Not to be dramatic, but I’d die for Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album was the first CD I ever bought. My mum used to take us to the supermarket and let us choose a CD to play in the car, so at seven years old, for my first choice, I picked up an album that would change my musical trajectory forever (my mum let me buy it because she thought Taylor was pretty). Like many other songwriters, I really owe it to Taylor Swift for showing me that you can use writing as a form of artistic expression, but also purely as a coping mechanism.
Last Friday brought me the album I’ve been waiting all year for – Taylor Swift’s seventh studio album, which will undoubtedly be the soundtrack to the upcoming months of my life. Lover brings a whole new level of personal liberation, and I think it’s beautiful. Swift works hard throughout Lover to speak her truths and take control of her narrative, as she continues to evolve as an artist and as a woman.
You only get a first reaction once, so here are some of my thoughts from my first listen:
I Forgot That You Existed – This track is SO fun! I think it’s a great start to the album – it’s sassy and playful, and I genuinely laughed out loud at “it’s just indifference” in the first chorus. It’s a great kick-off to this lighter, liberating album after reputation, addressing the security of finding your inner peace – and there’s no better revenge than that.
Cruel Summer – HEAVENLY. It’s not remotely what I expected from the title, and honestly it would’ve made a great single. “HE LOOKS UP GRINNING LIKE A DEVIL”??? Not to be dramatic but I’d die for Taylor Swift. This song is phenomenal, nodding to the rep era whilst introducing the album as the reformed, glittery sequel to 1989.
Lover – I love this song in all its wedding band-like simplicity. It’s really nice to hear real instruments and not synths and a bass beat, which has been the case with much of Swift’s recent music. This is the love that we all grow up dreaming of, and it fills me with warmth to listen to such a fairytale track.
The Man – In a direct approach to sexism in the music industry and in life, “The Man” fuels an alternate reality in an age of inequality. Her unironic point to Leonardo DiCaprio’s playboy throne at the height of male privilege says it all, as she fights the double standards she has consistently faced in her career as a woman. SHE SAYS BITCHES OMG.
Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince – This track definitely carries rep vibes, with the chorus sounding much like “So it Goes…”. Initially, this wasn’t my favourite on the album but after a couple of listens I love it! Set in a metaphorical high school, Swift returns to writing about hallways and prom dresses, whilst finding someone who sees her for who she is, among our political climate, disillusionment and state of stark inequality. Not sure when I’ll stop calling this “Miss Americana and the Half-Blood Prince”.
Paper Rings – This sounds like it should be in the montage sequence of an early 2000’s film. The key change is really nice! It nods to the middle section of “Getaway Car”, though the “Paper Rings” memorialisation of fleeting romance differs wildly. Lyrically, a really nice concept; melodically, it’s cute and exhausting (honestly, listening to this song is an extreme sport).
Death By A Thousand Cuts – Carried by a simple chord progression that I know 16-year old me would have endlessly written with, this track contains some of my favourite lyrics in the entire album:
“I ask the traffic lights if it’ll be alright, they say I don’t know”
“But if the story’s over, why am I still writing pages?”
Daylight – In what feels like the sequel to “Clean”, the final track ties this album together in a neat little bow. Another lyrical highlight for me in “I once believed love would be burning red but it’s golden”, 7 years after Red‘s release (I lit up when I heard that line for the first time – talk about growth!). Fighting her self-doubt with liberation and fearlessness, this song concludes the album wonderfully: “you are what you love”.
One thing is for sure: this mesmerising album was created for no one other than Taylor Swift. It’s painfully honest and brilliantly written, with a something-for-everyone approach – and I’m thrilled to support an artist who continues to evolve in her remarkable role in the music industry.
Thivya K 