When Taylor Swift released folklore, the term "cottagecore" was thrown around as a descriptor of its sound. An aesthetic born from the starry-eyed young minds on TikTok and Tumblr, cottagecore is a simple enough concept: knitting, baking, foraging, farming, and similar trappings of a quaint existence all fall under the umbrella. Functionally, imagine life in the woods. Spiritually, cottagecore feels like a yearning for simpler and uncomplicated days.
When NYLON tasked ourselves to uncover more cottagecore-sounding songs that could sit alongside folklore, we found ourselves drawing up a moodboard ranging from the verdant folk of Big Thief, to the Miyazaki-like wonder of Japanese composer Hiroshi Yoshimura. Dive into it after the jump, and follow the playlist on Spotify.
"betty" - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's dip back into country features nostalgic storytelling that feels as warm as an old blanket.
"poison arrow" - yeule
Perhaps a tune to play after you mistakingly forage your first poisonous mushroom.
"pictures of flowers" - Jess Williamson, Hand Habits
This slow-paced folk tune from singer-songwriters Jess Williamson and Hand Habits is a sweet indulgence.
"Cattails" - Big Thief
There's not a song more green and pastoral-sounding on this playlist than Big Thief's prismatic "Cattails."
"GREEN" - Hiroshi Yoshimura
The delights of Hiroshi Yoshimura's "environmental music" (a modest descriptor) seem to align with the wider aspirations of the #cottagecore aesthetic: warmth and simplification.
"County" - Alex G
Dark folk unfurling equally dark tragedies.
"The Barrel" - Aldous Harding
Cryptic and eccentric folk that comes across more like a fairytale with a lesson.
"Lilacs" - Waxahatchee
You can almost smell the flowers while listening to this one.
"Wild Heart" - Ada Lea
Plucky guitar makes this introspective song flitter by like a hazy afternoon daydream.
"Garden Song" - Phoebe Bridgers
Is there a more perfect tune for tending to your garden?
"Giving Up" - Whitney
Bask in the warmth of Whitney's eternal summer.
"Bobby" - Beabeadoobee
This acoustic tune, as bleak as it may seem, channels the quaint introspectiveness of cottagecore.
"Kitty's Farm" - Kitty
Twinkling xylophone and Zelda-like flutes make this instrumental track a dreamy escape.
"The Bug Collector" - Haley Heynderickx
A tenant of cottagecore seems to be appreciating the wonders of life no matter how small. On this Heynderickx tune the microscope turns to the critters of the Earth.
"Secret Medicine" - Vagabon
The warm, crackly texture of Vagabon's "Secret Medicine" makes it sound like an outdoor serenade at dusk.
"Japan" - Ryuichi Sakamoto
Flute and faint bird song make this track by the renowned Japanese composer sound like it waltzed straight out of a Miyazaki film.