When Taylor Swift dropped folklore in the middle of a global lockdown, we all thought that was it. We were wrong. Less than five months later, she did it again. She called it the "sister record," but honestly? It’s more like the darker, more cynical twin who stays up late drinking whiskey and thinking about people who got away. The evermore taylor swift album didn't just capitalize on a trend; it dug a hole in the woods and buried our feelings in it.
It's weird to think about now, but at the time, some people were skeptical. Was this just the "B-sides" of folklore? Was she just cleaning out her notebook? If you listen closely to the production—which, let's be real, is way more experimental than its predecessor—you realize evermore is its own beast entirely. It’s messy. It’s jagged. It’s got a song about a literal murder.
The Folklore vs Evermore Debate: Why the Sequel Wins
Most people lean toward folklore because it’s cohesive. It feels like a hug. But the evermore taylor swift album is fascinating because it refuses to be polite. While folklore is a stroll through a misty park, evermore is getting lost in a thicket where the briars actually draw blood.
Take "gold rush." Jack Antonoff’s production here is frenetic. It’s a panic attack wrapped in a dream. It doesn't sound like anything else Swift has ever done. It’s the sound of someone trying to talk themselves out of a crush while their heart is racing at 120 beats per minute.
Then you have the storytelling.
Swift moved away from the "autobiography" trap that critics loved to pigeonhole her into for a decade. On evermore, she’s a ghost. She’s a disgruntled wife in "tolerate it." She’s a small-town girl turning down a proposal in "champagne problems." These aren't just songs; they’re short stories that would make Alice Munro proud. The nuance in "tolerate it"—the "lay the table with the fancy shit" line—captures a specific kind of domestic misery that usually takes a 400-page novel to explain.
That Bridge in Champagne Problems
We have to talk about it. If you haven't screamed the bridge of "champagne problems" in a car at 2 AM, have you even lived through the 2020s?
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The song is a masterclass in songwriting efficiency. In three minutes, we get the entire history of a relationship, a failed proposal, the town gossip, and the protagonist's mental health struggles. She rhymes "mended" with "depend it," and somehow, it doesn't feel cheesy. It feels desperate. It’s about the "sister" who's always a mess, and it hits hard because it’s so specific.
Experimental Sounds and the Dessner Influence
Aaron Dessner of The National is the MVP here. He pushed Taylor into time signatures that would make a pop star sweat. "closure" is a great example. When it starts, it sounds like a machine is breaking. People hated it at first. They said it was "noise."
But that’s the point.
Closure is rarely pretty. It’s clunky and uncomfortable. By using those industrial, jarring beats, she’s telling us exactly how she feels about an unwanted apology. It’s brilliant.
Then you have "coney island" with Matt Berninger. His baritone against her airy vocals creates this heavy, grounded atmosphere. It sounds like regret. It sounds like a boardwalk in January when all the rides are shut down and the paint is peeling.
- "marjorie" uses actual backing vocals from Taylor's late grandmother.
- "cowboy like me" features backing vocals from Marcus Mumford that are so subtle you might miss them the first five times.
- "no body, no crime" brings in the Haim sisters for a country-revenge track that feels like a nod to The Chicks.
These collaborations aren't just for clout. They serve the world-building of the evermore taylor swift album. They make the forest feel populated.
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The "Forgotten" Child of the Discography
There’s a running joke in the fandom that Taylor forgets evermore exists. She didn't give it a long "era" or as much merch as Midnights. But the lack of commercial "noise" around it is actually its greatest strength. It’s a cult classic in real-time.
It explores themes that are usually too "unmarketable" for top 40 radio. Long-term grief in "marjorie." The exhaustion of a failing marriage in "happiness." The weird, specific pain of seeing an ex move on in "right where you left me."
Let's look at "right where you left me" for a second. It was a bonus track, which is insane because it might be one of the best things she’s ever written. The imagery of a girl literally turning into a statue at a restaurant while the world moves on around her is haunting. It captures that feeling of being "stuck" in a way that’s almost visceral.
The production stays static, mirroring her inability to move. It’s a perfect marriage of lyric and sound.
The Nuance of Happiness
Don't let the title fool you. "happiness" is one of the saddest songs on the record. But it’s a mature kind of sad. It’s the realization that you can be happy because of someone and also happy after them. It acknowledges that the person you're leaving isn't necessarily a villain; they’re just someone you don't belong with anymore.
"I pulled your body into mine every goddamn night, now I get fake niceties."
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That line is a gut punch. It’s raw. It’s the kind of honesty that fans have come to expect from the evermore taylor swift album, and it’s why this record has such a long tail. It doesn't get old because you find new layers every time your own life circumstances change.
How to Truly Experience Evermore
If you’re just shuffling this on a gym playlist, you’re doing it wrong. This is "active listening" music.
- Listen in sequence. The transition from "coney island" to "ivy" is a tonal shift that needs to be felt.
- Read the lyrics. Seriously. Put your phone down and just look at the words. The wordplay in "ivy" ("my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now I'm covered in you") is some of her most poetic work.
- Watch the Long Pond Studio Sessions. While technically for folklore, seeing the creative chemistry between Swift, Dessner, and Antonoff gives you the context for how the evermore sessions evolved.
- Don't skip the bonus tracks. "it’s time to go" and "right where you left me" are essential to the emotional arc of the album.
The evermore taylor swift album stands as a testament to what happens when an artist stops caring about the charts and starts caring about the craft. It's sophisticated. It's weird. It’s probably the most "adult" record in her catalog.
Whether you're a die-hard Swiftie or a casual listener who just likes a good story, there is something in these fifteen (plus two) tracks that will stick to your ribs. It’s not an album you just hear; it’s one you inhabit.
To get the most out of this era, start by comparing the lyrical themes of "willow" to her earlier "love" songs like "Love Story." You'll see a massive evolution from fairy-tale endings to "wrecking my plans," which is a much more honest take on how romance actually works. Dive into the 9/8 time signature of "tolerate it" to understand how the music itself creates a sense of instability. Finally, listen to "marjorie" and "epiphany" (from folklore) back-to-back to see how she handles the legacy of her grandparents—it's a masterclass in honoring the past without being overly sentimental.