TAYLOR SWIFT - FOLKLORE
2LP Beige Coloured Vinyl
Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, folklore, marked a dramatic change of direction when it arrived as a surprise release in July 2020. Moving away from the polished pop of her previous albums, Swift created an intimate, atmospheric record built around indie folk, alternative rock and understated storytelling.
Written and recorded during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, folklore emerged from a collaborative songwriting process with Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Rather than focusing exclusively on autobiography, Swift began writing from the perspective of fictional characters and imagined lives, giving the album a more literary quality.
“the 1” opens the record with a sense of quiet reflection, before “cardigan” introduces the wistful storytelling that runs throughout the album. “the last great american dynasty” transforms the history of Rebekah Harkness into a vivid character study, while “exile”, featuring Bon Iver, becomes one of the album’s most emotionally powerful collaborations.
The record’s central trilogy — “cardigan”, “august” and “betty” — explores the same teenage love triangle from three different perspectives, demonstrating Swift’s ability to construct interconnected narratives within a pop album. Elsewhere, “my tears ricochet”, “mirrorball”, “seven” and “peace” reveal more personal and introspective shades.
Produced with a deliberately organic and spacious sound, folklore allows piano, acoustic guitar, strings and subtle electronic textures to sit alongside Swift’s vocals without overwhelming them. The result is a record that feels both intimate and expansive, and one that represented a significant new chapter in Swift’s songwriting.
The album became a major critical and commercial success, winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and becoming Swift’s seventh consecutive US number-one album.
This edition is pressed across two beige coloured vinyl LPs, presented in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves. Its understated presentation perfectly complements the album’s muted, woodland-inspired aesthetic.
Artist: Taylor Swift
Album: folklore
Format: 2 × 12" Vinyl LP
Edition: Standard Edition
Vinyl: Beige Coloured Vinyl
Label: Republic Records
Release Date: 22 January 2021
Catalogue Number: B0032865-01
Barcode: 602435034881
Genre: Indie Folk / Alternative Pop / Folk Rock
Number of Discs: 2
Number of Tracks: 16
Sleeve: Gatefold
Extras: Printed inner sleeves
Tracklist
Side A
the 1
cardigan
the last great american dynasty
exile (feat. Bon Iver)
Side B
my tears ricochet
mirrorball
seven
august
Side C
this is me trying
illicit affairs
invisible string
mad woman
Side D
epiphany
betty
peace
hoax
