Everyone has been anticipating the release of “The Life of a Showgirl” to determine if Taylor’s engagement has made her lose her creativity, as she might be less likely to criticise ex-boyfriends. The album promised so much, but what I heard was certainly calmer, yet at the same time, quite underwhelming.
It feels like a step backwards from her previous work, lacking the emotional depth and creative spirit we saw earlier in her career. The title suggests something bright, but the record lacks any energy to be considered “bright”. Instead, what we get is Taylor writing an album for the sake of it.
The opening track is a burst of energy that promises an exciting journey. It’s uptempo, with an infectious bassline, and most importantly, it’s original. The track narrates Taylor’s salvation and her blossoming love with Travis Kelce. However, this energy and originality are not sustained throughout the record.
The subsequent tracks lack the depth and musical creativity that the opening track hinted at. ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, ‘Opalite’ offers a glimmer of something more with its sparkling grooves, but fizzles out.
It becomes quite clear from ‘Father Figure’ and ‘Eldest Daughter’ onwards that the album focuses on her ego rather than her growth as an artist. She tries to portray herself as an underdog on ‘Father Figure’ as she did in her younger days. But it just does not work anymore. Her popularity has soared since those days, so she is far from the “underdog.” As for ‘Eldest Daughter,’ well, I am not convinced; she wanted to write this. She is talking about online culture, but it does not feel genuine; rather, she has been coerced into writing about it.
Then, we have the tone-deaf tracks ‘CANCELLED!’ and ‘Wi$h Li$t’, where she attacks her critics, but the song does not land as well; she lives a privileged lifestyle now.
It does not get better, I’m afraid. ‘Actually Romantic’ takes a vicious swipe at Charli XCX (For the record, I do not like her, either), and then ‘Wood’ lacks the charm and wit to be cheeky pop, which appears to be à la mode. She tries to jump on the bandwagon, but does not offer anything fresh. The lyricism alone shows you that she did not feel comfortable attempting to follow the trend. It just is not her style of writing. Probably another attempt from the people above her trying to control her sound. Corporates should leave the artist to use what suits them.
Unfortunately, the record lacks any insight into the “showgirl” persona that the title suggests. Instead, we have pettiness and tone-deaf affirmations. More of the same, really. Her ego has got in the way of her emotional storytelling, which is still within her soul.
Taylor has the world at her feet, and she had the chance to explore new avenues and push the boundaries, but it feels more like an opportunity to make money. It lacks any artistic flair or emotion. Even her partner in crime, Sabrina Carpenter, could not rescue it. Hopefully, she regains her creative edge on the next album.
Song recommendations: ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, ‘Actually Romantic’
The original album, released in 2023, was recently re-released as a 72-hour limited edition for Valentine’s Day, a move that propelled it to the top spot on the charts after initially entering at a humble 90 two years ago. Sonically, it may not be groundbreaking, but as a recorded extended play, the clarity is exceptional. It’s crystal clear, with no soundboard interference. What’s truly impressive is the balance between the crowd and the performance. The crowd’s energy is palpable, adding a unique dimension to the recording. It didn’t use in-ear monitor recording, which makes it stand out.
This EP has been panned in the past for lacking the energy of her usual live shows, but I absolutely love “Lover (Live from Paris)” because it is Taylor laying her soul with acoustic versions of songs familiar among the Swifties. I have always said that I admire Taylor’s acoustic performances, so even though this record is only half an hour, it was a joy to listen to it, especially ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’, sounding like a blend of Travis and The Libertines during the verses. ‘Cornelia Street’ sounds like The Script and Train. ‘The Man’ sounds like Ed Sheeran. Of course, some of the tracks have more to them. What I mean is some substitute the guitar for a piano, and some go electronic. However, it is the acoustic guitar tracks that shine for me.
If you dislike Taylor’s music, you might change your mind after hearing her perform acoustically. Now, I am not a Swiftie, but I do enjoy listening to her music, especially when she does intimate shows on the acoustic. This is where you can hear the songwriter in all their glory.
Song recommendations: ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’, ‘Cornelia Street’, ‘The Man’
Are you a fan of Taylor Swift? If so, you’ll be thrilled to hear about the release of “The Tortured Poets Department”. This album is eagerly anticipated by fans who loved her recent releases, “Midnights,” “Speak Now,” and “1989,” which included bonus tracks from re-recordings of the previous two. With Jack Antonoff returning as the producer and Aaron Dessner, the National’s guitarist, this album will surely be a hit. Featuring a mix of synthesisers, country/folk-inspired tracks, and piano ballads, it’s a return to Taylor’s roots and her intimate gigs in Nashville. The album has no significant hits, but the songs are perfect for those calming moments during her live shows. The lyrics are thought-provoking and melancholic, with the occasional use of foul language. Taylor also takes a shot at Matty Healy, the frontman of the 1975, with whom she briefly had a relationship, which adds an element of controversy to the album. My favourite is ‘Robin,’ but many tracks on the album have deep lyrical content.
Song recommendations: ‘Robin’, ‘Peter’, ‘The Manuscript’
Is this the final one of Taylor’s versions? I cannot remember. I recall saying in the first instalment of Taylor’s Version how many she planned to re-record to fuck over that twat who held the original master tapes to ransom.
“1989” was the breakthrough album for Taylor and a firm Swiftie’s favourite. Remarkably, this has inevitably been re-recorded because, as I have mentioned in the previous Taylor’s Version reviews, her vocals are mature, rather than the angry teenager from the originals, and her experience through the years has made the re-recorded songs richer in sound.
As you will recall from the originals, ‘Blank Space’ had a spring effect, which has now been rectified, and ‘Out of the Woods’ has now been beefed up with more reverb. ‘Style’ now has an altered guitar tone as well.
Of course, as mentioned several times by myself over all of these specific reviews, I have been impressed with her more measured vocals, and they particularly stand out on ‘Clean’ and ‘I Know Places’, where she uses her power. The latter, if I remember correctly, didn’t have much else going for
it. I recall repeated lyrics. Jack Antonoff, who I felt fell on “Midnights”, gets it right this time, especially on ‘I Wish You Would’, and ‘How You Get the Girl’.
As I have also mentioned, I have been a big fan of the “From the Vaults” tracks used for bonus material. I especially liked ‘Is It Over’ and ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’. Although the “From the Vaults” tracks do not seem to synchronise with any of the re-recordings, it doesn’t matter much because they indicate how far Taylor has come as an artist and songwriter.
Song recommendations: ‘Is it Over’, ‘How You Get the Girl’, ‘Clean’
Here is another instalment of Taylor reworking her original albums after…well., you already know from the last reviews she was being held to ransom over her masters and found a way around it thanks to her solicitor and someone asking permission to use one of her songs, from the originals on television. I have enjoyed what is known as “Taylor’s Version” because everything is better. The vocals, the matured vocal delivery, the production, the professionalism, and the overall clean audio.
The opener is ‘Mine’, and immediately the album catches my ears for how much cleaner it sounds compared to the original, and I like Taylor’s more mature delivery. There is no teenage angst. The reworks stand out more because Taylor has collaborations, and Hayley Williams from Paramore is on ‘Castles Crumbling”.One of my favourites is ‘When Emma Falls in Love’- a soft piano ballad with tender but heart-aching vocals.
As you know from the originals, there was a lot of pent-up anger in her vocals. Still, on the reworks, she has changed that with tenderness and empathy, which is clearly on display in ‘Ours’, and her vocal delivery is done with more meaning now on ‘Enchanted’ as the track arrives at the bridge. There are even lyric changes, as found on another of my favourites, the full-on rock attitude of ‘Better than Revenge’ where she changes the song’s perspective to make the male the antagonist, rather than the female who originally was where she was slut-shamed.
There is also a collaboration with Fall Out Boy on ‘Electric Touch’ where Taylor exchanges verse with Patrick Stump( Who also plays the guitar) before they sing the chorus together. There is room for the National’s Aaron Dessner to play multiple instruments across ten tracks. He also co-wrote ‘Electric Touch’ and ‘Foolish One’. The producer is, once again, Jack Antonoff, who made a mess of “Midnights” but gets the production on point this time. He plays multiple instruments on the record and even does some backing vocals.
I also enjoyed ‘Back to December’ and ‘Dear John’ simply for their vocal maturity. After all the shit she has been through with Scooter, you wouldn’t be surprised if her vocals displayed raw anger, but no, she has done these reworks like the mature songwriter she now is. Another thing worth mentioning on the above tracks is the new arrangements where Taylor can show more vocal diversity now. ‘Sparks Fly’ is the only track where Taylor could have improved. The rest of the album is brilliant, and I cannot recommend it enough. I love these “Taylor’s Version” and am only a fan of her country days. That speaks volumes to just how good they have been so far.
Song recommendations: ‘Better than Revenge’, ‘Dear John’, ‘When Emma Falls in Love’
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that Taylor Swift was being held to ransom by Scooter Braun over her original masters for her past albums. To combat this, Taylor has decided to re-record the records, which are more enhanced versions of the original albums; over her years of experience as an artist, “Red (Taylor’s Version) is the second instalment of the re-worked records. Initially, the album was released in 2012.
Now, you would have thought that the interest from her fans or just generic listeners of hers wouldn’t bother listening to or buying an album they already have, but no, you would be wrong. I didn’t listen to the original record, but I did listen to a fair chunk of the songs through going shopping, listening to the radio, or watching television. The songs are far more enhanced now and better for it. Her vocals are more mature and softer. In the originals, Taylor sounds raw and angry. On these re-works so far, she has been far calmer. The production and the featured artists show that Taylor is savvier than she was as a youngster.
The immense excitement generated for this album’s release was the 10-minute version (That closes the record.) of ‘All too Well’. Her fans have known it, but the track was unreleased until this album came out. The song is about her brief relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, which led to a heartbreaking split in 2010. The record also opens with the original shorter version of the same song, albeit more enhanced.
Unlike the original, the extended version includes anecdotes about how the breakup ruined her 21st birthday, and she scathes at the age difference between them. Taylor asks Jake if the split also hurts as the track fades out with haunting layered vocals. The track didn’t make me cry, but that might not happen with you. It is quite a challenging listen, but as mentioned before, Taylor remains measured with her vocals rather than spitting venom.
Of course, an added incentive to buy these reworks is the “From the Vault” tracks. Of course, as mentioned in my review earlier in the year, these songs are album tracks from those sessions. These sessions would include ‘All too Well (Extended Version)’, ‘I Bet You Think About Me’, ‘Run’ featuring Ed Sheeran, ‘Nothing New’ with Phoebe Bridgers and many others.
I enjoyed the refined version of ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’. It sounded familiar, but yet an entirely different track from the original. The production is more sophisticated, so any distortion has been cancelled out. I remember hearing this soft Dubstep track with a tinge of distortion, or maybe that’s just me. There are even tracks such as ‘Stay Stay Stay’ and ‘the Last Time’ featuring Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody that tended to be overlooked and have been given a new lease of life on this version, with Taylor taking it back to her country roots.
I will have to concede that this version of “Red” is far superior to the original because Taylor’s vocals are more refined and measured, plus the production is crispier. Taylor’s confidence has grown over the years of being an artist, and this re-work certainly shows it.
Song recommendations: ‘the Last Time’, ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, ‘Everything Has Changed’
This is the most reviews I’ve done on any artist or band since I first started in 2017. Now, this one is a bit of the same old same old because “Fearless” was initiallyreleased in 2008 (Her second album), but if you have been watching Why Taylor’s Version was released, you will know why it is slightly different to the original. In 2019, Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records, to whom Taylor was signed and promptly started acting like a fucking dickhead. He acquired all of Taylor’s masters from “Fearless” and the five following records (She will be re-recording those albums, too). Scooter made this an issue and held Taylor to ransom over the masters. However, Taylor, probably seeking the advice of a solicitor, did something very clever last year. A film company approached her to use her songs from “Fearless”. Upondoing this, she acquired a Synycronisation licence, separate from the audio licence necessary to play her music over the radio and other audio methods,including live performances. So Taylor, sick of the bullshit treatment from Scooter’s label, then got the Syncronisation licence and, from there, was permitted to use her music again.
The biggest issue for Taylor was being young and naive; she signed away the ownership to her masters when she was 15 and pretty much only just signed to Big Machine. How is that possible? Well, basically, by getting the other licence, she made the original masters redundant. She now had the autonomy to re-record those six albums and completely fuck over Scooter for trying to fuck her over. It didn’t help that Scooter is the manager of Kanye West, who we all remember from his storming the stage as she won an award. However, Taylor is now back in control of the masters through this intelligent move. However, theyhave been re-recorded to stop Scooter from profiting from the original masters through streaming apps, YouTube, airplay, et Cetera.
There’s not much to say about “Fearless” apart from Taylor’s Version, which is more fine-tuned with smoother vocals than whenshe originally recorded it. The teenager who went to the studio in 2007 cannot be recaptured on the re-recording, but it’s all the better because her vocals are much more robust 14 years on.
Of course, as you may remember from my last review of hers, I liked ‘Love Story’ off “Fearless”. However, although I listened to the whole album on Taylor’s Version, it mostly stayed the same for me,albeit with the richer vocals after years of honing her craft. The record started to get my interest from tracks 21 to 26, known as the “From the Vault” section. These are demos from the “Fearless” sessions finally recorded to the standard they were not all those years ago. My favourites are ‘You All Over Me’ featuring Maren Morris, ‘We Were Happy’ and ‘Don’t You’.
As for production,despite bringing in Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, it is similar, except for where Taylor agreed with the producers that they could improve the sound quality. Apart from that and the additional six tracks, there is only a little to write about. It’s good to see artists fighting against the labels who think they own them.
Song recommendations: ‘We Were Happy’, ‘You All Over Me’, ‘Don’t You’
Here is my track-by-track review of her 9th studio album and her second album release of the current year:
Willow:
This isn’t just the opening track of the album, but it is also the leading single. This is Taylor returning to her roots when she was gigging constantly across America to get herself noticed within the industry by basing herself on country music. It’s a bizarre choice as a single, as it hasn’t any of those typical pop traits to chart that high. It is pure country with its delicately plucked acoustic guitar. Her vocal delivery synchronises with the subject of being in love with someone, and you’re trying to make them feel the same way. Taylor expresses this by how we would feel in those moments. From feeling high and excited to feeling low and being unable to breathe from the panic that they don’t love you. There are also some deep lyrics within, so listen carefully.
Champagne Problems:
This piano ballad was written with her boyfriend, who uses the alias William Bowery (Of course, his real name is Joe Alwyn.). Is the subject matter supposed to be about their current relationship? Rather than about a couple in college who share very different views about a night where one wants to break up and the other wants to propose. I don’t know how happy they are, but I can’t see them dropping hints while writing a song together. I also learned that “Champagne Problems” is a phrase (I guess only in America.) that means when an individual’s troubles are genuine but, when put into perspective, are less important than how much others are suffering. Like with “Folklore”, Taylor touches on the very fragile subject of mental health. In this song, the female character mentions her problems with mental health and how the break up of her relationship has further impacted it. I am going to quote some compelling lyrics taken from the male character in this, as he is the one who has been left heartbroken. “Sometimes you just don’t know the answer til someone’s on their knees and asks you; she would have made such a lovely bride, what a shame she’s fucked in the head, they said, but you’ll find the real thing instead”. As you can see, the song is very emotional.
Gold Rush:
Wasn’t this also a song on “Folklore”? I can’t remember, but someone will tell me when they visit my archives this year. Bizarrely, the producer of this track only features once on the record when you consider Jack Antonoff has produced half of her songs over the past three albums. This song is more chart-friendly compared to the previous tracks on the record. This time, the leading character starts falling for someone popular among several others. Unfortunately for the leading female character, the other women chases the man in question. Still, just like the leading female, they are also looking for gold in California, which, when you think about it, makes the title make sense. The leading character becomes jealous and longing to have him, and she decides she can no longer chase him because she has no fight left in her and feels it is futile. Again, some lyrics stood out for me, and they are intense by the lead character. “At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit, and the coastal town we wandered round had never seen a love as pure as it, and then it fades into the grey of my day-old tea, cause it could never be”.
Tis the Damn Season:
What I found about Taylor’s songwriting is she can tell fables about fictional characters based on actual events or fables about her own life experiences. It is challenging to do the former, as you must design the characters and build the fable around them, but Taylor does this effortlessly. Once again, on this album, she has devised a character from Tupelo, Mississippi, who is leaving her town to achieve her dreams in Hollywood on the big screen. You may be wondering where the Christmas element comes into it. The lead character returns home to enjoy the festivities, where she stumbles across an ex-lover. As one of the lyrics depicts over this electric guitar track, she says how she is breaking her own heart by returning to Los Angeles, where everyone she meets is superficial, including the way she smiles, rather than remaining in Tupelo to get back with her ex-lover and feel loved and happy once more.
Tolerate it:
There appears to be a trend with Taylor and the obsession with the fifth track; the fifth track always seems to be a ballad with a heart-wrenching confession. “Evermore” doesn’t buck the trend. Again, the song is seen from the female perspective. She is sick and tired of devoting her life to her lover, and she is not getting much compassion or any form of emotional connection in return, so she is starting to hate and resent him for that. She has tolerated this behaviour for far too long from him, and now she is ready to confront him. This track perfectly depicts when love fades away from one perspective and turns sour from the other.
No Body, No Crime:
HAIM features on this, but it is based more on the country music scene, from what I recall, rather than the usual rock-based music from HAIM. As you can tell from the title, Taylor, with HAIM doing backing vocals, has gone for a topic about committing a murder. However, it is a double homicide told from different perspectives. The first verse is the narrator’s friend bringing up in a conversation that she thinks her husband is seeing another woman; in the second verse, her friend disappears, and the narrator is sure that the husband killed her and to avenge her friend’s death in the third verse, she kills the husband, but by doing this she compromises the case. Again, this is another powerful fable told by Taylor on this record.
Happiness:
The calibre of this song is quite astonishing when you consider it was the last one to be written in just under a week before the album was due to be released. Most might panic and therefore not put much effort into the last song they are writing just in case they miss the deadline by taking too long, but Taylor has managed to create a good song under that pressure and have it all done and ready to be included on the album. The story is both one of despair and optimism. The individual is going through the agony and six degrees of separation phase of splitting up with their lover, but they show signs of optimism, knowing that happiness will return once this phase has passed. The production complements the lyrics with its slow tempo and melancholic tone. Is the individual Taylor? It shows a mature approach to handling a breakup compared to her as a teenager, where she attacked every ex with venom over wax. If the character is indeed Taylor, then she has shown that as she has got older, she can move on and enjoy the next one to enter her life.
Dorothea:
Remember the track “Tis the Damn Season” earlier on and the unknown female? Well, this is her name and the continuation of the story. However, this is not told from Dorothea’s perspective but by her ex-lover. He was devastated when she moved to Hollywood and longed to be with her. He also ponders, now she is in L.A. chasing her dreams, whether she pauses to think about him. Although the subject is deep and emotional, the song has a relatively upbeat tempo.
Coney Island:
Now, I expected HAIM to feature, but the National? I wasn’t expecting that. Nor was I expecting a duet between Taylor Swift and Matt Berninger. However, I discovered that the National’s Aaron Dressner produces most of the tracks on this album, so it makes sense for Taylor to collaborate either by request or suggested by Aaron. The subject matter is once again that of broken love. This time, it is about a couple reminiscing on the relationship and how it fell apart because the levels of commitment were not balanced. The song also appears to be the couple trying to work out what went wrong and trying to see if they can try again. Taylor’s melodic vocals complement Matt’s customary raspy yet deep vocals.
Ivy:
The banjo is the main instrument this time. It features the first of two collaborations with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Later on, the entire band feature.) over a story about a wife committing adultery and subsequently falling in love with her secret lover. Even though she continues the affair as she enjoys the attention, she is trying to stay faithful simultaneously. It is similar to the story in “illicit Affairs” from the previous album and is also freakishly the tenth track.
Cowboy Like Me:
Another song inspired by her roots in country, the story is that of gold diggers who, instead of chasing those with wealth, end up falling for each other. Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons provides backing vocals. The song is also typical of a song likely to be composed by Mumford and Sons with guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, and anything from country music you can think of.
Long Story Short:
From an album steeped in country, this track departs from that with its catchy pop chorus, drums, and guitars out of indie rock. You can see this being on her albums before her current two. Taylor goes after the media and the misogynists who tried to ruin her career a couple of years ago (See my first review on the album where she goes fucking ballistic on those people for the whole story.). However, rather than getting herself worked up, Taylor’s vocals are balanced and calm. Even the lyrics are about not sweating the small stuff. She displays happiness knowing she is content in her relationship and that she is way past all this petty bullshit from her enemies. She writes lyrics to her past self to let these things slide and let her enemies defeat themselves by being starved of her attention and reaction. Taylor has shown a lot of maturity so far on the record.
Marjorie:
I am starting to wonder if “Evermore” is the continuation of “Folklore” with the topics, sound, and production. It seems like it is. Still, it doesn’t bother me a jot because I prefer Taylor when writing music in the genre her heart belongs to. Pop was to get a wider audience, but country is where her heart is. Also, there is another reason this is a continuation, and it is related to the thirteenth track of the respective albums. “Folklore” was an ode to her grandfather, who fought in World War II, and “Evermore” focuses on her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer whom Taylor didn’t appreciate until she passed away when Taylor was just a teenager. Taylor regrets this and wishes she could go back and fix this with her grandmother. It is also a grand, haunting gesture, that Taylor used her late grandmother’s vocals for the backing track. Sends chills down your spine.
Closure:
Many of us can relate to the topic here. I’m sure we have all been in a relationship where it ended badly, and we wanted to explain ourselves later on after the dust had settled as to why, but our ex simply refuses the closure and doesn’t want to know. This song describes that. In this case, it’s a male looking for closure from the female, but she has moved on and doesn’t find it necessary to explain it, rather than doing something to avenge the hurt he caused. The lyrics mention that he wants to remain friends after the closure and that he’s angry she won’t hear him out.
Evermore:
The closing and my favourite track. Sorry, but it’s got Bon Iver on it. What more is there to say? Justin Vernon and the rest of the band produce good music. I love this piano-based song with Taylor and Justin doing a cypher and harmonising together, which touches on depression with a mix of dark and optimism to end the album. The highlight is the cypher for me; it is scarce to see vocalists go bar-for-bar like they were rapping or sharing a poem.
Song recommendations: “Evermore”, “Coney Island”, “Long Story Short”.
The opening track is about a perfect scenario if someone from her past relationships survived the course and lived happily ever after, rather than the usual song about her pain of breaking up with someone, which most of Taylor’s songs have been the subject of. Once again, Taylor doesn’t hold back on her language; from that, you can tell that what’s in store for the rest of the record is pure honesty.
Cardigan:
This track was released as the album teaser, and the obligatory video was subsequently released on the same day as this album. This song is about Taylor about being done wrong in a past relationship by being cheated on. I say that because it is done from a first-person perspective, and I imagine that Taylor is talking about it and how she has learned from it and can now sense the signs to get out before getting extremely hurt. The vocals reflect the maturity of the topic, and she is not being overly aggressive or even shouting her vocals. When talking about such a subject, that shows great restraint.
the Last Great American Dynasty:
Wow, this is a highly controversial subject to touch on. Living in England, I cannot say how much this would piss off the American folk because it is just a touchy subject for me, but it wouldn’t rattle anyone in England and Europe when she is digging up the past. For Americans, this is very controversial. The subject of the song is the Rebekah and Bill Harkness scandal. Rebekah is a middle-class mid-western, and Bill is the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. Why is it controversial? Because their marriage caused an uproar 70-odd years ago. Another reason why Taylor wrote this is because she happens to live in their mansion in Rhode Island. This is her finest songwriting to date. It combines the story of the scandal, yet she manages to draw comparisons to her own life.
Exile:
The album’s first feature is a duet with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, where they both have various views on a breakup. The vocals fall in synchronisation with the piano.
My Tears Ricochet:
If you thought “the Last Great American Dynasty” was controversial, this is more controversial. Taylor doesn’t hold back as she takes a swing at the fucking idiots who somehow managed to stop her from regaining the rights to her masters for her first six albums (I believe one of the arseholes involved is Scooter Braun, as I saw it unfold on social media at the time?). It is a pretty sad song as Taylor is in her coffin, and I imagine Scooter turns up at her wake. This appears to be a metaphor that your enemies will destroy you and still dare to attend your funeral/wake to mock you even after death. I commend her for shining a light on the subject of how you can get fucked over in the industry and lose the rights to what is rightfully yours.
Mirrorball:
One of Taylor’s favourite subjects to touch on is her love and hate-affair with the fame she has amassed through her talent and the attention, whether wanted or unwanted, that unfortunately comes with the music and songwriting. However, this is the first time that she has spoken so candidly about that affair. She talks about how she wants to please people and adapt to their wants and needs from her.
Seven:
How ironic that the seventh track should be aptly titled “Seven”? The subject of this Folkstyle song is about a friend trying to protect her best friend who is deeply traumatised desperately. The lyrics suggest that the best friend lives in an unhappy home where her father constantly shouts at her. The friend trying to help her mentions playing pirates at her house to escape the brutal reality of her home life.
August:
As we approach the halfway stage of the album, we hear part two of where “Cardigan” left off. This time, from the perspective of the “mistress”, over a faster melody and vocals full of optimism.
This is Me Trying:
This is Taylor baring her soul by revealing how she is only human with her mistakes, doubts, trust issues, and failures.
Illicit Affairs:
It is nice to see a song on this record wrapped around a guitar with its witty lyrics and emotional feelings.
Invisible String:
Taylor is known for writing songs about her exes, but this track shows her devotion to her boyfriend, Joe. It is quite biographical and mentions how fate played a part in bringing them together.
Mad Woman:
The fable to this song is about a widow who was made an outcast in her town and took revenge on it, but there is a deeper, more personal meaning by Taylor here. Taylor is charming here by not going directly to the issue she addresses. This song is hidden within a metaphor, but through the raw emotion in her vocals, you know that she is extremely pissed off with what the real issue is at hand here. This track seems aimed at all the misogynists who have made her life hell.
Epiphany:
This track is split into three subjects. Verse one is about her granddad’s post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered while serving in the US Army in World War II. Verse two is about those in the medical profession currently dealing with the pandemic, which has made their jobs both a risk and a living hell, and the chorus fuses both of these subjects and portrays her granddad and the medical professionals as American heroes. My only issue with this powerful song is it might lose its meaning with the production, which was Taylor opting for a Hymn.
Betty:
This track is done from the perspective of a male named James, where he takes a feminist view and says the man brought it all upon himself for cheating even though he is now feeling guilty and heartbroken that the woman in the subject of the song has moved on and found someone better. What’s more refreshing about this is that James takes the feminist view rather than confiding in another male.
Peace:
This song is dedicated to Joe, but Taylor asks if she will ever be enough for anyone when you consider her lifestyle and all the attention that comes with it. The sincerity in her vocals shows she is extremely passionate about the topic.
Hoax:
Seeing an album end on such a dark and sour song is very unusual. This track explores the impact of a toxic relationship but with reflection rather than anger. It’s a beautifully emotional song.
Song recommendations: “My Tears Ricochet”, “the Last Great American Dynasty”, “Hoax”.
In 2012, Taylor Swift released “2012”, which was surprisingly her fourth album and was the start of her sharp climb up the ladder. This was then followed by “1989”, which was her fifth album (I’m glad, you know maths, so why the fuck did I say that?), and this record had a lot more hits and punched a lot harder than “2012” with the messages conveyed. My introduction to Taylor started way back when she was about to release her second album titled “Fearless”, but more on that in the overall review, as I have noticed I tend to go off on a tangent during the actual main review and appear to have virtually fuck all left when it comes to my overall evaluation.
The last review made the overall review short and sweet because, to be honest, I wouldn’t say I liked listening to Sam’s album. As you can see from the main review, I found it shit. Well, this record is undoubtedly a departure from the previous one. Taylor aims at everyone who has wronged her or simply anyone she doesn’t like (That includes stereotypes.) For example, on “Call it What You Want” (Yes, I know, Foster the People also have a song with the same title.) She takes shots at drama queens and jokers, saying that drama queens take swings and there are jokers dressed up as kings.
I particularly liked “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” on this waltz track; she foretells about a friend that turns out to be a snake in the grass. The chorus is so grandiose that it is ideal for stadiums, but after the hook, you can hear Taylor being very sarcastic, saying that she forgives this snake, but then bursts out laughing and says, “I can’t even say it with a straight face”. “I Did Something Bad” sums up what this record is about, and if you’re looking for revenge on someone, this album will undoubtedly inspire you.
Overall: What a delicious album. Full of revenge, Taylor goes outside the realms of the pop market by going after everyone and anyone. Now, we know she writes songs usually about failed relationships, but this is just pure evil. Taylor’s spiteful and hateful side has emerged, and it is extremely refreshing to see this. It is like she has channelled her inner Eminem. Certainly not a record for her fans below the age of 18. The highlights for me were “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”, “Look What You Made Me Do”, “Ready for It?” “Call it What You Want”, “Don’t Blame Me,” and “I Did Something Bad”. This won’t be everyone’s cup of green tea, but I fucking love the controversial nature of it. The more controversial, the better. Why should Taylor put up with all the bullshit by the media et al. and not speak out about it? I love artists that go against the grain, and Taylor hasn’t held back on this record. I am now looking forward to what her next album offers if Taylor maintains this attitude. Oh, and back to what I mentioned in the first paragraph about discovering Taylor, I first heard her perform “Love Story”. Yes, I know the song is a bit sentimental, but I liked how it sounded and was very disappointed when her songs started getting cheesy and pop-friendly. Indeed, I respect her as an artist after watching a documentary showing how she started out on the Country scene doing numerous gigs annually to get herself noticed. It did pay off (Obviously.), and she deserves it all. I prefer Taylor Swift, the Country music star, to what the industry made her become, but on this record, she just doesn’t give a fuck and made tracks that she wants to do, regardless if her label likes it or not. 8/10
Honest Opinions 