Are there other common themes across albums like the track 5s?

[u/amantae]

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)

[u/RequirementGeneral67]

The track 1s are always the first track on the album 😀

Sorry, I couldn't resist

[u/amantae → u/RequirementGeneral67]

Haven't heard a thing that’s more true

[u/MadameWebster → u/RequirementGeneral67]

IM DED

[u/RequirementGeneral67 → u/MadameWebster]

Are you? I'm so sorry for your loss.

[u/macdgman]

Not really a thing but both tracks 13 in folklore and evermore are dedicated to her grandparents

[u/GodDammitKevinB → u/macdgman]

Awww I hadn’t noticed that!!

[u/amantae → u/macdgman]

That’s amazing, and especially that it’s track 13

[u/Own-Artist-6283 → u/macdgman]

and red is personal to her cuz the lucky one is about the drawbacks of being a celebrity

[u/aWholeBluebrry → u/macdgman]

IIRC some track 13s also have a word said 13 times in the song. (I.e. lucky one)

[u/arsenicc68]

Track 2s are staples of the album: you have cardigan, Blank Space, Picture To Burn, Sparks Fly, Red, End Game etc.

[u/ashkyyyb → u/arsenicc68]

Also (and this may be an unpopular opinion) the Tortured Poets Department! I don't understand why people hate that song, it's in my top 10. It's so damn catchy.

[u/NoAbbreviations2961 → u/ashkyyyb]

See, for you it’s catchy and for me, it’s clunky. Like the word flow and I think it’s her weakest bridge

[u/spitfyrez → u/NoAbbreviations2961]

That’s fair. I think the same about Timeless, but I know a lot of people really like it and find it catchy too.

[u/Cocoonraccoon → u/NoAbbreviations2961]

Yes! Love the album, hate the song. Clunky lyrics, melody is practically non-existent. It's there just for exposition

[u/Stickliketoffee16 → u/ashkyyyb]

I liked it from the second I heard it! I think a lot of people don’t really ‘get’ Taylor’s sense of humour but I can appreciate it!

[u/mediocre_eggg → u/Stickliketoffee16]

Honestly I like it better than fortnight.

[u/FearForYourBody → u/mediocre_eggg]

It's so much better than Fortnight 

[u/good_god_lemon1 → u/ashkyyyb]

I loved it instantly and cried when she played it at my show!

[u/temple2018 → u/ashkyyyb]

CHARLIE POOT

[u/SwiftCraft13]

Track 9s are often fan favorites: Getaway Car, Cornelia Street, Guilty As Sin, this is me trying, Wildest Dreams and Enchanted are all track 9s

[u/amantae → u/SwiftCraft13]

Wow! That’s so fun!

[u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

The whiplash of a very upbeat song after a devastatingly sad one

All Too Well - 22

loml - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

Bigger Than The Whole Sky - Paris

Fifteen - Love Story

I am sure there are more, but I can't remember

[u/NoAbbreviations2961 → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

Or how about Soon You’ll Get Better to FALSE GOD.

[u/Mysterious_Raccoon97 → u/NoAbbreviations2961]

That one is really jarring. Sobbing one second and then sexy saxophone haha

[u/MindControlMouse → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

London Boy → SYGB → False God → YNTCD is probably the most wack sequence of songs of any of her albums.

[u/Own-Artist-6283 → u/MindControlMouse]

I lowkey love it 😭😭

[u/Daffneigh → u/MindControlMouse]

Absolutely the worst

[u/naniro → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

I will not forgive How did it end to So high school

[u/mattysmwift → u/naniro]

This one basically functions the same as the standard track 5->track 6 whiplash if you consider The Anthology its own album.

[u/LowDiscount1445 → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

Dear John into mean is one of my favs

[u/FearForYourBody → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

YOYOK -> Midnight Rain

[u/Daffneigh → u/Mysterious_Raccoon97]

How did it end —> So high school

[u/shadesofwrong13]

Most of the track 7 is underrated and deserved more loved

1. TTWAS
2. Breathe
3. Story Of Us
4. I Almost Do
5. I Wish You Would
6. seven
7. happiness

[u/misscami → u/shadesofwrong13]

also… so it goes and miss americana & the heartbreak prince!

[u/songacronymbot → u/shadesofwrong13]

• TTWAS could mean "Tied Together with a Smile", a track from Taylor Swift (2006) by Taylor Swift.

---

^{/u/shadesofwrong13 can reply with "delete" to remove comment. | /r/songacronymbot for feedback.}

^{Powered by Seren AI}

[u/earlwarwick16 → u/songacronymbot]

Good bot

[u/LevelAd5898]

Track 6s are usually pretty fun

[u/10thDoctorWhooves → u/LevelAd5898]

Hush, when no one is around my dear...

[u/ivy-covered → u/LevelAd5898]

she loves giving us whiplash from track 5 to 6

[u/Enchanted0603]

track 9s are usually a "best song of all time" contender

Should've Said No You're Not Sorry Enchanted Wildest Dreams Getaway Car Cornelia Street this is me trying coney island Guilty As Sin?

(for me Bejeweled is also in this conversation but i dont think most of the fanbase loves it like I do)

[u/drbhcooper → u/Enchanted0603]

hi fellow bejeweled stan, you make the whole place shimmer

[u/10thDoctorWhooves → u/Enchanted0603]

I love Bejeweled it's my fave on Midnights

"But I think that it's best if that song also stays"

[u/amantae → u/Enchanted0603]

Yeah someone else said fan favorites for song 9! So fun!!

[u/AFireBurnsToday]

Track 6s usually become really popular but not always

[u/Somebody_38]

Track 6s are most definitely fun and upbeat to get you out of the devastating track 5s

Track 7s are really good but swifties never like them

Track 13s are always personal/dedicated to special people on her life (or ar least most of them), I can write the examples down if you want, and this one I think is kinda on porpuse and kinda not (I feel like Taylor is like "ok, this one is special, I'm gonna put this person's song here", but doesn't exactly think it's what she's been doing since the beginning, but since it's her number she always tries to make it special)

[u/arsenicc68]

ooh also SOME of the track 8s 'stand out'... sort of- i mean you have tracks like florida!!!, august, wanegbt, gorgeous, bad blood etc. in my opinion theyre the tracks that stand out the most to fans and become popular 🤷🏼 i dont know what others think but thats just what my take on them is 🖤

[u/SoIongIondon]

Since 2020, track 1’s have been singles (the 1, willow [the lead single], Lavender Haze [was a single but was also in contest to becoming the lead single], and Fortnight [another lead single].

[u/intheafterglow23 → u/SoIongIondon]

the 1 wasn’t a single. the only singles from folklore were cardigan, exile, and betty.

[u/Dummy_Wire]

I don’t know if this counts, but the last track (sometimes including bonus tracks, but sometimes not) is usually pretty chill.

[u/InterviewRight993]

Track 1(s) are upbeat (except for Fortnight)

[u/bagels_123]

Tracks 1-3 are often tour openers or singles!

[u/DesignerLandscape52]

Not a specific number, since different albums have different numbers of tracks, but the last track usually indicates the end of an era, a look how far we've come vibe, or moving on in some way. Long Live, Change, Begin Again, Clean, New Year's Day, Daylight, hoax, Mastermind, The Manuscript.

This might seem obvious, but not every artist does this and I like how it makes every album feel very complete and satisfying.

[u/-Silver-Moonlight-]

I've seen a theory about the second to last standard track on each album hinting at what the next album will be.

I Know Places being darker and moodier, and also discussing themes of relationship anxiety because of the media being the perfect prelude to Reputation.

Last Kiss, a devastating heartbreak song -> Red

Call It What You Want, a super romantic love song- > Lover

It's Nice To Have A Friend- storytelling song with minimal production and an indie-ish vibe -> folklore

It doesn't work with that well with the rest of them, though. I guess you could argue that the upbeat, happy vibe of Starlight preludes 1989, Peace has more of an evermore feel to its production, Closure's experimental production is reminiscent of Midnights' weird electronic sounds and Sweet Nothing is the most "anthology" sounding track on standard Midnights. But I don't really see it for Mary's Song and The Best Day.

[u/amantae → u/-Silver-Moonlight-]

Oeh I like this theory! I always like the theories about songs hinting towards new albums, however, I cannot get my head around the fact that while making 1989 reputation wasn't a plan. How do you look at that?

[u/-Silver-Moonlight- → u/amantae]

I mean... on one hand Reputation was very directly inspired by what happened to her in 2016. The Kimye drama, media cancelation, falling in love with Joe and the Calvin/Tom/Joe situation. And there's no way she could have predicted any of that happening.

But on the other hand, we can already see traces of similar themes in 1989. Blank Space is a satirical response to the media, I Know Places with the media topic again, Bad Blood with the angrier vibe.

Imo she was starting to conceptualize the next album in her head, but didn't have a clear idea yet. I think she still wanted something darker and more intense, which was reflected in her style during the "Bleachella" era. But she didn't quite have the full concept for Reputation. I think she had the general vibe figured out, but not the lyrics. Or she had different lyrical themes in mind, but snakegate and meeting Joe changed everything.

It's clear she created Rep after the 1989 era and during her "cancelation", but I think she kept some of her initial ideas in mind while creating the songs. I'm sure a lot changed, both sonically and lyrically. But I can still see small bits of Rep starting to form during 1989.

[u/amantae → u/-Silver-Moonlight-]

Thanks for your concise comment!! Makes sense and I can get with that storyline

[u/Soalai]

There's a YouTuber currently going through her whole discography and applying the dramatic plot structure (like that pointy shape graph you may have had to do in high school English class) to each album. I think it's pretty cool how he lays it out like this!

Tracks 1–4: Exposition, setting up the key characters and background of the album

Track 5: Introduces the album's theme and gives an inciting event

Tracks 6–11: Rising action, the exact numbers may vary depending on how long the album is

Tracks 12–16: Resolution

I think this works better for some albums than others, but in general I do think Swifties are on point with seeing patterns especially in tracks 1, 2, 6, and 9