The relentless Taylor Swift hype that’s gripped the nation finally made its way into my perpetually, culturally-delayed heart. I know my fair share of Taylor Swift songs (more than I thought, having now listened to them all), yet I have never actually listened to one of her albums from start to finish.
My perception at the start of this is that Taylor Swift is a crafty businesswoman and a shapeshifter. In perhaps one of my favorite articles of all time, The Ringer asked “When Did You First Realize Taylor Swift Was Lying to You?” Written in 2016, the article cataloged her ever-changing, ever-present persona, claiming that her ability to play the game of celebrity is unmatched. This last year has proven that the Taylor of 2023 is just as deliberate as the Taylor of the 2010s. From the release of Midnights to the Eras tour to her relationship with Chiefs TE Travis Kelce to her feature film, she’s managed a full year of celebrity spotlight. The Google Trends Chart below confirms her skyrocketing relevance.
In my mind, her popularity has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored, at least if you want to take part in the cultural zeitgeist. How dumb would you feel if you lived through the 1960s and never even gave the Beatles a try? Her ubiquity demands a listen. So here I go, embarking on a listen of every album (original release, not Taylor’s Versions), writing my first reaction to each one. Who knows? Maybe at the end, I’ll be a Swiftie.
The Album Reviews
Before getting into the individual albums, here is my overall review, with albums ranked from best to worst, and my favorite songs, in order.
Taylor Swift - 2006
Reaction: Maybe it’s her youth or bad mixing, or maybe I’m just in for a really bad time, but it felt like Taylor was shouting at me the whole album. I dislike country music, generally, but this didn’t feel all that country to me, minus a few violins, mandolins, and harmonies. My biggest complaint was it felt unbelievable that a 16-year-old wrote all these lyrics.
Best Song(s): “Teardrops on My Guitar” (btw, I had no clue Taylor Swift wrote this until now).
Rating: 3/10
Fearless - 2008
Reaction: The mistakes of her debut album seem mostly fixed in Fearless. It’s much less shouty, and her voice feels more distinct. I’m happy to report the lyrics seem a lot more authentic and believable (though still cheesy). Is this still a country album? I guess, but it’s already toned down. The guitar solos are weak.
Best Song(s): “You Belong With Me”. This is actually a bop. Forgot that I used to guiltily listen to it on the radio in Jr. High.
Rating: 6/10
Speak Now - 2010
Reaction: You could listen to this album back to back with Fearless and hardly notice a change. Perhaps the lyrics are a little more grown-up. Some songs do take an interesting turn into new genres, like “Better Than Revenge”.
My biggest complaint? 5-6 minute songs. That’s way too long. Are long songs a country thing? I’m starting to understand how many of her songs (actually all of them) contain a little micro story. I don’t connect with any of them, and most of the music I listen to has more abstract lyrics.
Best Song(s): “Back to December. When it hits that chorus, I’m hooked.
So this is me swallowin' my pride
Standin' in front of you sayin' I'm sorry for that night
And I go back to December all the time
Rating: 5/10
Red - 2012
Reaction: From the first song, “State of Grace”, I immediately think, this is different. Spacey guitars, reverb vocal, a bit of an Angels and Airways vibe, maybe? It’s a bit of a weird album in that half the songs are the classic country vibe, a handful are a little experimental, and then at least three (“22”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “We are Never Getting Back Together”) are bonafide pop-hits that stayed on the radio for years. These three were all co-written by veteran writers who’ve worked with the likes of Brittany Spears, NSYNC, Katy Perry, and Maroon 5. So is Taylor learning the ropes of pop? Tapping into others for help? The next album will tell.
Thanks to my wife, I also learned about the most cringeworthy pop-culture moment in history with that fool from Owl City. Read more here.
Best Song(s): “22”, though I also really liked “State of Grace” and “Begin Again”.
Rating: 7/10
1989 - 2014
Reaction: Whew, what an album. Could you call it perfect? Not quite. But I definitely didn’t imagine liking any of her albums this much. The whole thing finally sounded like one consistent style, something that’s been in flux since her first album.
There were only two songs I didn’t like upon first listen—“Welcome to New York” (felt a little too on the nose, announcing her change of style) and “Out of the Woods”. I do find myself wondering where she goes from here. Can she keep the same sound and put out another exceptional pop record? Or is she going to switch things up again?
Best Song(s): “Blank Space”, followed closely by “Style”.
Rating: 8.5/10
Reputation - 2017
Reaction: Oh Taylor, what have you done? This album stinks. I’d almost rather listen to her country music again, which is like saying I’d rather be drinking pickle juice.
Before I criticize it further, one compliment—this is by far the most consistent-sounding album across every track. Unfortunately, the sound is the kind of background music that’s playing in an H&M, a pretty good metaphor actually, because while the styling is decent, the actual quality sucks.
Also, what’s with the album art? Is this a female version of an Affliction t-shirt? Should she have a tear-drop tattoo below her eye?
Remember a few albums ago when I was gushing over “Back to December” lyrics? Here’s what we’re dealing with on Reputation, in the song “Dress”.
Carve your name into my bedpost
’Cause I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off, ha, ha, ha-ah
Really inspiring.
I don’t think she can go back to the peppy pop of 1989. My bet is that Lover gets back to more sophisticated, story-oriented lyrics, but without as much energy or catchiness.
Best Song: “Getaway Car”. “Look What You Made Me Do” is probably the most unique and catchy, but geez, it’s laughable now.
Rating: 4/10
Lover - 2019
Reaction: I think I accurately predicted the direction this album would take. A little more mellow, better lyrically, back to her pop trajectory. I wondered if she had lost her mojo, but this was a great album.
Something unexpected happened listening to Lover. I truly fell in love with one of Taylor’s songs. “Cruel Summer” is incredible. I was pleased to learn that Annie Clark aka St. Vincent (one of my favorite musicians) helped write the song. I literally can’t get it out of my head.
At least to me, this is a critical step to enjoying any muscian. Until now, I’ve liked a decent number of her songs, but never had one that I wanted to listen to on repeat. “Blank Space” or “Style” was probably the closest one of her songs had come for me.
Best Song(s): “Cruel Summer”, “Paper Ring”, “London Boy”
Rating: 8/10"
Folklore- 2020
Reaction: We’ve reached the point in Taylor Swift’s discography where I don’t know a single song.
Is the name a bit of a misnomer? I was expecting a more folksy album, but this has more sad-girl mellow vibes, a little similar to early Lana Del Rey, at times. My first listen-through didn’t excite me that much, but then I heard “august” playing in a Target (a very Swiftian place to hear a Taylor Swift song—I also happened to purchase a cardigan), and went back and listened again to some others and caught the vibe. It was great to hear Bon Iver in a duet format (speaking of St. Vincent, “Rosslyn” is probably the better Bon Iver duet).
Best Song(s): “august”, “cardigan”, “exile”
Rating: 6.5/10
Evermore - 2020
Reaction: I guess you have to address the fact that this is the third Taylor Swift album in about an 18-month period. While that’s a cool backstory, it doesn’t really matter unless the songs are actually good. I think both Folklore and Evermore hold their own, but they definitely aren’t as her three previous albums. However, if you were a Taylor Swift fan before the pandemic, it would have been the most amazing thing ever to get two full-length albums in 2020.
Between the two, I think I like the sound of Evermore better, though Folklore has more songs I’d go back and listen to again. I enjoyed the piano on this album.
Best Song(s): “evermore”, “ivy”
Rating: 6.5/10
Midnights - 2022
Reaction: I suppose this album makes sense in the changing landscape of Taylor’s music. It’s darker and moodier, almost like Reputation but without the club beats and more of the depression. I felt like I was listening to the album of someone who’s just been to therapy for the first time and is now way too honest with everyone (see the chorus of Anti-Hero.
At the risk of sounding like my mother, I didn’t enjoy the profanity in this album (geez, how old-fashioned do I sound). Call me a prude, but an f-bomb rarely improves lyrics.
I am glad she’s back to capitalizing her song names.
Best Song(s): Labyrinth, Midnight Rain, Vigilante S***
Rating: 6/10
Am I a Swiftie?
To be brief… no. But I do appreciate her artistry more. Something still bugs me about the way she’s changed her style. There seemed to be a fairly natural progression from country to pop between her first album and 1989/Lover (with Reputation as a weird blip). But then after that, it’s hard not to be cynical. She could pretty much adopt any sound, and I think her followers would take it in stride.
And I guess that’s fine? A singer doesn’t have to have a single sound. I’m not invested enough in Taylor Swift to know whether she’s selling authenticity or whether she’s out to prove you can be anything you want to be, even if that changes from year to year.
I was expecting to hear some songs that unexpectedly gripped me and became new favorites. This only happened once with “Cruel Summer”. That said, I was shocked at how many songs of hers I actually recognized, songs I had heard out in public or on the radio and never realized it was Taylor Swift. She’s everywhere!
It would appear that the true experience of listening to Taylor Swift requires extant knowledge of her relationships, beefs, and histories. This is not something a 28-year-old male like me is going to ever invest in, so I took the songs at face value and mostly first listen.
In the end, perhaps I’m a little disappointed. I wanted a stronger reaction, good or bad, to Taylor Swift. All I can truly say is her music is above average. I was almost expecting something transcendent. Why else would millions of fans be so enraptured by her? Perhaps her music has moved them, spoken to their soul. Or maybe, she’s just an excuse to celebrate girlhood, and that’s enough to shell out a few hundred bucks in concert tickets.
Clearly, I’m not the target demographic, yet the enigma remains.
She seems like just one of 100s of “girl singers.” Good, but not smashingly so. You want truth? You listen to Janis Joplin. You want angst and emotion. Listen to Amy Lee. (Evanescense) You want music-to-buy-groceries-by? Listen to Taylor Swift. Except for thee album where she apparently decided to “be tough,” mistakenly believing being a strong person requires profanity.
She was interesting to watch in her interviews, et cetera, in her Netflix show ( or whatever it was), “Taylor Swift, American Princess” , or whatever it was called. Seems a bit spacey to try to carry on a conversation, though. Kind of like a cuter, younger, sweeter Jessica Simpson.
I’ve never listened to Taylor Swift on purpose - just doesn’t interest me - but maybe I’ve heard her in Costco or Albertson’s. I don’t know.
Listen to Alannah Myles. Now THERE’S a lady who can sing. I’m not talking about “Black Velvet” - throw that one out. Listen to Amy Lee - she pierces right through you. And I’m not talking about “My Immortal” - set that on the shelf.
Taylor Swift? A pretty good singer with very good marketing agents, who inexplicably wears swimwear with sequins to sing in on stage.
As far as “When Did You First Realize Taylor Swift Was Lying to You?”, it was definitely when she claimed that Kanye didn’t clear with her the verse on “Famous” and then Kim K. released the video of the conversation where she said it was fine.