Taylor Swift

TW: I am not a “Swiftie”.

Forever Favorites would not be complete without a section dedicated to the pop star whose songs raised millions of us. Whether you love or hate Ms. Swift, you cannot deny her impact. I have memories of sitting criss-cross in a circle with my friends on the playground singing her songs as a 7 year-old. I have memories of making those high-quality homeade music videos to her songs with my sister. I have memories of crying about boys to her songs. Feeling seen by her songs. Having fun to her songs. Growing up with her songs. Swift is not just a talented songwriter, she is a storyteller. Her success has been rooted in an exceptional ability to get people invested in what she is singing about. And it works. Her music is accessible to most everyone because it is relatable. And even when its not? Swift manages to keep listeners enthralled with unbeatable pop melodies, top-tier production, and classic commercial catchiness.

You’ll notice that this Forever Favorites collection stops at folklore (2020). I do not subscribe to Taylor Swift’s music for the sake of it. Or because I simply subscribe to her. She, just like any artist, has to earn it. I simply felt as though the following records (i.e. evermore, Midnights, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, The Life of a Showgirl) were not as remarkable as her previous work. As for the Taylor’s Version (TV) albums, I thoroughly enjoyed most of them. That being said, they were (quite literally) nothing new. Of course, they were not trying to be, but the originals were ultimately the ones I grew up with, which is why they are the ones featured here. The other major reason why this collection stops at folklore is because that is simply the age I stopped relying quite so heavily on Taylor’s music. Do I think her songs are for all ages? Yes. Will I ever stop listening to her songs? No. That being said, there is something about her music that resonates especially deeply with younger girls. At a certain age, the lyrics that had previously hit so close to home just didn’t feel quite as transformative anymore. However, while her stories stopped cutting as deep, my appreciation for their value as pop relics has never left. 

I am not going to force Taylor Swift into your ears. But I believe understanding her appeal and impact is important for music lovers universally. 

Taylor Swift (2006)

At just 17 years old, Taylor Swift emerged with a debut album better than some senior artsists put out well into their career. Spunky and sonically diverse, the self-titled album is an piece of nostalgia for anyone craving 2000’s pop country or some good ol’ Swift-style storytelling. By no means a perfect album, the record clearly leaves room for improved vocals and production (as would be expected of a 17 year-old). Likewise, while coherent, the record can feel like a series of singles.

Fearless (2008)

Perhaps her most overall iconic album to date, Fearless was just as big of a hit then as it is now. Featuring some of her catchiest and most dramatic songs to date, the 2008 record was a tremendous step-up from the debut in terms of overall production and vocals. I think part of this more appealing sound came from the shift away from the awkward country sound in Taylor Swift, as Fearless had more of that commerical pop sound while maintaining a country soul.

Speak Now (Deluxe Edition) (2010)

Again, with a country soul but a commerical sound, Taylor dominated the radio with Speak Now with the most theatrics we had seen to-date (i.e. Long Live) With a sonically full, rock-inspired touch, Speak Now unlocked new emotions we had not yet heard in Taylor’s music. Of course, the storytelling on this album was excellent, and I stand by Last Kiss being one of her best and saddest songs ever (THAT BRIDGE!).

Red (2012)

Ah, yes. Red feels like it began Taylor’s defined “eras”. From the tracklist to the Taylor’s aesthetic at the time, Red embodied the early 2010’s tumblr core that is a litte… less nostalgic now (thigh gaps and EDs, fedoras, and skinny jeans is all I remember). Extremely coherent yet her sonically diverse yet, Red was Taylor’s biggest step away from country into a rock-infused pop sound that feels like freedom. While there are some misses on Red for me, the production on the record was her best yet.

1989 (2014)

Taylor’s full throttle into pop brought with her biggest run of smash hits yet. From Welcome to New York to New Romantics, 1989 is candy-coated with some of the catchiest dream-pop ballads of the 2010’s. Taylor’s songwriting at an all-time high combined with top-tier production made for a simply unbeatably fun and timeless record that never goes out of style (pun INTENDED). Nonetheless, 1-2 tracks could have been omitted due to how similar they were.

reputation (2017)

reputation didn’t initially call to me. The buzz surrounding the album was tremendous, but I didn’t find my way to the album until a couple of years post-release. A less sophisticated but arguably more fun record than 1989, reputation was more than just pop music. It was about Taylor’s recovery and comeback following some of the hardest years of her career. Depsite this hardship, Swift was able to emerge with some of her best songs yet (i.e. Delicate, Gorgeous, Dress).

Lover (2019)

Lover, too, was a record that took it’s time to grow on me. The disproportionate attention given to songs like You Need To Calm Down and ME! initially scared me away, but once you sink into the love story of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, Lover becomes an especially beautiful album. While the aesthetic of the album was not one of my favorites (I’m just not a rainbow glitter kind of gal), I think it is a treasure chest of some of her sweetest songs yet.

folklore (2020)

folklore was both bold and safe for Taylor. It was bold in the sense that it was a head-first plunge into folk pop while it was safe in the sense that her songs, for the first time, risked sounding similar to one another. While folklore can be a bit overly-homogenous or repetitive at times, it was indisputably successful at creating a uniquely special atmosphere. It evoked new emotions as an album via both new stories and forms of storytelling.