folklore and evermore 

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor Swift put out the two sister albums folklore and evermore in 2020. These two albums held an incredibly different sound and vibe from her usual pop releases, almost steering right back to her roots of country-influenced and acoustic sounds, yet still somewhat distinct from that.

In Vox article titled “The Queering of Taylor Swift,” it focuses on folklore and its impact amongst queer audiences. From the overall cottagecore vibes of the album, the article makes the claim that folklore is “full of witchy lesbian vibes and a lot of outright gay symbolism.” Aja Romano, author of the article, isn’t the only one who thinks so. Even academics Mary Fogarty and Gina Arnold write in their piece for Contemporary Music Review how Taylor Swift has been “serenading us whilst waltzing around the countryside, like some quintessential devotee of TikTok lesbian cottagecore” (5). The poster children for this album that are perfect for queer interpretation include “betty,” “seven,” and “illicit affairs.”

Trading in sparkly outfits and bright make-up for big flannels, a natural to almost bare face, and shaggy bangs, the Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions that was released on Disney+ showed us a different look to Taylor Swift as well. While this may have been also a result of the overall pandemic and everyone staying home, it continues to reinforce the lesbian cottagecore vibes mentioned earlier. She also addresses “betty” and talks about writing it “from the male’s perspective.” Despite this fact about it, that doesn’t stop queer audiences from interpreting it any differently than how they would want to.

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Swift’s evermore doesn’t disappoint either—it continues the queer narratives and new sound that she aims to achieve. Released right in time for the holidays, this Vulture article ran with that detail for its title: “Thank You, Taylor Swift, for Making My Sad Yuletide Gay(er).” The author runs through many of the different songs on the album, especially focusing on “dorothea” which could be viewed as the counterpart of folklore’s “betty.” In the article, it’s noted how Swift “leaves space for the listener, so many different kinds of listeners, to find themselves in the song.” This is exactly what both albums do, which is also what gives room for them to be viewed as gay.

The shift of folklore and evermore has definitely not gone unnoticed by fans and the rest of the world in regard to Taylor Swift’s style of writing. With more gender-neutral terms and the overall storytelling, this was a more authentic gift to her queer fans in being able to situate themselves in her music.