Hoax (song)

2020 song by Taylor Swift

"Hoax"

Song by Taylor Swift
from the album  Folklore
Written| July 2020
Released| July 24, 2020 (2020-07-24)
Studio|

* Long Pond (Hudson Valley)
* Kitty Committee (Los Angeles)

Genre| Chamber
Length| 3:40
Label| Republic
Songwriter(s)|

* Taylor Swift
* Aaron Dessner

Producer(s)| Aaron Dessner
Lyric video
"Hoax" on YouTube

"Hoax" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the track with its producer, Aaron Dessner, as the last track written for the album. A minimalist piano sentimental ballad and a chamber track, "Hoax" is about a flawed but everlasting relationship; Swift describes the details using motifs, religious imagery, and impressionistic storytelling.

Some music critics praised "Hoax" for its production and lyrical imagery, while others deemed it unremarkable. Commercially, the track reached the national charts of Australia, Canada, and the United States, and received certifications in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of "Hoax" as part of the documentary film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and its live album in 2020, and performed it once on piano at the Eras Tour in 2024.

## Production and release

[edit]

Taylor Swift began working on her eighth studio album, Folklore, during the COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020. She let her imagination "run wild" during the isolation, resulting in a collection of imageries that became Folklore.[1][2] Swift wrote the album's sixteenth track, "Hoax", with its producer, Aaron Dessner.[2] It was the last track written for the album; Swift wrote its lyrics days before Folklore's release, and they both agreed that it should be included on the album. She advised Dessner not to "try to give it any other space other than what feels natural to [him]" before he developed its production.[3][4][5] He recorded the track with its mixing engineer, Jonathan Low, at Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley, and additionally played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, OP-1, and synth bass. Laura Sisk recorded Swift's vocals at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles, and Randy Merrill provided mastering at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City. Rob Moose served as the orchestrator and played violin and viola.[6]

"Hoax" is the final track on the standard edition of Folklore, which was surprise-released on July 24, 2020.[3][7] Swift recorded a stripped-down rendition of the track in September 2020 for the documentary film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and its live album.[8][9] On June 28, 2024, she performed "Hoax" on piano as part of a mashup with her song "Sweet Nothing" (2022) at the first Dublin show of the Eras Tour (2023–2024).[10]

## Music and lyrics

[edit]

"Hoax"

A sample of "Hoax", featuring a slow-paced piano instrumentation with guitars and muted strings

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Hoax" is three minutes and forty seconds long.[7] It is a slow-paced piano sentimental ballad and a chamber track written in the waltz tempo.[a] The track incorporates a minimalist production,[13] a downbeat arrangement,[15] percussion,[16] muted strings,[17] and double-tracked vocals.[18] Paste's Grace Byron described it as "blistering hymnal",[15] and Slate's Carl Wilson thought that it evoked the "naked intimacy" of Joni Mitchell's music.[19] The lyrics describe a flawed but everlasting relationship[12] and the narrator's belief in a "faithless love".[11] Swift details the messiness of the relationship using motifs,[4][20] religious imagery,[21] and impressionistic storytelling.[22]

The first verse features lyrical references to other tracks in Swift's discography, such as "Holy Ground" ("This has frozen my ground") and "Look What You Made Me Do" ("My smoking gun"). According to Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim, Swift compares the trauma of the backlash she experienced in 2016 to the suffering inflicted by the narrator's relationship with her partner ("You knew it still hurts underneath my scars/ From when they pulled me apart/ But what you did was just as dark").[4] The narrator demonstrates her commitment to her lover even through the toughest times ("Don't want no other shade of blue but you/ No other sadness in the world would do").[4][23] "Hoax" ends Folklore with a despondent note during the outro.[4][24]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Music critics generally praised "Hoax" for its production and lyrical imagery. Business Insider's Courtney Larocca called the song "sneakily brilliant", and Ahlgrim found much of the lyrics "beautiful and devastating"; they both lauded the lyricism and placed the song at number thirteen in their ranking of the album's seventeen tracks.[25] Michael Sumsion from PopMatters lauded the production elements and Swift's vocal delivery as "convincing and textured".[26] Punch Liwanag from Manila Bulletin picked the lyric "Don't want no other shade of blue but you/ No other sadness in the world would do" as one of Folklore's lines that evoke an imagery and its corresponding emotion,[17] while Hannah Yasharoff and David Oliver from USA Today deemed the lyric "Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in" one of the best lyrics in Swift's discography.[27]

Some critics considered "Hoax" and its narrative unremarkable. NME's Hannah Mylrea deemed it the least memorable track on Folklore,[14] and Pitchfork's Jill Mapes regarded it as one of Folklore's songs that "could use some selective pruning".[28] John Wohlmacher from Beats Per Minute dubbed the track "disappointingly clinical",[29] while Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times considered the narrative unremarkable.[11] Teen Vogue's P. Claire Dodson deemed "Hoax" an "odd" closing track: "It's not a breathless fresh start, but it is a promise."[30] "Hoax" appeared in rankings of Swift's discography by Mylrea (116 out of 161),[14] Vulture's Nate Jones (69 out of 245),[21] and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield (114 out of 274).[31]

## Commercial performance

[edit]

"Hoax" reached the national charts of Australia (43)[32] and Canada (51);[33] the former's Australian Recording Industry Association gave it a gold certification for surpassing 35,000 track-equivalent units.[34][35] In the United States, the song reached number 13 on the Rolling Stone Top 100 chart and number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[36][37] It additionally entered at number 14 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative chart, where it stayed for nine weeks[38] and appeared at number 62 on the chart's 2020 year-end.[39] The track peaked at number 62 on the Audio Streaming chart in the United Kingdom.[40] "Hoax" received gold certifications in Brazil[41] and New Zealand,[42] and a silver certification in the United Kingdom.[43]

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Folklore.[6]

* Taylor Swift – songwriter
* Aaron Dessner – songwriter, producer, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, OP-1, synth bass, recording engineer
* Jonathan Low – mixing engineer, recording engineer
* Laura Sisk – vocal recording engineer
* Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
* Rob Moose – orchestrator, viola, violin

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Hoax"  | Chart (2020)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[32] | 43
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33] | 51
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[40] | 70
US Billboard Hot 100[36] | 71
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[38] | 14
US Rolling Stone Top 100[37] | 13

### Year-end chart

[edit]

Year-end chart performance of "Hoax"  | Chart (2020)  | Position

|

US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[39] | 62

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for "Hoax"  Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[34] | Gold  | 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[41] | Gold  | 20,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] | Gold  | 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Footnote

[edit]

1. ^ Attributed to the Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood,[11] Time's Raisa Bruner,[12] The Observer's Kitty Empire,[13] and NME's Hannah Mylrea.[14]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "'It Started With Imagery': Read Taylor Swift's Primer For Folklore". Billboard. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
2. ^ a b Staruss, Matthew; Minsker, Evan (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift Releases New Album Folklore: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
3. ^ a b Gerber, Brady (July 27, 2020). "The Story Behind Every Song on Taylor Swift's Folklore". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
4. ^ a b c d e Ahlgrim, Callie (July 31, 2020). "Every Detail and Easter Egg You May Have Missed on Taylor Swift's New Album Folklore". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
5. ^ Shaffer, Claire (December 18, 2020). "Aaron Dessner on How His Collaborative Chemistry with Taylor Swift Led to Evermore". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
6. ^ a b Swift, Taylor (2020). Folklore (CD deluxe edition liner notes). Republic Records. B003271102.
7. ^ a b Swift, Taylor (July 24, 2020). "Folklore". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
8. ^ Monroe, Jazz (November 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift Releases New Folklore Film and Live Album". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
9. ^ Warner, Denise (November 25, 2020). "11 Things We Learned From Taylor Swift's Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
10. ^ Gomez, Dessi (December 8, 2024). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Played on Her Eras Tour". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
11. ^ a b c Wood, Mikael (July 26, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Folklore: All 16 Songs, Ranked". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
12. ^ a b Bruner, Raisa (July 25, 2020). "Let's Break Down Taylor Swift's Tender New Album Folklore". Time. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
13. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (August 1, 2020). "Taylor Swift: Folklore Review – Love and Loss in Lockdown". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
14. ^ a b c Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift Song Ranked in Order of Greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
15. ^ a b Byron, Grace (April 23, 2024). "The Masochistic Acrobatics of Taylor Swift". Paste. Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
16. ^ Campbell, Caleb (July 29, 2020). "Folklore". Under The Radar. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
17. ^ a b Liwanag, Punch (August 3, 2020). "Folklore Is Signature Swift but Minimalist". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
18. ^ Nickells 2024, p. 162.
19. ^ Wilson, Carl (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's New Album Reveals That Social Distancing Has Served Her Well". Slate. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
20. ^ Bruner, Raisa; Chow, Andrew R. (November 27, 2020). "The 10 Best Albums of 2020". Time. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
21. ^ a b Jones, Nate (May 20, 2024). "All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
22. ^ Zaleski 2024, p. 187.
23. ^ Bentley, Galloway & Harper 2025, p. 40.
24. ^ Willman, Chris (August 8, 2020). "Taylor Swift, Prince, Bon Iver and More in Fri 5, the Best Songs of the Week". Variety. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
25. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie; Courtney, Larocca (July 25, 2022). "Taylor Swift's Folklore: Every song on the Album, Ranked". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
26. ^ Sumsion, Michael (July 29, 2020). "Taylor Swift Abandons Stadium-Pop for a New Tonal Approach on Folklore". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
27. ^ Yasharoff, Hannah; Oliver, David (December 3, 2024). "Taylor Swift's Best Lyrics Definitively Ranked". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
28. ^ Mapes, Jill (July 27, 2020). "Taylor Swift: Folklore". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
29. ^ Wohlmacher, John (July 27, 2020). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – Folklore". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
30. ^ Dodson, P. Claire (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Folklore Is Death by a Thousand, Perfect Cuts". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
31. ^ Sheffield, Rob (April 25, 2024). "All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
32. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – Hoax". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
33. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
34. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
35. ^ "ARIA Accreditations". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
36. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
37. ^ a b "Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 – July 30, 2020". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
38. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
39. ^ a b "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
40. ^ a b "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
41. ^ a b "Brazilian single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hoax" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
42. ^ a b "New Zealand single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hoax". Radioscope. Retrieved December 19, 2024. Type Hoax  in the "Search:" field.
43. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hoax". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

### Sources

[edit]

* Bentley, Christa Anne; Galloway, Kate; Harper, Paula Clare, eds. (2025). Taylor Swift: The Star, The Songs, The Fans. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-00-329964-6.
* Nickells, Kev (2024). "Album Guides". Taylor Swift for Adults: Taking Swift Seriously. White Owl. pp. 47–190\. ISBN 978-1-399-05275-7.
* Zaleski, Annie (2024). "The Folklore Era". Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs. Thunder Bay Press. pp. 172–189\. ISBN 978-1-66720-845-9.

* v
* t
* e

Taylor Swift songs

* Singles discography

Taylor Swift|

* "Tim McGraw"
* "Picture to Burn"
* "Teardrops on My Guitar"
* "A Place in This World"
* "Should've Said No"
* "Our Song"

Fearless|

* "Fearless"
* "Fifteen"
* "Love Story"
* "Hey Stephen"
* "White Horse"
* "You Belong with Me"
* "Breathe"
* "You're Not Sorry"
* "The Way I Loved You"
* "Forever & Always"
* "The Best Day"
* "Change"

| Taylor's Version|

* "You All Over Me"
* "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
* "That's When"

|

Speak Now|

* "Mine"
* "Sparks Fly"
* "Back to December"
* "Speak Now"
* "Dear John"
* "Mean"
* "The Story of Us"
* "Never Grow Up"
* "Enchanted"
* "Better than Revenge"
* "Innocent"
* "Haunted"
* "Long Live"
* "Ours"
* "If This Was a Movie"

| Taylor's Version|

* "Electric Touch"
* "When Emma Falls in Love"
* "I Can See You"
* "Castles Crumbling"

|

Red|

* "State of Grace"
* "Red"
* "Treacherous"
* "I Knew You Were Trouble"
* "All Too Well"
* "22"
* "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
* "The Last Time"
* "Holy Ground"
* "Everything Has Changed"
* "Starlight"
* "Begin Again"

| Taylor's Version|

* "Nothing New"
* "Message in a Bottle"
* "I Bet You Think About Me"
* "Forever Winter"

|

1989|

* "Welcome to New York"
* "Blank Space"
* "Style"
* "Out of the Woods"
* "All You Had to Do Was Stay"
* "Shake It Off"
* "I Wish You Would"
* "Bad Blood"
* "Wildest Dreams"
* "How You Get the Girl"
* "This Love"
* "I Know Places"
* "Clean"
* "Wonderland"
* "You Are in Love"
* "New Romantics"

| Taylor's Version|

* "'Slut!'"
* "Say Don't Go"
* "Now That We Don't Talk"
* "Suburban Legends"
* "Is It Over Now?"

|

Reputation|

* "...Ready for It?"
* "End Game"
* "I Did Something Bad"
* "Don't Blame Me"
* "Delicate"
* "Look What You Made Me Do"
* "So It Goes..."
* "Gorgeous"
* "Getaway Car"
* "King of My Heart"
* "Dress"
* "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"
* "Call It What You Want"
* "New Year's Day"

Lover|

* "I Forgot That You Existed"
* "Cruel Summer"
* "Lover"
* "The Man"
* "The Archer"
* "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince"
* "Paper Rings"
* "Cornelia Street"
* "Death by a Thousand Cuts"
* "London Boy"
* "Soon You'll Get Better"
* "False God"
* "You Need to Calm Down"
* "Me!"
* "Daylight"

Folklore|

* "The 1"
* "Cardigan"
* "The Last Great American Dynasty"
* "Exile"
* "My Tears Ricochet"
* "Mirrorball"
* "Seven"
* "August"
* "This Is Me Trying"
* "Illicit Affairs"
* "Invisible String"
* "Mad Woman"
* "Epiphany"
* "Betty"
* "Peace"
* "Hoax"
* "The Lakes"

Evermore|

* "Willow"
* "Champagne Problems"
* "'Tis the Damn Season"
* "Tolerate It"
* "No Body, No Crime"
* "Happiness"
* "Dorothea"
* "Coney Island"
* "Cowboy like Me"
* "Long Story Short"
* "Marjorie"

Midnights|

* "Lavender Haze"
* "Maroon"
* "Anti-Hero"
* "Snow on the Beach"
* "You're on Your Own, Kid"
* "Midnight Rain"
* "Question...?"
* "Vigilante Shit"
* "Bejeweled"
* "Labyrinth"
* "Karma"
* "Sweet Nothing"
* "Mastermind"
* "Hits Different"
* "Bigger Than the Whole Sky"
* "Would've, Could've, Should've"
* "You're Losing Me"

The Tortured Poets
Department|

* "Fortnight"
* "The Tortured Poets Department
* "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
* "Down Bad"
* "So Long, London"
* "But Daddy I Love Him"
* "Fresh Out the Slammer"
* "Florida!!!"
* "Guilty as Sin?"
* "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"
* "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
* "Loml"
* "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart"
* "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
* "The Alchemy"
* "Clara Bow"

| The Anthology|

* "The Black Dog"
* "Imgonnagetyouback"
* "So High School"
* "Thank You Aimee"

|

Soundtrack songs|

* "Crazier"
* "Today Was a Fairytale"
* "Safe & Sound"
* "Eyes Open"
* "Sweeter than Fiction"
* "I Don't Wanna Live Forever"
* "Beautiful Ghosts"
* "Only the Young"
* "Carolina"

Featured songs|

* "Two Is Better Than One"
* "Half of My Heart"
* "Both of Us"
* "Babe"
* "Gasoline"
* "Renegade"
* "The Joker and the Queen"
* "The Alcott"
* "Us"

Other songs|

* "Best Days of Your Life"
* "Ronan"
* "Highway Don't Care"
* "Better Man"
* "Christmas Tree Farm"
* "All of the Girls You Loved Before"

* Category

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