5. “Evermore”

“Evermore” is a piano ballad in which the main character is consumed by deep depression, but they still feel hopeful for the future. Matching the lyrics, the slow melody jarringly shifts in the bridge, and later, it returns to its quiet harmony. For this track, Alwyn not only wrote lyrics but he also played the piano in it.

Just like in “Exile,” the previous collaboration between Swift and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, the singers perform a call and response in the bridge, reaching the climax of the song.

Certainly, “Evermore” is the perfect closure for the standard edition of the album, as it gives the listener a moment to take the album in and process its somber ending.