Most surprises during COVID-19 have been deadly. However, Taylor Swift’s surprise new album “Evermore” is life-saving. After releasing “Folklore” in July 2020, Swift dropped “Evermore” in December 2020. The sequel, or “little sister album,” to “Folklore,” “Evermore” showcases a natural progression of Swift’s talent and should be embraced as an experiment that succeeds even more than its big sister album. 

In order to appreciate this album, listeners should understand the progression of Swift’s music. Swift is a versatile and constantly evolving artist. Earlier in her career, she was a country-turned-pop singer, but with these two new albums Swift is opting for the indie genre. Originally becoming popular as a country artist, Swift released her wildly successful first album, “Taylor Swift,” in 2006, putting her on the music map. In 2012, she released her Grammy-nominated album “Red,” her first pop album. In her latest albums “Folklore” and “Evermore,” her indie vibes are unexpected but successful. Throughout her career, Swift has taken pieces of her music with her as she pushes herself to become a better artist. She is a creative genius, writing brilliant songs within any genre. 

The tone of “Evermore” is mellow and includes acoustic songs. Swift combines many different guitar patterns, piano talent, and layered vocals. The album includes a variety of melodies, emotions, tones, and topics. A simple photo featuring a braided Swift in a flannel shirt standing with her back to camera while gazing out into a leafless grey forest graces the album cover and almost perfectly conveys the new territory that her songwriting explores. 

As if she hadn’t already written such stellar songs for “Evermore,” Swift released a bonus track with two new songs in January. On the bonus tracks, Swift includes the songs “right where you left me” and “it’s time to go,” which are the icing on the cake because of their catchy tunes. This is not a small album with 17 songs, but there are a few standouts. In “champagne problems,” Swift showcases her piano playing while telling the story of a failed proposal from the point of view of a woman who turns down the proposal. “Gold rush” tells about a person who is adored by nearly everyone, but by the end of the song Swift admits that she could never find love with them through a melody that is more upbeat than the other songs.The overlapping guitar picking in “willow” and the warm vocals in “dorothea” characterize how much of a departure this collection is from Swift’s previous style. 

Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has remained a compelling story-teller and an exceptional musician. In “Evermore,” a career-redefining and innovative album, Taylor Swift is sure to win even more fans.