“I Forgot That You Existed”– This track was one of my favorites off of the album. I liked the simplistic backing track to the song, so that Swift’s lyrics about moving past drama and toxic ex-boyfriends were the main focus of the song. The overall theme of the song was that instead of harboring hate, she did the complete opposite and felt complete indifference for the various scandals she had constantly been entangled in. It was an easy listen, with an ongoing snap and “da-da-da” vocal loop to keep it moving along. The vocal riffs when she sings, “It was so nice/So peaceful and quiet” were short, but sweet, and added a little bit of spice to the otherwise basic track. It’s an easy listen and compliments Swift’s vocal abilities.
“Cruel Summer”– On August 13th, 2019, Taylor posted a picture of a pair of die without a caption, and with that, fans started to conspirasize about what it could mean. With this song, the mysterious dice were explained with the lines, “Devils roll the dice/Angels roll their eyes.” The deeper electro-pop beat makes for a steady, strong beat and one that creates a similar, yet deeply different tone for the album. It’s a more ominous and darker track, the deeper toned vocals making for a nice contrast to the first track of the album. It’s relatable track, involving themes of struggling with heartbreak and coping by getting drunk, lying about your true feelings, and unreciprocated feelings. It is by far one of the most lyrically strong and relatable tracks on the album.
“Lover”– Unfortunately, I was not in love with “Lover”. The track was by far the most surface level for me as far as lyricism and instrumentals go. I had expected more from a title track and was sad to find out that it did not quite live up to my expectations. However, I think the song suits Swift’s voice perfectly, and it really showcases how smooth and soft her voice is while remaining powerful. It was nice to have a slow song so early into the record, as it’s a definite slow down from the previous two tracks. It might not have been my favorite, but I can definitely still appreciate it.
“The Man”- Not only is this energetic track a feminist anthem, it is also one of the most upbeat and entertaining tracks off the album. Swift is known for pointing out the press coverage on her and all of the drama surrounding her as sexist, as highlighted by the line, “If I had made all the same choices, all the same mistakes, all the same accomplishments, how would it read?”. She makes sure to make a jab at how a man would be praised for the same things that she is shamed as, therefore she would be titled “The Man”. I think it is a great view into the sexism in the music industry and overall celebrity life, and I have mad respect for her to call it out in such a public and accessible way.
“The Archer”– This had to be my favorite off of the album. It’s a slower, darker track that brings me back to music from the 80’s. I feel like it belongs on the soundtrack for something such as Stranger Things. It’s a very simple but emotionally vibrant track. She opens up about her struggles with dating in Hollywood and how public her breakups are. It feels like a jab at every guy who has hurt her and left her on her own. I enjoyed the darker tone of the track as it was a nice change from the rest of the brighter songs.
“I Think He Knows”– This song is by far the catchiest track of the album. The catchy snapping in the background and the fun and memorable lyrics tie together nicely and make for an easily jammable tune. It’s a nice change from somber songs about heartbreak and betrayal and instead focuses on her current beau, Joe Alwyn, in a positive light. She tips her hat to her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee with the line, “He got my heartbeat/Skipping down 16th avenue,” which is one of the main streets on music row. She also throws in some self love, saying, “He’s so obsessed with me and boy I understand.” Overall, I think it is a happy, feel good track about being completely and utterly in love and it’s a very easy song to sing along to.
“Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince”– On first listen, I thought it was going to be a boring commentary on her reminiscing about high school and her romances back then. With terms like prom dress, scoreboard, homecoming queen, marching bands, and talking about being 16. Even the cheerleader squad in the back shouting things such as “Go!”, “Fight!”, and “Win!”, I couldn’t help but to expect a surface level track about nostalgia. However, as the song continued, I was very wrong. It touches on how she seemed to see her fantasy about young, teenage love burn before her eyes. “American stories, burning before me/I’m feeling hopeless, the damsels are depressed/Boys will be boys then.” The last line I feel was a nice touch, since many high school aged boys do things seen as wrong but their actions are brushed off because “boys will be boys” and it taints many young girls view on love for life. I think it’s a nice dissection into why our typical views seen in mainstream media on true love are flawed.
“Paper Rings”– This song is a poppy little love song, reminiscent of her earlier work. I personally enjoyed the counting in the pre chorus as I can see it being very fun and interactive when performed live. It’s fast paced and a song that you can roll all your windows down and drive down a highway to. It’s an upbeat song and the key change later in the song was a nice touch, as it kept me very interested into how the rest of the song would go. It’s a solid, feel good song about being in love.
“Cornelia Street”– This song is another song that reminds me of what made her successful in the first place. It’s a very relatable and honest tune about doubting whether or not someone reciprocates the feelings as much as you do. It is a song focused on the new beginnings of a relationship and what makes that so special, and the fear of losing that special, new beginning. “That’s the kind of heartbreak time could never mend,” is a powerful line that hits a little close to home, as a new and passionate love is always the most exciting thing in the world to most. Overall, a strong and mystical track.
“Death by a Thousand Cuts”– I honestly felt like this song was a little busy and was hard to interpret. It had a lot going on at one time and I couldn’t really grasp one solid tone or theme from it without reading the lyrics and spending time dissecting the song. It felt like an attempt to spice up the record when in reality, the record was fine up until this point. Her vocals, however, are a highlight of the track, but I feel like they’re smothered by the confusing instrumentals. Overall, it was another somber track on the record and I felt didn’t really fit in well with the other tracks.
“London Boy”– Yet another love song about her current boyfriend, and this could have definitely been cut from the final product. As with “Lover”, I felt that the lyrics were very surface level and basic. Honestly, I thought it was also a song full of silly British stereotypes. However, it is quite catchy, and the beat is fun and the horn swells add a bit of bounce and pep to the song. It’s an interesting track as far as instrumentals go, but I wish the lyrics were a bit different.
“Soon You’ll Get Better”– The first notable thing about the track is the fact that Swift had collaborated with the Dixie Chicks. It’s a somber and real track about her mother’s cancer diagnosis. She struggles with the reality of wanting to focus on her mother and not make it about her, but still wanting and needing someone to talk to her struggles with. She discusses the harsh reality of how her life would never be normal again if her mother was to pass away, and it’s overall a very raw and emotional track. “Get better soon, cause you have to,” is repeated throughout the song and having a mother who also received a cancer diagnosis, it hit home in a very intense way. I think it is a beautiful song full of completely raw emotion.
“False God”– This song wasn’t unique from the other tracks in any way, so it wasn’t my favorite off of the album. I did enjoy the saxophone solo at the very beginning and wish it was incorporated into the song more than just the beginning a few scattered spots throughout the track. It’s packed full of religious references and metaphors about false gods and heaven and hell. Overall, a smooth and easy listen but nothing too exciting.
“You Need to Calm Down”– The bouncy and upbeat beginning makes for a very fun and danceable track. It’s easy to sing along to and you can easily feel the groove as soon as you start listening. The fast paced lyrics of the pre-chorus make for a fun sing-along in the car or shower and it’s one of the highlights of the album. “I’ve learned the lesson/That stressin and obsessing/Bout somebody else is no fun,” is a line that is very relatable, something Swift is very good at being. It shows her own growth from holding grudges and being angry with someone else to completely forgetting about it and living her own life. I think it’s a fun track with lyrics that are deeper than you’d think since they’re masked by the upbeat backing tracks.
“Afterglow”- Much like “The Archer”, I feel like this song walked right out of the 1980’s. It’s a slow, love ballad that kind of drags on. The instrumentals are powerful and definitely caught my attention, and are some of my favorites off of the album, actually. I think that it is a very simplistic yet beautiful ballad. It’s also a song where she takes the blame for a relationship falling apart, a nice shift from the usual diss on her exes.
“ME!”– While the lyrics are very basic and kind of elementary, they’re still catchy and empowering. It’s a song all about embracing your individuality and creativity. With Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco featured on the track, the two fun, powerhouse vocalists create an energetic and powerful track that honestly doesn’t need super deep and meaningful lyrics. It’s all about loving yourself and what other way is there to encourage that than a funny, basic song? It was the first single of the album and set an upbeat tone for the rest of the record, and I think it is a great track to highlight the album. It remains one of my favorites off the album and I think that Urie and Swift are a great duo and I’m hoping to see another collab from them some day!
“It’s Nice To Have a Friend”– I think that this is one of the most nostalgic and beautiful songs on the record. The steel drums, bells, trumpets, and the chorus of “oohhhh ohhhhh” in the background make for a simple yet intriguing musical composition. It focuses on the ease of a young friendship. It brought me back to my own younger years, and it’s one of my favorites off the album simply because of the happy memories it brings to my mind. It’s very descriptive and you can almost picture yourself in the shoes of Swift. I think that it should have been placed earlier in the album, as the record is very long and many people had probably given up listening by then. I think it also has potential to be a single. It is a true testament to how talented and creative Swift is.
“Daylight”- This track is very powerful and all about Swift’s self growth and past experiences. “I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked,” is one of my favorite lyrics off the album itself, and I think that it’s honorable that she is being brutally honest. It takes guts to admit your faults while also not letting the bad things that happened to you affect your outlook on life. She paints love in a very beautiful light, hinting to an older song of hers, “Red”, that she wrote when she was younger and thought that love would be, “burning bright”.
Overall, I think it was a strong album. I do think she could have cut a few tracks from the final product and made it shorter so that it caught the audience’s attention more solidly, but there are many songs that I think carry the album. It was a nice change from her usual sound, and there were a few tracks that tipped their hats to her older sound. I think she killed it with this album, and I think that you should definitely keep an eye on where she will take her sound next.
