YMMV / folklore (2020)

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • The gender of James, the narrator of "betty", is subject to much debate. Is James a boy, a girl, or non-binary?^note "James" being a male name may seem pretty cut-and-dry, but many have noted that James can and has been used as a Gender-Blender Name for girls—in fact, the song namedrops both someone named James and someone else named Inez. James, Inez and Betty are the names of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' daughters, and they're both friends of Taylor's. Plus, Taylor herself was named after James Taylor. And even disregarding all that, James could easily be into Last-Name Basis, which means they could be any gender. Are they a fully fictional character, a stand-in for someone Taylor knows, or a stand-in for Taylor herself?
    • Taylor has since confirmed (in a blurb for country radio and in Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions) that "betty" is written from a male perspective, but that hasn't stopped fans from thinking of James as a girl.
  • Is the other girl James hooks up with Inez, or another, unnamed girl from their school? Some has suggested her name is "August."
    • Taylor herself seems to concur with the latter. In Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, she commented that she imagines the girl's name to be "Augustine" or "Augusta."
  • Is "seven" simply about a childhood friend, or did the narrator have a crush on them? The lyric "you won't have to hide in the closet" also implies that the friend's father might be abusing them in response to them being gay.
  • While the Teenage Love Triangle is officially connected by "cardigan," "august," and "betty," some have also linked other songs as possibly being part of the same story. For example, some think the narrator of "seven" might be a childhood friend of Betty's ("seven" alludes to the friend's father being abusive; "cardigan" has Betty accuse James of "leaving like a father"). There's also a case to be made for "hoax" being narrated by Betty as an adult; whether the unhappy relationship she sings about is hers and James', having gone sour once more, or another future paramour, is up for debate, but either way, it's depressing.
  • The line in "hoax" about the narrator standing "on the cliffside, screaming 'give me a reason'" can be interpreted two ways, both quite dark. One is that she's asking her lover to prove he truly loves her and give her a reason to live. The other is that she's basically daring him to push her buttons one more time and give her a reason to jump.
  • Is Taylor feeling proud or sad when being branded as being the woman who is "ruining everything" in "the last great american dynasty"? The wording of the song and the way she sings it can be interpreted either way. There's also the fact that she express rage as being called a "mad woman" in a later song complicated the matter.
  • Did James outright cheat on Betty? If so, is it justified (or at least more understandable) by the fact that she was with someone else at the school dance? Or were they friends that could've become something more, but not actually dating? (Many in the "James is a girl" camp suggest that both were too afraid of their feelings to do anything about it, but James came to the dance hoping to actually ask Betty out properly... only to see her with some guy. Though the lyric “kissing in my car AGAIN” in reference to James and Betty in “betty” would seem to debunk this.)
  • The answer to that question also significantly impacts how sympathetic August is; did she knowingly go after another girl's partner, or did she genuinely think James was single? Or, if James was single, then that means she probably had every reason to hope their fling would become a real relationship, only to get her heart broken when they go back to Betty when summer ends.
  • "Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends?" Many have noted that the meaning of that line changes a lot based on what gender you think James is, and whether or not they actually cheated. If James is a boy who cheated on his girlfriend and now wants forgiveness, calling her friends stupid is really not the way to go about it. But if James is a girl finally professing her love for Betty in front of everyone, it's asking her to be brave enough to accept her, no matter how her friends may react.
• Applicability: What exactly "my tears ricochet" is about is open to interpretation. On the surface, it's about someone who tormented the protagonist showing up to their funeral as a last proverbial middle finger. Is it about a literal or metaphorical funeral? If you take the latter interpretation, it opens up a few possibilities. Is it a romantic break-up with an abusive partner? Is it about a false friend who used you? Another way it can be seen is as a metaphor for business deal that's gone bad because someone you trusted stabbed you in the back. This calls to mind Taylor's less than amicable departure from Big Machine in late 2018, especially with the lyric "You hear my stolen lullabies."
• Epileptic Trees: The identity of "William Bowery" (one of the credited writers for "exile" and "betty") sparked tons of speculation, as it's clearly a pseudonym, as "Bowery" had no online presence and there's no known songwriter or other industry professional by that name. In Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, Bowery was confirmed to be Joe Alwyn; Swift, Aaron Dessner, and Jack Antonoff playfully poked fun at the speculation.
• Even Better Sequel: Many critics and fans have called folklore Taylor's best album to date, due in part to album's subdued nature, unconventional music stylings compared to her previous works, and narrative songwriting.
• Fan Nickname: "August" for the third party of the Teenage Love Triangle, since the other two parties (James and Betty) are already named. Swift herself has stated that she thinks of the unnamed girl as "Augusta" or "Augustine".
• Fanon:
  • Many fans consider "Safe and Sound" to a bit of a predecessor to this album due to its similar style.
  • The third party in the Teenage Love Triangle being named August. For the record, Taylor has said she imagines her name as "Augusta" or "Augustine."
• Gateway Series: This is the album that got several non-fans of Swift (or pop music in general) to appreciate her music and become fans, mainly due to it being a New Sound Album different from her earlier country and Synth-Pop albums and displaying a more stripped down and aesthetically honest approach.
• LGBT Fanbase: Yeah. Between some songs dripping heavy in Les Yay implications, especially "betty" and "illicit affairs," the general lack of male pronouns, and the album's aesthetic invoking the "cottagecore" subculture, which is very popular among lesbians, this album has made Taylor's already-existing gay fanbase very happy, and brought in a whole slew of converts.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • After Swift and Joe Alwyn's break-up in 2023, "peace" goes from being an ode to her love for her partner to a rumination on all the ways their relationship was likely doomed. With many in the press claiming the split was partially due to Swift's increase in fame and media attention in the wake of this album's release, it appears that the ultimate answer to "Would it be enough if I can never give you peace?" was no.
  • "invisible string" is a Silly Love Song heavily based on Taylor and Joe Alwyn's relationship and their growth as people, as demonstrated by the narrator now sending presents to the child of her ex, widely speculated to be Joe Jonas. By 2023, not only had Taylor and Joe broken up, but Joe Jonas had separated from his wife and entered a highly publicized custody battle.
• Memetic Mutation: "mouth-fuck" you forever ^Explanation  The first verse of "mad woman" contains the lyrics, "Does she mouth, 'Fuck you forever?'" referring to saying something without talking. However, a lot of people have missed the comma and misheard it as, "does she 'mouth-fuck' you forever?" Taking it to be in reference to a woman giving oral sex that lasts forever. It's become a joke to point out that this highlights the importance of grammar and commas.
• Misaimed Fandom: Being a love song to a female subject, some fans claimed "betty" as a lesbian love song, some even wondering if it was Taylor coming out as attracted to women. In reality, the song is sung from a male perspective, a boy named James, though the song only says his name once so it's easy to miss.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Word of God stating that James and Betty got back together made the entirely of "betty" this, with the apology coming off as petty with James calling her friend stupid and blaming the girl in "august" for his cheating.
• Viewer Gender Confusion: Taylor sings "betty," so a lot of fans assumed the character singing is supposed to be a girl. The bridge reveals that their name is James, probably indicating that they're supposed to be a boy, but some fans have pointed out that it could be a Gender-Blender Name—Taylor knows at least one girl named James (who has sisters called Inez and Betty, the other names in the love triangle trilogy) and was herself named after a man. However, in an interview, Taylor confirmed James to be male.
• Why Would Anyone Take Him Back?: The fans's universal reaction to Word of God that she thinks James and Betty would get back together in The Long Pond Studio Session is this.
• Win Back the Crowd: After mixed-to-positive reviews for both reputation and Lover, folklore opened to universal critical acclaim.

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