folklore was arguably one of the most influential albums of 2020. The Taylor Swift album, which dropped in July, became the first record in 2020 to reach one million copies sold. Fans everywhere fell in love with its songwriting and with Swift’s successful experimentation with acoustic instruments. So when she released a follow-up album, straying from her normal pattern of releasing an album every two years, fans were ecstatic.

Storytelling is a key component of evermore. Tracks like “champagne problems” and “no body, no crime” have a more straightforward and linear narrative approach. Still, most others, including “coney island” and “happiness,” more loosely tell a story. Swift explores points of view that are not based on her life and mostly focus on relationships and love. She sings of two criminals who find romance in “cowboy like me,” for example, and of a forbidden love affair in “ivy.”

 Swift’s songwriting is undoubtedly beautiful and poetic. Although some of her songs follow sad storylines, there is something stunning in the way that she portrays these people and their lives. In “happiness,” for example, in which she describes a divorce, Swift sings, “Tell me when your winning smile / Began to look like a smirk?” This line gracefully reflects the change of a happy relationship into a toxic one. Swift’s ability to turn the negative into the oddly striking is on full display. 

evermore explores the complexities of love and relationships and does so well. Swift’s portrayals of emotion and her imagery are on full display, and the storytelling on the album is some of her best. Although the lyrics are beautiful, it can take a few listens to fully appreciate the music itself. It may take a while to “break-in” the album, but once the listener does, evermore is a gift that keeps on giving.