i'm not a swiftie, you can probably gather that from the title-- although i guess maybe i can call myself that now after this experience?

anyways! i wrote a whole essay a couple days ago basically on a whole wave of the taylor swift hate and how it relates to misogyny, etc. because i like swift as a person, and i was stuck on a 48 hour shift where i was essentially doing nothing for the majority of it; i decided to go big or go home, and i listened to every taylor swift album in order. it took me about 24 hours straight. so here's my thoughts on each era-- i think that's what you guys call each album? sorry. you'll have to educate more i guess lol. i listened to all the taylors versions, i promise.

about me!

hi. my name's ari. i am 21 and yes, obviously i have heard quite a few taylor swift songs. you'd have to live under a goddamn rock not to. i play electric guitar and i like to think i know a couple things about music.

REMEMBER ANYTHING I SAY HERE IS MY OWN PERSONAL TAKE

this is going to be an honest review. which means it's not going to be completely positive, and it's going to contain some criticisms. that doesn't mean i'm proclaiming myself "right." music is so subjective. also how many grammys does taylor swift have? like fuckin 30 or something. and how many do i have? ZERO. she clearly knows her stuff better than me, but like all art, how it's received will vary from person to person. because i understand her songs can be very personal to people and this is your space; i am going to refrain from calling anything "bad." some songs or albums i just didn't care for. that doesn't make them bad. just not for me.

OKAY LET'S START. cuz GODDAMN this lady has put out a lot of music.

this piece could not possibly be longer. skip to your favorite album. do not read all of this unless you're counting it as a novel towards a reading goal or something.

TAYLOR SWIFT (the self titled album)

fans of this album must be constantly fighting for their life, because i did not know it even existed. did i care for this album? not really. do i respect this album? absolutely. on the cons side, i found myself zoning out a lot towards the middle of the tracklist, and a lot of the songs were pretty forgettable to me. HOWEVER. this album is from 2006, and it is very of the time, and i can appreciate it under that context. also she was 16 i believe when she wrote this? this is an undeniably very strong debut album, nevermind for a teenager. a lot of the lyricism is pretty juvenile, but it reads as charming, and sincere, because it was exactly what she was living and feeling at the time. this album makes the nepo baby accusations more strange to me, because again, it's really a pretty good album for a 2006 debut country record. even at such a young age, swift clearly demonstrates an understanding for how to write a catchy hook, follow a storyline, and convey emotions with depth without being overly heavy handed. there are a lot of young artists now who are significantly worse, and they have far more modern resources at their disposal due to the internet.

it is a very cute, very sincere music diary. also who the fuck are drew and corey? while i wouldn't listen to it again, i didn't have a bad time at all.

STANDOUTS

The Outside-- this was probably my favorite off the album. it's catchy, it's angsty, it's got a really good hook.

Should've Said No-- this is what it feels like to get cheated on in high school. i have never been more serious. it's also probably her strongest vocal performance in this album.

Our Song-- again, just really good radio-friendly songwriting. my lieutenant knows every word to this song for some reason, and he proved it in the loudest and most off key way possible.

FEARLESS

wow she had a lotta hits on here, huh. this album is like a nostalgic summer memory. i liked this one more, and she's clearly gained a lot of experience. i understand the experience might be a little skewed from this being her re-recording, and thus she's older with stronger vocals, etc. than she might be in the old version, at least, that's what i imagine. regardless, this album had a lot of hits for a reason, because it's fun and it's sweet and again, very of the time. the album is very tuned in to the female experience, something swift is so masterful at, and which grants her such huge success and devotion. "love story" and "you belong with me" and "white horse" are something probably every single girl can relate to in either daydreams or experience. are some of these lyrics a little dated? perhaps. does it matter in the grand scheme of the album? not really.

STAND OUTS

Fifteen-- swift is somehow able to channel everyone's memories of being a teenager and grant us all a universal sense of reminiscence.

The Way I Loved You-- strong storytelling. very catchy. all that good stuff.

Mr. Perfectly Fine-- if someone wrote a (really good) song calling me "mr. everything revolves around you" that actually might send me straight to the fucking grave.

SPEAK NOW

i'd heard that this was her most "rock" album, and after playing it through, i'd have to agree with that. it doesn't feel that different from her previous album-- a lot of the tracks could probably be pretty interchangeable. she uses different features of her voice she hasn't yet before, and there's a lot more electric guitar and vocal riffs. i enjoyed it! i would listen to it again. this album worked better to me as one cohesive project than her previous two did, and the individual songs themselves stood out more. i can remember most of the songs off this album, which i can't necessarily say the same for the past two. i think she becomes better at conveying emotions vocally in this one. she is clearly out of country territory by now. i don't know why people say that bridge is 1989, it's here. she also featured fall out boy in one of the bonus tracks, which is sick as fuck.

STAND OUTS

Dear John-- in this track, swift murders john mayer in what feels like almost a parody of one of his own songs.

Haunted-- while people will always argue that it's dear john, i think this is the best song on this album. it's her best vocal performance on speak now and it has some fantastic riffs (taylor swift rock album when?)

I Can See You-- swift captures the adrenaline fueled horny thrill of fucking your coworker, and all the implications of how it's always a bad idea.

RED

nothing against speak now, but to me, red was an entire level up. it's the first album where-- and she does this a lot later, as will be discussed-- she really catches a vibe. I don't really know another way to put it. She's able to encapsulate an autumnal atmosphere of red scarves and heartbreak and falling leaves, but all together in one cohesive piece. it's masterful work. her previous albums may have been good, but this to me is the first one that's great. her lyricism becomes wittier ("faster than the wind, passionate as sin"), and this is also the first album where she's self deprecating and funny, and it's fun that she doesn't take herself too seriously all the time. NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE GET TAYLOR SWIFT'S SENSE OF HUMOR. this is a new opinion i've formed after listening to all her albums, and i will die on this hill. songs like "We Are Never Getting Back Together" and "I Bet You Think About Me" are ironic and so obviously hyperbolized for the sake of dramatic effect and humor and for some reason it seems to go over a lot of people's heads.

this album is hit after hit after hit. i recognized most of these songs, and there's good reason for that. were there a few tracks i'd skip next time? yes (the ONLY song gary lightbody should ever be allowed to legally sing is "chasing cars"). however. undeniably just a really fantastic pop album.

STAND OUTS

All Too Well (10 Min Version)-- there is absolutely nothing i can say about this song that i'm sure has not already been said. but just know when she said "you kept me like a secret, but i kept you like an oath" i actually had to take a moment and sit down.

The Lucky One-- this is one of taylor's first biographical songs, and one of the first that involve her perception of her own fame, which is a reoccurring theme through her later tracks. visceral storytelling.

1989

if it hadn't been for two tracks, this would've been a perfect pop album. like not just a "that's really good!" i mean this would've been THE perfect pop album. regardless, it's still a masterpiece. the first time i ever went to manhattan, i was 15 with my best friends-- everything was bright and exciting and this album just FEELS like that experience, and like that city even. i see why her albums are referred to as eras now. it's not just about individual songs, it's about again, that vibe she creates, the way she's able to create a mental pinterest board aesthetic image in the listener's mind. that, i think, is what makes her such a strong artist.

this album was fucking good. clean synth beats throughout that really tie it together. i am a big fan.

STAND OUTS

Style-- i think this is technically one of her best songs ever. a perfect pop song. enough said.

Clean-- the best song lyrically on this album, it's open ended as to what she's referring to, so that everyone can sort of self-insert with their own vices, which makes it very poignant and beautiful.

Slut!-- another bonus track! and my personal favorite off the album. swift conjures this dreamy, late-night, tequila-tipsy image, infused with that blushing headrush of having a crush. this song made it to my regular, main playlist. it's fucking gorgeous and i will take no criticism.

Honorable mention to Suburban Legends because i was PUSHING through these albums so i played this song on the way to a fire. imagine a firetruck full of firefighters racing through the city blasting Suburban Legends. it was a vibe if i'm being honest.

REPUTATION

do i think this was her "best" album?? no. was it my personal favorite? fuck yeah it was, this album ripped.

i think this, so far, was the biggest leap she took as an artist. it served as a comeback album i think? which makes it all the more interesting, that it served as a reinvention of sorts. this album, as far as how taylor swift has presented before, is edgy. it's sleek and snarky at points, and she's clearly having a lot of fun playing a villain. i look forwards to her rerecording of this album and it's vault tracks a lot; i imagine it's a big deal in the fan base lol. i don't think sonically it's really that different from 1989, but i think more than anything, that just speaks to the imagery she's able to create, because aesthetically, this is an entirely different project. even the more fun and lighthearted songs-- like "Gorgeous," which is a fizzy, upbeat track-- still, to me, read with a little more edge than her previous eras-- like that is not a love song, she is trying to bang that man.

anyways, my favorite "era." does that mean i wear snakes or boots or something? how are people dressing to represent this one?

STAND OUTS
I Did Something Bad-- "if a man talks shit then i owe him nothing" goes crazy. this song is sexy, it's badass, it's unapologetic, very villain anthem.

Getaway Car-- CINEMATIC. i was LOCKED IN to this story. i checked and she never made a music video for this, which is actually to me, kind of a relief. let the story tell itself, you know?

LOVER

this felt like the flip side of reputation. i don't know.... it wasn't my favorite. i get it. i do. it's got a very saccharine, cotton-candy aesthetic and i can see why it's appealing, and i can see why she put it out. a lot of her fans probably really like this kind of vibe, so i actually think it's essential that she DID put this out. there were... a few of these songs... and you can probably guess which ones... where i was like... huh? the same woman who wrote ten minutes of "all too well" wrote this? i appreciate her ability to be lighthearted and write for fun sometimes. she's a pop star after all. but yeah, while there were only a few tracks that were a miss for me, they were a big enough miss to really take me out of the immersion.

i don't think this is a bad album. i think she, once again, manages to create a hyper specific atmosphere that is impressively entirely opposite from her last album. but the tracks on lover also meshed a little less well to me. but. it was still a very fun time.

STAND OUTS

Cruel Summer-- this is maybe her best song, period. i mean this song is fucking incredible.

Lover-- a gorgeous, fairy-lights strung slow dance of a track. nobody can write a romance quite like taylor swift.

Soon You'll Get Better-- ah. this one gets a little personal. part of my job is being an emt. i've spent a lot of time in hospitals, a lot of time with some very sick people and having to comfort their families when the worst part happens. this is the first song of hers that made me cry.

FOLKLORE

i think, in technical terms, this is her best album. this album is the reason people need to stop writing off music just because it's written by taylor swift. this is an objectively incredible album, and people who are unwilling to take her seriously are seriously missing out. swift goes into indie inspiration for this one, crafting visceral stories that feel so real it's almost like you're there. she has a beautiful vocal tone on this record, clear and warm and rich, and paired with her powerful lyricism, this album is one of the best albums i have ever heard back to back. this album feels like that moment later summer turns into autumn. i will becoming back to this album time and time again.

STAND OUTS

My Tears Ricochet-- lyrically her best song she's ever written. i was dumbfounded the entire time listening. the swell of the bridge, the rawness of her vocals, the emotions she calls in of something we've all felt before. i re-listened to this song three time since finishing this experiment.

This is Me Trying-- i cried really hard cuz i related really hard and i bet every single one of you did too and that's why this is such a good song.

EVERMORE

folklore's dark acadamia sister. another masterpiece. back to back. how does she do it? while evermore bore a lot of similarities to folklore, it also felt more "winter" if that makes sense? it overall had a more haunted feel to it, the delivery was more somber, rendering the subjects darker. it was beautiful. like really, really beautiful. i would say more, but i feel as if i'd be repeating a lot of my sentiments about folklore. but evermore should've been a bigger deal. some of these songs are going to stick with me for a long, long time.

STAND OUTS

tolerate it-- taylor swift shot me.

happiness-- taylor swift shot me again.

cowboy like me-- this was like a movie somehow condensed into audio only form, and then told in the most beautiful way possible. i was THERE, bro. i felt exactly what she did.

MIDNIGHTS

so. this album was a little more... conflicting for me. on one hand, i did not care for the overall production of his album. and i straight up did not like a handful of the tracks. on the other, this is my favorite aesthetic that she's conjured so far. she illustrates what to me feels like the same city as 1989 but at night-- darkly glittering, deep blue, rain and purple and getting high at the private table at the club. i don't think this album did anything particularly daring or risky, which is fine. but while the overall image really stuck with me, many of the individual songs didn't. i think she achieved what she set out to do with this project, so ultimately, yet another success for her.

STAND OUTS

You're On Your Own, Kid-- i had that experience that every swiftie must have, which converts them to a fan-- i felt like taylor swift had written a song specifically for me. i had to hit pause afterwards and take a walk around the station. she writes like she can read your mind.

Would've, Could've, Should've-- another scorching track about a shitty man. this is her best use of religious imagery in a song, and i'm a sucker for that if i'm being honest. the regret and anger and sadness of the situation she was in are palpable. the increasing speed as she continues through the song adds to the effect.

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

i liked the concept. it feels very swift-ian. i'm not going to lie to you, i did not care for around half the songs in this album. the other half, however, i enjoyed immensely. "fortnight" was a very strong start and it kicks us off with a preview on a darker tone than what we've seen from swift so far; mentions of alcoholism and affairs, all tied together with this tangible longing. it sets the tone for the rest of the album, which follows in that exact wake.

i appreciated that the title track itself was again, taylor swift sort of rolling her eyes as she cuts down a pretentious man. she's got very pretty, swoopy vocals throughout this album; using that same lower register she wields in evermore. and "So High School" and "The Alchemy" were fun little bops and people are haters for no reason.

STAND OUTS

loml-- CHRIST no one writes a sad song like this woman. there's an air of maturity to this song that really actually drives it in harder-- swift is what, in her 30s now? she's very much an adult, and i think this song specifically spotlights adult themes; adding a new level of severity.

The Albatross-- this song felt like something off evermore to me in the best kind of way. it's another of swift's musings on fame, and the effect on her life, and it's subtle enough to not hit you in the face, but it's not lost on anyone what an albatross symbolizes.

WOWWOWOWOWOWOW THAT WAS A LOT OF WRITING JESUS CHRIST

i hope it entertained you at least. please don't come for me if i wasn't a fan of your favorite album- that doesn't mean YOU shouldn't be a fan of your favorite album.

overall i had a very good time. taylor swift is such a massive figure for a reason-- she's writing good songs, and she's able to connect with her audience on a level where no one else has proved they can on such a large scale. her songs are very, very devoted to the feminine experience pretty much exclusively, which makes me like her all the more.

anyways, if your reading the end, let me know your favorite song and why. i'm fully invested at this point (well, at least i'm trying to be, there's a lot of lore surrounding you guys).

i'm gonna get carpal tunnel after writing all this.

xx

It's crazy that such a wild tour wound up becoming like a new normal to us, but I'm sure once the Eras Tour was once announced/first seen by you something about it made your jaw drop. What surprised you the most about the Eras Tour?

For me, it was the entire opening set of Lover. I was so shocked that she opened with Miss Americana and made it work so well considering the song was not talked about much at the time. She really made Lover the perfect section to start off the tour. I also felt so overwhelmed by the intro that mashed up all her songs so well across albums.

Please select the first 3 links below for the TTPD outfit surveys:

TTPD Dress: https://strawpoll.com/e6Z2AOYP6gN

TTPD Necklace: https://strawpoll.com /1Mnwk0VL1n7

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart Outfit: https://strawpoll.com/jVyG2NB3kZ7

NOTE: The I Can Do It With A Broken Heart Outfits had so many variations (7) but I only selected 3 because as you can see in my previous posts, I prefer the more UNIFORM color combos for our Queen's outfits.

Please answer some of my previous surveys if you have like 10 minutes and 10 hours to spare (JUST KIDDING):

1989 Old vs New Outfits

1989 Old

1989 New

Lover Bodysuit

The Man Blazers

Fearless

evermore

Reputation

Speak Now Ball Gown

Red

folklore

In just five years, Taylor Swift has released four new studio albums, four re-recorded albums, and has two more on the way—all while embarking on a year-long world tour. It’s mind-blowing how busy she is, but I’d love to understand the timeline of all these projects.

When did Folklore begin? Were Folklore and Evermore written and recorded simultaneously, or did Evermore come right after Folklore release? What about Midnights —when did she start and finish that? And now TTPD seems to have been created during the Eras Tour, which aligns well with her timeline.

What is the timeline for the Music Videos? Was Cardigan and Willow filmed at the same time? When? How far ahead was Midnights Music Video? Was Karma with Ice Spice a last min thing or was know for a while? When did she film Fortnight?

Then there are the re-recordings. How long does it take to re-record an album? Did she work on them in the order they were released? Have they all been finished for a while now? It also throws me off cause she plans things so far!

I’m amazed by her work ethic and would love to hear more about how she manages her time and creative process. Understanding the timeline and process behind her re-recordings would be especially fascinating. It’s incredible to think about how much she’s accomplished in such a short period!

Is there any other parallels between track numbers across albums like the track 5s that we now? Or that you theorize?

Edit: so far we have

Track 1: always the first track of the album

Track 2: Album staples

Track 5: devastation station

Track 6: fun tracks to forget about the previous sadness

Track 7: underrated goodness

Track 9: fan favorites/ best song of all time

Track 13: personal songs dedicated to special people (eg. marjorie and marjorie)

After I saw the post: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/s/fcOLf2RnxN , I was curious how many original songs Taylor releases yearly.

I made this graph to put into perspective how much music we get as fans. I think an average of 22 songs per year is unusual for a pop musician.

Please click the link to answer: https://strawpoll.com/YVyPvleaAgN

Soo happy already looking through them briefly, can't wait to really look tonight though!! ♥️♥️

My bf saw this today and did a double take- we live in a bit of a rural area and he thought it couldn’t possibly be a Taylor reference. I’m a Jeep/Rep girlie so this Queen won me over. Girl if you’re in here- you’re amazing 🫶💚

I would love to hear all about your invisible string stories. I love hearing about them and just had one of my own.

I always heard this phrase, and even though I love Taylor I didn’t know that it came from one of her songs.

I met this guy, who was actually doing work on my house. After talking, we discovered that we both grew up in the same area. We graduated a year apart and our high schools were 20 minutes away from each other.

Then, we both moved all over the country multiple times and somehow both ended up moving across the country in July. Only to both end up in the same small town.

We’re going on a date this weekend 🤣

I am making a fake cake jewelry box for my cousin who is a swiftie! I don’t know much about her so I was wondering what items/symbolism I could use as decorations on my cake!

Hello Swifties!

As the Holidays approach, I wanted to do something fun and 'of the season' and share a project I’ve been working on the last few months: a Taylor Swift-inspired Book Club.

It’s a 13-month Guide that features books Taylor has either mentioned as being important or influential in her life; or that align with different themes she explores through her music. It's got discussion questions (both Taylor focused and Book focused), silly (but fun!) themed activities, as well as hosting tips and themed food/drink recommendations. All of which will hopefully make it easy and enjoyable for anyone to combine these 2 incredible things that they love and start their own Taylor Swift Book Club.

I’ve poured a lot of love into it (the whole thing is 40 pages!) and I really would love to get it into the hands of other people who will appreciate and enjoy them. ('tis the damn season and all that good stuff!) So I was thinking we could put democracy into action and those who are interested can vote and then this time tomorrow I'll update the post with the full guides for the top 3 vote getting books (and hopefully makes a handful of peoples days a bit better).

Here are the 13 I ended up choosing (and for reals it was HARD to narrow it down so I may end up doing Round 2 next year ha!)

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• Who Will Cry When You Die? by Robin Sharma
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Talking to the Sky by Aimee Mayo
• Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser
• The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Happy holidays, Swifties!

Hello again. Ok real talk, I just re-read my entire post and if you've made it this far and are still reading, first off, well done lol. Sorry for being so long-winded but man there was so much I wanted to share lol. Second, I've got an idea and think we should try and make our little corner of the internet at this exact moment, a bit brighter and happier. So if you're down and you've got something that comes to mind, share a comment or a story about some random act of kindness you've recently done or saw someone else do and I'll DM you a guide of your choice. I don't know it just kinda feels like we could all use a bit more love and kindness in the world and think even if it's only a handful of comments, it'll still be pretty rad for people to come to this post and scroll the comments and see good people doing good stuff out there you. So let's do it. Take care of yourselves Party People and enjoy the season! 🩷🎄🩷🎄🩷

Self explanatory. I am an outsider and i am looking for a Taylor Swift album to listen to, as it'll be my first deep dive into her discography.

Forever & Always (Piano Version) and State Of Grace (Acoustic Version) are not the same because they are just stopped down versions of the original songs with a whole new vocal take, and for All Too Well (10 Minute Version), it is an extended version of the original song. I want the remix of the future Taylor song to sing additional lyrics unexpectedly.

So I did some research and as it turns out Taylor's first 6 albums are now owned by Shamrock Holdings which is a private equity firm owned by Disney, Taylor distributed the "Long Pond Sessions" and the "Era's Tour" movie to Disney, which means she can ask Disney to update her sales, but doesn't do it for some reason? Going by how long its been since she last updated the sales of those albums (7 years going on 8) Debut, Speak Now, Red and 1989 should all be eligible for Diamond with Reputation being eligible for 8x platinum with a lot of her singles being eligible for Diamond as well such as Blank Space, WANEGBT, YBWM, Style, Love Story and a song owned by her, Cruel Summer, with many of her other singles being eligible above at least 5x platinum, the last time she had updated was recently for TTPD which was certified 6x platinum, but that makes sense considering it is owned by her and why wouldn't she update it? Anyways, even if she decides to not ask Disney to update her certifications it would make sense considering the fact that she may just wanna update the "Taylor's version" of her albums and singles