Sarah Greening, Editor in Chief.
You can always count on her to come back stronger than a ’90s trend.
And no, we’re not talking about scrunchies, bucket hats, and fanny packs; we’re talking about none other than Taylor Swift.
While most of us were navigating Zoom calls and falling down the TikTok rabbit hole in 2020, Swift released her eighth and ninth studio albums — folklore and evermore — over the span of five months. That is an impressive feat for any artist, let alone one who is isolated from their co-writers and collaborators during a global pandemic.
Unlike her typical album releases that are filled with months of anticipation, singles, and hidden messages that Swift refers to as Easter eggs, folklore’s surprise release came just hours after its social media announcement:
What followed was a social media frenzy and, at midnight, the largest debut on the Billboard 200 in 2020 soared the charts. 1.3 million copies were sold on the day of its release alone. folklore became the best-selling album of the year and Swift’s first album to remain at number one for six consecutive weeks.
December’s evermore — coined by Swift as folklore’s sister album — is quickly following suit. Since its release, evermore has been on the Billboard 200 chart, with three weeks at number one and one week at number two. Similar to its sibling, evermore was also announced on social media in the morning and promptly released that same evening.
The two were also Swift’s first albums that were not mostly based on her own life experiences. Instead, Swift wandered into imaginary tales and fictitious characters. From a teenage love triangle to a wife who suspects her husband of infidelity (with an Olive Garden tie-in, nonetheless), folklore and evermore delve into fantasy and escapism, all while staying true to Swift’s talent for lyrical prose.
It would be easy to attribute this commercial success to the simple fact that Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift (after all, this is the woman whose eight seconds of accidentally released static noise reached number one in Canada); but, we cannot forget just how impeccable Swift’s PR and marketing strategy is. She has built a fanbase and a brand based on her storytelling and vulnerability. Through genre changes and public feuds, Swift has captivated and held onto a loyal audience — something that all communicators and marketers strive to achieve.
The cardigan
At the same time as folklore’s release, the music video for the lead single “Cardigan” premiered on YouTube. In the final scene of the video, Swift wears a cream cable-knit cardigan with embroidered stars on the sleeves. Immediately after the premiere, a replica of the sweater (with an added folklore patch) was available for purchase on the Taylor Swift website for $49 USD.
Fans were not the only ones to dawn the cardigan, however. Swift sent several cardigans to her celebrity friends, accompanied with a handwritten note that read read, “I hope this cardigan will keep you cozy in these extremely un-cozy times. Sending you a socially distanced hug and all my love, Taylor.” Many of these celebrities posted photos of the unexpected gift on social media, which further promoted the song, video, and overall album.
thank you for the cardigan and the beautiful, intricate, mystical new album @taylorswift. your ability to create unbounded and ever growing music is the most inspiring. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/7yZh6kQtls
— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) July 24, 2020
In a full-circle moment, the music video for evermore’s lead single “Willow” opened with Swift once again sporting the infamous knit.
Deluxe versions and bonus tracks
folklore was released on digital platforms as a 16-track album, while the physical deluxe editions — available exclusively on Swift’s website for only one week — included a bonus track titled “The Lakes.” Buyers were told to expect shipping times from anywhere between two to 16 weeks. The Rolling Stone recognized this as being a great marketing tactic to keep fans anticipating and further interested in the album.
Nearly a month after its release, the deluxe edition of folklore was finally available to stream and download. Swift garnered attention for the album all over again.
In December, Swift followed the same strategy for the 15-track evermore; although, this time, the deluxe physical edition included not one, but two bonus tracks: “Right Where You Left Me” and “It’s Time to Go.” Additionally, the online store featured a digital booklet of the album with exclusive evermore photoshoot pictures ready for download. The deluxe version was not available on streaming platforms until a month later, and both songs subsequently climbed the charts once released.
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions on Disney+
In November, Swift unveiled an original film, “Folklore: The Long Pond Studios,” available exclusively on Disney+. The film featured interviews with Swift and her co-writers, giving a glimpse of the songwriting process, and acoustic performances of every song on the album. In true Taylor Swift fashion, a deluxe edition album with performances from the Disney+ special was released the next day.
Not a lot going on at the moment
It is important to keep in mind that Swift claimed she had “not a lot going on at the moment” in April, just months before folklore was released.
To reference the song “Invisible String” on folklore, were there clues I didn’t see? The answer is most certainly, and it begins with this foreshadowing Instagram post. But the clues didn’t end there. On Nov. 22, Swift posted yet another photo with the same cryptic caption:
Two days after that post, the Disney+ Long Pond Sessions debuted. Two weeks after the post, we were introduced to evermore. Lesson learned: never trust Taylor Swift when she says that there is not a lot going on at the moment. Instead, take it as a tease that something very big is in the works.
It is not an overstatement to say that 2020 was the year of Taylor Swift. Between two surprise albums, two music videos, an original film, numerous remixes, and endless content, Swift truly made a lark of the misery that is COVID-19 (she also provided me with way too many lyrics to incorporate into this article, but that is beside the point).
There is no doubt that Swift is a household name, eloquent songwriter, creative mastermind, and savvy businesswoman. For nearly 15 years, she has provided the words and melodies that so many of us have needed during various life stages. For over a decade, she has been an artist who is unapologetically herself, even when the media has degraded her, and fans have adored her for it.
Swift is the epitome of effective PR and marketing, in the music industry and beyond. She has built a brand on being authentic and open; she has a mutual affliction with her fanbase; and, she knows just how to promote her projects, even when they are least expected. Above all, Taylor Swift understands exactly what her devoted listeners need and value. Sometimes, that need is a tearful ballad on unrequited love. Other times — as was the case in 2020 — it is 34 whimsical songs that transport us to an alternate reality, while our own world seems to fall apart.
