#but also there aren’t even any small lyrical sonic or conceptual references to the pandemic like i mentioned there are a few on folklore | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dreamly · 7 months

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i agree with a lot of music fans and journalists/critics/artists that “lockdown”/“pandemic”/“quarantine” albums usually aren’t great and also don’t do very well, but i do think there is one truly incredible (at least in quality i haven’t looked at numbers and tbh i don’t really care) and maybe not the most obvious exception (well maybe it is obvious but i don’t see this album talked about a lot since like the month it came out and i don’t think i’ve seen it talked about in the conversations about art inspired by covid-19/lockdowns). anyway can we play a little game where you guys guess what album it is (this might help me find more good music or at least music you think i’d like as well as be [hopefully] fun!)

#i would also exclude folklore/evermore and unreal unearth from that statement not just bc i think they’re great but mostly bc i wouldn’t #call them ‘pandemic’ albums #like obviously folklore and evermore were made during that time but only two songs on folklore reference the pandemic/lockdown/isolation and #it’s sort of referenced in the sound in that both of those albums are generally quieter for taylor and that might reflect the actual #emotions of isolation and loneliness but i don’t think the sound necessarily reflects/refers to the actual material conditions of #lockdown or covid-19 #rather folklore/evermore contain just a few lyrical and sonic references to the emotions caused by that situation but again. not as many as #there were initially perceived to be #side note i think actually the most ‘lockdown’ song on folklore or evermore is mirrorball #and i think the reason mirrorball works so well is that despite the fact that both the overall concept of the song and the lyrical content #seem to directly reference covid-19 lockdowns and closures #it (mirrorball) is still extremely relatable #and i think what’s absolutely true about the album i’m referring to in the actual text of the post #is that it is at least mostly very relatable for most people (although probably for women in particular)#and actually i would say that the album im talking about has very similar themes and concepts to mirrorball but translates and expands upon #them into the form of an entire album #ok very long side note over. in terms of unreal unearth not being a lockdown album it’s true that andrew has literally said it’s not one #but also there aren’t even any small lyrical sonic or conceptual references to the pandemic like i mentioned there are a few on folklore #and evermore.#i did watch an interview where andrew says there /might/ be one lyrical reference but i can’t find it (message me if you know what he meant)#i would call unreal unearth something that i think andrew is understandably hesitant to refer to it as #and that is a breakup album #and i think the reasons he’s hesitant to call it that is that sometimes when people say a piece of media is about a breakup they use that to #reduce both the emotions and experiences covered in the work and the quality of the work #but i also think that in music specifically breakup albums are often (not always. often) a seminal important and iconic moment in a career #and are in many cases considered by many to be the best or at least the most iconic albums by an artist #examples of that include Rumours and even Red #congrats if you read all these tags you’re a real champ #i have so much to say about this topic and topics related to it sorry!#love ya and please take a guess

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