I might get exiled for saying this, but I am not an OG Swiftie. Yes, I screamed “Love Story” at the top of my lungs all throughout elementary school and watched her music videos religiously during her Fearless era, but I guess I just Forgot That She Existed until right before junior year of high school. My biggest regret in life that leaves me Haunted to this day was when someone my mom works with got two free tickets to the Reputation Stadium Tour, but I didn’t know any reputation songs so I turned them down.
I got back into Taylor a little during Lover, and then by the time Fearless (Taylor’s Version) came out, I could confidently claim Taylor as Mine. Now that I literally live, breathe, and die Taylor, a lot of people have asked me how to get into her music as a beginner. I strongly believe there is a method to this, since her discography is so large, versatile, and overwhelming that it’s easy to too aggressively Jump then Fall right into it. That is why I invented the Taylor Swift Crash Course:
PHASE ONE:
Start out with a taste of all of her genres. Don’t just dive headfirst into an album, because if you’re not a fan of the Style of that specific album, you could Run the other way. I would recommend taking this week to listen to one or two new songs each day to get acclimated. I suggest starting with the following songs, in no particular order:
- “Tim McGraw”
- “The Other Side of the Door”
- “Long Live”
- “I Bet You Think About Me”
- “New Romantics”
- “Getaway Car”
- “Cruel Summer”
- “exile”
- “champagne problems”
- “Midnight Rain”
PHASE TWO:
This phase is a second week of songs from every era, but this time getting deeper into the albums. Pay attention to which album you’re liking best for the next phase.
- “Our Song”
- “Mr. Perfectly Fine”
- “Dear John”
- “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version)
- “Clean”
- “Delicate”
- “Death By A Thousand Cuts”
- “august” (and “betty” and “cardigan”, if you’re feeling ambitious)
- “willow”
- “You’re on Your Own Kid”
PHASE THREE:
Whichever pair of songs you liked best from the previous two lists, listen to that whole album next! That way the style and lyricism of that era will match your taste. Take another week to absorb this album, and maybe look up some music videos from this era.
PHASE FOUR:
Watch Miss Americana on Netflix. Now that you know some of her music, it’s time to get to know Taylor a little bit better. A lot of the reason die-hard Swifties are so die-hard is because they love Taylor as a person, not just her music. This doc will help you realize all there is to love about her. Even people who don’t like Taylor’s music have said this documentary has made them cry.
PHASE FIVE:
Proceed at your own discretion.
If you aren’t itching for more Taylor at this point, then I honestly don’t know what to tell you. This crash course is the perfect way to get a sample size of all of Taylor’s different genres so you can become a Swiftie, swiftly!