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“Salt air and the rust on your door. I never needed anything more.”
It’s been over two months since Taylor Swift surprise released Folklore and I still haven’t stopped listening to it. Hell, since autumn kicked into high gear, I’ve found myself listening to it more. It’s an amazing album.
When it first dropped, I wrote that it was undeniably transcendent, but I still doubted it would be able to usurp Lover as my favorite Swift album. While I adore Lover and fully believe in that big, messy swing Taylor took, I think I might have to concede the baton to Folklore, which truly doesn’t have a skippable song in the mix.
This might make it seem counterintuitive to rank the songs from Folklore, especially if the one ranked last will still be cherished by me and a favorite when compared to many other artists’ worth entrants on their albums. However, I’m mostly just using this skeleton structure of a ranking as a Trojan horse to simply discuss the album again. After all, it deserves a fall revisit and I just love to write about music that really speaks to me and makes the hairs on my arms stand up when I listen to it. Months out and, hopefully, years out. That’s the hope of it all.
It should also be noted that, as with a podcast recorded about this, the ranking probably will change daily. Nothing like an album where your favorites are fluid!
17. Mad Woman
It’s not that I don’t like “Mad Woman.” I really do appreciate its songwriting and how Swift rightfully channels her anger regarding the pieces of shit who railroad her throughout the music industry. I just find the experience of listening to it more purposeful than ethereal.
Best Lyrics: “Do you see my face in the neighbor’s lawn? / Does she smile? / Or does she mouth, ‘Fuck you forever’?”
16. Hoax
When Folklore first debuted, without the bonus track, it seemed like “Hoax” was a peculiar note to end the album on. It’s not a bad song, but it did seem rather detached from the overall aesthetic and intent of the rest of the album, like with “Mad Woman.” The recurring chords of the piano in “Hoax” give the song a percussive feeling as Swift’s lyrics get as close to spoken word poetry as she’s ever been before.
Best Lyrics: “Stood on the cliffside screaming, ‘Give me a reason’ / Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in.”
15. Epiphany
So far, “Epiphany” seems to be the resounding least favorite song from Folklore among fans of Swift. However, it’s one of the most blended, atmospheric tracks in the entire record and it deserves a reassessment. Swift’s voice feels almost phantasmic, drifting through the song and recounting the story of her grandfather in the military with a modern day parallel to those who’ve lost loved ones over FaceTime in 2020. It’s a pensive, exploratory version of Swift and arguably one of the inciting reasons for Folklore in the first place.
Best Lyrics: “Hold your hand through plastic now / ‘Doc, I think she’s crashing out’ / And some things you just can’t speak about.”
14. This Is Me Trying
A striking element of Folklore is that it seems to feature Taylor at her most vulnerable. Yes, her debut album was filled with the sky high dreams she felt comfortable sharing with the world. Yes, Reputation contains the raw anger she was no longer content to repress. Yes, “Afterglow” is basically a song about taking responsibility. But “This Is Me Trying” is truly open like she’s never been before. Accepting that she will always be eager to please and always partially at fault in her most intimate failings, Swift delivers “This Is Me Trying,” which shows she also accepts there will always be room to get better.
Best Lyrics: “They told me all of my cages were mental / So I got wasted like all my potential.”
13. Peace
“Peace” was recently named to Spotify’s list of the world’s most beautiful songs. And it’s wholly deserving. Essentially, “Peace” provides a relaxed, serene sensation that features Taylor reflecting on her romance with Joe Alwyn and the seeming transience of it. At this point, I don’t think Taylor has anything to worry about. “The Archer” and “Delicate” have covered similar thematic territory, after all. But with “Peace,” Taylor seems to shift more towards focusing on all the pros she can bring to a relationship, rather than the cons. The transition almost happens over the course of the song, no less!
Best Lyrics: “Give you the silence that only comes when two people / understand each other / Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother / Is it enough?”
12. My Tears Ricochet
Many Taylor Swift fans are eager to connect every song on Folklore to some sort of personal drama or public enemy of Swift’s. But for the most part, Folklore is exactly that: folklore. The stories, as explicitly stated by Swift, are not always from her own perspective. I think “My Tears Ricochet” is a shimmering example of that sentiment, as the subject of the funeral seems distant from Swift’s purview. While I don’t necessarily agree with Jack Antonoff that it’s the best collaboration he and Swift ever conjured up, I do think there is a dreamy soundscape vibe to the song complete with a ghostly echo that seems to emanate off a nearby pond. Even the pre-chorus’ build into the final chorus seems to ripple like a wave crashing on shore, depositing all of the speaker’s feelings into the listeners’ ears at once. No doubt, it’s immaculately constructed.
Best Lyrics: “We gather here, we line up, weepin’ in a sunlit room / And if I’m on fire, you’ll be made of ashes, too / Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe / All the hell you gave me?”
11. Invisible String
Swift’s fun, bouncy songs about how amazing it is to be in love have always been among my favorites from her discography. (“Stay, Stay, Stay” and “Paper Rings” come to mind, for example.) “Invisible String” fits well within this lineage, but also contains the orchestration and complexity to take it to that next-level provided by Folklore. Much of this is probably due to Aaron Dessner’s production, but Swift is unmatched when it comes to a lyricist and poet who can craft a sweet, romantic tale. To all those who thought her songwriting would suffer when she finally found love, I present to you: “Invisible String.” Complete with Easter eggs to past Taylor mishaps and symbols, pacifism towards the failed relationships of yore, and colorful imagery that maintains her trajectory of romantic adulation over resentment, “Invisible String” is lovably cheerful.
Best Lyrics: “Time, mystical time / Cutting me open, then healing me fine.”
10. The 1
When I first listened to Folklore, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was experiencing. I knew it sounded like no other album I’d ever heard, but it was just so not what I expected from Swift and it took a few listens to appreciate just how truly perfect the album was. From the first notes of “The 1,” though, it was clear that Swift’s trajectory at the outset of Folklore was confident, assured, and — most of all — authentic. Whereas Lover began with the fun, but contradictory “I Forgot That You Existed,” “The 1” tackled similar narrative territory with an attitude of comfort and peace instead. While her diction choices throughout Folklore are delightful, “The 1” keeps things simple and I appreciate its re-listenability. Whenever beginning Folklore, “The 1” hooks you instantly and makes you really excited to continue listening to the rest of the album.
Best Lyrics: “We never painted by the numbers, baby / But we were making it count / You know the greatest loves of all-time are over now / I guess you never know, never know / And it’s another day waking up alone / But we were something don’t you think so? / Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool / And if my wishes came true, / It would’ve been you.”
9. Illicit Affairs
Speaking of diction choice, “Illicit Affairs” has some of my favorites. Taylor throws out potential Wordly Wise-esque vocabulary terms like “flushed,” “clandestine,” and “mercurial.” It all contributes to the latest entry in the Swift catalog of break-up tunes (it also pertains to her chapter collection, “The Sleepless Nights”). Swift is always such a genius at twisting a concept that could seem shallow and making it seem like the most important thing in the world. Even though she’s a mega-star, she still has a perspective that seems worldly and relatable and “Illicit Affairs” demonstrates her attitude towards a large swath of those she finds challenging on the planet. When the song builds towards greater emotion from Swift’s voice (she demonstrates real power by its apex), it becomes clear that not only does Swift feel passionately about her subject matter, but she wants us to feel the same. There’s no world where “Illicit Affairs” isn’t a top ten song on Folklore.
Best Lyrics: “And you wanna scream / ‘Don’t call me ‘kid,’ don’t call me ‘baby’ / Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me.’”
8. The Lakes
“The Lakes” is much more of an album conclusion than “Hoax.” Throughout, Swift sings with immense force against the stringed score of the song, tracking lyrical development through clever wordplay that alludes to Romantic poets and a dalliance with themes of mortality and death. It’s one of the top songs on Folklore that signal Swift’s new era and the maturity of her music as it drifts further and further away from the zeitgeist of the youth. We’re aging with Taylor and so frequently, her songs speak to the feelings her fans experience concurrently. “The Lakes” is no exception and is one of Swift’s best ever reflections on her own creative legacy.
Best Lyrics: “Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die / I don’t belong and, my beloved, neither do you / Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry / I’m setting off, but not without my muse.”
7. The Last Great American Dynasty
When Swift spoke of writing songs from the perspectives of some people she’d never met before, “The Last Great American Dynasty” manifested as the most prominent example of this notion. Chronicling the journey of the coastal Rhode Island saltbox house’s ownership from Rebecca Harkness through to Taylor Swift, “The Last Great American Dynasty” is so thematically dynamic that it could apply to stories like The Great Gatsby, The Lighthouse, and Mrs. America in tandem. It perpetuates Swift’s sense of self-confidence and comfort, but also unpacks the myth of the pop star with a progressive pop beat. It’s a delightfully meta and self-fulfilling anthem that speaks to Swift growing closer and closer to writing music for herself, rather than for hardware.
Best Lyrics: “Fifty years is a long time / Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me.”
6. Mirrorball
That being said, “Mirrorball” unearths the feeling from Swift that she will always be a reflection of what other people want her to be, considering how eager she is to please and how much she appreciates praise and commendations (if you watched Miss Americana, it’s undeniable). However, “Mirrorball” also addresses the notion that when a mirrorball (which is a disco ball, if you’re like me and had never heard that term before) shatters, it can’t be put back together. Perhaps this is recognition on the part of Swift’s that such a personality reflection is untenable in the long-term, edging her ever closer to an acceptance of herself as one who will not be uniformly renowned. Musically, “Mirrorball” is a masterpiece, as well, with the rhythm of Swift’s lyrics evoking the spinning of a mirrorball, or even a record rotating around a needle. It’s hardly disco, but its atmosphere evokes a roomy attention to a party navigated by individualistic charades. The best of Swift lies within music like this.
Best Lyrics: “Hush, I know they said the end is near / But I’m still on my tallest tiptoes / Spinning in my highest heels, love / Shining just for you.”
5. Cardigan
“Cardigan” was Swift’s first single from Folklore and it’s the first entrant in the album to be a part of her musical trilogy/love triangle centered around James and Betty. It’s one of the better Swift singles in a long time, largely because, if it was present on Lover, for example, it would’ve come across as one of her underrated cuts that deserved more attention. On Folklore, though, the album is filled with “Cardigan”-level songs of immense quality. Still, “Cardigan” maintains a classic, centrist Swift refrain that makes for a perfect Instagram caption. Yet, it also plays out against evocative imagery and a tumultuous bridge that builds to an impactful chorus and a third verse that hits a staccato, volume-increasing sensation that leaves me breathless every time I hear it. Only Swift could conjure such a story through the simple symbol of a cardigan.
Best Lyrics: “‘Cause I knew you / Steppin’ on the last train / Marked me like a bloodstain, I / I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy.”
4. Exile
“Exile” was not a song I was high on during my initial listen to Folklore, as I felt I wanted to hear more of Swift’s brilliance and felt jarred by the presence of Bon Iver. Now, though, his voice is honey butter that pervades the entire song and is an obscenely perfect, complementary fit for a duet alongside Swift. Not to mention, “Exile” is a lyrically brilliant song that couldn’t exist as anything but a duet between two passionate, soulful singers. The rounds that fold in on themselves and the full circle storytelling chronicles a relationship lost by something as preventable as simple communication. While contrast is a tragic element of the story, it was the vital musical feature of the song, which is one I love to close my eyes and just give myself over to while listening.
Best Lyrics: “So step right out, there is no amount / Of crying I can do for you / All this time / We always walked a very thin line / You didn’t even hear me out (You didn’t even hear me out) / You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs).”
3. Betty
At the first jump, “Betty” was my favorite from Folklore. It was classic Swift storytelling mixed with melodious rhymes and a killer key change. In a sense, it was perfect! And it still is, don’t get me wrong. I just waffle between my top three favorites a lot. “Betty” concludes the trilogy set in motion by “Cardigan” with the most straightforward storytelling of the three tunes, even including the return of the cardigan image with an absurdly satisfying near rhyme to accompany it. (I mean, “cardigan” and “car again” is just dynamite.) “Betty” itself is also incredibly nostalgic, with Swift embodying a teenage persona for maximum yearning effect. (Perhaps “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” was the most recent time she’d done it prior?) Ultimately, “Betty” is a masterwork that deserves to become a part of the primary Swift repertoire.
Best Lyrics: “You heard the rumors from Inez / You can’t believe a word she says / Most times, but this time it was true. / The worst thing that I ever did / Was what I did to you.”
2. Seven
I’m not great at picking up lyrics the first time around. When I listened to Folklore, I was naturally inclined to zero in on it sonically, listening to the Swift’s voice and its distortion/enhancement, as well as the progression of the music. After a couple revisits, though, the lyrics started sinking in and “Seven” was one that hit the hardest. “Seven” tells the story of a childhood friend of Swift’s who came from an abusive home, but it tells it from the perspective of a seven year old who doesn’t quite understand what’s happening; she just knows she wants to help her friend. Honestly, I think it might be the most lyrically beautiful song Swift has ever written and that’s why the “Best Lyrics” section is extensive. That childlike imagery and hopefulness, man; it’s gutting. I get straight goosebumps every time.
Best Lyrics: “Sweet tea in the summer / Cross your heart, won’t tell no other / And though I can’t recall your face / I still got love for you. / Your braids like a pattern / Love you to the Moon and to Saturn / Passed down like folk songs / The love lasts so long. / And I’ve been meaning to tell you / I think your house is haunted / Your dad is always mad and that must be why / And I think you should come live with me / And we can be pirates / Then you won’t have to cry / Or hide in the closet / And just like a folk song / Our love will be passed on. / Please picture me in the weeds / Before I learned civility / I used to scream ferociously / Any time I wanted.”
1. August
I adore and cherish pretty much every song on Folklore, but “August” honestly feels like the perfect distillation of everything that makes the album so flawless. The final part of the love triangle trilogy, “August” bridges the gap perfectly between Folklore’s last days of summer and throes of autumn aesthetic thresholds through carefully timed lyrical precision, awe-inspiring musicality, and the peak Swift sensibility. It’s nostalgic, wistful, and reflective, but also lovestruck, airy, and impermanent. There’s devilish wordplay (“August slipped away into a moment in time” v. “August sipped away like a bottle of wine”) that crashes down upon a glorious outro among the best compositional pieces ever crafted by Swift. “August” isn’t just my favorite song on Folklore (for the moment, of course), but it might just be one of the greatest songs ever created. The power of Folklore is undeniable and how lucky we all are to have this in our lives now.
Best Lyrics: “Remember when I pulled up and said, ‘Get in the car’ / And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call? / Back when I was living for the hope of it all, for the hope of it all.”
