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On July 24, 2020, Taylor Swift shocked the world when she dropped her surprise release, Folklore. Of course, she teased it just days before when she released the lead single “Cardigan.” Folklore is unlike anything that Swift ever released before. It did not follow in the same pop vein as 1989, Reputation, or Lover.
Some would say that it’s the perfect blend of Red and her work with The Civil Wars. Instead, this time she enlisted the help of The National to help her make this album. She also collaborated with Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, Jack Antonoff, and her boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Folklore came out one year ago today
The Folklore party is taking place on Saturday, July 24. Fans are listening to the album that received high critical acclaim for its mature content. They took to social media to celebrate the 1-year anniversary with a listening party. On July 24, 2020, Taylor Swift dropped the eighth studio album that she worked on while in quarantine.
She came up with the concept at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In her joint Rolling Stone interview with Paul McCartney, Swift admitted that her “brain is all scrambled, and I need to make something.”
Surprise 🤗 Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my 8th studio album, folklore; an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. Pre-order at https://t.co/zSHpnhUlLb pic.twitter.com/4ZVGy4l23b
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 23, 2020
“I had originally thought, ‘Maybe I’ll make an album in the next year, and put it out in January or something,’ but it ended up being done and we put it out in July,'” Swift explained. “If you take away all the parameters, what do you make? And I guess the answer is Folklore.”
The original version of the album contained 16 tracks. She followed up with a deluxe version with the bonus track “The Lakes.” Folklore smashed many records and climbed to the top of the charts. At this year’s Grammy Awards, Swift won her third one for Album of the Year.
Taylor Swift commemorated the anniversary
On Saturday, Taylor Swift posted a message to her fans. She dropped the original version of “The Lakes” to celebrate the moment.
“To say thank you for all you have done to make this album what it was, I wanted to give you the original version of The Lakes,” Swift wrote. “Happy 1 year anniversary to Rebekah, Betty, Inez, James, Augustine, and the stories we all created around them. Happy Anniversary, folklore.”
The Taylor Nation Twitter account announced that new merchandise was coming. The items are available on Swift’s official website. However, some of them may already be sold out. The Folklore 1-Year anniversary collection includes new bracelets, hats, cardigans, sweatshirts, sweatpants, T-shirts, notebooks, and more. Most of the items feature Swift’s song lyrics from the album.
To say thank you for all you have done to make this album what it was, I wanted to give you the original version of The Lakes. Happy 1 year anniversary to Rebekah, Betty, Inez, James, Augustine and the stories we all created around them. Happy Anniversary, folklore. 🌿
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 24, 2021
In the meantime, Swift is gearing up for the release of Red (Taylor’s Version). The re-recorded version of the 2012 album will drop on November 19, 2021. It includes a total of 30 tracks, which means plenty of never-before-heard songs for fans to enjoy. Just like with Folklore, Swift couldn’t stop writing after she finished recording Red.
What are your thoughts on Foklore? What’s your favorite track off the album? Sound off below in the comments.
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