My Taylor Swift List
This is an absolutely unnecessary but very necessary list. I have grown up with Taylor. Ok granted, we’re not like bff’s... nor did we even live in the same state… I mean we’ve never spoken a day in our lives. BUT she’s been there for me through every milestone in my life. She was there for me during my first high school love, my first real breakup, the loss of my best friend, my transition to college, my sorority initiation, my second love, turning 22, my devastating break up, my having fun phase, my realization that I’m an adult, and so on and so forth. She has written the theme songs for every moment of my life. I laugh, I cry, I smile, I remember. I feel all of these emotions as I play her albums. So this list was really hard for me to organize because each album means something different to me and reminds me of different periods of my life… but I have ranked them in order of how I’m feeling about them today.
1. Red
Alright, this album came out while I was a sophomore in college. Prime road trip year. I was in my car a lot listening to music and jamming out. Each song on this album has an emotion attached to it. Every single one. Feelings of love, feelings of loss, remembering how situations felt, feelings of fun. The song Holy Ground was 228’s theme song for our initiation night into our sorority. We got taco bell and blasted this song on our way to the APH to become officially sisters for life. 22 was the theme song of my 22nd birthday. I Knew You Were Trouble and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together helped me feel empowered. All Too Well makes me break out into tears every time I listen to it because I connect to her lyrics so much - "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / so casually cruel in the name of being honest." Ugh, we’ve all had that one person that kept breaking out hearts over and over again. Everything Has Changed really introduced me to Ed Sheeran and started my love for him and his talent. When I’m not listening to music through my phone, I swap between this CD and 1989 in my car stereo.
2. Folklore
I listen to this album on repeat. I love it. Exile w/ Bon Iver, gold. The 1, gold. Betty, gold. Cardigan, This is Me Trying, August, Epiphany, Peace, all gold. Hoax, Illicit Affairs, Seven, ugh ok… just ALL OF THE TRACKS. Everything about this album makes me feel memories, current situations, happiness, sadness, just life. I listen to it while I’m in the shower, while I’m on the way to work and even when I’m just sitting. I. Love. It. Her evolution and growth in this album is stunning. I think this ranks so high because I feel like it’s the most mature out of this list - and I feel like we’ve both been through so much and we’re at the point where music isn’t about “bangers” anymore, it’s about speaking truth.
3. 1989
This CD came out the year that I graduated college. So yet again, a year that I was in the car a lot doing road trips and memorizing every word to every song. Blank Space - obviously a banger. Super catchy, makes you feel like a strong woman, makes you feel good. I know that Shake It Off was one of the most popular singles off the album, but honestly it was my least favorite. Out of the Woods, amazing. The music was haunting but made you feel like you were figuring out something big. Clean, written with Imogen Heap, feels like a true cleansing. I Wish You Would and Wonderland make me remember how much I yearned for my ex to come back when we had broken up. Oooooof. This CD brings back vivid memories of certain people and certain places that I learned a lot of things from.
4. Fearless
This CD came out in high school.. These songs were everything that my teenage self needed. You Belong With Me made me feel seen. We all have those guy friends in our life that we fall for, but we just sit there and watch them date other girls. The music video for this song was fire, you go Taylor! Fearless made me feel fearless - I think that as teenage girls, we need permission to be fearless and stop worrying about what other people are going to think. White Horse, stop thinking that the boy that keeps dragging you along on is going to turn out to be your forever. Fifteen - BE A TEENAGER. Just be that teenager. Take chances, make mistakes, repeat.
5. Speak Now
This album came out freshman year of college. I remember listening to this album on my iPod when I was walking to class or trying to go to sleep in my dorm room. Mine, Long Live, Enchanted, Sparks Fly, Back to December, Dear John… absolutely great. Enchanted made me feel like I was going to fall in love with my fairytale prince one day and the Sparks were going to Fly. Enchanted is still one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs to this day. This album made me excited to fall in love but made me scared to have my heart broken.
6. Taylor Swift
I remember roller skating to the song Tim McGraw. I remember singing/screaming Our Song. I remember crying to Teardrops On My Guitar. I remember feeling all of the anger and need for revenge in Picture to Burn and Should’ve Said No. Her first album really set the tone for the rest of her career- full of emotion and real life situations that people that people go through. The whole journey started here. Who knew that it would end with 8 more albums that would make me completely fall in love with her.
7. Evermore
Ok, love this album too. It’s the most recent - but I’m SO OBSESSED with Folklore, that I don’t think I had enough time processing that album before this one came out. I will get to listening to this album on repeat soon enough - but for now, I’m going to just say that I appreciate this album and I lovveeee Champagne Problems, No Body, No Crime, and ‘Tis the Damn Season, but I just can’t give the album all of my attention yet. I’ll get there.
8. Reputation
Not her usual sound, but I can appreciate the difference in style change. I think that this year was a true turning point for her and you can tell that by her music. She was creating angrier songs and more women empowerment songs. Call It What You Want is by far my favorite song on this album. I mean End Game is great too… Ed Sheeran and Future. King of my Heart is cute, makes me think of my current love. I think one of the reasons that this CD isn’t further up on the list is because I wasn’t in a great headspace when it came out - I was really figuring out things, working a job I wasn’t happy at, etc. Those types of factors can really put a sour taste in your mouth when you’re trying to listen to new music.
9. Lover
You Need To Calm Down & Lover are the 2 songs that I actually remember from this album. I remember listening to this album and feeling very light. I don’t necessarily know what else to say about it … it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t one that stood out to me. Maybe I should give it another chance when I take my next road trip!
Welp, there’s the list. If you don’t like Taylor… I’m sorry that you’re missing out on a beautiful soul. If you do like Taylor, I hope that you appreciated this and it brought up some memories for you.
xx,
Linsey
