by Ashleigh Owens, Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Full disclosure, I’m pretty obsessed with Taylor Swift! So needless to say, I was beyond excited when she announced she would be releasing a new surprise album, “folklore”. In a year when she was supposed to go on tour for her seventh studio album, “Lover” (add that to the list of things COVID-19 has ruined), a whole new album was an exciting and welcome surprise! That wasn’t all Taylor had in store for her fans, though. On December 11th, less than six months after the release of “folklore”, Swift surprised fans once again. Her ninth studio album, “evermore” is the sister record to “folklore” and the two albums have many similarities. In a time of uncertainty and loneliness for many, music is a great way to get through the hardships of this year. New Taylor Swift has saved my 2020, so I wanted to talk to other Bradley students and see what they think about Taylor Swift’s “evermore”.
Emma Gibbs (12) said her favorite song is “willow” and explained that she “freaked out as soon as [she] saw it and listened to it immediately” and said that “Evermore really saved [her] 2020”. This is something that many swifties and music lovers everywhere can relate too, and new songs and albums have helped a lot of people get through 2020. Jackie Jones (11) shared that her favorite song is “long story short” and stated that “honestly- knowing her and her music [she] was barely surprised she pulled something crazy, but was shocked it was a new album!”. Swift is currently in the middle of re-recording her previous albums, and Jackie explained she thought the surprise would have to do with that and was surprised with a brand new album. Olivia Johnson (12) told me her favorite song is “no body, no crime” and said her take on “evermore” was that it “was the perfect album to come after “folklore”. They related to each other perfectly”. Taylor’s last two albums, “folklore” and “evermore”, are sister records and have similar vibes and sounds. My personal favorite song from “evermore” would probably be “marjorie” because of the heartfelt lyrics. This song is about Taylor’s maternal grandmother, who was an opera singer and one of Swift’s biggest musical inspirations. The song even features Taylor’s grandmother singing in the background, a heartfelt touch to the record. When “evermore” was released, I was so excited I stayed up late to listen and watch the music video for “willow”. I thought it was so special that Taylor decided to release an album to give back to her fans a few days before her 31st birthday, which is her lucky number 13 backwards.
Swifties, myself included, are as happy as can be right now. Two surprise albums and the excitement of Taylor’s re-records are all we could ask for. These are some challenging times for all of us, and I’m glad Taylor has made the most of it. I’m thankful for new music during the COVID-19 pandemic and this album is another one of Swift’s masterpieces. You can find “evermore” on all major music platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music and more. If you need something to make you happy and help you relax, check out “evermore” today!