TIME Magazine: folklore #1 best album of 2020

[whoresup 1,688]

Can someone make a gif of Britney Spears where she goes ‘you’re wrong’ in that iheart fan quiz?

Does anyone know what I’m referring to? 

[StrawberryBlond 13,296]

Lyrically, it's quite strong, probably one of her best written works yet, but the music its set to is another matter, as is the way she chooses to sing it. It's just sonically uninteresting and the apparent storylines that run through it about random people I've never heard of is even more uninteresting. At least The Last Great American Dynasty was a little bit juicy so I could get into it a bit more but everything else was just like, I don't care who this song's about or care about this storyline, I've heard this done before a lot better. She still suffers from the same issues her music always has - occasional cringey lines ("and when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favourite") coupled with oftentimes off-key singing (The 1 is the absolute worst for this). When I heard this was a folk/acoustic type album, I got quite excited because one of my all-time favourite songs from her is Safe & Sound, which embodies this style. Sadly, it was nothing like that, which I see as a massive missed opportunity.

5 hours ago, Trenlord said:

I think the problem that a lot of people on this site who don't like it have with it is the fact that in this day when most albums being released are roughly 40 minutes long, an album double that length with songs that are slow to moderate tempo in mostly piano and guitar with some other instruments style is hard for them to listen to and remain interested.

People criticize that it sounds like one unending song, but I don't think that's a fair criticism because the first time you listen to most albums unless there are some really standout tracks or songs that really speak to you lyrically, you're going to find that you don't remember the way songs that appeared earlier on the album sounded and songs blend together easily until you give it more listens.

Not to mention the general member base here seems to be predominantly interested in upbeat dance music.

I think the whole "someone like you just can't appreciate an album like this" is a bit of a cop-out excuse. Every time I say I don't like a certain type of song, I'm usually accused of just not being into that type of music and that's why I don't get it. The truth is that I listen to so many forms of music and I appreciate so many genres and I also understand there's a right/wrong and a good/bad way to do them. Stripped back acoustic pieces can be good. At their best, they can be deeply moving bodies of work that bring me to tears. But at their worst, they can be monotonous, dull and forgettable. And while Folklore isn't the worst example I've heard, it's firmly in that ballpark. And as someone who reviews music, it's actually very easy to work out which songs are standouts when you're following along and marking down your ratings as you go and look at them as you progress. With this album, it was (scores out of 5 for each song), just 2 after 2 after 2, punctuated by an occasional 2.5 or 3. And going back to some songs again, I'm not any more moved than I was initially. Just let people dislike what doesn't do it for them, music shouldn't be something you force yourself into liking.

[ProdigyARTPOP 3,882]

Perfect & Ungodly Hour deserved #2 

& anyone who doesn’t like Folklore and sees it as one long snooze fest obviously doesn’t know how storytelling works.

[MessyTop 12,965]

haters gonna the hate hate hate ....

 

[Oyster 2,458]

they didn’t lie though 

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

It’s a great album, thoroughly enjoy it still! It released at a time when I needed it and it helped me weather my frenetic, sad emotions I was feeling at the time (and still feel today tbh). Of course, art is subjective and people will have their opinions, but I’m not mad at something like this being at a #1 spot on someone’s list. 

[Taylucifer 4,878]

yep yep yep

[Aussie 2,798]

Need to finally give it a listen. I’ve only listened to cardigan 1-2 so far.

[Ladle Ghoulash 11,377]

Imagine thinking folklore is better than Fetch the Bolt Cutters lmao such clownery 

[Lighter 15,376]

20 minutes ago, deactivated001 said:

Imagine thinking folklore is better than Fetch the Bolt Cutters lmao such clownery 

I still can’t digest that album it’s really noisy

[mattbri 1,332]

Chromatica not even in the top ten huh

[Ladle Ghoulash 11,377]

23 minutes ago, Lighter said:

I still can’t digest that album it’s really noisy

I just think it’s far more innovative and introspective than folklore 

[NewUsername 10,338]

Hmm, I like Taylor but for me this is quite a boring album.        

[Goldfish 577]

It’s a great album for sure. In my top 15 of this year. But it’s not AOTY at all. 
And I can’t with everyone calling it a folk album when it’s nothing of the sort. 

it’s just acoustic pop. 

[BornAsUnic0rn 1,856]

19 hours ago, nath4gaga said:

I'm commenting because people seem to be obsessed with celebrating mediocrity because it comes from a person they like. Hayley Williams', The Weeknd's, Bob Dylan's, and Rina Sawayama's albums are all a million miles better. And before you try to paint me as someone who only likes regular pop music you should know I have a broad range of taste (pretty much most things except screamo and rap). The album is bland, dull, and the lyrics are average. She doesnt emote with her voice AT ALL. The melody is uninspiring and simple. It seems she just went for a melancholic sound for the whole thing with no peaks and troughs.

 

But if you like that sort of thing, go off I guess...

Wow, a third post in the same thread?

You definitely have your own issues. Why can’t you accept that people like this album? Everything about music is subjective. Do what Taylor did with the album this thread is about and show growth. LORD.