I’ve been so grateful that Taylor Swift hasn’t chimed in this month on Kanye West. She could have said some sh-t, and I think there would have been many people who would have applauded her if she said some sh-t, but she didn’t. And so I’ll applaud her maturity there. It’s also interesting to see how Taylor hasn’t been making a ton of news during the lockdown/pandemic. She’s used her platform to talk about Black Lives Matter and good for her, but there hasn’t been any gossip. I wondered if she was using this time to work – and it turns out, she was doing exactly that. She’s pulling a Beyonce and dropping a surprise album at midnight tonight. The album is called folklore.
Surprise 🤗 Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my 8th studio album, folklore; an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. Pre-order at https://t.co/zSHpnhUlLb pic.twitter.com/4ZVGy4l23b
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 23, 2020
She says she wrote and recorded this album in isolation, but she had help from Bon Iver, Jack Antonoff, William Bowery and Aaron Dessner. She talks about how before this year, she would have “overthought” when and how to release an album, but now none of that matters (she doesn’t say that specifically, but that’s the vibe). I buy that she was just being creative in isolation and she was like “f–k it, I’ll release this with little fanfare.” Good for her.
In addition to the full album coming out tonight, she’ll also release the first video for the single “cardigan.” I can already tell that Taylor is going to war with capitalization. Also: I usually dislike the “first singles” Taylor releases. I wonder if “cardigan” will be trash but the rest of the album will be worlds better.
The music video for “cardigan” will premiere tonight, which I wrote/directed. A million thank you’s to my brilliant, bad ass video team – Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, producer Jil Hardin, executive producer Rebecca Skinner, AD Joe ‘Oz’ Osbourne pic.twitter.com/2hNXnzFbwY
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 23, 2020
folklore will have 16 songs on the standard edition, but the physical deluxe editions will include a bonus track “the lakes.” Because this is my 8th studio album, I made 8 deluxe CDs & 8 deluxe vinyls available for 1 week😄 Each has unique covers & photos https://t.co/zSHpnhUlLb pic.twitter.com/tG34e0MpgJ
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 23, 2020
Photos courtesy of Taylor Swift’s social media, Backgrid.
For the first time ever I’m looking forward to a Taylor Swift album.
same!!!
So glad to see an artist working and releasing during all this. I’ve missed art!
Same! I don’t even know who I am anymore haha.
LOL! That’s my entire life in COVID hell.
Scollins I feel this so much!
I”ll be buying it. As for the other issue, my personal view has always been she was done wrong (though I don’t debate it here, because, well, it’s pointless and I’ve learned to ignore the over-the-top replies), and in my experience when your enemies are destroying themselves it’s best to keep quiet and if you have to smile (and I’m petty enough that I do), you smile quietly to yourself.
Ditto on the other issue. I won’t be buying it unless it’s much different than her other stuff.
This looks as white as a Kinfolk issue. Also — did she and Joe break up? Song titles and general vibe is also SAD.
I know, well, she is white, but I don’t know why she refused to appropriate black culture like Kimmie does. That would be awesome!
Lol
I have also been wondering about her and Joe.
Um, isn’t she white? I mean white people can contribute to the general culture can’ t they?
White is an insult now.
Interesting. My take on the sad vibe was probably isolation/social distancing with a sick mother was taking its toll.
I’ve been waiting for her to do a more folk-y Joni Mitchell sounding album. When you listen to her Tiny Desk Concert, you can hear that vibe. Adding up the Bon Iver collab and the title “folklore” makes me excited that maybe I’m getting my wish. And that’s all pretty “white” so… okay then?
Hopefully it is good. I haven’t really enjoyed her last few albums.
why would she chime in on the Kanye situation? Even she has to know their fued is played out and people are tired of hearing about it.
she’s releasing the same night he is and will probably blow him out of the water. ‘Nuff said.
I’m really looking forward to this! This news made my morning and possibly all of 2020 lol (there hasn’t been much joy or excitement this year, has there?). The album she’s describing, with Bon Iver/The National vibes, is my dream Taylor album. Excited for something whimsical and dreamy from her. I think she’ll do it well.
Maybe I’m just grumpy because I haven’t had my coffee yet, but 8???? different versions?? In what universe does anyone need to release 8 versions with different covers and photos 🙄 I guess she needs to beef up those album sales numbers.
It’s for her Swifties, they live for that
It’s her eighth album and she’s extra.
There’s a huge market in collector’s versions of music releases. Many of them increase considerably in value as time passes. Some Beatles and Stones albums can go for as much as $15,000
She seems to be price conscious this time. The digital download is $8.99 on her website. The vinyl + digital download is $26. Looking at Amazon $11-12 is the norm.
The merchandise is also a good bit less than the Lover merch was. I don’t remember the prices, but I remember thinking that is was vomitously cotton candy colored and that it was priced at guilty divorced dad levels. This time around the cardigan to celebrate the first single is $49. Looking at Old Navy, women’s cardigans are running $30-45. So she does seem to be aware of not looking too greedy.
I’ve been listening to the new Chicks album all week and it’s been the only thing keeping me going. I’m 100 percent here for the new Taylor album and even if it’s garbage, I appreciate her releasing something and if even in a little way trying to make people feel better right now.
The Chicks album is SO GOOD.
Never in a million years did I think I’d ever find a link between TS and the word “folklore”, lol (which in Argentina is typically known as the name of a native music genre). I admit I’m intrigued by this!! By the general aesthetic I wonder if she’s gone back to her roots a little bit…?
I’m loving the hauntingly ethereal aesthetic and can’t wait to listen to the full album. But also sad there won’t be a Cruel Summer music video
Cruel summer would have been a banger if she’d released it last year. As big as her 1989 era hits. But for this year (pandemic times) the tone of Cruel Summer isn’t right. Here’s to hoping she picks better singles this time around.
I agree, that really should have been her first single off Lover. Oh well, looking forward to this new era
The aesthetic looks cool, interested to hear the album.
My husband’s first reaction when I told him she has an album coming out tonight was ‘is this because Kanye has an album coming out tomorrow?’ AND I OOPP
Taylor swift has natural curly blond hair with a little bit of frizz, after 15 we never ever seen it agian. It’s a wonder all these celebrities love doing the no makeup reveal, but we hardly ever see their natural hair reveal. Why do hairstyles have to be flatironed, cut, coloured and straighened to fit white mans ideal, and even the styles themselves are very young and cutetsy, not really a woman who’s 30…
Hope it’ll do a lot better than whatever excrescence Kanye’s going to drop when he takes time out from slut-shaming, and traumatising his daughter. Also hope it’s nothing like the last album (which I thought absolutely blowed, apart from Cruel Summer’s chorus, sorry) and really listenable.
I’m actually absurdly excited about this.
Overrated as always.
Already pre-ordered it. I read the Bon Iver (blehhhhh I hate his songs whenever they play them on the Current) thing after I ordered it, and this doesn’t necessarily even sound like music I like, but what the hey. I’m feeling hopeful.
I would appreciate her more if she didn’t obviously try to get high sales but then pretend like she doesn’t care and she doesn’t try for it. There’s no shame in wanting to break records, I wish she would just admit it. She’s always releasing multiple versions of her album, which helps her numbers drastically, since her fans buy every one. She puts fake Easter eggs in her videos so fans watch it a million times. She’s very strategic about her how she gets certain numbers but neither her or the media point it out, and honestly that’s the most frustrating part.
Admit it? All artists hope their music will sell well. Thats an odd thing to dislike her for.
She actually does admit it. She is super proud when she sells out stadiums, wins Grammys, etc. She really doesn’t downplay her ambitions at all, and I think the media, fans, and non-fans have pointed out how strategic her and her team are MANY times.
Not what I meant at all. She uses tricks (releases 8 versions of her album, hiding Easter eggs, purposely hints who each song is about) knowing her fandom will go feral over it. This is why she breaks records. Of course she’d still be successful without all of that, not saying this would cause to be a flop or anything. THIS is what I’d wish she’d admit.
Don’t forget she is under has a recording contract, a publishing contract and is part of the Music Business.
The whole model is to make money for the record and publishing companies FIRST and then the only way the artist can make any money on top of that (besides their initial advance) is if they recoup all the actual costs of recording, marketing, distribution, promotion etc first.
Now obviously T.S has a huge fan base and she’s pretty much guaranteed to recoup costs but never forget there is a huge corporate machine behind these so called ‘overnight’ drops of albums.
This album would have been in the works for well over a year but the record company has had to pivot about the way it’s being released because of the pandemic.
The ‘low key home spun’ approach to this albums release is all marketing spin and decisions like releasing ‘deluxe versions’ and ‘limited edition’ copies never come from the actual artists themselves – that’s all on the record company.
I’m really excited for this. ‘Red’ was always my favorite album of hers bc it had a singer/songwriter vibe to it. Then she went pop and honestly the last album she released was my least favorite. That whole album has a very Corporate, sell-out vibe. The lyric “hey kids, spelling is fun!”.. I just couldn’t get past that.
Very pleased she has taken a 180 here to the opposite end of the spectrum. I have hope that these new songs will be legitimately great.
I hope she learned from that Look What You Made Me Do era. Lover had a couple of good tracks but was nothing special.
But I’ll give it a listen. I have been wondering what stuff artists would be releasing after the quarantine.
I like many of her ballads, but her songs I listen to the most are the ones I can run to (i.e. Shake It Off), so I hope there’s at least one with a good beat. But I’m excited about this news! I need something to do now that we finished Hanna on Prime.
I hope it’s good. Lover (the song) has been phenomenal. A good Taylor song always makes things a little better.
I’m loving the aesthetic here, and actually really pumped. Lover was OK, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what she’s put together. I am hoping for stronger storytelling lyrics. Crossing fingers.
Come at me, fight me, I don’t care and I can’t with this anymore.
All these celebrities dropping on-brand merch and doing target launches? Millions of people are unemployed, some are about to be evicted, there are kids without food, people are sick and bills are piling up, but hey you’re gonna drop your merch so I guess that’s all that counts.
I’m sick and tired of these affluent celebrities, so out of touch with reality, acting like they’re doing somebody a favour with this. You wanna be a hero? BE A HERO. Donate a large portion of the proceeds. Better still, GIVE IT ALL AWAY — because it’s not like most of them can’t afford to be generous.
Full stop.
Not saying this just because I like her — Taylor is known for being extremely generous. EXTREMELY charitable. I have absolutely no doubt she’s donated to a number of organizations for both COVID and BLM causes during this time. So what if celebrities drop new work and merchandise to go along with it?
By releasing new music, artists are absolutely doing people a favor. They’re giving them their art, something that is desperately needed to maintain hope and some level of normalcy during this dark, scary, confusing period in our lives. Her album is the first thing I’ve looked forward to since March. Things that can help our mental health are no small deal. I hope many artists find ways during this time to create and share it with the world. We all need it.
Case, I agree with you. Almost everything sucks right now, but that doesn’t mean we’re under any obligation to be miserable all the time. It would be irresponsible to pretend everything is okay, but it’s not mentally healthy to actively block out things that aren’t terrible just because many other things suck.
This is generally not the site to try to defend Taylor Swift, and she is far from perfect (i.e. I see people’s points about the 8 albums being NAGL, even if they are for the fans and not the general public), but she does do a lot of good things like giving money to various causes and, before COVID, visiting sick kids in hospitals. Some people probably just don’t realize that because she doesn’t really put it on social media, at least not anymore, which shows she’s doing it for the right reasons. She would get criticism either way.
I would also add that there are people and jobs behind the marketing/merch. People made the merch, people will buy it. She’s keeping her corner of the economy moving and I think that’s good.
She’s been donating throughout the pandemic. For example, she paid months of wages and health care costs for employees at a Nashville record store that was struggling. Doing a quick search, I found several of these kinds of examples.
Some of what is getting people through these crazy times is content. Shows they can watch, new music they can listen to, books they can read. I don’t think exploiting a pandemic is a good thing, but I also don’t think that is what she is doing here.
You can dislike Taylor, dislike her music or whatever. But she also makes so many of us- thousands and thousands of fans all over the world- happy and excited. I’ve been in lockdown since March too and for me and many others this a gift from Taylor, something to look forward to amidst these dark times.
And has been said above, she has donated and she’s always been generous – from personal donations to individuals to organizations. Don’t think this is something she can be criticized for. But I guess people will always find ways to find something negative to say about her, whether or not it’s justified.
Can’t reply to Stripe directly, but yes – that’s a good point about supporting jobs. And hey, I bought one of the custom vinyls. I don’t have a CD player anymore, but do have a record player so why not show support myself and get something I can’t buy at Target?
cute. i like the idea, we’ll see how the songs are
8 versions??? LOL she’s as ridiculous and money-hungry as ever.
It’s not like she’s forcing you to buy them. It’s for her fans who WANT to buy them
I’m still going to call her out for what she is, poppy. Scroll if you don’t like it xoxo
I hope her album does VERY well!
It probably will @Ennie because her fans do end up buying the 8 versions. Her numbers are always inflated because of things like that. I don’t get the crazy hostility over criticizing a singer on a GOSSIP SITE. Like good grief, I promise Taylor does not care what Beach Dreams is saying, but on the flip side, she also won’t care that you’re defending her.
I would have like to purchase one of the album on Vinyl because I listen to records but I know with Taylor fanbase every version will be sold out . I know their going to people who purchased more than one copy and try to flip them on eBay for a crazy price that’s why I don’t like it when artist do the limited edition stuff .
I also tend to dislike her first singles! And then I really enjoy the albums! I wonder what the strategy is, if she does it to set the bar low so people like the album as a whole? So weird
I was *really* disappointed with how Lover was promoted; it was a really good album but none of its singles (maybe the exception of the title-track) were even close to its best. This album seems really promising, and I’m loving the aesthetic. Hope the lead single can do it justice this time
I have a bit of a soft spot for her music, I do like me some catchy pop music playing in the background while I work from home. Am currently listening to ‘Welcome to New York’.
That cover. Yikes. Her aesthetic always has a teenage girl vibe.
Coming back to say i have been listening and at first blush it might be my new favorite Taylor swift album. I haven’t loved all her new stuff, really since Red, but THIS is so good. It’s the vibe I’ve been listening to in quarantine – chill, instrumental, good lyrics. Ahh!