base talk Folklore Vs 30: Riskier era?

[Cleanromantic]

According to Adele fans , 30 was a reinvention and a risk for her and the songs were too experimental for the GP. That's why it only spent 20 weeks in the top 50, despite having the huge hit Easy on me.

 

Yet Folklore, the alternative and indie folk album, spent 63 weeks in the top 50 (20 in the top 10) and is likely to be above 30 on the upcoming weeks (It was 57 last week). Folklore is considered another reinvention for Taylor, the songs are  unconventionally composed and structured, and it had no hit singles yet managed to have great longevity.

 

Which era is riskier? How did folklore manage to outlast 30 despite having no hit singles and being an alternative record? 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Cleanromantic

[Arrows]

folklore by far

 

Could’ve been a panned catastrophe and deemed inauthentic if the quality hadn’t been there. No pop singles, minimal percussion, new sound for her that she had never experienced commercial succes with before, no promo, majority of album produced by a man she had never worked with before, which is very risky in itself. 

[Cleanromantic]

1 minute ago, Arrows said:

folklore by far

 

Could’ve been a panned catastrophe and deemed inauthentic if the quality hadn’t been there. No pop singles, minimal percussion, new sound for her that she had never experienced commercial succes with before, no promo, majority of album produced by a man she had never worked with before, which is very risky in itself. 

 

But 30 has 5 minutes piano ac ballads.

[pccp]

Adele's music is nothing new

[BabyBenzz]

Nothing about 30 was risky, 30 sounds like a rerecording of her older albums..  

6 minutes ago, Arrows said:

folklore by far

 

Could’ve been a panned catastrophe and deemed inauthentic if the quality hadn’t been there. No pop singles, minimal percussion, new sound for her that she had never experienced commercial succes with before, no promo, majority of album produced by a man she had never worked with before, which is very risky in itself. 

i fully agree with this

[Velvet Night]

18 minutes ago, Arrows said:

folklore by far

 

Could’ve been a panned catastrophe and deemed inauthentic if the quality hadn’t been there. No pop singles, minimal percussion, new sound for her that she had never experienced commercial succes with before, no promo, majority of album produced by a man she had never worked with before, which is very risky in itself. 

This! 
 

30 is an album that is musically barren of creativity and originality with most of the songs sounding almost the same. There is nothing risky about it. 

[favorite crime]

I mean 30's lead single was dragged for sounding exactly like her last two albums. The second single sounds like any generic Katy Perry/One Republic etc... mid-2010s pop single. The only risk is how boring it is

[chiliam]

34 minutes ago, Arrows said:

folklore by far

 

Could’ve been a panned catastrophe and deemed inauthentic if the quality hadn’t been there. No pop singles, minimal percussion, new sound for her that she had never experienced commercial succes with before, no promo, majority of album produced by a man she had never worked with before, which is very risky in itself. 

This.

30 is as safe as it can. And those 6 minutes ballad could been seen as risky if those song doesnt sound like a snooze fest.

[Jynx]

Folklore. It was a toned down departure from her usual sound and she succeeded. 

30 was just another 25/21 facsimile.

[Cheers]

neither is risky

 

Fans have been wanting an alternative-folk album from Taylor since the 2xplatinum, Grammy award winning Safe&Sound back in Dec 2011. And 30 is a typical Adele album. 

[Bloodflowers.]

30 has the range, different variations of sounds and vocals

 

Folklore is a long, unlistenable funeral noise

 

I usually listen to singers, I very rarely listen to people who cannot sing so I'll have to go with the real, talented singer on this one

 

[enchanted0]

the poll result says itself

 

[abrahamjmr]

Glad to see what the Swiftie consensus is.

 

Both albums were risky bur folklore was a complete change of direction for Taylor. It got the acclaimed and was praised to heavens because it was a quality out of work.

 

30 was a risk but not in the same way as folklore was. Both albums are amazing and those saying it sounds like a re-recording of her past work should get their ears checked.

[Blankspace2010]

Neither were experimental or risky. 

[aesthetic bih]

the landslide!

[Navyofbadgals]

I wouldn’t say 30 has no experimentation/risk whatsoever, but Adele mostly experimented within a lane she’s already familiar with. Meanwhile Taylor ventured into a completely new sound without radio ready singles. Folklore was def the bigger risk, and we haven’t even talked about the wildly different rollouts either

[Taylucifer]

Lover to Folklore vs 25 to 30

 

what do you think 

[byzantium]

30.  Releasing bad music is always risky.

[GraceRandolph]

3 minutes ago, byzantium said:

30.  Releasing bad music is always risky.

This

[Dear Reader]

folklore and it's not even close...

 

Adele will never release anything "risky" because what she does works and the GP eats it, even if doesn't spend a long time on the charts. She has longevity and will always have GP support.

[tonyle1911]

30 is far less risky than Folklore, but still a risk compared to 21/25, yet the risky sound on the album is too boring. The marketing idea (light up all the landmarks) was innovative, but nothing has been done after the album out. I think the CBS concert ruined the hype for me, as I was more interested in the old songs she sang (with clear improvement) rather than songs from 30. I drink wine / Hold on is a slow burn, I only like the song after a while.

 

folklore experiments the new sound for Taylor, new marketing idea was the surprise announcement with no physicals available first week. The only live promo was Betty which was not even the single. But still managed to win AOY and been on the chart for such a long time. 

[Taylor Sniffs]

30 because she released it after 6 years instead of 5. Her first three albums were spaced out in 3 (2008-2011) and 4 (2011 to 2015) years. Logically, she should have released 30 in 2020, but she skipped a year instead. 

[Badgalbriel]

30 was way more risky. You just don't disappear for 6 years and then come back with a bland, tasteless, more-of-the-same record like that and call it a day.

[LosingHimWasBlue]

32 minutes ago, byzantium said:

30.  Releasing bad music is always risky.

[Keeandga]

Honestly, neither are that risky.