What’s up guys, it’s Sussan Mourad here with Clevver Music, and last week, Taylor
Swift shocked us all when she dropped her surprise album, ‘Folklore.’
In an lengthy Instagram post, Taylor shared that although most of her Summer plans didn’t
happen this year, this album was something that wasn’t planned but did happen.
She further stated, “I wrote and recorded this music in isolation but got to collaborate
with some musical heroes of mine...
Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’
time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed.
My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into
the world.
That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with.
Love you guys so much.”
And in another Instagram post, Taylor shared that this album is the result of letting her
imagination run wild.
She also says the album is quote, “a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream
of consciousness.”
Taylor further admits that picking up a pen was her way of escaping into fantasy, history,
and memory, and that she’s told the stories in this album to the best of her ability.
Swifties have been playing the album on repeat ever since its release, and, of course, trying
to decipher all the lyrics to the songs as well as any Easter eggs or hidden messages
that may be hidden in plain site.
One of the songs on the album, “Exile,” describes a scenario in which two exes are
seeing each other for the first time post-breakup, and illustrates both points of view.
Justin Vernon of Bon Iver joins Taylor Swift on the song, and the duet is sad, beautiful,
and tragic all at the same time.
See what I did there?
Justin’s verse kicks off by him seemingly singing about an ex-girlfriend who he is now
seeing with a new man for the first time after their breakup.
The lyrics continue to criticize their relationship, making him sound like a bitter ex-boyfriend.
He is confused about how quickly she has moved on, and his tone sounds rough, whereas Taylor’s
tone is much smoother.
Later in the song, Taylor sings about how she gave multiple warning signs during their
relationship that it wasn’t going to work out, while Justin sings about seeing no signs
and being unable to read his ex-girlfriend’s mind.
As Justin sings, “You never gave a warning sign,” Taylor replies by singing, “I gave
so many signs," which could be an ode to her old song, “The Last Time.”
In "The Last Time,” Taylor sings, “This is the last time I'm asking you this / Put
my name at the top of your list / This is the last time I'm asking you why / You break
my heart in the blink of an eye, eye, eye."
“Exile” seems to be a sequel to “The Last Time,” as in both songs, Taylor references
giving her ex multiple chances to fix things, and showing them many signs that the relationship
wasn’t working out.
The chorus of the song references seeing the ending of a film and not liking the way it
turns out, which could be a reference to Taylor’s song “If This Was A Movie,” but with a
much more somber ending.
In “If This Was A Movie,” Taylor fantasizes about how things would be different if they
were in a movie, while “Exile” deals with the harsh realities of movies not always having
happy endings.
In “Exile,” Taylor also acknowledges that she sees Justin staring and judging her new
boyfriend, but that she gave him multiple chances to fix things when they were in a
relationship, but he never did.
And the song ends with the idea that the relationship was not ideal for either parties, and that
getting back together is unrealistic because of how bad things got.
Both Taylor and Justin blame each other for the relationship failing, and point out each
other's flaws, further proving that it would never work between the two.
Swifties have been absolutely loving the album, and have taken to Twitter to share some of
their favorite moments.
One fan wrote, “So high key @taylorswift13 is not what I was expecting but I love it.
So far my favorite is exile with @boniver.
It reminds me of an old country song I cant place.”
Another fan tweeted this GIF and wrote, “taylor swift’s exile ft bon iver, coming for all
the best collab awards!! let’s gOoOoo!!!!!!”
And this fan wrote, “what’s your favorite song on @taylorswift13’s new album, #folklore?
for myself, it’s a very close tie between “exile” & “my tears ricochet” — they’re
both such sad & haunting melodies.”
We obviously can’t get enough of the ‘Folklore’ album, and now we want to know your thoughts!
Were there any hidden messages or Easter eggs you found in any of Taylor’s new tracks?
And which song was your favorite?
Let us know in the comment section below.
After that, click right over here to see Dove Cameron play “Lyric Recall” in an exclusive
Clevver interview!
Thanks for watching Clevver Music, I’m Sussan Mourad and I’ll see ya next time!