Taylor Swift’s newest album, Lover, looks nothing like the so-called “new Taylor” of the Reputation era. Gone are the days of black and white imagery, angry lyrics, and revenge. The last two songs on Reputation hinted towards a brighter, happier era for Taylor, and Lover finally reveals that in full force. In “Call It What You Want” from Reputation, Taylor sings “I’m doing better than I ever was,” and the lyrics of many of her songs on Lover prove just that.
Lover opens with “I Forgot That You Existed,” an absolute bop about moving on from a toxic ex. She describes her feelings toward her ex as indifference rather than hate or love. Though the ex mentioned in the song is likely Calvin Harris, the song also represents Taylor moving on from the anger of the Reputation era. She sings, “and it was so nice / so peaceful and quiet,” describing the feeling of finally moving on. The lyrics of this song give the listener a first glance into Taylor’s new happier, healthier life.
“Lover,” the third song on the album and the one that gave it its name, is arguably one of the most romantic songs Taylor has ever released. If you’re in love right now, if you ever were, or if you ever dream about being in love in the future, you should listen to this song. Taylor sings about wanting to be with her lover forever, a theme not often seen in her past love songs. She sings, “can we always be this close forever and ever?” and “all’s well that ends well to end up with you.” This song shows how Taylor is content and happy because of her positive relationship. She is finally looking forward to the future.
“Paper Rings,” the sixth song on the album, also follows the theme of a happy love that will lead to marriage. The upbeat tempo of this song gives you absolutely no choice but to smile. Taylor sings, “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings / uh huh, that’s right / darling, you’re the one I want.” This song is about loving someone unconditionally and wanting to be with them forever no matter what. She also acknowledges how the pain of her past, which was the main theme of the Reputation era, was important in allowing her to grow into who she is today. She sings, “honey, without all the exes, fights, and flaws / we wouldn’t be standing here so tall.” Honestly, I dare you to listen to this song without smiling. I don’t think it’s possible. (And if you really need to smile, listen to “London Boy” too. You won’t regret it.)
A change of pace from the happy love songs of the album, “Afterglow” is an apologetic song towards a lover that Taylor realizes she has hurt. Much of Reputation was about placing blame on those who have hurt Taylor in the past, but in this song, Taylor takes ownership of her mistakes, a side of her not often seen in her music. She sings, “sorry that I hurt you / I don’t wanna do, I don’t wanna do this to you / I don’t wanna lose, I don’t wanna lose this with you / I need to say, hey, it’s all me, just don’t go / meet me in the afterglow.” It’s refreshing to see Taylor owning up to a mistake and this song shows a healthy way to resolve a fight. “Afterglow” is a beautiful song that clearly shows Taylor’s growth and maturity.
The final song on the album, “Daylight,” is a sweet song about love and moving into a better era of life. “Daylight” will definitely also make you smile, but not in the same laughter-filled way as “Paper Rings” and “London Boy.” In this song, Taylor acknowledges her past by referencing some of the conflicts of the Reputation era while also looking hopefully towards the future. She sings, “luck of the draw only draws the unlucky / and so I became the butt of the joke / I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked / clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke.” This song contains the most references to her past than any other song on the album, acknowledging how the bad experiences led her to become who she is today.
She also sings, “I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you / and I don’t wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you / I’ve been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night / and now I see daylight” and “you gotta step into the daylight and let it go” The album comes full circle with Taylor officially moving on from the pain of her past and embracing her love for her future.
Lover presents a happier, healthier, more hopeful, and more in-love side of Taylor than she’s ever shown before, and I, for one, am so happy for her. (Also, the songs are just really great. If you haven’t listened to the whole album through yet, make time to do that as soon as you can.)
This album showcases her moving on from negative experiences in her life, but still taking the lessons she’s learned with her into a love-filled future. She is truly doing better than she ever was.
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