While we all go through life in our own personal, private ways, there is also an underlying commonality in the human experience. We’ve all felt love, loss, euphoria, desperation– maybe through different situations, but the intrinsic emotion is the same. However, I’ll be the first to say, feelings can be some of the hardest things in the world to articulate.
In Taylor Swift’s seventh studio album, Lover, the global superstar manages to pour her own personal experiences into her songs, while simultaneously creating lyrics that put even the most difficult feelings into words. Her style of songwriting is the type that makes you want to put the volume all the way up and scream, rather than sing the lyrics.
Her album, reputation, was characterized by black-and-white, dark, and dramatic aesthetics. In comparison, Lover, is her daybreak. Finally, Swift is no longer on the defense. In fact, she’s not competing against anyone, as much as the media would like to pit female celebrities against one another. This album represents an evolutionary shift, combining every style that Swift has explored over her thirteen years of fame, then wrapping them all up in an ethereal, liberated 18-song album. The ribbon on the package is that this is the first album Swift actually owns the rights to after her previous masters were sold by her record company to a less-than-worthy owner.
With each physical album copy, Swift is including personal journal entries from her diaries that she’s been keeping since 2005 for an inside look at her life.
The album features energetic bops, emotional ballads, and even a decent amount of social commentary. The album’s power can be felt in the punk-pop, upbeat “Paper Rings” and the masterfully crafted “Cruel Summer”, which are both loaded with dynamic beats and lyrics. On the other hand, “The Archer” and “Soon You’ll Get Better” both take a softer, more melancholy tone; the latter being an open letter to her mother, who recently received news that her cancer had returned. Swift collaborates with The Dixie Chicks to create a teary storyline. Anyone who has experienced something similar can identify with the earnest pleas and feelings of helplessness, attempting to remain strong in the face of uncertainty.
Swift has one of the largest platforms in the world, with 121 million Instagram followers. Previously, she has been criticized for her silence on political and social issues. With Lover, it’s clear that Swift has decided to speak out. “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” is a grim look at 2019 politics through the lens of a metaphorical high school (for more https://variety.com/2019/music/opinion/taylor-swift-miss-americana-heartbreak-prince-opinion-1203317552/ ). “The Man” is an exploration into how Swift’s reputation would be different if she were a man, where the patriarchal structures would actually work in her favor, stating “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man”. Swift uses “You Need to Calm Down” as an anthem to promote allyship of the LGBTQ+ community; she even stepped aside to let Todrick Hall give the acceptance speech for the VMA that the song won.
Lover is Swift’s sixth No. 1 album. Many of the album’s accolades haven’t been achieved in the music industry since… the last time Taylor Swift released an album. She is now the only woman to sell at least 500,000 copies of an album within the first week (she sold roughly 867,000). I grew up with Taylor Swift, as some kids did with the Harry Potter books or the Star Wars movies. From her first album release, when I was seven and missing 3 teeth, to now, 20 years old living in a different country, her music has always seemed like a personal connection between a global superstar and me– and 121 million other people feel the exact same way.
That’s the power of Taylor Swift, her music is the authentic experience of growing up, encapsulating the most empowering, embarrassing, and emotional moments that (whether you want to admit it or not) you’ve absolutely been through. With her seventh album, Swift is back to her roots while simultaneously annexing new territory. From a country newcomer to America’s sweetheart to now– an unbounded pop icon, Swift has proven that she can change her hair, aesthetic, genre, and find success in whatever direction she decides to take. So as all of my friends have heard me say far too many times… stream Lover.