Before listening to the album, I️ knew that Taylor likes to change up her style with every album. I️ think that this album will be Taylor trying to be more “edgy” and she will try to go in a different direction with her music. I️ mostly get this from her album cover. The cover is black and white with the words “Taylor Swift” printed like newspaper headlines. This may be in reference to her name being in the media several times during her feud with Kim and Kanye West.

“….Ready For It”
The album starts out with an upbeat “hype” song that will be guaranteed to play on radio stations for months to come, but it provided enough excitement as an introduction to the album. The best way you could start out an album with a song to get people excited about what’s to come. This song would be a great song for concerts

“End Game”
This is what I️ mean by her trying to be edgy. I️ understand that Ed Sheeran is your friend and it’s okay to collaborate in a song with him- but adding Future is too much. She’s trying too hard to appeal to more fans. I️ honestly don’t understand why someone approved this song for the album.

“I️ Did Something Bad”
This one is the most similar to anything on 1989. It has an energy that is similar to …. ready for it. But the techno music during the chorus doesn’t work for me. I️ just think it’s trying to be so different that it’s almost too different. I️ like the song overall but I️ think that if she kept putting in electronic background music then it would be worse. The beat of the song is what makes me like it so much. I️ really like when artists have lots of “hype” songs so I️ think this is why I️ liked it so much.

“Don’t Blame Me”
Honestly it’s not bad. Lyrically it’s not too terrible, and the beat isn’t bad. The song is about her boyfriend and is talking about how you do crazy things in love and she can’t be blamed for the way she acts when she’s in love.

“Delicate”
I️ really like the beat of this song and the lyrics aren’t half bad. This might be one of my favorite off of the album. I think the reason why I like it so much is because it is most like the old Taylor Swift.

“Look at What You Made Me Do”
As the debut single for the album, I️ think this song has the most commercial appeal. It’s very pop-y and very likely you will hear this one on the radio for multiple months to come. The single was dropped months ago along with the release of a music video full of cryptic messages alluding to the “old Taylor” including allusions to her past music videos, feuds, our outfits and even boyfriends.

“So It Goes….”
In this one it’s sounds like she is channeling Lorde more than her typical Taylor Swift pop vibes. The chorus is probably one of the best parts about the song. The lyrics are very typically pop-y teenage sounding which is ironic because she is almost 30 years old.

“Gorgeous “
This song is very immature sounding. It sounds like a 12 year old wrote it about a fake relationship she’s never had. (She also mentions going home to her cats alone, which I️ find funny because she has multiple cats and it’s kind of the “old cat lady” saying).


“Get Away Car”
Again with the techno!! Taylor why? I️ don’t understand why the techno intro was necessary? I️ also want to know when Taylor Swift was in a getaway car and how on earth the paparazzi didn’t catch any of this? I️ feel that the footage of this event happening would be very comical.

“King of My Heart”
Interesting how she says she’s better off being alone then the next line is about meeting a guy….. basically… to put it short…. I️ hate it.

“Dancing With Our Hands Tied”
The beat is good for this song, but the lyrics aren’t that great. However this isn’t a completely horrid song, the Beat of the song might be the redeeming quality for this song but overall it’s not great.

“Dress”
Basically…. Taylor Swift grew up….

“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”
This song is very passive aggressive about an ex boyfriend. I really like this song actually (I️ think a lot of it has to do with the beat of the song). She mentions “her real friends” so someone in her past betrayed her… so she wrote this song.

“Call It What You Want”
This song is about her current boyfriend and I️ think overall this song isn’t horrible. I️ actually might like this one the best out of all of the songs on the album. This song is still pop, but it’s not so “in your face” as some of the other songs on this album. I️ think because it’s not so in your face, it’s a nice change from the past songs so maybe that’s why I’m more inclined to like it…. but who knows honestly.

“New Year’s Day”
Taylor concludes the album with a softer piano ballad. I️t talks about the morning after New Year’s Day and the mess of cleaning up in the morning after the new year’s eve party. She relates it to a boy and how she will stay with him through the good times and the bad. She does this in a clever way with the analogy of New Year’s Day. This is my favorite song on the album.

Thoughts:

Basically- the Taylor Swift album is not one I️ would buy. The songs sound like she’s trying too hard to go in another direction with her music that it comes off terrible. She needs to find a style of music that fits her and stick to it because constantly changing up her style isn’t working out that well for her. This album feels like she lyrically struggled with it, but the overall “feel” of the songs made up for the bad lyrics. That said, there are some songs that aren’t completely terrible. For me those songs are: Don’t Blame me, New Year’s Day, …Ready for it, Delicate and Look at what you made me do. Overall, I would rate this album a 4/10.