In Celebration of The Life of A Showgirl
With the release of The Life of A Showgirl, I have been reminded of Taylor Swift’s past albums and my listening experience with each of them. Listening to an album for the first time doesn’t really give me a full picture of the album as a whole. I typically need time to figure out what I love about the album and each song on the album. In celebration of Swift’s new album, I will be listing my top 3 favorite songs off of each album and my personal opinion on why these are my favorite songs.
1. Taylor SWift
Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album was a wonderful way to introduce herself to the music industry. It perfectly introduced Taylor Swift as a person, singer and songwriter. This is an album that I do not find myself reaching for very often until I hear one of my favorite songs. Then, spend the next few days surprised that I don’t listen to the album very often. My favorite songs on this album are “Picture To Burn”, “Should’ve Said No” and “Our Song”. I love these songs for the production, lyrics, and imagery. “Picture To Burn” is just such a fun song to sing to in the car and “Should’ve said no” is a classic Taylor Swift song, in my opinion. “Our Song” is so cute and never fails to put a smile on my face.
2. FEARLESS
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) reminded me how much I love this album and how pretty it is. This album has a lot of classic Taylor Swift songs that I love and a lot of great b-sides too! My favorite songs on this album are: “Fearless”, “Forever & Always” and “The Way I Loved You.” “Fearless” is my favorite song of Taylor Swift’s that has the same name as the album it’s on. I think it really fits the album’s themes and it’s very well written. I love how this song creates a fun atmosphere and tells such a sweet story. “Forever & Always” is a great song to sing passionately. I love the lyrics and the different ways she uses rain to express her feelings. “The Way I Loved You” is also a wonderful song to passionately sing to and I love how detailed the lyrics are. One of my favorite aspects of Taylor Swift’s songwriting is how detailed and story-oriented she can be. It makes her songs very interesting to listen to and gives you a different experience every time.
3. SPEAK NOW
Speak Now is such a well-made album. I love the album’s aesthetics, the story-telling, the lyrics, and the fact that it is completely self-written. This album is in my top five favorite Taylor Swift albums and it was hard to choose just three songs as my favorite. With that being said, I decided that my three favorite songs on Speak Now are “Haunted”, “Last Kiss”, and “Sparks Fly”. “Haunted” is the type of Taylor Swift song that I absolutely love. It’s dramatic, detailed, story-oriented and it has a beautiful bridge. It is simply perfect. “Last Kiss’’ is so devastatingly beautiful. The lyrics are so sad and vulnerable and the simple production allows them to stand out. “Sparks Fly” feels just like that. The lyrics, the vocals, the production all make the song feel like sparks flying in the air. It is truly a listening experience.
4. RED
Red is one of my top five favorite Taylor Swift albums, especially Taylor’s Version. It is so well-written and pretty well-balanced between slow ballads and fun, upbeat tracks. This was a tough one to choose just three songs, but I limited myself to only the original versions. My favorite songs on this album are “State of Grace”, “Holy Ground” and “Treacherous.” To me, “State of Grace” and “Holy Ground” are sisters. If you love one, you have to love the other. They are both so well-written, yet fun and upbeat. I also love how the lyrics fit with the flow of the song, instead of feeling too wordy and choppy. “Treacherous” is so pretty and I love the way she wrote it. The lyrics are very interesting and I absolutely love the bridge on this song. I also always loved the way she performed this song on tour.
5. 1989
1989 is in my top five favorite Taylor Swift albums. I truly think it is one of the best pop albums ever created. I love the 80s synths in the album and how fresh it sounds despite being over a decade old. The album is also pretty sonically cohesive while also exploring different sounds and themes. This album was one of my favorites growing up and it really launched my interest in music, especially pop music. It will always hold such a special place in my heart for its influence on my growing up. With all that being said, my top 3 favorite songs of 1989 are “This Love”, “Clean” and “Style.” This list is not in any order because I just can’t do that for 1989, the album is truly that good in my opinion. Starting with the classic, “Style” starts off strong with a groovy guitar intro, which I absolutely adore. It has a bit of a dark mystery to it because of the guitar’s deepness making it sound like a bass to me, which creates a perfect atmosphere for the song’s storyline. Paired with the lyrics of the song, I always imagine a clear, pitch black night with cool droplets falling onto a nice car and the tumultuous relationship of the couple inside the car as I listen to this song. “Style” truly has everything I love in a song; descriptive lyrics with a storyline, memorable production and a jaw-dropping buildup. Every single part of this song is incredible and there is not one moment where I feel like I can ignore it when it’s on. It demands your attention and I absolutely love it. “This Love” on the other hand is hauntingly beautiful. Once again, the imagery and storyline of this song is what draws me in, especially the mystery. I always feel the need to listen to this song while walking by a large body of water, whether it’s the ocean or a lake. It creates such a wonderful atmosphere and the buildup is just breathtaking My favorite aspect of this song is how it sounds like an ocean wave, it pulls in and out with the lyrics, production and vocals. It is truly a sonic experience, which is why it’s one of my favorites on the album. Last, but definitely not least is “Clean”. This was my favorite song of all time growing up. I absolutely loved the imagery, the vocals, the lyrics, and the production of this song. I also loved the speeches Taylor Swift gave before singing this song on her 1989 tour. Like “This Love”, I feel like this song sounds like the lyrics intend it to. It sounds like gulping for air after being in the water for far too long. The lyrics and the background vocals fully support this feeling. Once again, the lyrics to this song are breathtaking as Taylor Swift uses beautiful imagery and metaphors to describe the heartbreak she was experiencing. This song ends on an interesting note as it’s hopeful but a bit melancholic. Just like many other songs on this album, “Clean” is a sonic experience and deserves to be listened to with your full attention.
6. REPUTATION
The release of Reputation was a one of a kind experience. No one expected anything like this from Taylor Swift and she pulled it off pretty well. This album has so many great songs on it, but I did manage to narrow it down to three. My favorite songs on this album are “Getaway Car”, “So it Goes . . .” and “Dancing With Our Hands Tied.” “Getaway Car” is a classic. It’s so fun to listen to and has a great story and theme to it. I absolutely adore this song. “So it Goes . . .” is very mysterious and I was incredibly surprised by it when I first listened to it. ‘’Dancing With Our Hands Tied” is dramatic and metaphorical. Swift went all in with the songwriting on this one! I love the bridge of this song, it slows down dramatically before it picks up again with a high note that ties the song together.
7. LOVER
I have always loved this album, even when most people did not. However, with time, I have grown to love it even more. I do think this is one of her least cohesive albums and I would’ve personally made some different choices, but that does not take away from the experience. Lover has always and will always be a good album with many beautifully written songs on it. Despite some of my criticisms of this album, I found it very difficult to choose three songs to be my favorite. However, I decided that “Cruel Summer”, “The Archer” and “Daylight” are my favorite songs on Lover. “Cruel Summer” as one of my favorite songs is not a surprise to anyone who loves Taylor Swift’s music. It is pop perfection. It has an addicting beat and a story-line that builds into a perfect bridge. “Cruel Summer” simply had to be on this list. “The Archer” is such a beautifully written song and I love how the production suits the lyrics. The references and metaphors she weaved into this song always leave me awestruck, this song is just too beautiful to leave off of the list. “Daylight” is perfect. This song is so beautiful and I love the spoken part at the end. It feels like a breath of fresh air and a beautiful sunrise. “Daylight” is truly one of Swift’s best songs.
8. FOLKLORE
folklore was such a surprise when it came out. I love that it was a surprise release and I absolutely adore this album. This album has so many well-written songs and my favorites constantly change. My current favorite songs are “exile”, “mirrorball” and “august.” I wanted to add “the lakes,” but I chose to stick to the original album and not include the deluxe for this one. I love duets that sound like a conversation, therefore, “exile” ended up in my top three for this album. It reminds me of “The Last Time” by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody, a song I absolutely love off of Red. “exile” is beautiful from start to finish, but it is perfection as soon as the bridge starts. I love how well Taylor Swift’s voice blends in with Justin Vernon’s and it makes the song so special. “mirrorball” is so glittery. It sounds like a mirrorball and I love the lyrics to this song. It is one of her best written songs in my opinion. Lastly, “august” is a late summer classic. It sounds like a breath of fresh, salty air. I love how three songs off of this album are the different perspectives of a high school love triangle. It was random, but I will never complain about good music and it was an interesting creative choice.
9. EVERMORE
evermore may be underrated, but it is in my personal top five favorite Taylor Swift albums. To me, it is folklore’s mature older sister. Everything about this album screams fall and the beginning of winter. It takes you on a journey and ends on a hopeful note that I absolutely adore. I know I have said it a lot, but it was truly difficult to choose my favorite songs off of this album. However, my favorite songs have to be “champagne problems,” “cowboy like me” and “tis’ the d*mn season.” “champagne problems” has a beautiful piano sequence that plays throughout the majority of the song that is so incredibly perfect. Although it’s heartbreaking, I do love the storyline in this song and it is so well-written. “cowboy like me” is another song that has an fascinating storyline and beautiful, intricate lyrics. I love the atmosphere this song creates when it’s played and couldn’t leave it out of my top three. Lastly, “tis’ the d*mn season” has something that always makes me want to replay it. I obviously love the bridge. Not only are the lyrics so beautiful, but the vocals make it even better. It creates this change in the song that blends perfectly into the next part of the storyline and it feels like a surprise every time I listen to it.
10. MIDNIGHTS
Midnights is such a complex album. I like the theme of the album and it has some interesting production, even if it’s not my favorite. The deluxe version is absolute perfection and I wish some of those songs were on the original version. My favorite songs on this album are “Maroon,” “Snow On The Beach” and “Midnight Rain.” I love the different ways she incorporated the color red in the lyrics of “Maroon.” It was expertly woven into the song with intention, which enhanced the song instead of making it corny. This was sung so often on the Eras Tour for a reason, it is such a good song. “Snow On The Beach” and “Midnight Rain” are two songs I didn’t really like at first. I thought “Snow On The Beach” was too simple and the production on “Midnight Rain” distracted me. However, after I listened to these songs again, I realized that the creative choices made were the right ones. I now adore the simplicity of “Snow On The Beach” because it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of experiencing snow on the beach. It is surprising, unexpected, but beautiful. It literally feels like a dream, like something that should not be able to happen in real life. “Midnight Rain” has such a good metaphor that it upsets me to remember how I did not really like the song the first time I heard it. I love Taylor Swift’s metaphors in songs because she really goes all in.
11. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
The Tortured Poets Department was another album that took me a while to like, but now it is in my top five favorite Taylor Swift albums. Although there are some songs I often skip, the majority of the album (including the anthology) has some of her best written songs. My favorite songs on this album are “Down Bad,” “How Did It End?” and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.” Once again, Taylor Swift’s commitment to metaphors results in the most beautiful, heartbreaking songs. “Down Bad” and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” are very different songs, but they both have metaphors that span the entirety of the song. The alien abduction metaphor in “Down Bad” was so surprising, but it is absolutely perfect and it leaves me awestruck every single time. The toy metaphor in “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” might be expected, but I love how she incorporates it into the song to share her own experience and it works so well. “How Did It End?” is devastating. It is definitely one of her best written songs and I love how it depicts the harm caused by gossip.
12. THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL
The Life of A Showgirl was an surprising album. I love the concept of the album, even though I don’t personally see the connection between the concept and most of the songs. Regardless, it is a fun, glittery, little album and it has been enjoyable to listen to. My favorite songs on this album are “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite” and “Father Figure.” “The Fate of Ophelia” was such a good surprise when I first heard it. I did not expect that sound from Swift and I immediately knew I would love the song. It is so catchy and the chorus is so good. I also love the little dance this song has, it elevates the song so much. “Opalite” is just so fun, upbeat and cute. This is a great song to just dance to and it has a catchy beat. “Father Figure” is incredibly different from the other two songs, but I love the storyline of this song and I think it is one of the best written songs on the album. I also think it fits the concept of the album very well, which is an added bonus.
Taylor Swift has released quite a lot of albums in her career, which makes it incredibly difficult to choose favorites. However, it is always fun revisiting her old work and listening to it with a new perspective. Her albums are so different from each other, which allows people to connect to them in different ways. Although these may be my current top three songs of each album, I am sure the lists will change soon.