"exile" by Taylor Swift ft. Bon Iver, Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Trying to unclutter today as it was Korean presidential elections, which is a holiday, I listened to folklore again as I played with my adult Legos, assembling two wardrobes and a desk. This was sparked by hearing "exile," when I watched music cynic Todd in the Shadows' only positive list of the year, his "Top Ten Best Songs of 2020." Even the most cynical of critics--Todd in the Shadows being one of the most cynical along with A Dose of Buckley--praised folklore. 

YOU NEVER GAVE A WARNING SIGN. Taylor Swift's 2019 album Lover helped the 29-year-old singer shake off her reputation from both self-indulgent lyrics and overly processed EDM tracks. Lover was the logical follow-up to her critically acclaimed 1989, but something about the Taylor Swift formula was getting stale. Lover ended the feud between Swift and Katy Perry and Swift began tackling controversial subjects from LGBTQ+ rights to sexism. Lover, however, was in classic Swift fashion songs about Taylor Swift. Lover was the logical conclusion to the pop star, and fans began to expect this kind of light, fluffy pop sound with more socially conscious lyrics from the singer. This expectation made folklore all the more shocking. There were two takes on the album that I heard in podcasts today. The first was the argument by the podcast The Dish that the lyrics of folklore were metaphorical but ultimately deeply personal. The hosts bring up how Swift was dealing with issues with Scooter Braun and her former management as well as falling deeper in love with English actor Joe Alwyn. The argument Dr. Kutter Callaway presents on Where Do We Go From Here? is that Swift is writing social commentary. His theory is that Swift has realized that many ideals that are touted in American society are a lie. However, Callaway says that the Taylor in folklore says, "I realized that it's a lie, but I still want it."

YOU'RE NOT MY HOMELAND ANYMORE. Where Do We Go From Here? is a progressive Christian podcast, and the thesis of Dr. Callaway's argument is that Taylor Swift's music parallels an American demographic starting with Disney princesses and ending in shows like The Bachelor. He uses Swift's stardom as a backdrop for a chapter in his book Breaking the Marriage Idol: Reconstructing Our Cultural and Spiritual Norms, especially with examining American purity culture. One thing I've been thinking about since I've been listening to "exile" is, what if Bon Iver's character is not a person, but a toxic ideology that plays out in groups of people and embodied in individuals, but not actually a single person. It's a system that you've unmasked, but without missing a beat, the system puts the mask back on and pretend it never happened, hoping to fool you again. Maybe it's a theology that has a sweet taste but with toxic side effects. Maybe it's political ideology that doesn't live up to its ideals. Maybe it's an unethical company that tries the same thing on unsuspecting customers. "I've seen this film before," I know how it ends, yet I see you giving the guided tour, making the sales pitch, laughing at the same jokes you did when you were trying to sell it to me. There's a side glance between us when I pass you on the street. I shake my head and lower it as I pass by, you pause for a second, partially thrown off your sales pitch, but only skipping a beat, you continue with your guided tour, spouting lies. Nope. I've since this one before.

Lyric Video:

folklore: the long pond studio sessions version:

Read “​exile” by Taylor Swift on Genius.