Taylor Swift’s ninth studio album, “Evermore,” was unexpectedly released on Dec. 11, 2020. This fifteen-song album is a “sister record” to her previous indie-pop album, “Folklore,” and features themes of love and grief through the use of storytelling.
The album’s lead single, “Willow,” is an indie-folk song about wanting and loving someone. The lines “Wherever you stray, I follow / I’m begging for you to take my hand / Wreck my plans, that’s my man” in the chorus convey the overall message of the song and sets up the themes of love and longing that are apparent throughout the rest of the album.
“Willow” provides an effective transition into the second track on the album, “Champagne Problems,” a story about a woman who turns down a marriage proposal. The piano and soft vocals convey the hurt emotions of the narrator, allowing the listeners to clearly understand the tone of this ballad.
“Majorie,” the thirteenth song in the album, is a tribute to Swift’s late grandmother, who used to be an opera singer. The song talks about Swift’s grief and regrets, wishing that she made more memories with her grandmother: “Should’ve kept every grocery store receipt / ‘Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me.” This song is even more moving knowing that Swift featured a recording of her grandmother’s singing in the background vocals, making “Majorie” one of the most emotional songs on “Evermore.”
Swift collaborated with several bands for a few of the songs on her album. The true-crime song “No Body, No Crime,” featuring the band Haim, is a contrast to the heartbreaking “Coney Island” with The National. The album ends with “Evermore,” a ballad with Bon Iver that brings a somber yet calming conclusion to the album.
The deluxe version of “Evermore” has two additional songs, one of which is “Right Where You Left Me.” This extra song is about being stuck in time after experiencing a breakup, as told in the lines “Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? / Time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it.” The second track, “It’s Time to Go,” is a slow song with guitar, piano, and drums that conveys a message of finally leaving a toxic relationship to live your own life.
Overall, “Evermore” is an exceptional album that tells the story of love and heartbreak. The meaningful lyrics and the folk-pop instrumentals make the album a perfect sequel to “Folklore.”
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