We’re back and in honor of August sipping away like a bottle of wine, it’s time to reflect on Folklore. We’re doing a track-by-track analysis, theorizing on the line between fiction and reality in the Taylorverse, discussing Taylor’s ability to draw a universal feeling from a wildly niche vignette, and generally deep diving left & right. Buckle in, babies.

Sidebars this week: Facebook Marketplace finds, “you’ll never get away from the sound of the woman who loves you,” Madeline’s pre-Folklore connection to Holiday House, Taylor Swift’s real estate investments, Hannah turning into a snob about vinyl, Nicole Kidman’s accents and wigs, is Jack Antonoff weird??, Strawberry Wine by Deanna Carter, Sally Rooney and Brandy Jensen in conversation with Illicit Affairs, Jill Gutowitz predicting Taylor’s bear suit Instagram, and Taylor’s cheugiest lyrics.