In a plot twist no one saw coming, except perhaps every English major, Taylor Swift dropped ‘folklore’ in July 2020 in a linen-clad bomb of emotions and lowercase song titles. Gone were the glittery synth-pop spectacles of ‘1989’ and ‘Lover’, replaced by moody metaphors, cardigan-core, and the subtle hum of indie melancholy. It was Taylor Swift with a library card and heartbreak in gray scale. And evidently, that drastic shift struck gold.

‘folklore’ just hit a milestone so poetic and persistent, the only fitting award left is a hand-embroidered Grammy sweater.

Taylor Swift’s folklore has made another Billboard record

Taylor Swift’s ‘folklore’ has now officially spent a full five years on the Billboard 200, a feat achieved by very few albums in modern music history. The surprise quarantine-era release debuted at Number One in July 2020 and has remained on the chart ever since. With its stripped-back production, narrative lyrics, and indie-folk aesthetic, ‘folklore’ marked a sharp artistic pivot for Swift, one that clearly resonated deeply with listeners and critics alike.

In addition to this remarkable five-year Billboard 200 run, ‘folklore ‘also holds the distinction of spending the most weeks at Number One on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart. With eight cumulative weeks at the summit, the record positions ‘folklore’ as not only a pop-culture moment but a defining work within the alternative genre. Taylor Swift, once crowned the princess of pop, has also now carved a permanent space into the indie-folk canon.

With all the records that the album is taking under its wing, one would naturally wonder the secret ingredient to its success.

The secret ingredient to folklore’s success

‘folklore’ marked a significant departure from Taylor Swift’s earlier works. Trading polished pop production for muted tones, acoustic arrangements, and indie folk influences, the album showcased a more introspective and literary songwriting style. Collaborations with Aaron Dessner of The National and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver helped shape its subtle sonic texture. Tracks like ‘mirrorball’ and ‘seven’ steered away from autobiographical content, instead weaving fictional narratives and emotional vignettes that demonstrated Swift’s versatility as a storyteller.

The album’s themes, grief, longing, escapism, and reinvention, resonated with a world in isolation. Its success was not only commercial but also cultural, earning Taylor Swift the Album of the Year Grammy and solidifying her position as a genre-crossing auteur. Five years later, ‘folklore’ continues to chart on the Billboard 200 and holds alternative records, proving that a soft-spoken album released in solitude has left one of the loudest echoes in recent music history.

What is your favorite track from ‘folklore’? Let us know in the comments down below!