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As one of the undisputed pop superstars of the online age, Swift’s particularly avid fanbase has been known to scrutinize her lyrics for revelations about her personal life. Yet aside from a poignant tribute to his opera-singing grandmother, Marjorie, it would be difficult to draw any conclusions about her private affairs from this neatly transformed set of fictions.
There are underlying themes of forbidden or dangerous love (Ivy, Long Story Short), romantic neglect (Gold Rush, Tolerate It), and grudging forgiveness for exes (Happiness and Closure). But they are tales in which men can be just as despised as women (Champagne Trouble), and they playfully take noir turns in Cowboy Like Me (about con men in love) and No Body, No Crime, where members of the sister gang from Los Angeles, Haim, lend their backing vocals (and, indeed, the names of the characters) to a story of spousal murder. If these songs were autobiographical, the police would have to get involved.
Fans may note with interest the presence of a new co-writer on various tracks, credited as William Bowery, but Swift revealed that he is her longtime British boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn. Marcus Mumford also makes an appearance, providing a shadow voice on Cowboy Like Me. Two other guests elevate the strangest songs on the album. Coney Island introduces Dessner’s band, The National, and offers a glimpse of where their aesthetic lies, with Swift’s lucid and melodious voice countered by the murmured intensity of Matt Berninger’s shattered baritone.
American maverick Bon Iver (who also contributed to Folklore) makes a guest appearance on the title track, which feels like a bleak Swift love ballad being emotionally ripped apart by Bon Iver’s strange high-pitched voice and left field lyrical sensibilities. This, I suspect, is the collision Swift is looking for, breaking her pop instincts and freeing her into surprising musical spaces.
As a direct follow-up, Evermore may lack the shocking chill of Folklore, but it is yet another graceful and emotional singing gift. Where Swift goes from here is anyone’s guess. This is musical fun made possible by the pandemic’s mandatory absence of touring, giving Swift time to explore less traveled musical paths. With no sense of rhythm or urgency, and no rush to get to chorus, these aren’t songs built for stadiums. Will it work as usual again in 2021? Or will Swift walk further down this winding road?
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