Like most young people today, I love Taylor Swift. She is my favorite musician and overall artist ever, but other than her I listen to smaller female artists. I believe they also deserve the same recognition she gets. So, based on all nine released Taylor Swift albums, I have an artist recommendation for each. Sometimes their music is similar to the specific album or the vibes match exactly. Without further ado here are my recommendations!
Taylor Swift – Kate Stephenson
Kate Stephenson is a twenty-one year old musician that I found through TikTok, and while she doesn’t produce the same country sound that Taylor had in her first album, the similarities are there. Like Taylor, Stephenson has written music her whole life and her confessional lyrics are very reminiscent of Swift’s debut album. To understand the similarity, listen to Stephenson’s song “Ramen Noodle” off of her album Growing up in Reverse, which feels like the “Our Song” cute and dorky (in the best way) modern counterpart. “Exless,” a single by Stephenson, also feels like what Taylor would write if she wasn’t as successful at dating when she was young.
Fearless – Gatlin
Gatlin was introduced to me by my sister finding one of her songs randomly, and not only is she an incredible artist, she has a country vibe that fits Fearless perfectly. Her freshman EP Sugarcoated contains the poppy country twang that Taylor’s sophomore album had and even has similar themes. “I’ve Never Been In Love” is a song about wanting to be in love and being desperate for it like Swift’s song “Fearless.” Another song that shares the same message is Gatlin’s song “Grown” which like “Fifteen” and “The Best Day” is about being scared of growing up and wanting to go back to youth.
Speak Now – Samia
Samia is my recommendation for Speak Now and even though it is a beloved album and many people’s number one Taylor Swift album, I know this is my best artist match-up. Samia’s album The Baby is one of my favorites of all time and feels like listening to a more modern Speak Now. Most of the songs have very different messages and sound differently and there are some songs to check out individually, but this is a strong album overall. “Waverly” feels like a more toned down but equally meaningful “Sparks Fly” and Samia’s haunting song about love “Stellate” feels her take on Swift’s “Haunted.” Even though the themes of the albums are not consistent with each other, Speak Now fans will have to trust me on this one.
Red – Tommy Lefroy
Red is maybe Swift’s most well known and iconic album in my opinion, and for many nothing can hold a candle to it. But Tommy Lefroy, a British duo has a pen that is just as witty and songs about heartbreak that are just as biting. “Shoot” is their most devastating breakup song and feels similar to “Sad Beautiful Tragic” in its separation. While not as upbeat as “22,” their song “Trashfire” has similar themes about relying on your friends while your twenties are going up in flames. While they do not have much music out, fans of Red should keep an eye on these two.
1989 – MUNA
MUNA is the perfect band to recommend for 1989. Their pop sound fits Taylor’s new sound, and their music will be perfect for fans of 1989. “Silk Chiffon” is equally as fun and energetic as “All You Had To Do Was Stay” and they both feature anxiety about romantic relationships. Like Taylor, MUNA has written about having strong connections to specific places, and in their song dedicated to safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, “I Know A Place” feels reminiscent of 1989’s introductory song “Welcome to New York.” MUNA is the perfect band to listen to when you want to feel like you can do anything, which is the same feeling I get listening to 1989.
Reputation – Rina Sawayama
Reputation was Taylor Swift’s experimental album about how the public perceived her, and to accomplish this she made her songs sound edgier than usual. The response was mixed, some hated it and some loved it, and SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama is the perfect album for those that loved it. “STFU” feels like the twin song “I Did Something Bad” and songs are loudly exclaiming that others need to respect them and listen to what they have to say. This album is known for being over-the-top and Sawayama’s song “XS” is quite literally about being over-the-top and having too much in excess. For fans of Reputation, I highly recommend Rina Sawayama’s music because it is similar in attitude, energy and general vibe.
Lover – Maisie Peters
Known for being a lush, and romantic album Lover is very hard to match because most of the music being produced today is about breakups or does not have a solid theme throughout the whole project. So while Maisie Peters’ new album is not specifically about being madly in love it shares similarities with Lover. “Not Friends (I’m Trying)” by Peters is a breakup song with a bridge that has you screaming at the top of your lungs, which reminds me of “Death by a Thousand Cuts.” Then, in between her songs about being hurt by a romantic partner, Peters has a touching song about her twin sister called “Brooklyn” and touching upon strong familial ties reminds me of Swift’s “Soon You’ll Get Better.” Being a major fan of Swift herself, Peters’ music will make anyone familiar dancing around their room.
Folklore/Evermore – Lucy dacus
I’m lumping Swift’s sister albums together because they have the same sound and themes and this next artist’s music fits with both of these albums. Lucy Dacus’ music is filled with hard hitting lyricism and confessional-style storytelling. “Brando” by Dacus is about a high school boyfriend that did not value her and understand her, similar to “August” and “Cardigan.” She also has incredibly touching and heartfelt songs about sensitive topics, specifically her song “Please Stay” has the same sincerity that “Marjorie” and “Evermore” has. Those that love lyricism and compelling topics will love Dacus’ album Home Video and any other song she has ever put out.