Top 10 Best Taylor Swift Folklore Evermore Era Performances

Given how much comfort she’s given listeners over the years, it makes total sense that Taylor Swift has a song called “Peace.” And this performance feels like a warm embrace amidst uncertainty. The track focuses on the feeling of loving someone but not being able to promise them stability, particularly not when you’re a target of constant attention like Swift. In this intimate performance, Swift puts her heart and soul into every word and expression. Meanwhile, Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff lend just enough melodic support without overpowering Swift and her tender, heartfelt delivery.

You know that feeling of standing by a lake and just meditatively watching the waters? Apparently, so does Taylor Swift, who captures that vibe perfectly on this track, the closer to the “Folklore” deluxe edition. “The Lakes” is a haunting ballad inspired by England’s famed Lake District. While the studio version is enhanced with instrumentation like strings, saxophone, and piano, this one keeps relatively stripped back. But if there was ever a song that deserves as intimate of a presentation as possible, it’s this one. The reverb on Swift’s delicate vocals make her sound like a ghost singing a beautiful elegy right before our eyes.

One of the most satisfying parts of following Swift’s career is seeing just how much she’s matured, both as an artist and a person. “This Is Me Trying” is a dream-pop knockout about being aware of her recurring problems in relationships but taking the steps necessary to move forward and persevere in spite of any anxieties. This version emphasizes the piano to great effect. But the undeniable star of it all is Swift, who delivers these very personal lyrics as if she’s speaking to us directly. She is trying, and by all accounts, she absolutely succeeds.

Taylor Swift has shown so much talent in so many genres, it can be easy to forget that she was first primarily known as a country artist. But this song - and performance - shows she hasn’t forgotten her roots. At the Academy of Country Music Awards, Swift gave a moving performance of this acoustic ballad, sung from the perspective of a teenage boy named James, apologizing to his titular girlfriend for being unfaithful. Wearing a gorgeous, shimmering sequin top, Swift shines brightest of all, particularly when she gives an infectious smile during the chorus. With every strum of her guitar, and bittersweet syllable expressed, Swift showcases her talent for capturing teenage feelings of heartbreak at any age.

Remember what we just said about how well Swift captures teenage feelings? Well, the same applies for how she captures even younger feelings. “Seven” is a spellbinding number reflecting on a childhood friendship with someone who’s being mistreated at home. While Swift’s narrator might be too young to fully understand what’s going on, her lyrics offer important context clues without overpowering the song’s message of hope for a better tomorrow. And this performance, with its softly strummed guitar and Swift’s simultaneously caring and concerned vocals, keeps that hope alive. This song and this rendition are both absolute 10s.

An epiphany is a profound realization that suddenly hits you. And this song hit us the moment we heard it for the first time. With its images of wartime violence, and themes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not exactly the kind of Taylor Swift song you put on at a party. But it deserves to be recognized as one of her most evocative works. This performance is another great display of Swift’s knack for conjuring vivid images and intense emotions with her voice alone. And once again, she finds absolute harmony with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Though recent years have been difficult and confusing, we’re grateful to have Swift to let us know we’re not alone.

The titular “mirrorball” of this song is a disco ball that you might find on a dance floor. But Swift manages to take that carefree image and turn it into something much more complex. And this performance shows just how much dimension she has. Over jangling guitars, Swift sings in multiple registers as she addresses the exhaustion of being constantly in the spotlight as well trying to maintain different versions of yourself for different people. Though Swift may be one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, she never loses touch with the many realities of being human.

The first voice we hear on “Exile” is not Taylor Swift’s, but of Justin Vernon, of the acclaimed indie band Bon Iver. Though his face is covered, the feelings of sorrow in this aching breakup songs can be clearly seen, particularly in his wounded howling. Then, when Swift enters, we’re brought into her narrator’s headspace. Both artists sound amazing on their own, but when they’re voices converge, a new kind of magic is unlocked. The two were recorded in separate spaces, but the combination of their beautiful voices makes it feel like they’re in the same room, singing right in front of us.

In an Instagram post, Swift described this song as being about an “embittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of his fallen object of obsession.” And if that pain comes through on the studio version, it really comes through here. Swift sings with hesitation, regret, and unflinching honesty as she addresses the other person about their mistreatment as pointedly as she can. In contrast to the original, with its grand climax, this one is much more stripped-back instrumentally. But even if it was completely a cappella, we’d still be in awe of Swift and her magnificent performance. It’s always okay to cry, especially when listening to an artist bare their soul like this.

It might seem a bit like cheating to have three songs at number one. But this isn’t a tie, it’s a medley! It had been five years since Swift’s last Grammy performance, and she came back in style, performing a trio of great songs in truly remarkable fashion. She begins lying down but still letting her voice ring out as she sings the yearning “Cardigan” atop a mossy cabin. Then, she seamlessly transitions to the graceful and dreamy “August,” singing and playing guitar right alongside her collaborators. She ties things up with a rollicking rendition of “Evermore” lead single “Willow.” She deservedly won Album of the Year later that night. But this performance showed Taylor Swift is a winner no matter what.

Do you agree with our list? What performance from the “Folkore”/”Evemore” era do you love the most? Let us know in the comments!