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Taylor Swift's evermore Album Review

Kudos to Taylor for releasing two masterpieces during a pandemic in just one year.

By Mi WorldPublished 3 years ago 11 min read
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Notwithstanding the fact that most of us are still in a pandemic, Taylor Swift has taken matters into her own hands and dropped yet another album this year in 2020. Swift's first album, released in 2020, was titled folklore, and I have yet to listen to it all of the tracks fully. Many people have speculated that there were many easter eggs in the music video for "cardigan" and other songs on her album. With that being said, I have been informed that there are also theories that some of the lyrics in Swift's folklore album are a follow up to her evermore album. I am aware that it is insulting to review what seems like a prequel to a sequel, but I connect more with evermore for some odd reason. That is the sole reason why I am writing this review.

1) willow

"willow" is a catchy song to imagine yourself on a long road trip to your family's house in the country as your lover, who you "cast a spell on, "as Taylor would put it, grabs your hand and assures you that your parents will love them, and the evening will go as planned. From what I heard and saw for myself is that the song focuses on love at first sight. You know deep in your heart that that person who caught your eye is your soulmate, and now, you've got to have them. It was destined for the two of you to cross paths. "life was a willow, and it bent right to your wind."

2) champagne problems

"champagne problems" is a song to wallow yourself in your self-pity, in my opinion, based on the lyrics. It's a ballad with a slow tempo that uses piano keys as the base of the song. It sounds like pre-cold feet. You know, before you decide to jilt your significant other at the altar. It's a rejection of a marriage proposal because one of the two partners' relationship supposedly has a drinking problem.

3) gold rush

"gold rush" is my favorite song, probably because of the anticipated buildup to what I believe is the chorus and the string instruments that attach themselves to the melody. It's something that many people can relate to, unrequited love. You're yearning for something so dazzling that everyone's got to have a look and a piece of it, which is not at all pleasing for you to know, but you know that you'll never be with that person. I can picture myself listening to this while I recollect the first time I saw "that person" and thought, "wow, heaven must've left its door wide open," while bringing my mind back to reality.

4) 'tis the damn season

"’tis the damn season” is a song that I would envision myself, taking a break from the holiday festivities indoors and stepping outside in the shoveled snow after I had realized that an old flame of mine is coming over for dinner with their new lover. Why not explore the town and revisit some of my childhood places growing up, including the school my high school lover and I went to. Okay, I may have accidentally explained the fundamental basis of the song. The sad tune emphasizes reconnecting with someone from your hometown who you feel you might have regrets for when choosing another path for your future in the past and leaving the relationship on the ventilator; meanwhile, it’s already braindead. Perhaps, you both should “call it even” and withdraw the relationship from the machine. Be mature adults and remain only friends.

5) tolerate it

“tolerate it” is a song for the backbone partners who are there to lift their other partners throughout the entire relationship. They are not appreciated enough. Despite doing most of the labor for their other partner, the backbone partner is taken for granted. If you asked me if I would listen to this song while I make dinner for my lover who hardly noticed I left the living room to fetch him something to eat while I stare at the snow in the kitchen window and remind myself that if I hold on long enough to the cliff, I just might not fall? The answer is not yes. It’s maybe. Look at it this way. If you do not fall from the cliff, your fingers will begin to get cold from the weather and red from the pressure you apply to them. You are in pain, and you are scared to death of falling to your death. But if you fall. You’re free from every single drop of discomfort that is taking a toll on your body.

6) no body, no crime (ft. HAIM)

“no body, no crime” makes me want not to do what Taylor did in the song, but it sure does sound like the perfect soundtrack for me to cruise down the interstate during dusk hours while on the run from the cops because of a mysterious crime I committed. (I don’t mean this literally. I was just trying to set a vibe for the tune. I do not support crimes. I’m just putting that out there.) The song itself deserves an award for the way it was written. Not to mention the sirens at the start of the track that just puts you in the setting of something downright traumatic.

Straightforward, if you listen to the lyrics, you can reckon that Taylor’s friend suspects that her husband is cheating, and she wants to prove it but doesn’t know-how. Eventually, her friend’s husband files a missing report of her husband, and within weeks, she moves into their place. Taylor is suspicious, so she does some snooping and whatnot. The next thing you know, her friend’s husband ends up dead from a possible drowning if the harm hadn’t already been inflicted on him before he hit the waters. The husband’s mistress believes Taylor did it, but “she just can’t prove it.”

7) happiness

“happiness” is something that I would cry to in my car. The instrumental is magnificent and flows perfectly with the lyrics and the tempo that Taylor keeps with her words throughout the five-minute song. Some breakups end on good terms, and some do not. Taylor writes this song to express to her former lover that even though there were happy moments in her and her partner’s relationship, she feels that it was the right thing to do for both of them. She wants her former partner to know that they did bring her happiness during their time together, but they also brought her anguish. It must’ve hurt the other person to understand that the relationship had to be ended, but she knows that he’ll meet someone else who will bring him happiness. I think this song is sad to me after listening to it on repeat. The lyrics are such a handful of heartfelt honesty; it’s hard not to like it.

8) dorothea

“dorothea” makes me think of spring, even though “evermore” was released during December. It’s something to unwind down to after a long day of work; it’s also great for lying in a hammock or kicking your feet back and forth in the air as you swing from the porch swing. The song is sweet and short. It talks about a friendship of Taylor’s that she holds close to her heart. Dorothea sure is lucky to have a friend like Taylor, who you can go to for anything. It just goes to show how down to earth she must be.

9) coney island (ft. The National)

“coney island” reminds me of someone sticking around in a relationship in which one person is putting in the effort, and the other is not. There is a lack of interest for the other person. From the song’s point of view, it seems as though the person in that relationship is acknowledging their behavior and analyzing their past mistakes, as one should. “I’m on a bench on Coney Island, wondering where did my baby go? The fast times. The bright lights. The merry-go.” Taylor/the narrator of this story/song, their relationship with the other person, who they are singing about is crumbling rapidly before their eyes. The swift proximity of the relationship's deterioration is equivalent to how fast the rides at Coney Island are going even though the merry-go-round goes slow.

10) ivy

“ivy” is a song about being in love with someone else who is not your spouse. The temptation and the hunger to cross the line is strong, but then you remember that you cannot do such a thing because your hand has “been promised to another.” This physical and emotional attraction that you have towards that someone is inevitable, and it keeps growing like “ivy.” This song reminds me of a medieval story about a king and his wife being in an unaffectionate relationship but still involves intercourse. And, out of the blue, a long lost friend of the king’s visits, and now they have fallen in love with the king’s wife at first glance. Of course, one would be affirmative to think that the king’s wife and his friend would secretly meet from time to time behind the king’s back. That’s the thing about this song; it tells a story, and so do several of Taylor’s songs. That’s what makes this song and album so unique. Lastly, I would like to say that the instrumental very much gives me the “cottage core” vibes. If you know, you know.

11) cowboy like me

“cowboy like me” is one sweet song that says “you’ve found your matchmaker,” or as someone who stays on Tik Tok, would say “surprise, shawty!” because “you’re a cowboy like me.” Two peas in a pod. Taylor is being played by someone who she is interested in and knows how to play people like chess. But, little does the guy know that Taylor knows his every move. This a western love story about “bandits” falling in love. The electric guitar, the cello, and the drums fit well and set the mood to the lyrics' tone.

12) long story short

“long story short,” in my opinion, is pretty self-explanatory of 2016 Taylor Swift, but hey, “long story short, it was a bad time.” It indeed was a terrible time for her because she was getting canceled for literally everything. Thank God she is growing, and hopefully, she is in a better place. Not to throw you off, but this song is catchy, and I’m confident that we’ve all had a tough time at some point in our lives.

13) marjorie

“marjorie” is a sweet-tempered tribute to Taylor’s late grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer. Taylor is inspired by the type of person who her grandmother was and wanted to incorporate that into the song by writing lyrics that one would assume are quotes about life. If you read them and listen carefully, you might understand what she meant. Most of us can listen to this song and heed that it is something to honor the memory that is burning alive for our loved ones who have passed. Also, might I add that Taylor added a recording, if not more, of her grandmother singing opera during the track as background vocals. It’s tucked in the song so well that you might not even notice.

14) closure

“closure” is a song that I kindly and mentally flip off people in my past who have wronged me while I twirl around in a big, puffy dress in a pasture with flowers and animals from my farm. In other words, let this be a lesson to you all, and listen to the wise words of Ms. Taylor Swift. You do not need to accept someone’s closure to make them feel better. You don’t have to “iron” anything out; just make it look perfect. Sometimes, wrinkles don’t need to be fixed. Let them stay wrinkled. Let relationships in the past stay in the past. It’s for the best. If you ask me if this song about Taylor and Big Machine Records, I would one hundred percent say ‘yes,’ hence the malfunctioning of random things/machines in the background.

15) evermore (ft. Bon Iver)

“evermore” is a sprinkle of hope for 2021 and the pandemic. It represents what most of us have felt throughout quarantine: the neverending disappointments and the motivation to do the simplest things. Sometimes, we often believe that we’ll be stuck in that same bubble of sadness and depression, but somewhere over the rainbow, as cheesy as that sounds, there’s hope for a better tomorrow. The down-tempo’s pace quickened; it crept into the middle of the song and caught me off guard. It made me realize that sometimes darkness and pain is temporary.

Now, I’ve just reviewed the entire evermore album, and if you are reading this and you haven’t already jammed out of this spectacular and poetic work of art, please do so. If the sound isn’t for you, that’s okay. Everyone has different tastes in music. However, if you find yourself connecting to the lyrics, pat yourselves on the back and go and get some boba tea.

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About the Creator

Mi World

a safe place for poems, tv and movie reviews, album reviews, etc.

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