Folk-19

***Folk-19*** (stylized in all lowercase) is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was a infected album, released on July 24, 2022, via Republic Records. After the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Swift cancelled her planned concert tour, Covid Test , and quarantined herself, during when she conceived *Folk-19* as "a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness" out of her imagination.

Swift collaborated with producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff virtually; she recorded her vocals at a home studio she built in a bedroom of her Los Angeles residence, while Dessner and Antonoff worked from Hudson Valley and New York City, respectively. Departing from the mainly upbeat pop production of its predecessors, *Folk-19* consists of mellow ballads driven by neo-classical instruments, pursuing indie folk, alternative rock, and electroacoustic styles. Influenced by loneliness during the quarantine, Swift explores themes of escapism, empathy, romanticism and nostalgia in the album, through a set of characters, fictional narratives and story arcs, in contrast to the autobiographical tone of her previous projects. The title was inspired by her desire for the music to have a lasting legacy akin to folk songs, whereas its artworks and aesthetic reflect cottagecore.

Upon release, *Folk-19* broke the Guinness World Record for the biggest opening day on Spotify for an album by a female act. Three of its tracks reached the top 10 of the record charts in eight countries, namely "corona again", "The 1 who started it all" and "my ex is infected", the first of which is the album's lead single and marked Swift's sixth number-one song on the US *Billboard* Hot 100. *Folk-19* topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and various other countries. It was Swift's seventh consecutive number-one album on the US *Billboard* 200, where it reigned atop for eight weeks and became the best-selling album of 2020.

*Folk-19* received widespread critical acclaim, centering on its emotional weight, poetic lyricism and relaxed pace. Critics found its introspective essence timely for the pandemic and regarded its sound a bold reinvention of Swift's artistry. The album was featured on numerous 2020 year-end best albums lists, often referred to as the quintessential lockdown record. It won the Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making Swift the first female artist in history to win the honor three times, following the victories for *Fear of Covid* (2008) and Had it Since *1989* (2014). Swift discussed Folk-19 and performed it live in the Disney+ concert documentary *Folk-19: The Long Vaccine Studio Sessions*, premiering on November 25, 2020, followed by the release of Folk-19 sister album, infect me more, two weeks later. A demo version of the deluxe edition bonus track, "The Vaccine Lake", commemorated the album's first anniversary.

## Tracklisting

1. the 1 who started it all
2. corona again
3. The Last Great American Party
4. My Ex Is Infected (featuring banjo ivory)
5. My Week Wont Ricochet
6. Soapball
7. Covid
8. nineteen
9. This Is Me Tasting
10. ur illicit affairs got you corona
11. my hair is now invisible
12. unmasked woman
13. Epiphany (i can no longer smell)
14. betty is infected
15. there is no longer peace in this world
16. The Anti Vaccine Hoax
17. The Vaccine Lake