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'folklore' vs. 'evermore' - Which one is better?

The age-old (but not really, seeing as these albums were released three years ago) question: which of Taylor Swift's indie albums is better? The coveted folklore or majorly underrated evermore? Here's my take as a big fan of both!

While folklore is definitely more popular and successful, evermore is better. This all comes down to opinion and what type of songs you like. For me, the ones from evermore hit differently and more meaningfully. But to fully understand why, you have to understand the difference between the two albums.

They are both indie, on the quiet side, and rather slow compared to Taylor's other albums. However, they are based on fiction rather than real-life events and use detailed, complex vocabulary to fully convey the songs' meanings. One might think they have no difference at all, but I have noticed one big thing. Folklore songs don't have an underlying beat, but evermore songs have an undercurrent of rhythm, like, 99% of the time.

This makes a big difference to me because I think songs sound better that way, catchier, and more finished. For a clear comparison, listen to "right where you left me - bonus track" from evermore and "epiphany" from folklore. Notice how RWYLM has a soft but obvious rhythm you can use to follow the song and sing along? And how "epiphany" is like a lake of slow rippling water- there's really no beat and the words can come and go at a whim. It's a good song, but rather inconvenient or at least, the slightest bit of a wild ride to listen to.

I discovered this was a big factor in choosing songs I liked when I assessed my favorite songs from folklore- "cardigan," "the 1," and "the last great american dynasty." All of these have quiet but existing beats and all those songs are, in my opinion, superior to the rest of the album.

Now, since evermore is made up of songs like that, it's just better in my opinion. I also just like the edgy quietness of evermore. The vibes I'm getting are heartbroken undercover assassin. Just me? Okay. But folklore is pretty much all sadness. While evermore has tales of sadness too, it also has triumph, reverence, and bittersweet longing with just a dash of murder. And I think all these emotions make for a much more complex, entertaining, and rich album.

Next, let's address a popular arguing point for the folklore stans: evermore has better individual songs, but folklore has a stronger album as a whole. I think part of what they're getting at is that folklore songs tie together while evermore songs aren't that related.

My question is, why is that a problem? All the songs from evermore are in the same genre, so they'll be sorted together no matter what. And not every album has to have songs telling a story. In folklore, there's the love triangle trilogy- "cardigan," "august," and "betty." There's nothing like that in evermore, but I think this is an issue for this album because fans got that in folklore and expected evermore to be the same. Yes, they're sister albums and have the same genre. But since when has Taylor done anything predictable? Releasing an almost identical album would be boring, almost, and evermore would be folklore pt. 2 even more. So yeah. I don't think the lack of a general storyline is anything bad. Certainly not a reason to dislike the album.

Another reason I prefer evermore is that, for the most part, folklore songs sound pretty similar. I'm not going to go out and call them identical, but the relation is there, especially between the songs at the end of the album. Meanwhile, evermore songs can't be accused of that. The slow beat in "gold rush" clearly contrasts with the bittersweet piano in "champagne problems." Yes, they're all different-sounding, but they all still relate to each other. Just because songs don't follow the same pattern throughout the album doesn't mean the album isn't good as a whole. In fact, I think it makes the album better. I would much prefer a musically diverse album than a cookie-cutter one where they follow the same rhythm (although folklore pulled that off really well).

In conclusion, I think the argument of evermore having better individual songs but folklore being better in general kind of backfires in the end. Because songs make up an album, and if the songs are better, the album is better. I have a feeling if evermore was released first, it would be in the position of folklore. Whatever comes next seems a little like a copy no matter what, so even though I think evermore deserves more attention, I understand why it was received like it was.

Again, this is my opinion. And I'm not trying to diss folklore and call it names and whatever. Because the truth is, these are both amazing albums! This is just my personal preference. Write me yours in the comments below!