Taylor Swift heard we’re going to be in lockdown for the foreseeable future and dropped a surprise album, Folklore. Swift’s eight studio album is the perfect 2020 album for sitting alone in your room on the floor crying. The subdued instrumentals and lyrics of Folklore create an album of feelings that you’ll probably listen to on repeat. 

People will be talking about Folklore for the next few months, especially since it was released so quickly after Lover (and also because in the middle of a pandemic, what else can we do besides talk about music?). Both albums are heartfelt and full of feelings. Where Lover tells a story of Swift being in love, Folklore is more melancholy and full of reflection. Folklore is not full of pop anthems like Speak Now, 1989 or Red, but to be quite honest that type of music might not be the most appropriate given the current climate. Regardless of how you feel about her as a person, you can’t deny how she positions herself well in the industry. 

Despite holding the album’s name of Folklore, the songs don’t sound super folksy, but they also don’t sound like the pop we’ve come to expect from her. Swift once again released music that shares little resemblance to her previous compilations, and not just sounding different within a single genre. She changes the sound and feel of her music to cross almost into a different genre, while maintaining the relatable storytelling that attracts and keeps people listening to her music. 

All of this to say, Folklore is a delight. It’s the kind of album you can escape into, and with everything that’s going on right now, a little escapism might be what we need.