So, “reputation” is out. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. I was nervous after the very first single released in August, “Look What You Made Me Do.” I have been an avid fan of Taylor since my elementary school days, so it was a shock to me that I didn’t absolutely love the first single of the album. Part of the problem was I just didn’t understand it. With the rest of the album out, her vision and message is clear to me, and I love it.
The record starts off with “…Ready For It?”, a bop for the ages. The chorus where she sings “in the middle of the night, in my dreams…” has that distinguishable, classic Taylor Swift style that we all know and love. My jaw dropped when the song started and it sounded like she was… rapping? What is this; is she going hip hop? Taylor the Rapper? It was interesting and new, but yet completely and totally her.
And then we have “End Game”. Again with the rapping! Not to mention Ed Sheeran and Future are featured on the track, giving the song an incredibly unique sound. My favorite line from this song is from her last, absolutely LIT verse where she says “I bury hatchets but I keep maps of where I put ’em.” How? How does this girl write lyrics so strong that they hit you like a brick across the face and make you feel so alive?
“I Did Something Bad” is presumably outlining her feud with Kanye, or maybe Katy Perry, both of which I don’t care much about. I’m just glad we got a fun song out of it!
The next track, “Don’t Blame Me”, sounds like it belongs in an intense action film, playing while the main character is walking away from a building dramatically as it blows up behind him. Her vocals are stronger than ever in this one after the bridge.
Don’t even get me started on “Delicate”. What a beautiful and relatable song. It’s so easy to get caught up in another person in the delicate start of a relationship, wondering if it’s okay how you’re feeling, and wondering if they feel the same way. I may or may not have cried while listening to this one.
Alright, I’m going to be honest here. “Look What You Made Me Do” is definitely not my favorite, but it really is growing on me. The music video is iconic, and I really don’t dislike it as much as I did to begin with. Lyrically, it’s not her best work in my opinion but, as the first single, it garnered her lots of attention and ultimately it did the job.
“So it goes…” is interesting because it has the three dots after the title, like how “…Ready For It?” has the three dots before. Could this one be an extension of “…Ready For It?” I definitely think so. It’s a nice, chill track that outlines getting caught up in a moment.
The electronic beat in “Gorgeous” is attention-getting and just plain fun. It’s clear that she isn’t taking herself too seriously here, by saying she’s furious at a boy for not being hers and that he ruined her life by being so gorgeous. It’s a funny, cute, and lighthearted track that acts as a nice break from the more serious tone of some other songs!
“Getaway Car” tells the story of a girl leaving her current man for a different man, and then leaving the different man because he was only a reason for her to leave the first guy. Wow! I can’t say I relate to this, but hey, this song is just great. It sounds like it’s straight from a Bleachers album, which isn’t surprising considering Jack Antonoff, the lead singer of Bleachers, helps in the writing process of many of Taylor’s songs. I really feel for both guys in the song, but you know what they say: “nothing good starts in a getaway car.”
I think most girls anxiously wait for the day they meet the “king of their heart.” We’re all looking for the time when you’re with someone and and you feel “all at once this is enough”. These lyrics are top notch and the emotion is there, even with the electronic instruments and synthesized beats (which just make it fun and dance party material!)
Let’s play a game called “how many times in one album can Taylor Swift catch me off guard”. “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” feels old-school 80’s pop but also completely fresh and new, never heard before. I genuinely don’t understand how she does this.
“I only bought this dress so you could take it off.” Edgy, Taylor. Veeeeery edgy. “Dress” ventures into territory Taylor has never reached before. The song is honest and real, and it’s clear that this isn’t the same girl who sang “Love Story” in a pretty princess dress anymore! Why? Because she’s dead. (lol)
Most people I know have said “this is why we can’t have nice things” at one point or another, because it’s a funny phrase that you say after someone does something stupid or messes up. “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is a fun song about someone (Kanye and Kim? Katy Perry?) doing something stupid and ruining the friendship they once had. It almost makes light of the situation, while still getting her side of the story across. Also, her chuckle in the middle of the song is priceless and I could play it on a loop forever.
Maybe the most perfect song to listen to on a drive home in the rain, or walking to and from class, is “Call It What You Want”. It’s a chill ballad that hits me right in the heart. I think of it as Taylor telling literally the whole world watching her every move that they can call this relationship she’s in whatever they want, and say whatever they want about her and her boyfriend, but she knows what it is and why it’s important, and that’s what matters.
“New Year’s Day” is another ballad, but this time I’m reminded a lot of her album “Red”. With a stripped-down sound, just her voice and a piano, I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. It’s a beautiful message about wanting to be with someone during all the exciting times (midnights), but also the not-so-exciting times (picking up bottles on New Year’s Day), and all the times in between.
“reputation” is Taylor Swift at her most vulnerable. She’s not hiding anything from anyone. Her reputation doesn’t matter to her anymore because it’s already been shattered and she came out on the other side better than ever. People are going to say what they want, but I say this real Taylor is the best Taylor, and I hope she’s here to stay.