The day is finally here. We have Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album: Midnights.
It’s hard to argue that Taylor Swift is not a pillar of the music industry. Nine new albums, five different genres, in 16 years, and she’s only 32. She’s sold out stadium after stadium, broken record after record (most of them her own), and given us some of the most iconic moments in music history. Now, she’s given us her most vulnerable album yet, about all of her insecurities, thoughts, and experiences, over the last 16 years. What better way to celebrate the release of this album than reflecting on all of the other albums that have gotten us to this place?
Taylor Swift
Swift’s debut album was a self-titled one, released on October 24, 2006. My favorite song from this album is hands down “Our Song.” It might be a basic choice, as it’s the most popular song from the album, but it’s just so enjoyable to listen to that you can’t not love it. Something about that intro just makes you want to get up and dance. If I had to choose one word to describe this album, I would choose “fun.” This is just a fun album, written by a teenage girl, in the best way possible. It perfectly encapsulates the experience of what it means to be a teenage girl: first loves, first heartbreaks, growing up, and reflecting on your childhood.
Fearless
Fearless was originally released on November 11, 2008; Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was released on April 9, 2021. The only major difference in the two albums is that in the re-recording, Swift’s voice sounds a bit more mature and strong. Other than that, the overall albums are almost identical. My favorite song from this album is “The Way I Loved You.” There are few songs that are as fun to scream along to as this one. It’s so relatable too; sometimes what your heart wants is not what your brain or other people think you should have. Just like the debut album, this album encapsulates the experience of young girls so perfectly, and what it’s like to grow up, experience love, and experience heartbreak. The difference in this album is that Swift’s love is becoming more complex. She’s growing up and becoming a more complex person, which is reflected in the album as a whole, but especially in songs like “The Way I Loved You” and “The Other Side of the Door.”
Speak Now
Speak Now was released on October 25, 2010. Speak Now is really when Swift stepped into the spotlight and received a lot of public attention, scrutiny, and backlash. My favorite song from the album is definitely “Dear John.” It is one of the most emotional songs she’s ever written, and just really makes you feel her pain, and want to scream in John Mayer’s face. This album is about when she transitioned from adolescence to adulthood and experienced love and heartbreak in a way that she never had before. This was also the first album she wrote all on her own, which many people didn’t believe. I would argue that this was Swift’s turning point in her music career. It was released not long after the 2009 VMA’s; it was the first one to really demonstrate her individual talent as a songwriter, and it’s when she started writing negative songs about the famous people she had dated. To that, all I have to say is that Harry Styles, Taylor Lautner, and Joe Jonas don’t seem to be too upset by the songs written about them.
Red
Red was released on October 22, 2012, and Red (Taylor’s Version) was released on November 12, 2021. The re-release of this album did stray from the original more than Fearless (Taylor’s Version) did, in the way that it became more of a pop album. However, that makes sense as that is what Swift originally wanted for the album. My favorite song from this album is without a doubt “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” which I am counting as being part of the album even if it wasn’t originally. This song is so emotionally charged and just makes you want to scream. She makes you feel all of your pain. This album is all about heartbreak, and the chaos that comes with heartbreak, and that is abundantly clear. You feel all of the emotions Taylor was feeling in each song, right along with her.
1989
1989, Swift’s fifth album, was released on October 27, 2014. This was her full transition into the pop genre. This album has been the most difficult to pick a favorite song from so far, but if I had to choose just one, I would choose “Clean.” This album is when Swift started to break away from the pressures of her label. She decided that she wanted to write a pop album, and she wasn’t going to listen to anyone who told her no. This is when she started to find her own voice, not just in her songwriting, but in her career as well. The song “Clean” encapsulates this personal growth that’s represented throughout the whole album.
Reputation
After 1989, Swift received so much backlash and scrutiny from the media, that she essentially disappeared. She posted nothing, said nothing, and stayed completely out of the spotlight. Until August 23, 2017, when she announced that she would be returning with Reputation on November 10, 2017. This album is all about Swift owning her reputation, ignoring the media, and doing her thing. My favorite song from this album is “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” because it perfectly encapsulates the album as a whole, and it’s so fun. This album is when Swift became the completely unbothered celebrity that we know today.
Lover
Lover was released on August 23, 2019. Two years after she announced her return with Reputation. This album is all about love, and everything that comes with love. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. My favorite song from this album is “Afterglow,” because I can feel Swift’s emotions coming through the song. The love she has for her partner, her insecurities, and her imperfections. This album is just so beautiful and fun, and it’s the first album she released with her new label; it’s the first album that she completely owns.
Folklore
Folklore was released as a surprise on July 24, 2020. This album really showcases Swift’s songwriting abilities, as she was able to really disconnect from the world, and focus only on songwriting. My favorite song from this album is “peace.” The love that Swift expresses in this song is so intense and so beautiful. She also highlights all of the insecurities that she has and the feeling that she does not deserve the love that she has. This song is so raw, emotional, and just written so well. It reflects all of the emotion that is expressed in the album.
Evermore
Evermore was released on December 11, 2020, as the sister album to Folklore. Just like Folklore, this album highlighted Swift’s songwriting abilities, and her ability to tell stories with her songs. My favorite song from this album would have to be “evermore.” Not only is the emotion in this song so intense, but it represents such an emotional journey that is reflected in the beautiful lyricism of the song. I also love the fact that this is the last song on the album, and follows the song “closure.” To me, it shows that closure is never really closure, and that life and emotions will continue to go on. This album is beautiful, and I think underrated.
Taylor Swift is an amazing singer and an amazing songwriter. Her ability to express emotion through her music is incredible, and she does it so beautifully. She has grown so much over the past 16 years, not just as an artist, but as a person too. Her journey continues to inspire me.