Top Five & Bottom Five Folklore Songs

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 9 months, you know one good thing about 2020 is there has been some great music released. Our queen Taylor Swift released her eighth studio album, Folklore, on July 24. This album is a masterpiece in-and-of-itself, so you bet I bought one of the eight limited edition vinyls and am still listening to it on repeat. I never thought Taylor would go down this musical road, but I am so glad she did. There are multiple stories told within these songs, one being about a love triangle which consists of three songs. There are also a lot of songs that relate back to Taylor's relationship with Joe Alwyn. I like to try and piece all the songs together even though I know not all of them are related, but that's beside the point. In honor of said masterpiece, it's only fair that I rate my top five least favorite and my top five favorite songs, so grab a snack and get comfy. 

The Bottom Five

1. Peace

There are a couple parts in this song that I absolutely adore which is why it is at the top of my bottom five, one being "but I would die for you in secret. The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me". Another being "but there's robbers to the east, clowns to the West", which "west" is capitalized when you look at the official lyrics and I can't help but wonder if it is referring to Kanye West, due to all the past drama between the two artists. Taylor would not be wrong, in my opinion...

2. Illicit affairs

"Illicit Affairs" is one of the songs that I feel I cannot relate to enough to rate it higher. I've never had an illicit affair, but I think I relate more to the clandestine meetings part of this song. There have been people (men specifically) who only want to see me when no one else is around. Which doesn't fly with me. In certain circumstances it's different. I would probably listen to this song more if I could relate to it currently, but I really can't.

3. Invisible string

This one I don't mind; I just think it is kind of cheesy. I understand that it is about Taylor and Joe, and I love that for them. Personally, it's not one that I listen to over and over again on the album. 

4. Mirrorball

Most of these ratings are based on which ones I like better. I like pretty much all the songs on the album, some of them I just like less than others. "Mirrorball" is not a go-to for me. I like the message behind it, but I feel like it doesn't fit with the other songs on this album.

5. Ephiphany

This is my least favorite song on the album. There I said it. I just do not like this song; I feel like it's a little misplaced with the other songs on this album similar to "Mirrorball". I'm not a big fan.

The Top Five

5. The 1

This one highlights that "What if..." that we often have with relationships. What if I had done this or hadn't done that, what if they acted this way instead, etc. It brings in that hope we have for our relationships that they will last, but usually don't. Taylor sings about this relationship possibly being the best relationship she (or the narrator) has had and that it would have been fun if they had stayed together, but now they're left wondering. 

4. My tears ricochet

The lines in this one are spitfire. At first, this song was towards the bottom of my list, but every time I listen to it, the more I love it. I think it's the lines "And if I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes too" that really hook me in the beginning of the song. There are big speculations about this song being aimed towards her feud with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun. I also think it could be about a friendship that ended, but the first seems more likely.

3. Betty

This is one of the main songs of the love triangle. This is in James' point of view and it makes me hate James, but I love the song. It's very catchy and surprisingly upbeat despite the subject of the song. I love the musical aspect of this song more than the lyrics if that makes sense. James' is honestly just a horny 17-year-old, who only misses Betty for all the wrong reasons. He played both the women in the love triangle and I have no sympathy for him. I still love the song though.

2. August

Another song of the love triangle! This one I love so much. I think probably because it describes a relationship I had in the past when I was in high school (expect in my scenario I was Betty as opposed to this mystery woman). I think it's very relatable for me, to recognize I never really had that person and to think I was truly living for the hope of it all. It was eye opening to listen to it for the first time though because it brought back those feelings, but it also allowed me to realize that it was never actually going to work out and it was for the best. I really feel for Betty and this mystery woman, so I think that's also why I've rated these songs higher in my list.  

1. Seven

My favorite song on this album! This one is so nostalgic to me. The lyrics "I was high in the sky, with Pennsylvania under me" remind me a lot of my childhood. I spent part of my summers as a kid in Pennsylvania with my extended family, in the town where my mother grew up. I often miss those times because things were a lot simpler. I also think the innocence of childhood depicted in the song is sweet. I do think this song could be a nod towards the LGBTQ community with the lyrics "cross your heart won't tell no other" and "then you won't have to cry or hide in the closet". At least I prefer to think of it in that way as opposed to the other possibility. 

Honorable mentions: Cardigan, The Lakes

I thought this would be a much easier process, but this took me so long. What I came up with I feel is the most accurate ranking for myself. Obviously the other seven songs fall somewhere in between the top five and bottom five, but no one has time for me to go over that. This was a longer post than I thought it would be, but it was fun and a little more lighthearted to write!