Taylor Swift’s graceful storytelling talents continue to baffle industry professionals and average listeners alike. Swift has remained at the forefront of commercial music since the release of her first pop-country album in 2006. Her ability to keep the world on its toes with a constantly shifting image and musical style proves that Swift has branding prowess.
Before Covid-19 overtook the world with its devilish tendencies, Taylor Swift’s chordal structures and harmonic content persisted in fitting nicely into the “basic pop chord progressions” box. Before 2020, Swift had only two songs in her catalogue featuring key changes (“Love Story” and “Getaway Car”). As the Covid pandemic unfolded, Swift had no choice but to postpone and eventually cancel the oh-so-anticipated LoverFest, a Boston-based concert event where she’d planned to perform alongside some of today’s biggest pop music icons. Upon the cancellation of the event, Swift’s social media presence dwindled and the hype began to fade … until July 24th, 2020, when Swift’s longest album ever, folklore, was suddenly available for streaming. Months later, Swift announced that yes, another surprise album would be available for streaming only hours after its release was announced. Swift considered this album, evermore, the “sister album” to folklore.
Both folklore and evermore feature poetic writing which flows through the biographies of an array of characters and contrasts with Swift’s previously autobiographical content. The aesthetic is one of storytelling and encompasses the namesakes of the album, creating a flow of thoughts and ideas which all somehow fit together like puzzle pieces in a world of diverging characters and shifting perspectives. The new sister albums explore music theory to a depth which was simply never present in Swift’s previous releases. New chord structures, modal interchange, and modulations flow throughout the albums. Evermore even features two songs in 5/4 (“tolerate it” and “closure”)!
One piece which has caught the attention of many old-time Taylor lovers is folklore track “betty.” The song’s story is told from the perspective of a teenage boy, James, as he struggles with his feelings for Betty, whom he deeply hurt. The song’s musicality is phenomenal in many ways, including a bass line which walks down the C major scale and a progression featuring a bittersweet C/B chord in the verse. We find a beautifully executed whole step key change at 4:05 which leads listeners into the final chorus with a release of passion as James finally decides to “show up at [Betty’s] party” and ask for her forgiveness. The song’s storytelling, form, and modulation are reminiscent of Swift’s “Love Story,” which also uses a key change in the final chorus to create a burst of hope and happiness as the story shifts in climax towards positive resolution.
“betty” is nostalgic for lovers of Taylor Swift’s early pop-country writing and brings something those long-time Swifties love into an album full of stories. The song is calculated, raw, and rich with musical elements to analyze. With well-treated guitar samples and a beautiful use of panning, the track is polished and sophisticated while remaining spritely and zestful. Take a listen for yourself …
Maya Wagner is a singer/songwriter and music producer currently studying at Berklee College of Music. Maya is passionate about sharing her experiences with mental illness and her LGBTQ identity through her music. She blogs about all things music production on her website and has established a broad web presence as an artist, performer, and producer.
Maya is MotD’s first intern. Watch this space for her continuing contributions!
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