10 FAN THEORIES ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT’S NEW ALBUM ‘FOLKLORE’
From Joe Alwyn’s ‘Cardigan’ to ‘Betty’ being the name of Ryan Reynolds’ kid, check it out
While Taylor Swift may not have created the most intensive Easter egg process with the release of Folklore, connections can still be made between her eighth album and her personal life. The fandom has exploded in a search for deeper meanings to the parts of her life that Swift tries to keep private. Here is a list of 10 of our favourite theories:
‘BETTY’ HAS A LOT TO SAY
The fandom has a lot to say about Betty, told from the perspective of someone named James. While some fans think Swift wrote the song from the perspective of a 17-yearold boy, some fans are not buying it. According to Vulture, “Taylor Alison Swift is named after one James Taylor. So when she’s singing as James, telling a story about James, she’s telling a story about herself.”
SWIFT BROKE UP WITHJOE ALWYN
Many of the songs on Folklore are sad. The sad songs often address themes that hint at a break-up or ended relationship. Thus, as Elle puts it, fans are panicking over the break-up songs on Folklore because they associate the songs with Swift’s personal life, meaning she may have broken up with longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT PHOTOS ON THE EIGHT VERSIONS OF THE ALBUM. WHAT DO THEIR TITLES MEAN?
Swift plans to release eight different versions of digital albums and vinyls for Folklore. The eight different photos she uses all have titles from her songs or related to the photo they caption. Betty strikes again in this roundup of theories from Elite
Daily. Harry Styles also has some mentions by fans.
‘THE LAST GREAT ‘AMERICAN DYNASTY’ AND ‘BETTY’ ARE CONNECTED
Add another point for Betty, but also beware of
The Last Great American
Dynasty. The latter is basically a history report on the previous owners of Swift’s Rhode Island mansion. Fans start speculating when they connect the name Betty to the name of the wife in the song, Rebekah Harkness.
COTTAGECORE
Fans are going off the rails about the elements of ‘cottagecore’ in Folklore. ‘Cottagecore’ is an aesthetic or style that emphasises the return to older times and traditions such as baking, pottery and foraging as ways of life. The internet has taken the concept and adopted its surface-level looks and whimsical atmosphere as seen in her album art.
SWIFT REVEALED THE NAME OF BLAKE LIVELY AND RYAN REYNOLDS’ THIRD CHILD
Betty seems to be dominating the fan theories, and with good reason.
Pop Sugar has highlighted the idea shared by many fans that the song reveals the name of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ third daughter. According to the article, “Because the 30-year-old singer mentions the names of Blake and Ryan’s two older daughters, Inez and James, fans theorised that Betty, the only other name in the song, belongs to the youngest Reynolds girl.”
THE TEENAGE LOVE TRIANGLE
The teenage love triangle that Swift mentioned in the lyric videos for her new songs, which she announced in the YouTube comments on her official lyric videos for all 16 songs. has received a lot of fan analysis. The consensus is that it involves the three songs Betty, Cardigan and August.
THE CARDIGAN
What Swift is wearing in the album photos belongs to Joe Alwyn? Hopelessromantic fans are musing that the Cardigan of such high importance that it inspired a song belongs to Joe Alwyn.
THE MEANING OF ‘FOLKLORE’ AND WHY SWIFT CHOSE IT FOR HER ALBUM TITLE
Refinery 29 explores this topic with a roundup. According to Refinery 29,
Folklore itself has two main meanings: one being the traditional customs preserved among a community, like stories, legends, songs, sayings, dances, and popular beliefs. The other meaning of folklore is a belief that’s been widely circulated and well-known without any supporting evidence.
WHO IS WILLIAM BOWERY?
Bowery is believed to be an alias for Alwyn, hinting at a collaboration between them. This theory seems to be the one most fans want to prove.