one of those records that would be any other artists’ magnum opus, but [un]fortunately, Swift has a claim to at least 3 magnum opuses, and a minimum of 5 essential classics. Would I personally add Evermore to either of those lists? No – I still think Folklore should be on this list before Evermore, and I’d argue Speak Now and Red are at least as deserving of a spot here. (If Bowie and Costello and Young and Nick Cave and all these other men get so many, even if I like a lot of those discographies so far, I’d say Taylor is easily deserving too, because she’s 100% seen at that level by now.) But just because I’m personally more likely to play Reputation or Red, I still know that Evermore is great. It’s especially great if you want a more authentic, consistent version of Taylor, one that is less of a pop star, but also one that isn’t fully Nashville. But maybe I’m just a braindead Swiftie. Honestly, even I can’t tell at this point.

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

Hahahahahaha Swifties rejoice Nie heel bijzonder, zitten wel paar goeie nummers op Maar is dit nou een van de 1001 beste albums ooit?

Outstanding. I had no idea Taylor Swift had albums like this.

Ei ole minua varten tämä

I'm not a 10 year old girl

Absolutely terrible.

Can she sing - yes. Sounds every song the same - yes. Well arranged boredom. 🥱 little highlights: "no body, no crime", "long story short"

It's an incredible well written heartfelt pop album, if I HAD to nitpick, I wish it was a bit more rocky in places but the ending track is such a banger

I didn't enjoy any of the songs on this album. It kinda got better near the end but really bland for me

Welp. Time for more Taylor Swift. Hooray. Whatever, this is the last one on the list, so I never have to listen to any of her album ever again. As stated in my 1989 review, the music really isn't my thing. I'm gonna be honest, I have some problems with this album. I'll start with praise. The production is quite good. It's very clean, which works for an album like this. I also respect this album for the exploration of its themes. However, this also ends up tying to one of my big problems with this album. It feels kind of repetitive. It might just be me, but for the first half in particular, the songs just felt a bit too similar to each other. Fortunately, this isn't nearly as big of an issue in the latter half or so. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the singing, which feels a bit bland to me here. The writing also isn't my favorite. I can't explain why. Unfortunately, I may be biased. As stated in my 1989 review, Taylor Swift's music has effectively been shoved in my face for years. Combine that problems involving her fandom and you get a general lack of interest in listening to an artist's music. I've really tried with these two albums to look critically and avoid any preconceived notions, but it's really hard. If you like this album, I totally get it. I can see good things here. I just don't personally care about it, and that might be my own fault in a way. I'm sorry. Low 3/5.

I liked one song. There was no variety, and even the angry song I liked was low-key.

I'm just not in the mood for Taylor Swift. The fuss about her gets on my nerves. I tried it later on. It doesn‘t change anything. I don‘t like this music. 1/5

I get it’s a departure for her, but it’s very samey.

I can see why people like Taylor Swift but it's just not for me at all.

I enjoy the folk taylor albums a lot, but I would've rather seen a couple other taylor albums on here instead of evermore, that would've been around 4th on my list. I do like this album and think taylor is great lyricist

Trim a few from the middle but otherwise pleasantly surprised

Just okay. I wouldn’t go see her in concert based on this album alone. Odd choice of all her albums.

Beige wallpaper. I imagine this is a pretty strong contestant to be the worst kind of hell

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

I didn’t want to like this. Most likely because of her ubiquity. But this album shows that Tay Tay is a good songwriter and lyricist, and I overall enjoyed the listen. To me, this more quiet whispy airy minimalist style fits her voice and lyrical themes way better than the over produced stadium crap. And while I do like the production for the most part, there are too many times where the tricks overlap which IMO actually starts to homogenize the album as a whole taking away from each song’s individual sound. I am clearly a member of the Tortured Taylor Department who’s probably just tired of hearing about her everyday. But this is a nice album and an easy go-to for chillaxin.

I guess I’ll never understand it. This is so totally average, and her carbon footprint is enormous.

I drank too much and watched too much Netflix during the pandemic. Tswift dropped two unplanned albums. Quite impressive. This, along with folklore, were on heavy rotation for me at the time and seemed to fit the mood. So as they say, music takes you back to a moment in time, many of those memories are wrapped in this album (the good and bad). I’m a big fan of Jack Antonoff as well and you can hear his influences throughout.

I just can’t even right now. I think this is totally fine but just didn’t grab me by the plums in an enjoyable way. Methinks we have more Taylor on the way… 2.75/5

My favorite of the eras.

I don’t want to invite the wrath of swifties but compared to some of her other albums, this one just didn’t move the needle. Standard pop album that didn’t really stand out and the vocal range seemed pretty basic

Loved it

Some nice tracks on here for sure 🕊️

ska inte klaga för mycket... cringe lyrics och grå soundfont. Inte särskilt kul/spännande/rousing att lyssna på. Jag har grinat om samma saker 1000x på tidigare skivor. Jag har dock en gås oplockad med större grejer... Det här albumet är självklart inte ensamt skyldigt, alla rika out of touch artister gör det här.... men jag avskyr trenden av att stilisera alla låtar på ett album antingen i bara stora eller bara små bokstäver. Det är CRINGE! DU ÄR RIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pop is not my preferred genre, so let me admit I've never listened to a Taylor Swift song in its entirety prior to this. Here's the take from my virgin ears... She's a talented storyteller and lyricist, has a great voice, and creates melodic, soothing sounds. Not enough diversity of song structures and/or instrumentation to hold my attention for active or repeated listening. Sounds like more of a background album for me (if at all). That said, I really liked two tracks... "champagne problems" is hauntingly beautiful and will work its way into one of my playlists. "no body, no crime" has an indie sensibility and a bit more edge, which I enjoy. Wish she did more of this kind of stuff.

Decent radio friendly pop with no edge whatsoever. And I can’t really find any immediate hit songs either. To add to undulat, the album is way too long, so what should be a nice collection of songs really starts to annoy me during the last 10-15 minutes

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

2 songs in, first reaction is that this is less obnoxious than I anticipated. Production and tone is more low key than your average "Shake It Off" or "Look What You Made Me Do", ect., which is a relief. I'm certainly not finding it very relatable, but that's to be expected. She's coming across very self-involved but then her target is high school girls where every negative emotion feels like the sky is falling. It's weird that she tries to come across so relatable. I think that's what feels so off to people like myself. Singing about dirt roads, boating licenses, and Olive Gardens, I'm just not buying it. It's like when she drops a swear word in the middle of one of these tender ballads, it just doesn't come across as authentically edgey. Ultimately this isn't too offensive, like I find her big stadium-choruses on her more recognizable radio hits. This is a welcome subtle production with plenty of stark minimalism, it's just not super memorable. I just don't think that she's as deep as she thinks she is. Is this a good album? To many, it seemingly lands in that territory. As for me, however, to reference track 5, it took a bit of effort to be able to "tolerate it".

Cool but not memorable.

I tried but couldn’t finish it.

It wasn't bad, a lot of 1-star reviews sound pretty biased. It's not something I would listen to again personally but to say it's 1-star is mad.

I don't consistently like Taylor's stuff (the kids like her but she sings about relationships pretty much all the time). This is one of her best- it's downbeat and carefully crafted. She's very good at what she does.

Not bad.

Besser als gedacht. 3,5

Inoffensive pop, less sonically adventurous than more recent TS albums

Actually wasn't so horrible. I'll never listen to it again though.

Ok I just broke my vow to myself to never choose to listen to this performer. I listened to the first song and 8 seconds of the second. This music is white magic and no wonder she's the richest singer of them all. I'll give 2 stars for the wonder of how this is allowed to happen.

I can't really relate to this at all, but I can understand why it would connect for some people. For me it was bland and boring, but sometimes catchy, like a lot of the Taylor Swift songs I'm familiar with.

The songs kinda sound the same

First song was great but it was all downhill from there. The rest, whilst very polished, sounded generally bland, wish it went harder sometimes. She enunciates very clearly but if you have a long album there should be some more variety. Stand-out: willow

Meh

I tried to put my anti-Swift bias to the side and see what this album had to offer, since I know this one is pretty highly regarded among her fans. The folkier side somewhat suits her, especially that one that's kind of country about the guy cheating. But then the next song rolls around, and the next, and the next...and oh god there's still another 6 songs left?! This thing feels like it goes on forever. The songs start to blend into each other, nothing really sticks out. Her vocals and lyrics are far from enough to hold interest, which is the same issue I have with everything she's done after this album. Just a little variety or a cool hook or bridge somewhere wouldn't go amiss. Still not a fan.

The album started off really strongly and I thought I was actually gonna love it. As it went along though, it began losing my interest more and more. Some of the songs felt like long-winded narratives and internal monologues that weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Quite possiblly the most generic album I have ever listened to. There were no risks on this album. Cookie cutter song writing. Taylor Swift has a great voice. Her lyric writing is God awful. I've seen videos of her writing lyrics to songs and her getting excited about certain lines as if she just wrote the most clever lyric ever... And they're just bad. This album is stale. Are there any new adult Taylor Swift fans? Like, if one was never a fan when they were younger and grew up listening to her, do you think that a 30 something year old who just put on a Taylor Swift record would think she's this crazy amazing star? I highly doubt it. She's one of the most iconic artists right now and has been for a while. But whereas Beatles or Michael Jackson level of fame comes in, she will never hold a candle to the sheer talent that comes from those bands. Taylor Swift is lucky that her music caters to suburban white pre teen girls. Where songs are as cliche as you think they are: the only struggle in life is a relationship.

Better than the other one I heard. Pretty chilled out album. She has a very safe formula though and it gets boring.

Some strong hooks but the album really blends into one after a while.

4.5

Would I listen to it again: no Is it a no-skip album: - Favorite song: - Least favorite song: - Do I like it: no

Much slower and much less of a pop album than the other one I’ve listen to for this list. Didn’t really have any stand out songs and still way too overproduced. 2/5 Won’t listen again

im not hating cos its taylor swift but i don't think I'm the intended audience for this album and that's purely subjective plus the taylor i know is from the country, romeo and juliet era so I'm not clued up on her work but it wasn't complete ass so i cant give it a 1

🙂‍↔️

As expected, this is a pleasent listen, with some good catchy tracks and some lovely moments. I enjoyed, but I'm not a full Swiftie yet...

pretty mellow stuff

This is just not the album for which Taylor should be on this list. That distinction goes to Folklore. She has that great album, a couple of “good but not as good as everyone says” albums and a bunch of very forgettable records. This one falls into the second category, it’s long and not as inspired as Folklore. Having said all that, Champagne Problems is easily the greatest song she’s ever written. A single album from the best 12 songs of that 2020 Taylor era, with Champagne Problems as the lead single would have already earned the full respect of everyone of us who are still waiting for her to unleash her full potential.

I did enjoy this for like 10 songs. It sounds pretty, the lyrics are nice. Crazy what you can achieve with talented songwriters. And the folk sound of these two albums suit her voice so much better. She should do this instead of shitty albums like her latest midnights

Garbage.

I actually liked Taylor Swift when she was a country singer. She felt genuine and refreshing among the crappy pop-country of the time. This wasn't to my taste, but I think the appeal is the same for her now as it was then. She manages to take the blandest most boring pop and generic lyrics and make it somehow sound genuine, heartfelt and relatable. I think what she does, she does well and clearly it works for a huge amount of people. I gotta give some credit for that even if I struggled a bit waiting for it to end.

Never heard a TS album so was prepared to dislike. It's got the National's fingerprints all over it and so it feels familiar. Enjoyable 3.5

It's very mellow. Not bad but not something I want to listen to again... even in my darkest moods.

don't see what all the fuss is

Why is this on here? I’m not even a Tswift hater but this is 🥱 no song stands out and has the same tempo and progression. Plus one point for lyrics which aren’t to my taste but are decently good.

Lovely pop

Говно, слушал не предвзято, но всё равно очень пресная музыка, мб по текстам интересно

It was ok

I didn't want to listen to this album. I just find this type of music bland. After waiting for my wife to leave for work, enabling a private session in Spotify, I went for it. My trepidation was not unwarranted. This music is bland and does nothing for me. 60 minutes is too long for this.

It’s good, but sad, sappy, and sentimental. I prefer the Swift albums that have lots of bops. COVID almost ruined Taylor Swift.

Acoustic love songs with cuss words. Alright. It all sounds the same. One thing I will say is the quality of production is second to none. It sounds pure.

Ok, I guess

It's fine, something about the music and lyrics rarely hits for me with Taylor Swift, but there's nothing wrong with this album. I really liked the Bon Iver feature as a song, the rest kinda blended together for me.

own

Ruhige, folkloristische Melodien und tiefgründige Texte über Liebe und Verlust. OK.

Taylor Swift is overrated.

I like the folks vibe

Lovely, if repetitive.

This album is not for me. I don't want this review to come off as I hate all modern music. However, this album is also the epitome of all of my least favorite genres: post 2010 pop, acoustic indie, folk, and country. First off, I really hated the production, this is a personal preference but I just can't stand music that sounds too clean (to me it sounds almost soulless). There is very little dynamics, every song sounds very similar, and I really disliked the electronic drums (or house style drums or whatever) they really didn't blend with the piano ballads. Every song also had a very similar melody, vocal harmonies, and song structure that got really taxing as the album went on. I wasn't paying too much attention to the lyrics, but every now and then I would catchy a really cringy lyric. Objectively this album isn't bad, it does everything it aims to do, and I guess it does it well. However, this is my review, and I was bored out of my mind listening to this. This isn't the worst quality album on the list but it is my least favorite (so far), because it is just too boring. evermore, more like eversnore!

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. ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

It's inoffensive if a little dull. I'm sure it would be easy to shit on Taylor as she's become irritatingly ubiquitous and I'm really not sure she deserves it. The songs are ok and she can sing them just fine but I don't really see the appeal above any other young pop female singing about their breakups while seeming to sit on a mildly feminist platform. I gave it a couple of spins but don't see myself coming back for any of it.

Why is this even on the list?

No not a fan, but I see the talent. She writes her own. It wasn’t that bad, but hard to listen to all at once. Break it up and its listenable. Wasn’t expecting to hear her use language, and sing about sex. I don’t get all the hate on her, she has way more talent than half of the nonsense out now.

Favourite song - Evermore

I think I’ve seen this film before. There were three big sides to pick in 2020, Biden vs Trump, Vaxxed vs Unvaxxed, Folklore vs Evermore. There is no over-exaggeration in this metaphor at all. Folklore and Evermore are sister albums, both featuring a similar aesthetic of Indie Folk Pop focusing on stories of love, heartbreak, infidelity, all set against a background of a New England Autumn and Winter. I don’t actually know about the New England part, I’m from Old England, my knowledge of New England comes from watching The West Wing and completely falling in love with Noah Kahan’s Stick Season album last year. As an artist, I do understand the instinct to want to stay within a world you’ve created. There’s a sense that you’ve put the work into creating the world, why not stick with it, there are more stories to be told? And a lot of the time, this can be an effective strategy. Balzac, Trollope and Galdos all wrote novel series with multiple returning characters where each individual work functions as an effective work in it’s own right. But on the other hand, taking each work as it’s own distinct experience has it’s own benefits. It forces you to think about the individuality of each work, about the specifics of the style you’re using, of the story you’re trying to tell. Looking through the Wikipedia page for Evermore tells us that a lot of the reviews referred to the album as the ‘scrappy, freewheeling and bold’ younger sister to the ‘careful, introspective and hopelessly Romantic’ Folklore. I might be showing something about my own soul here, or maybe just betraying the fact that I am myself an elder sibling, but I feel the care, introspection and Romanticism of Folklore makes for a much more consistently interesting, dynamic, and beautiful album than scrappy boldness does. I don’t think Evermore is necessarily a bad album. It has the same basic instincts as Folklore, and I like Folk music about relationships and love more than I like most other music that you care to name. To continue the literary comparison, Folklore feels like a novel, a large plotted narrative with enough digressions to fill out the world. It establishes the world, the characters and the style remarkably well. Evermore feels like the collection of short stories that the author published to cash in on the success of the novel. A lot of the songs are very good, but it all feels as if the author isn’t ready to move on. They’ve created this world, and have ideas for how to utilise it, but not enough ideas to fill out a full narrative. Instead we get vignettes. Checking the Taylor Swift Subreddit, one commenter says that ‘[Swift] has said she sees Folklore as an album about conflict and Evermore as an album about endings.’ While I can’t speak for the truthfulness of this statement, if it is true, it does go some way to justifying my interpretation. The interesting parts of novels are all about conflict, the ending is really the last part that should be considered. With stories, the ending is what’s important, you want to start the story as late as possible, so that you get to the resolution quickly. There is a place for this approach in literature. There is a place for this approach in songwriting. It all comes down to preference at the end of the day. And I’ve always been a keep the resolution til the very end kind of guy. Keep up the conflict. All this 500-ish words has been to say, I am a Folklore guy. In my opinion it should have been on this list rather than Evermore. But I can see why Evermore is here. It’s all a question of preference. I have mine. The list compiler has theirs. And for what it’s worth, I think Hoax has a perfect ending for the story of Folklore. ‘You know the hero died, so what’s the movie for?’ It’s existential, it’s meaningless, it comes out of nowhere. The heroine spends her time screaming at cliffs for a meaning. It’s the ending a Romantic story should have. And then she makes puns about the actual Romantics in the epilogue bonus track? Folklore should have absolutely been on this list, it would have been a five no doubt

I really love this album. It appeals to a lot of my sensibilities. “Closure” sucks but overall good stuff.

Better than TTPD but most songs sound more or less the same.

Folklore and evermore are my favorite T Swift albums

Solid and chill

One of her worst albums. Real lack of range in the songs, and seems like most sounded the same.

What you get when the angsty teen who breaks up with everyone and wonders why nobody likes her watches one 10 minute philosophy video on YouTube and thinks she’s deep and mysterious. Overproduced, but that at least keeps it from going down to 1 star.

Mellow and nice sounding

Charming

Everokay.

quite nice

next time someome mentions Taylor Swift im just gonna say ‘i dont like mumble rap’ because she barely sang on this bitch as far as i can tell. jesus fucking christ this chick is a billionaire based on what, tho? her voice sounds like a cross section of every white girl out there. She just named dropped olive garden as i write this and she is unironically the Olive Garden of the music world. There are zero bops on here. The inclusion of TS on this 1001 list brings down the validity of the whole project - isnt this supposed to be put together by a group of critics? This seems like someone was like ‘we have to include swift for some stupid reason’ and they just picked one of her albums that was least stupid. It supposed to be her 11th album but it sounds like a debut album. I hope shes happy n shit but this world is crazy man.

Ok, so not a pop music fan, and can't name one Swift song. So about to dive in for the first time. First few songs are not to my preferred pacing. Her voice sounds consistently in tune, and the lyrics are clear. That's where my positive comments end. The music does not appeal to me as it sounds bland, and canned. Lovely though the voice may be, I prefer grit, like Winehouse grit. But I've half an album to go, so maybe something will change? Nothing changed. The mellow carried on, and on. I don't get it. Is there a back story to how something so dull was a pop smash? I do not not denigrate the singer's voice, and if you want a melancholy mood, I can see this being right up your alley. But it fails to hold my interest on any level.

Mellow and awesome

Best Album ever.

All the songs are practically the same

It’s a good indie record. Not my favorite TS album though.

First of all: Pulling the "Just a wittle girlypop forest gal sooo cottage-core!💅🌿•✧˖°🧚🏻" aesthetic, while having the highest CO2 footprint out of any person in recorded history is something a normal society would encase you in a block of concrete for. Sorry, just had to rant about that before I even listened to the album. Onto the music. It's actually pretty good and I get why she's so big. Even through my distaste for generic pop vocals and the fact that I can't relate to a single lyric, I enjoyed it. Personally, if I ever woke up in the body of Taylor Swift, I would release a power-industrial album and watch the world plunge into chaos. 3/5.

Swifty

very nice

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

It was ok.

First time listening to Taylor Swift so interesting to hear what all the hype's about. Some were ok, others a bit meh.

Another bland offering from Miss Swift. I'm clearly not the target market here and while she's certainly extremely talented, as I said in my last T. Swizzy review, this is about as "written for the masses" as it gets. Nothing here appeals to me, which is fine. I can see why it's on the list given the impact to so many others but it's just not for me.

I like willow and no body, no crime. The rest of the songs are good songwriting but very bland and feel like music that plays in the background at Target, which is how I already felt about Taylor Swift. So this didn't really change my impression.

This would have benefitted from taking more risk on the instrumentation - I liked the harmonica and the electric guitar on "no body, no crime", for example, but it built to the repeating chorus with the same drums and guitar as all the other tracks. The drums I especially dislike - really flat. I wonder if I would like her live versions of these songs more. Some of these songs are just itching to be stripped down and have some guitar string noise or piano thump. At least "closure" woke me up - it bursts in with an odd time signature and some folktronica pots-and-pans noise. Interesting. Sounds like an "Age of Adz" knockoff. And then - sigh - a soft piano ballad starts to compete with it. It kind of works, but taylor doesn't have enough edge to push-and-pull with the production. Fascinating that they got BJ Burton, who did some excellent production on Charli XCX's hyperpop banger HIFN, to co-produce this. I want more of this, but judging from the streaming numbers (it's the least popular song by a pretty significant margin) it's a creative risk that the fans didn't appreciate. I think it's hard to comment on a taylor swift album without also indirectly commenting on Taylor Swift, the cultural phenomenon. this album is very taylor swift, lowercase. I like that she's put such an emphasis on songriting into the pop landscape - her conversational singing style is front-and-center here. I find the lyricism a little too unsubtle, adjective-laden and clumsy in parts. "Tell me when did your winning smile start to look like a smirk", "lost in the current like a priceless wine", "if the shoe fits, walk in it till your high heels break". It just doesn't have the passion and subtelty of other modern singer/songwriters like adrianne lenker, joanna newsom, fiona apple, pj harvey. Disappointing and pretty tame for what I was expecting to be a compelling foray into the "indie-pop" sound. I wasn't expecting Evermore to grate on me so much that I'd write so much about it.

❤️ I guess I'm a Swiftie now.

I know I’m in the massive minority but frankly my dear, I just don’t give a damn

I was very surprised by this and how great of a voice she actually has but I don’t see myself going back to this.

I liked this far more than I expected.

It’s about damn time

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

I don’t see what all the fuss is about here. This sounds to me like Taylor Swift cosplaying as a folk singer to very mediocre effect. I don’t think it’s bad, just banal and not a logical 1001 inclusion. 2.5/5

Excellent lyrics

One of her best albums, love the folk vibe versus her usual pop hits.

Between this and the new COWBOY CARTER album I have realized that apparently if you are a female music icon now, your tracks must be either ALL CAPS or all lowercase, there is no other option!! T Swift's lyrics have never particularly resonated with me, which is fine, I am very clearly not the target audience, and I hate jack antonoff's production style, but I think this is the most palatable she is gonna sound for me. I wish she diverged a bit more from the pop formula when it comes to the narrow selection of chord changes used and her overall phrasing, but it does make the lyrics easier to decipher on first listen when I don't have to devote as much active brain space to processing the music itself. I understand that to those really familiar with her ouvre this is a sonic departure but to my less developed T swift ear it sounded like a difference of meters, not miles, especially in contrast with Beyonce truly going country last Friday. Well crafted but I'd be pretending if I said any one of these songs will linger in my brain for very long after listening. I felt like most sounds ended abruptly?

Taylor’s lyrical talent is mostly on display here (although multiple tracks referencing someone’s dirty tires is maybe unnecessary) but I feel like the music just wasn’t there. It sounded nice but it was just background. This was almost spoken word poetry. And she’s clearly capable of both so fell a little flat for me. High 3.

Good lyrics and song writing. High 3. I’m not upset I listened to it but I probably wouldn’t come back to it. It’s definitely good pop but I don’t know if it’s great

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.

I think this might be Taylor Swift’s best album and it’s definitely my favorite of hers. Folklore made more of a splash because it was such a change in tone and of course because it was a surprise release, but I think the ideas she played with there are more fully developed on this album. It’s also probably because this album has some very tasty guitar licks courtesy of Aaron Dessner of the National. The lyrics are really fantastic. They are simple but convey powerful and strong images (“Champagne Problems” and “Marjorie” were both very relevant to me personally after this year) Ann’s the Melodie’s on Willow, Ivy, and Cowboy Like Me were all extremely strong too. Plus of course “No Body No Crime” is a banger that made me famous on TikTok so points for that too. Gotta go with the 5 here.

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.

Taylor Swift probably deserves a spot on the list, but including evermore feels like flanneled gatekeepers lecturing it's "actually a pretty decent album". Don't hate it, but didn't bother listening to all of it.

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

This album was very boring and bland. All the tracks sort of blended together and I couldn't tell you a single song off this album if you asked me. Overall, not very impressive.

I’ve specifically avoided listening to any TSwift after 2016 because I knew I wouldn’t like it. I’m not going to listen to this album because I already know what to expect. I know she’s had a huge influence on popular culture, but that’s not what I’m looking for on this list.

Better modern pop than others in the list (and having The National hanging around certainly aides its mood) but I'm not the right demographic for this - and that in itself is disappointing. If music is worth listening to before you die then surely it exists outside of its typical demographic. And it speaks volumes that all the best tracks have featured artists. Sorry Swifties, it's music to make a regretable social media post to. Best Tracks: No Body, No Crime (feat. HAIM); Coney Island (feat. The National); Evermore (feat. Bon Iver)

One of her strongest albums. Bon Iver’s contributions cannot go understated on this. Also, not impressed with the level of misogyny in the reviews for this album. If you don’t like her music, rate her based on that - not because you have inherent biases against women.

From a different artist this might be a four, but I am just so disappointed that I actually haven't been judgemental in not liking Taylor Swift. I so want this to be good, but its just neither interesting, listenable or inventive. Despite some glimpses of actually very good tunes, this just doesn't justify Taylor Swift being as big as she is. It's okay for background music, which is how I ended up listening to it. It kind of sound like writing a ton of pop songs, trying to be inventive with a more country-esque sound but ending up sounding like some mediocre hits from the 90s with better production. In my opinion, this is at her best when she embraces being a pop star with a more electronic image. «Gold rush» is brilliant, «Long story short» is catchy, and there are some ballads. But the whole cottagecore thing feels more like a gimmic that drags the album down.

I liked this more than I’m willing to admit. Not sure how it stacks up to her other records as this is the first one of hers I’ve ever listened to, but the low key approach here generally worked for me. Stick with the standard version that ends with the title track. The 2 bonus tracks tacked onto the end on the deluxe edition don’t really add anything for mine.

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

Warum ist sie nur so erfolgreich? Immer wieder die gleichen Harmonien und Melodien. Einfältig.

- 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.

Believe it or not, in March 2024, this is the first time I have (knowingly) heard Taylor Swift's music. And having played it, I suspect I'll probably never do so again! I think I'm not in the target demographic, and I found the record a bit dull and mainstream. Having said that, Swift is massively successful, so this stuff chimes with many people.

5 stars for Meghan!

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

The first Taylor Swift album I've listened to. It was alright. For some reason it sounded to me like she was slightly slipping into a really bad Scottish accent on Closure which I enjoyed. Doubt I'll listen to it again but definitely better than some of the other albums on here.

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

Really enjoyed 'ivy', i think the others were a little bit slow/generic for me. Was relaxing though!

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.

Wow….I’m a Swifty. I love evermore. It is a great album that is right in my wheelhouse. And also unusual, first listen and I love it. I guess this means I need to listen to folklore. I haven’t given many 5 stars, but this is a 5 star album to me.

Love this album. Top half of her albums.

Not exactly full of tunes

A bit slow.

Lacks depth imo

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

Excellent album, polished production, mega talented songwriter... what more can I say. There's a reason she's been as successful as she has her entire career. Was so stoked to get this album today as this and folklore are my least listened to records in her discography. 5/5

Never done any Ms Swift listening apart from the Shake It thing. This isn't meant for me - it's fine, but it really will be stuff for my 18 month old daughter to love, not her 50+ dad

I tried. I promise you I tried.

It may be something special for Taylor Swift to produce an album with just a few instruments. The musical themes are repetitive and the vocals get boring with every track. Perhaps a glass of red wine and candlelight will help you to enjoy the album to some extent.

hello everyone you can ask for more out of life please do

I have room in my heart to appreciate Taylor Swift as a high end pop star. But Taylor Swift doing ultra processed indie folk? Not great!

A *SAD* white woman's instagram.

Lyrics, music, the total package… the voice…I Love it All !! I am a Senior Swiftie NOW!!

I got through some, seems fine i guess but if you're not listening for lyrics, which is me, then it's pretty bland. Will I listen to again: 0%

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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

Hoewel het luisterbaar is, voelt dit toch als een broodje niks. Dat bestel je toch niet in de snackbar? Omdat het voor Taylor schijnbaar onmogelijk is om niet zoetsappige muziek zonder een thema er aan te hangen is, gok ik dat dit d’r ‘herfst-era’ is. En dat is ook hoe ik me erover voel. Je wilt dat het snel over is en je de winter in kunt gaan, met blauwe lucht, zonneschijn en ijs in de sloot. Herfst is kut, niemand heeft zin in herfst. En zo heb ik geen zin in dit album. Ik moet zeggen dat ik vrij mild was op het vorige Taylor album in de lijst, maar ik ben haar spuugzat want elke scheet die ze laat verdient een nieuwsartikel of instagrampost, waardoor ik de hele dag door ongewenst confronteert word met haar. Ik ben het zat, een dikke 1.

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