Here are all my picks for the ranking of Taylor Swift's albums. I take into consideration the lyrics, music, listenability, and themes of the songs. Do you agree or disagree? Also note I know Taylor has seen this blog before, if you see this list know that I love you. Also I’m being honest.
The Number 1 Taylor Swift album so far is Folklore. Why? Folklore came out of the blue during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The songs were just what every one needed at the time. They were whimsical and folksy, but not too slow. "Epiphany" was a great song that described what was happening during the pandemic. "Illicit Affairs", "Betty" and "Mirrorball" had great melodies. The lyrical and melodic genius is very apparent in this album. I think Taylor gets undersold on her melodic genius because it is not as easy for the common listener to notice. She has a grasp of music theory that is collegiate level and it is apparent in her songs. The only thing I do not get about this album is it was labeled Alternative when it clearly is folk and her duet with Bon Iver, "Exile" was horrible. I do not like his voice at at all with hers.
I will say it again and again, Lover was robbed. It did not get the Tour it deserved or the singles it deserved either. Lover comes in at Number 2 Taylor Swift album. Why? This album was pure genius. "Love" and "The Archer" are perfect wedding songs. "Cruel Summer" would have been the perfect summer single if the summer of 2020 was not literally a Cruel Summer to everyone. "The Man" was a perfect commentary on the patriarchy of American society. "Paper Rings" had the coolest bridge. "Death By a Thousand Cuts" had the best running melody. Try playing that on the piano. "Me!" was a great bob single. "Soon You'll Get Better" perfectly portrayed Taylor's feelings about her mothers sickness, a song that so many can relate to. "Cornelia Street" was genius, a perfect song about that moments that can either go really good or really bad. It was everything Reputation was not. It was cohesive, light and super fun.
1989 and Red are somewhat tied for number 3, but 1989 takes the spot barely for number 3 Taylor Swift album. Why? This was Taylor's first official statement that she was a pop artist. It was her entry into the pop world officially. Many people love "Shake It Off" and while I think that is a good song, it is not the best on the album. The best on the album goes to "Out of the Woods", "Welcome to New York", "Style", "I Wish You Would", "Wonderland" and "You Are In Love". Some of the songs such as "All You Had to Do Was Stay", "How You Get the Girl" and "Clean" were not as strong. My only complaint about this era for Taylor was her music videos were a little weird, mostly because she used Joseph Khan to direct them. I was never a big fan of his. Style was supposed to be this fun and cool song, but ended up being weird looking out of a piece of glass the whole time. "Bad Blood" was the coolest music video in this era.
Red is the album that inspired me to write this blog, and if it were not for the fact that I met Taylor during the 1989 era, it might be third. Red is the number 4 Taylor Swift album. "Red" was an amazing album even if the pull between country and pop was super apparent in the album. She was fighting with her label what type of music to put on the album. She wanted pop, they wanted country. The best song on Red without a doubt is "All Too Well". I will say that the 10 minute version of the song was okay. I am glad she shortened it. The 10 minute version worked for the music video, but it is still missing verses and the outro was so long. It makes sense when combined with the music video, but as a song on it's own it is long. "Message In a Bottle" is the best new song that came from Taylor's re release of the albums. "Stay Stay Stay", "Begin Again" and "I Almost Do" were the weakest songs on the album, but they were still good. Her duet with Ed Sheeren "Everything has Changed" was one of her best duets ever! Their voices work very well together. "Sad Beautiful Tragic" was a sad commentary on her parents marriage and "The Lucky One" was a perfect commentary on her life as a music star.
The Speak Now album is the number 5 Taylor Swift album. Why? This album is full on country with a pop twist. "Haunted" is almost a rock song and so powerful. "Mine" is the song about what everyone wants in their life some day. Everyone has had someone that is "Mean" to them. "The Story of Us" perfectly describes the ins and outs of dating. "Never Grow Up" is the perfect song for a new mom even though Taylor has never been a parent. Her insights are incredible. "Enchanted" describes perfectly the magical moment of meeting someone. "Ours" had the best music video. Taylor wrote this album all by herself and her lyrical and musical genius is very apparent.
I have only written a review one Taylor Swift album, Reputation. And if I wrote it again it would probably be different. I see now why she wrote it since she has explained it. Reputation is the most disjointed album Taylor has ever made. But it is the number 6 Taylor Swift album because upon further reflection it shows the chaotic nature of life. This was not an album like Red where she was fighting with her label about what kind of music to put on, they wanted country she wanted pop. This was an album when she was dealing with some insanely daunting press coverage. Kim Kardashian was calling her a snake, Kanye West was twisting her words and making her seem like the bad guy. She was going through a public breakup with Calvin Harris. She was fighting with her label, Karlie Kloss betrayed her talking to Scooter Braun. It was the time in her life where she was seeing who her true friends were. But she was also falling in love. That is why the album is so different. Half of it was about all this insane hurt and dealing with it and the other half was falling in love. "Getaway Car" is the best song on the album along with "New Year's Day".
Evermore comes in as the number 7 Taylor Swift album because it was boring...There was some great songs on there, but it dragged like no other. I can not listen to it by itself. "Champagne Problems" had a great melody, "Tolerate It", "tis the damn season" and "Marjorie" were very good, but the others were just meh. I did not like her duets with The National on "coney island" or with Bon Iver on "evermore". Their voices do not mesh. I skip them when I am listening to the album. It is interesting since it is the sister album to Folklore and so different, but there was something about this album that was super boring.
Why is the Taylor Swift album so low? The Taylor Swift album is the number 8 Taylor Swift album. It was her first album, and while good still it was her entry into music. She has so much to learn and perfect. It was still genius for it's time, but the songs are definitely more country and sophomoric. It makes me think of being in middle school, while some of her later albums relate to my life more currently right now. It is her intro album. The songs "A Place In this World", "The Outside", "Tied Together with a Smile" and "Invisible" are very deep perspectives into teenage life, perspectives many her age would not comprehend. "Tim McGraw" describes those moments and memories one can have with a person. "Teardrops on My Gutair" is a great song to describe longing for someone. I honestly think this album should have won album of the year over fearless. It is genius for someone her age.
Why is Fearless last? Fearless is the number 9 Taylor Swift album. It has some great songs, but I am definitely more of a fan of her pop work. When the re release of fearless came out I listened to it over and over again to get her listening streams up that week and I got sick of it. I will say her new songs on that album were amazing. "That's When" is the perfect duet with Keith Urban. I could listen to this all day long. "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was a fun song poking fun at her ex Joe Jonas. Even his current wife liked it. "Today Was a Fairytale" is a super great song. "We Were Happy" was a great breakup song longing for the moments of days past. I think her additional songs were better, but maybe that is because I have not heard them for years. Change is the best song on the album.
No comments:
Post a Comment