On July 24, Taylor Swift had a surprise release for “folklore,” her eighth studio album. The release was kicked off with the premiere of the “cardigan” music video.

There was a significant vibe change in this album compared to Swift’s past work. While I did listen to it when it first came out, the album reminds me of the fall and winter seasons, so it just feels right to listen to it during this time of the year.

It really impresses me how Swift has managed to successfully reinvent herself with each album release. The transition from her last album “Lover” to “folklore” was pretty dramatic, but it never felt forced or weird to me.

She has conquered many genres over her career, with the latest one being indie folk. I think this genre suits not only her voice but also her songwriting style.

Swift branched out creatively with this album by writing songs from the perspective of people she knows and fictional characters she imagined. Three of the songs on the album tell the story of a teenage love triangle, “cardigan,” “august” and “betty.”

I enjoy the storytelling aspect of this album, and I think that is something Swift has executed well throughout her entire career.

Swift worked closely with producer Jack Antonoff for this album and featured the band Bon Iver on the song “exile.” Antonoff has worked with Swift in the past, along with other artists, such as Lorde, Lana Del Rey and Kevin Abstract.

These pairings all make a lot of sense to me, and I think they were crucial for developing the sound of the album.

My top tracks on the album are “august,” “illicit affairs” and “betty.” Not only are they all extremely well done, but they also just make me happy, and I love to belt out the lyrics to them.

Overall, there are only a few songs on the album that I would skip. The album had to grow on me because I enjoy it way more now than I did upon my initial listen. I would rate it a 8/10, and I encourage others to go listen to it.

21abrooks@usd489.com