I think it’s hard to completely digest a Taylor Swift album in one listen, but I know catching up on 10 albums is crazy. Reputation is a grower though, give it another chance 😂
I also didn't like folklore the first time I listened to it. It took me sometime. Now i'm like "wow best album ever made in music history" and l love all songs in it
folklore is so timely and relevant to the pandemic where everyone just wants to listen to stories and people started enjoying laid-back things so yeah, probably not an album for the gym. haha
taylor reaaaaally starts to hit when you know every single lyric tbh. All her songs are onions and the more you listen the more you start to understand and like it.
Also that one time when you just…listen to a specific lyric and then BOOM… new fav song. It used to be meh, but then it hit something in the brain and now its perfect. For me it was “the moment I knew” lol. Hit me like a ton of bricks on a bus one time 😂
Maroon from Midnights gets me like this! I saw someone do a whole essay on twitter about it and I was like... wow! Then I added my own interpretations and perspecitivves and uhh! Amazing!
I feel like the eras stuff isn’t just from the actual album but how we distinguish Taylor’s whole look/personality surrounding an album. She usually changes her style and other aspects of her public image to go along with a new album and so that’s why we call them eras.
This isn't unique to Taylor though. Virtually every artist reinvents their image to some extent with each album era. Hell, look at Michael Jackson. He literally changed his entire physical appearance and visual aesthetic with each album cycle. Taylor is far from the first person to have different phases of her career distinguished by eras.
@@PiperSparkles we’re not saying that is unique of taylor, is just a helpful word to talk about different momments in her career, you can use it michael jackson too
i think the thing about taylor and her albums is that it’s all subjective. fans, especially the ones that grew up with her, have albums that came out at very pivotal moments in their lives. the way she writes it’s just so personal and she really writes in a way you feel like you can relate it to any moment in your life. she’s truly one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and every project she puts out has a story and a meaning and she’s so passionate about it. it’s so relatable and that’s why i love her so much.
I always think her albums are just fine after the first listen, and then one week later, they grow on me and it’s all I wanna listen to. Red’s my favorite album, and the concert was amazing too!
Literally what happens to me every time! haha I stay up for the release because...it's TAYLOR. And then I'm like. Whelp. That was....fine. And then a week later I'm listening to songs on repeat and screaming at the top of my lungs haha
Yoooo same. When midnights came out I listened to it one time and then a dormant phase of like 3 days and then bam, it's all I've been listening to until now
@@malihakarim1696 oh man… not every artist’s album comes with a backstory like reputation lmao. That’s kind of why it’s especially iconic to her and her fans
Most interesting video I've seen in a long time. Im a huge Swiftie who's fav album is folklore and tbh it is more of a coffee in the rain album then a gym album lol. I also recommend a looking at the lyrics deeper because it gives the same depth and lyricism as All Too Well 10 min and makes the whole album seem so much more intriguing. ALSO last thing... you should totally make more videos like these with other artists such as billie eilish and conan gray... I would love to see more content like this!
red and 1989 are so good! also I would say your reaction to reputation is completely valid because it does change so suddenly halfway but I think once you learn more about what was happening during this time (her disappearing from the public, all but 3 or 4 of her friends turning against her) you'll realize that the album going from edgy and loud to romantic and soft makes perfect sense because her finding someone that truly loved her made her realize that she doesn't have to prove to the world that she's a good person.. in fact reputation has more love songs than lover and that's really a statement
i strongly believe that taylor’s music as a whole is a grower. people might argue with that saying that it’s because the music is bad and we’re trying to convince ourselves it’s good, but that’s not the reason. all of taylor’s music is heavily focused on storytelling. her songs are so meticulously crafted and you can always find new details and connections within them. because of that her music just gets better the more you listen to it, the songs just become more and more genius because you find all those details. i think that’s why reputation aged so well
Totally agree about the storytelling! It’s like how I consider The Diving Board to be Elton John’s greatest album (I know, I know, hot take) because of how mature the songwriting is, and the minimal production actually suits the songs because it makes you focus more on them.
As someone who only listened to you belong with me when I was like 10 years old, the more you mature the better Taylor Swift gets. I recently got into her music again at age 18 and finished midnights- it’s a gem. I feel she’s for all the bookworms and people who are into putting pieces together and getting a full story. Yes it’s not for everyone but her music is so beautifully written, and so heartfelt can’t help but adore her
A lot of artists experiment with new styles! And while she changes styles a lot you can put her popularity down to some consistent factors: she’s a great songwriter, she tells great stories that are often relatable, she plays her own instruments, she has a whole Easter egg game going on which is good fun, and she’s funny and intelligent. Watch a few of her interviews! She’s gotten older and as she has her sound and taste in music has changed but fans are also people with a wide range of tastes and capacity to try new things. Although I understand people all have their favorite eras. That’s also a fun conversation for fans, and something else to sort of bond over i guess? PS my favorite album is Red but it has nothing to do with Jake and just everything to do with what a great album it is!
as a swiftie, some/most of her discography are sleeper hits and i find it very difficult to rank her albums because it's very circumstantial and depends on how i'm feeling that day/week. the ranking changes a lot for me. but speak now is always in the top 3
I really liked how you put into words how I've felt about Taylor's works.. "they're not supposed to be masterpieces, they're just representations of different points of her life" ❤ and omggg Red is my fave too!
Totally fair to dislike the Eras name but I think it’s pretty genius tbh. Every Taylor fan knew exactly what it meant immediately and were relieved because we have gotten 4 new albums since 2019 and haven’t gotten to see any of it live. Plus 2 re-recorded albums with extra material and 4 more that could be released any time. Taylor is still peaking in her career but she’s in her 30s and “Greatest Hits Tour” branding isn’t really what you want as a relevant pop girly, and this is a good way around it. And the swifties don’t want only greatest hits anyways, the album cuts or songs she hasn’t played in a long time are what get us most excited usually.
oh yeah as a title for the tour i think it's great. i just think it's a bit odd to refer to them as eras but at the same time, it's not tht deep i kinda just said it to piss people off lol
@@jasonpaulkim i think the fans started calling her different time periods eras, and taylor picked it up. Defined not just by albums, but her different clothing styles, where she was living at the time etc...
@@farahwork2552 I didn’t use the term “girly” I used the term “pop girly” which is a common phrase that refers to a specific level and type of pop artist lol.
@@helloworld441 Every single music forum I've ever been in has distinguished album cycles as eras. Swifties definitely didn't invent the term or pioneer the concept of putting it into wide usage. I'm not sure what this JasonPaulKim guy is used to but in the places I frequent, the term 'era' has always been used to differentiate album cycles from one another. You'd have to be the most bland, generic artist in the world for all of your albums to just blend together with no distinction from one to the next.
As a fan of Taylor I can say I am a fan of her as a lyricist, not necessarily because of a particular sound because I do listen to all types of music. That's why personally I prefer her fountain pen and especially the quill songs, than the glitter pen ones.
Honestly, mad respect for giving red the attention it deserves. It’s my favorite album and while folklore and evermore are great, I feel like the fandom puts them on such a high pedestal that red gets overshadowed a lot. I think Speak Now Taylor’s Version is gonna change your mind about speak now though and it’s gonna jump up in the rankings.
haha red slappssss!!! well when speak now taylor's version comes out i'll be sure to listen to it although i gotta say, relistened to it today and it's growing on me
This hurts a little bit Folklore, Reputation, and 1989 are tied for first on my album rankings😭😭 but I loveee Red so I understand. Taylor’s albums are definitely ones that need to be listened to multiple times to fully grasp. It took me two year to finally be able to rank folklore and evermore😭
My favorite album is still reputation. It's the biggest comeback in the history and the stadium tour breaking records. Also its my first taylor album ever. Reputation makes a lot more sense if you knew the history behind it. Its a narrative driven album, playing what the media painted her to be, but in its core its all about finding true love in the midst of all the chaos around her... Hence the loud production on the start of the album and her slowing things down and ending it with a ballad "New Years Day". My favorite song is, so it goes... and yes, ur so underrated... Like when I saw ur video and only saw a few views.. I was like how?? Anyways more power and keep it up 🤍. New sub here.
reputation was also my favorite, but let's be honest. It was not a comeback. Taylor had just released her most globally commercially successful album of all time (1989), so you can't really reputation a real "comeback". At least not commercially.
I love this review. You see her more as a person than most of the fans. And you’re not afraid of voicing your opinions on her albums, even if they’re unpopular opinions.
haha thank u! yea i mean i figured if i just sat around saying what everyone else thinks what's the point of even making the vid? lol i'm glad u liked it
when people say eras they're not specifically meaning the album itself but they're also including the press, the tour, the looks and drama surrounding it, she reinvents her self again and again within each album drop that it seems as if it's a new "era" of music and style she is creating.
Interesting thing about 3 folklore songs (Betty, August, Cardigan). It's basically a high school love triangle comprised of 3 characters: James (The 17 year old writing the apology letter in the song Betty), August, some call her Una (Una is the unnamed lover that dreams about being in a relationship with James although he is in one), and Betty (Her song, Cardigan, is set 20 years in the future reminiscing on the whole ordeal between the 3, and also looking back on the past mistakes). If you listen to the songs in the order of Betty, August, and Cardigan, there are lots of bits and pieces taken out of the 3 songs. For example: In the bridge of August it says "remember when I pulled up and said get in the car..." and in the song Betty, James states: "Just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions, She said James get in, let's drive..." Basically that's that whole reason for the apology letter to Betty because James cheated on Betty with Una throughout the summer. Also the immaturity of a 17 year old boy is shown in Betty in the chorus: "Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends." It's truly genius how she composed all 3 of these songs to connect lyrically and musically. Also in Betty, James mentions a cardigan, which is the same one Betty talks about in the Cardigan song.
I'm a hardcore Swiftie, and just the nostalgia she brings, the stories she tells, and for some reason *the way her songs make you happier (proved lol),* she's just a great songwriter altogether. The ways she presents her songs, the way she acts on her tours, you feel like you're engaging more with her than what you would while listening to other singers, like youre just listening to those singers and not engaging with them as much, feeling like youre just listening to someone behind a screen. And she never names anyone in her songs, because then you can just sing it about a crush you have, or a breakup you had. Also, 1989 is a hardcore 1st place, cannot be beaten.
I love Taylor Swift, and I love so many of her songs as a compilation, and I am what I would consider myself as a Swiftie, but I must say I don’t love Shake it off quite like a lot of people do as well. Thank you for not being afraid to say that. I mean, it’s definitely a hit, but it’s actually not really in my top 15 favorites.
The editing, the jokes, the script, everything was AMAZING!! And listening to the 10 albums is a LOT of work haha. Thank you for doing this, I really enjoyed the video.
I'd definitely recommend spending more time with folkmore and midnights. They're albums that really focus on the lyricism. In particular, these albums signify a switch in focus from relationships to mental health. Songs like The Archer, Anti-Hero, mirrorball, This Is Me Trying and The Lakes explore her own struggles with anxiety and depression. Songs like, peace, delicate and Renegade (Big Red Machine ft. Taylor Swift) explore how poor mental health can affect a relationship. Most importantly, songs like evermore and You're on your own, kid both manage to depict the worst moments of her struggles whilst carrying hopeful messages at the end for those with similar struggles that these things can be beaten and pain will often feel inescapable, right before you escape it
I think it simply comes down to her ability to make things sound relatable, no matter how far she has come because she is incredible with her lyrics and conveying so much emotion in her voice. You can also see the journey of aging in her work because she started so young. The Era part isn't just musically that she changes up, it is also her entire image.
As a Swift fan, I really enjoyed your objective take on everything. You made some really great points and I appreciate you taking all that time to listen to her work. I’ve been a fan from the beginning because of her amazing songwriting. She has this way of being so honest and finding the precise words to describe a situation and keeps it relatable. We’re 2 years apart so whenever she came out with an album I was about the same age as when she wrote them and it’s like anything I was going through she’s already been there and has the perfect song ready for me. Like advice from a big sister. A lot of her music hits different when you understand the story behind it all or who it’s about. It also takes time to fully digest what she’s saying, especially with the Folklore/Evermore albums. She really showed her writing skill with those albums bc she could tell a whole story in one song that was completely fictional and still be a great song. Lover is my favorite but the ‘folk’ albums hold a special place too. End of novel. If anyone has read this far you’re a champ and I appreciate you 😉
HIIII!!!!! A couple things I want to say about this video: Great video! I thought it was very interesting to hear what you had to say. I’m really happy you listened to the Taylor’s versions and understood why she’s re-recording. Hearing what someone who hadn’t really listened to Taylor before thought about the album was awesome. Now a couple other things I just wanted to mention because you might not know them: Taylor is for sure a good person. She’s always been kind to her fans and mostly classy during drama. Pre pandemic Taylor actually use to do this thing where she would select around 50 fans off the internet, invite them to her house, and play the new album at the time BEFORE it was released. They were called “secret sessions” fans got to eat cookies Taylor baked them, play with her cats, and take pictures with her. All of that is completely unnecessary and honestly risky but she did it because she loves her fans. Also I think Taylor’s vocals in recent years have been amazing but they weren’t always great. I’m sure you heard in her debut album that she was a little flat or off key, but she still had tons of fans, so I would argue that it’s her story telling that keeps her in the spotlights. Love the video!
Era is acually a rollout, it's when album or lead single is announced and it ends when last single is realised and sometimes even more, if Tour happens For example Midnights era started when she announced it on VMAs and idk when it'll end lol Or another example, (iconic) Reputation era started when LWYMMD dropped, Aug 24 2017 and ended around this time in 2018 when she performed I Did Something Bad on AMAs (insane performance btw)
Folklore and evermore are definitely the masterpieces of her music career. They're definitely not gym albums because they're not meant to be. They were released in the pandemic when everyone was trapped at home and so it was brilliant of her to make music that worked so well with the environment her listeners would embrace the music. I'd ask you to please revisit the 2 albums and concentrate on the lyrics or maybe listen to interviews of her regarding these albums. Each songs is so important and so well written. Songs like "my tears ricochet" which is a literal funeral scene and can be interpreted as so many situations, songs like "this is me trying" are heartbreakingly relatable for anyone but still hold so much depth and amazing lyricism, "tolerate it" defines such an unidealistic circumstance that is sadly very common in most relationships and many more. Not to mention so many underlying references themes from books like the great gatsby, to Taylors literal previous home owners to even her bond with her grandmother in the song Marjorie where you can literally hear her late grandmother's voice singing in the background. Give these albums another shot but with a different mindset and ideally not at the gym lol Liked the video very muchhh 👍
@@jasonpaulkim at first I though the same way. I barely even listened to the album when it came out, then I started to listen to it I think 2 months after and I was like holy shi* this is so good. I though it wasn’t for mr but turns out I loved it. It also got me listening to Lana del Rae
The reason many people cannot embrace Taylor is because they cannot embrace change. Taylor has shifted from country-pop/rock to pop to alerternative - to indie-folk - to pop music. Many people do not have the ability to have so many versions of themselves to keep up. I am not a fan of country music, but there are a few select songs from her first 3 albums I like. Not all songs are full on country on those albums, and those are the ones I gravitated towards. Lover is a no skip album for me.
I gasped when you said there's no prestige to her albums, she's won album of the year 3 times at the Grammys 😭(Fearless, 1989, folklore), tying Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon for winning album of the year the most amount of times
The lyrics in Red intertwine really well with each other (i.e. “it’s supposed to be fun turning 21” from All Too Well (10 minute version) and The Moment I Knew being about a guy who didn’t show up to her birthday party. That one is pretty obvious but there are more. Also you might like the videos and seeing the Easter eggs in them because she does that too. I’m sure you heard about the Bejeweled music video but it is full of hints of a rerelease of Speak Now
Reputation especially felt like an “era” because of everything leading up to it which was; nothing. It was complete silence on her end but then it was like never ending havoc with that album and it felt like a new Taylor that was now standing up for herself!! You’re right tho, New Year’s Day definitely would’ve been appropriate in any of her albums. But just the sheer disappearance and sudden reappearance of Taylor during Reputation is the reason that the word “era” is often associated with it. It’s iconic!!! I feel like 1989 is a very undermined album just because it’s pop and her older albums leading up to 1989 were majorly country so it felt like no one took it seriously but it’s one of my favorites because it’s fun to listen to!!
I have a theory about Taylor's music that makes her streams keep going. Her albums has initial favorites that gets listened to A LOT, but after that fans start listening more to other songs they've ignored because they were too immersed on the popular ones. She has a lot of growers!
I have actually personally felt this, I listened to Miss Americana and Heartbreak Prince off Lover but then found myself craving Paper Rings more recently!
The thing is, there’s so much varied stuff in her catalogue that there’s some Taylor Swift for just about everyone. She’s always said she makes the kind of music she’s listening to at the time, so it makes sense that it’s changing
@@jasonpaulkimspeak now is my all time fav so i just jumped for joy. my favorite taylor song ever is haunted!! she also just did a re record for speak now!
11:56 Fun fact: Taylor likes to end her albums with soft-recollection style of music, which is why New Year's Day was so different from the rest.. NYD is a banger though, I hope you'll give it another try, it took me 5 repeats to truly love it. It's really a chill music where you'd want to be under a blanket in your bed inside a dark room with night lights on during a rainy time. :)
Wow I have so much respect for you. Not only for the great video, but listening to all the albums at once is a LOT. Definitely give some of them (rep and folklore are two of my faves) another chance. I’m glad you went into depth talking about all too well cuz yeah she famously doesn’t really name drop her exes (except for the one time on snl because fearless taylor is TERRIFYING) and one of my favorite examples of this is when someone was interviewing her about style and asked why it’s called “style,” because it’s insinuated to be about (duh) harry STYLES and she just kept answering “because the hook of the song is we never go out of style” like yeah. Also red is my favorite album too so I was over the moon to hear you enjoyed it as much as all of us do:))
reputation is the kind of album that hits harder when you know the story behind and grows onto it. most of the lyrics has something really personal folklore and evermore aren’t folk albums, they’re alternative. folklore means tales that are passed down throughout a long time, from person to person. which makes sense because the album feels like someone is reading a story to you. evermore’s naming seemed genius to me as folklore’s “sister” album, because these “folklores” or more commonly, fairytales have this “forever after” concept.
4:30 it doesn’t sound weird at all. in fact, you nailed it. her music is so popular because it feels like a teenager’s diary and is relatable. it’s not easy for a lot of teenagers to find music that feels like it was written for them, by one of them, that talks about the normal everyday crap they go through (paraphrased from a convo with my Swiftie niece). though obviously the music is different, it’s the same feeling i got when grunge music exploded when i was 15. i will forever be a swiftie myself (and i’m 47) because of the confidence i saw grow in my niece due to Taylor’s music.
My favorite album depends on my mood. I grew up with Taylor. I was 15 when she released her first album and it’s like we grew up together. Those things that felt a little silly romantic on the first couple albums were right where I was. And each album released into the right phase of my life. And now those albums are time capsules and nostalgia. That being said. I think Red is my favorite. But Fearless/Speak Now/Reputation are always close behind. Also also. She released an EP between her debut album and Fearless called Beautiful Eyes. (This is a lot. I know. I’m sorry. Welcome to the Swiftie club. We’re glad you’re here. It only gets better)
The thing about Taylor's albums is that, a lot of it won't hit you at first, but then one day when you feel like you need to give your least favourite album a second chance, you realise how good it is and it shoots up your album ranking. I couldn't bring myself to listen to Speak Now a second time, even though I cherry picked a few of my favs when I first listened to it. But then I listened to it for a second time, and the one thing I kept saying was "How the hell did I not think that this was good the first time I heard it????"
Or that one you always skip cause you hate it when the album comes out but one day it accidentally plays and you realise you've been missing out on a hit this entire time? Every time
Hey, I went through the exact same process after midnights was released, like I wanted to learn everything about Taylor, and let me tell you: it was totally worth it. I'm all for Taylor now.
i loved this video! i was adamantly T Swift for the longest time (especially as I hail from the land of country music). i thought i was too cool for her and bought into the whole "she plays the victim" narrative. during the pandemic, i gave folklore and evermore a try because slower indie music is my jam. and over the next year, that led to me falling down the rabbit hole... like you said, we don't know if she's a good person or not, but the entire musical trajectory really showcases all her growth from how she's handled the situations she's found herself in --- many of which were straight up just rooted in sexism. the receipts speak for themselves... she has handled situations gracefully and professionally, and as so many women are brought up to be chronic people pleasers, watching her learn to stand up for herself and assertively use her voice (while still retain her kindness and generosity) has been powerful. her career and story is really a reflection, or mirrorball (hehe) of how society is making a collective shift from misogyny and patriarchy. the more that comes out about Kanye's anti-semitism, and Scooter Braun's alleged affair/subsequent divorce, and shady back room dealings of her masters - the more I see how so much of what Taylor was wrapped up in was just, at the root of it, a permissible layer of misogyny that is slowly being addressed and finally being deemed unacceptable.
great insight!!! i think regardless of if we can determine her true true character, she's done plenty of admirable things. i'm glad u enjoyed the video!!!
@@jasonpaulkim 100% Check it out! We have a tradition of always watching it at the last day of the year and finish on New Year's Day, it's so perfect for that 😁
i think the disconnect here is that swifties have largely grown to prefer 'skipless' albums to ones with extreme peaks and valleys. the more uniform quality of speak now / folkmore is usually ranked higher than the chaos of lover/fearless/debut and to an extent, reputation. she was always an album artist, but by creating such a tight bond with swifties they also became 'album fans' great video nonetheless, thanks for taking the time to form nuanced takes and for being open to her music!
Taylor definitely had some big swings and misses with the singles that she chose from 1989 to Lover as the lead single, but as the more, you go into the track listing, the better the songs are. Appreciate this deep dive from a non-Swiftie, man! As for my favorite song of her's it may have to be All Too Well, especially the 10 minute version. As for my favorite album, I know it is not objectively the best, but Lover holds such a dear place in my heart as I listened to it multiple times a day, every day, for like 3 months after it was released.
actually I've done something similar. after midnights, which I really enjoyed, I decided to listen to all of her albums from start to finish (i listened to her real popular songs from fearless to 1989, but thats it). now I can't stop talking about her and listening to her music. folklore is my favorite and I've been listening to my tears ricochet and mad woman on repeat
@@jasonpaulkim she's such a great lyricist and all of her songs sound amazing. I'm sad I didn't look into all of her songs sooner. I think I wouldve loved her even more as a teen
definitely didn’t expect to watch this all the way through, but you did a really fun job at exploring Taylor from a more casual yet intricate perspective and I really liked it! Hopefully you can take a little bit more time to absorb the depth that a lot of her songs brings to the table ♥️
okay but the editing tho!!! im only half way through and wowwwww. also your fearless ranking is so good, i did not get fearless TV at first but forever and always is that girl!
Wow! Trying to take in all albums in one day is such an overwhelming way to appreciate it all. Reputation is a fan beloved, definitely try it again. The more you learn, the more you’ll love every album.
I think the thing about Taylor is the narrative that's intertwined within her music. Because there's always been such a personal aspect to her music, you can see this sort of evolution of her as a person throughout time, and that especially hits harder for fans who have grown up alongside her. Like it bugs me a bit personally, because I feel like there's this sort of mentality in "stan" spaces that winds up treating celebrities like they're fictional characters, but it truly does feel like every new Taylor album adds a chapter to her life, of sorts. She's crafted this MCU of music of sorts (literally some fans will refer to her music and life as the Taylor Swift Cinematic Universe) with her music, something that fans can feel like they're engaging with in the same way that you might do with a TV show or movie. Plus she's always good at making a bop or two for the more casual fans sdfdsfds
BRO IVE BEEN TALKIN ABOUT THE RANODM GUY SINGING FOR SO LONG. FINALLY SOMEONE TALKED ABT IT. Great vid btw. I forgot to comment this when I first saw this
Great video and kudos on all the work you put into it! I explained to a friend a few days ago exactly WHY Midnights is getting the success it’s getting, so I’m attaching it below in case you find it at all helpful! She has always presented herself as a narrator that people are drawn to, and that has only grown exponentially over her 16 year career with her rise to fame. As a songwriter, she has bravely maintained artistic integrity by preserving her diaristic approach to her songwriting process despite how bright the spotlight has beamed down on her. A consequence of this has been that her private life has become a game of detective for the fans and the public. Of course this works in her favor, but over sharing has resulted in her receiving slut shaming, accusations of cold-hearted, manipulative nature, etc. Once the pandemic hit and her tour for Lover was canceled, she decided instead of making sourdough that she would be the most productive person on the planet and write/release 2 albums in 2020, folklore and evermore. Folklore and evermore presented themselves as being creative ventures that allowed her to tell stories about herself, people she knows, and people she’s never met. That distance from the narrative allowed her to have more fun in her creativity, not feel so limited as a songwriter, and quite possibly reveal elements of herself WITHOUT stating explicitly that they were elements from her life. Pop music, particularly pop music created by women, is often regarded as something superficial, trite, and easily derided. There have even been instances where men have taken on TAYLOR’s work and received more acclaim than her (see Ryan Adam’s recording an acoustic version of 1989 and getting more acclaim from Pitchfork than the original album). Because folklore and evermore had a more indie/alternative lean to them, male critics and #notlikeothergirls finally started to regard her as a serious adult artist, not a silly, frilly pop act that wouldn’t fade away. After folklore and evermore, Taylor said “suck it” to Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta by releasing her first two re-recordings for her albums Fearless and Red. These beloved albums from her country days (which included never heard before and exciting at the prospect bonus tracks) revitalized a portion of the base that had since fallen off the Taylor train. So that brings us to now. The new folklore and evermore fans that had the interest piqued, the red and fearless og’s who were brought back in, and the people swayed by the Miss Americana documentary tuned in to listen to this very Swiftian album. The Midnights album concept is a brilliant creative and marketing move for several reasons: -Taylor’s return to pop: Taylor’s last pop album, Lover, was released in 2019. It’s reviews ranged from mid-good, but it’s moment was cut off by the pandemic. Also, it had TERRIBLE lead singles. This album is a direct partnership with her long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff (the bleachers, Lana Del Ray, Lorde) has resulted in some bops for fans that eagerly awaited for Taylor to return back to the genre after folklore/evermore. -Detective-ing is activated without delving TOO deep: as mentioned earlier, people are captivated by Taylor as a narrator, almost a character in a story. People who have been following her discography are in a frenzy because, without restricting the midnights she’s talking about to a brief timeline in between album cycles, she’s made HER ENTIRE discography fair game. Relationships talked about in album 3 could be featured in this album (and they are, which long-time listeners are rewarded to know by catching subtle references). -Lead single has a mental health angle: We are well and truly in the age of the sad girl (Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Ray, etc.) Taylor has always been riding this train, but the general public might not know that based on her singles. Her first single, Anti-Hero, is her writing out her intrusive thoughts to the world (she’ll be left alone, she’ll become a rotten person distant from a family that hates her, etc.) This, combined with the fact that the hook repurposes an old and popular meme “What if Taylor Swift wrote a song called ‘I’m the problem’” that makes the song a brilliant marketing move. This album also presents her personal growth. Much of her catalog is based around the blossoming thrill of new relationships or the heartaches that follow. This record has a consistent theme through it of a woman who is in a good enough space with her relationship now that she’s able to analyze and discuss her own anxieties and also reflect with a more enlightened lens on past events. I personally think it’s her best pop venture since 1989. If you aren’t a fan of it, that’s totally fine, I’m not trying to persuade you either way. This was all just my pop cultural critic brain giving you the breakdown as I see it as of this moment.
Wow thank you for sharing this analysis, I had such a fun time reading it. As a tenure Swiftie that got through so much thanks to her music, I resonate with everything you said above. Your insight of Midnights is very similar to what I feel but you put it into words so well. Evermore is my all-time favorite Taylor’s album and it took me a couple listens to enjoy Midnights since I usually listen to more indie/alternative music nowadays, but now Maroon lives rent free in my head. I love that we get to see so many more facets of Taylor, I really respect and appreciate her for inviting audience to this extremely vulnerable and unconventional side of her. Unlike folklore and evermore which are inspired by tales and fiction, Midnights is Taylor’s own experience. The lyrics is still top-notch as always. I personally find Midnights to be a very healing album since it touches so many things I also struggle with in my own life at this point of growth. Again thank you so much for sharing your analysis, I feel super fulfilled after reading it!
aside her Poetic lyricism and Great songs, Taylor is so Down to earth person, going to her concert and seeing and hearing she never forgets to thank every single person on the Stage and her fans, like not so many artists are doing that, she’s always Humble and Thankful ❤
Great video! I really enjoy a thoughtful discography deep dive and your fresh perspective and funny edits made it more engaging. I’d love to see more like this!
To be honest, you wouldn't be able to enjoy Taylor's albums in one go, each album has a different experience, vibes, aesthetics, feelings which makes me enjoyable for example, Folklore and Evermore came at the heights of Covid Pandemic where people needed such soulful and soft music in lockdown(hence the oldish aesthetic of the album), reputation hits way harder back then cause everyone was waiting for her comeback after she was 'canceled' for over an year(hence the dark aesthetics of the album)
Great video! Red is definitely a fall album and I kinda see folklore and evermore as a transition into winter.. like when the fall leaves drop, the trees are bare and the sun goes down at 4 pm, that’s folklore. And the cold, awkwardly quiet days right before Christmas would be evermore for me :) still, pretty cool that you got her vinyl though! That shit is heavy
Red is my favorite album and State of Grace is my favorite song! No album will ever top it for me. It's just too good and so diverse. There's literally a song for every mood.
Me watching this video at 5am after finding it in the homepage recommended. What an incredible video, so well made. The edits, the commentary. I like how you think, even though I don't agree with everything It's very interesting and entertaining; and what I value the most is how authentic and honest you remain whilst still being respectful ★
About relatability - Taylor Swift and i are almost the same age, so her albums were perfectly timed for me. When she was in her fearless "era", i thought of the world in that way, cute and romantic. I got my heart broken, but also felt young, free, confused, and lonely at the same time - red. When I was finding myself, setting boundaries, testing boundaries, being labelled a b**** for having a voice, bam- reputation. I got overbhsving to prove myself and instead be comfortable being pink and sparkly - lover. I wanted to stay indoors and be cozy - everlore. I wanted to go out again, sparkle again - without being naive - midnights.
come back be here is underrated so its cool that it made your top 15! also most people hate everything has changed so its interesting that you like it so much haha! i will say about reputation i didn't love it on first listen but after a few listens it easily became top 3. i also think midnights does deserve the acclaim it got but that by no means you have to love it. thanks for the video, made me laugh!
I love how you are liking and commenting on everyone's comment, even though it's for the algorithm. You engage your audience just like Taylor swift. You just gained a new subscriber here.
what can i say me and taylor r on the same wavelength i guess! jkjk i honestly rlly enjoy seeing what everyone has to say whether it's criticisms or their experience with taylor or recommendations! helping the algorithm is just killing two birds w one stone...hey like i said in the cideo
I really do believe that once you start listening to red more, you'll want to revisit the other albums and gonna end up loving them too. As you said they tell stories and at some point you're gonna realize that you need to listen to every album to understand taylor's story. Like if you don't listen to red (the song) and then go listen to daylight like what are you even doing??
Red is also my fav of all Taylor's albums, then folklore/evermore (I considered them as 1 album hehe) and third is Speak Now (all tracks are written by her except "If This Was a Movie" - she have a co-writer on this.) Lyrics from folkore/evermore are stories from fictional characters that she created like cardigan, betty and august (these 3 songs are connected!) I enjoyed this video/reaction and you're so fun to watch.
I salute your commitment, sir. I didn't even finish the full debut and Evermore albums just yet 🤣 Anyway, favorite album? "Reputation", I understood why it's underwhelming for some but watching the stadium tour doc at Netflix, yep it definitely change my opinions about it. Favorite song? "Dress", I don't know, the bridge of that song slaps so hard for me. A very close tie to it is "august" from "folklore" though. I might add: Current Taylor playlist? "Midnights" took over it all over, it is a grower. I think most of her albums are growers so yeah, you're doing good if you plan to appreciate each albums more. Kudos to ya! And welcome to the club, you can't go back after this.
haha thanks! solid picks! yeah i'm def listening to them more and albums like midnights and speak now r growing on me for sure. glad to join the taylor swift cult :)
Interesting video! I personally stand by my opinion that folklore is her best album because of its cohesiveness and lyrical maturity. It feels like the most complete project because of how the songs reference each other and fit so consistently into the theme of storytelling and history. However, it's definitely a very specific vibe so I see how it's not for everyone haha. Her pop albums have lots of bangers but they tend to be more hit or miss for me.
LWYMMD is referencing the kanye “Famous” situation. fire song but definitely caused a lot of drama between them, i would recommend looking into that. it’ll take you further down the rabbit hole. but yeah, when she said “the old taylor is dead” she was referring to not letting people walk all over her anymore basically, not her song style. the song style in that album was just meant to reflect that. in “daylight” at the end, the old taylor is answering the phone, which means she wasn’t even dead in the first place, just hiding and going through a period of growth (hence the butterfly symbolism in her music videos for that album). ALSO i’d look up the poem she wrote, “why she disappeared.” “when she turned to go home, she heard echos of new words ‘may your heart remain breakable but never by the same hand twice.’”
also i just realized how fucking pretentious i sound i just know way too much about taylor swift and am super deep in the rabbit hole, i loved this video like sm you’re really funny i’m just sharing information on the topic
I loved watching your journey through her music with fresh eyes! Honestly, a lot of it isn't gym music, so for Evermore and Midnights especially, listen through with the lyrics while chilling at night. Songwriting-wise, they're masterpieces.
I honestly think that reputation is my favorite album mostly because it is the ultimate mood booster. My favorite song is You're On Your Own, Kid because it felt like she wrote it about me and the personal connections made it so much better, and I think that is why she appeals to me so much overall. I loved the video!
She has honed her craft and grown. She was always a singing, songwriting genius; but her music has more depth now. She does what a true artist does, she shifts, she morphs, she changes and explores. Gotta love her - there are no other female artists out there like her. Who wants a one trick, formulaic artist?
i highly recommend you to read the prologue she writes in the booklet of each album to fully understand the context behind lyrics and "era". there's a lot of information there 😉 also, taylor uses storytelling as strategy to keep us in this journey with her. she literally drops easter eggs and parallels between songs, so we can associate them in that universe created by her and see like, "another part of that story". some of these clues, words etc, overtime, shows some symbolism behind it and thats how you become a swifie 😂
Every album of hers I listen to I initially don't really care for. It takes time to really sit and listen to the words and feel the emotions of the songs, and you can't really do that during a binge. Her album Evermore and Folklore were my least favorite albums when they were released, but now they are easily my favorite. The lyricism, the production, the mood... How she brings her emotions to life in her music is just unparalleled.
your top 5 for lover validated everything ... so glad dbatc gets its flowers im not even a swiftie like that but that album and specifically that song changed my brain chemistry
i'm glad to see you listening to reputation and lover together! i always say to my friends, they're sister albums despite being different. personally, the last few tracks of reputation does seems like a love song (excluding TIWWCHNT which is like a last slap to her haters before she enjoys a few moments with her, well, lover.), which i find a really great transition to an album that focused on love, whether it's towards her friends, to her partner, or to her parents. lover may have not hit hard compared to her predecessors and successors (still find it so unfair that ME! had a music video, but cruel summer didn't) , but it was a good album to end a 'bad' chapter in taylor's life, especially considering she found love amidst all the chaos prior to reputation, and it was someone who made her feel well loved. it won't really make sense if she released a darker concept after reputation, when her battlescars have healed in some way. also reputation kinda does live up to its name. the first tracks are the persona the media perceived her to be: an angry and angsty woman, but delving deeper to the album, we get to know a more 'human' and vulnerable taylor that we all can relate to once again. one thing i can conclude from the album though is that she's a huge lover (pun intended) and not a fighter lol.
I think I'm slowly morphing into a Swiftie even though I haven't listened to half the albums (folklore is my favorite by far Midnights gets better the more you listen to it.). While I don't agree with everything you said (THAT would be pretty boring!), I really enjoyed the video. You're very engaging. What's most impressive is that you seem to have acknowledged most, if not all, of our comments (I have scrolled through all 468..lol)!? That means something!😊 I'll be back....
haha thank u! I honestly just like seeing what everyone has to say!!! engaging w everyone is as fun as making the video for me :) would def recommend listening to all her stuff! i had a blast
Loved the honesty and transparency!! The thing is Taylor's songs can be overwhelming so I understand the initial reaction. I do get your point when explaining but just so you know a lot of her songs are grower HAHAHA so look out for that. Also, one great factor influencing the experience is trying to look at it in a birds eye view. Her words have soo many depth as well as meaning and knowing the backstory is another different level of experience. I do hope you enjoyed your journey 10 albums are A LOT to digest especially in such a short span of time.
Honestly to fans certain album doesn't immediately slap. Even as fans there's like moments where you really couldn't fully engage to it, but give it a couple more listens and it's gonna be on repeat. So as casual listener it's sort of understandable that you wouldn't appreciate it all right away.
@@jasonpaulkim weirdly I feel the urge to thank you even tho it's not my work lolol. But not all the album feels the same as others, like RED, and you have to get into the right mood too 🤣 RED is def one of the most well liked, I'm so glad to see underrated songs on your top list!
wow !!! this is commitment 🎉 totally insane go u 👏👏👏👏 folklore, evermore and reputation are my favourites but they’re definitely growers for some people !! also LOVE to see the respect on red and all too well.. a big reason it was so popular last year was because of all the nostalgia from 2012, so it’s so wonderful to see a new fan recognising the talent ❤ i will say it might be harder to see the prestige of each “era” without having lived through them and all the context surrounding them, personally each one feels totally sacred because of how gravitational they were on release and the impact they continue to have on pop music, but that is something that really hits harder over time ! would absolutely love to see more taylor content from u this was incredible !!
Im a swiftie for sure, and it is true she could release ANYTHING and it would be listened to by millions of people. One time there was a mistake and she released 7 seconds of static noise but it went #1 in Canada for a few days
1:12 there was once accidentily released "8 seconds of static noice" ..... it was only released on the canadian version of a digital drop before 1989, but the world found out pretty quickly
The drama that happened before reputation goes way beyond "being too mainstream." She was canceled because of Kim and Kanye and her reputation was in shambles. That was her come back from all the damage they did Edit: I said the same thing about Midnight being H&M music lol
To summarize why Taylor released reputation and went all emo for u: In kanye wests song famous he used lyrics that included the line "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous." The line prompted a negative response from Taylor Swift fans, and was soon after followed by the report that Taylor and Kanye spoke on the phone before the song was finished and she "gave the thumbs up." But then she said that specifically that "Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single ‘Famous’ on her Twitter account.” And that she cautioned him about releasing the song "with such a strong misogynistic message." The statement ends by saying Taylor was not made aware of the last part of the lyric (specifically the "I made that bitch famous" part). So the whole internet hated her and she disappeared for a year and then after proof of the unedited call was dropped she dropped this album and it was the comeback of the century
this vid is honestly so relatable - i kinda lived under a rock until two years ago when i binge-listened to all of her music and i am obSESSED. i think that all of the albums definitely grow on you more depending on your tastes. for me, i've always been a mainstream pop fan so reputation, 1989, and lover were immediately my favorites, and it took a bit of time for me to warm up to the country albums + folklore/evermore. now, rep is still my fav, but folklore is my second fav, but honestly all of the albums have their time and place. i think one of the bonuses to taylor is just that she has music for almost any kind of situation, so any time of year, there's always SOME taylor song that you can listen to, and there'll always be at least a few songs that anyone likes depending on their tastes. glad u enjoyed it!!
BESTIE U NEED TO RE LISTEN EVERYTHING and REALLY digest everything!!! lol take time tho, every song of hers really grows every listen (my own experiences tho)... and just listen and understand the lyrics and the story behind it hehe new sub here!🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
I think it’s hard to completely digest a Taylor Swift album in one listen, but I know catching up on 10 albums is crazy. Reputation is a grower though, give it another chance 😂
yeah i'll listen to it again for sure
Sooooo much of her music is growers
That's how I got into Taylor Swift
Yesss I agree. Delicate is so low on J’s list but it’s one of my favorite songs period!
I also didn't like folklore the first time I listened to it. It took me sometime. Now i'm like "wow best album ever made in music history" and l love all songs in it
folklore is so timely and relevant to the pandemic where everyone just wants to listen to stories and people started enjoying laid-back things so yeah, probably not an album for the gym. haha
makes sense lol. i mean it was ok, i made it work
I'm sad he didn't like "seven" I mean it's so heartwarming and sad at the same time!
@@victoriarooks784 I’ll probably get attacked for this 😂 but “seven” is my least favorite track on folklore 😕 I usually skip it.
@@Sweetmuffins0018 I mean it's about two kids running away so I can understand no one wants to hear about that
@@victoriarooks784 i didn’t like it at first but now it’s one of my favorites!!! She’s a grower
taylor reaaaaally starts to hit when you know every single lyric tbh. All her songs are onions and the more you listen the more you start to understand and like it.
oh yeah for sure. the few songs i know all the lyrics too slap that much harder
Also that one time when you just…listen to a specific lyric and then BOOM… new fav song. It used to be meh, but then it hit something in the brain and now its perfect.
For me it was “the moment I knew” lol. Hit me like a ton of bricks on a bus one time 😂
Maroon from Midnights gets me like this! I saw someone do a whole essay on twitter about it and I was like... wow! Then I added my own interpretations and perspecitivves and uhh! Amazing!
@@jennieballard2905 what account did the essay? i'd love to read it!
@@jasonpaulkim explain shake it off then...
I feel like the eras stuff isn’t just from the actual album but how we distinguish Taylor’s whole look/personality surrounding an album. She usually changes her style and other aspects of her public image to go along with a new album and so that’s why we call them eras.
yeah that makes more sense lol
Nah its still a stupid trend
This isn't unique to Taylor though. Virtually every artist reinvents their image to some extent with each album era. Hell, look at Michael Jackson. He literally changed his entire physical appearance and visual aesthetic with each album cycle. Taylor is far from the first person to have different phases of her career distinguished by eras.
@@faegibb4043 A 'trend' that virtually every musician or band has followed. Not a Taylor thing exclusively.
@@PiperSparkles we’re not saying that is unique of taylor, is just a helpful word to talk about different momments in her career, you can use it michael jackson too
i think the thing about taylor and her albums is that it’s all subjective. fans, especially the ones that grew up with her, have albums that came out at very pivotal moments in their lives. the way she writes it’s just so personal and she really writes in a way you feel like you can relate it to any moment in your life. she’s truly one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and every project she puts out has a story and a meaning and she’s so passionate about it. it’s so relatable and that’s why i love her so much.
very well put :)
LOUDER
perfectly said 👏👏👏
Literally everything about this comment is true for me.
I always think her albums are just fine after the first listen, and then one week later, they grow on me and it’s all I wanna listen to. Red’s my favorite album, and the concert was amazing too!
yeah imma keep listening and they'll prob grow on me. RED SLAPPPPPSSSS!!!!
Literally what happens to me every time! haha I stay up for the release because...it's TAYLOR. And then I'm like. Whelp. That was....fine. And then a week later I'm listening to songs on repeat and screaming at the top of my lungs haha
Yoooo same. When midnights came out I listened to it one time and then a dormant phase of like 3 days and then bam, it's all I've been listening to until now
true, that's kind of my case too haha
That’s how I am too! It took about 6 months for me to decide that I LOVE reputation and about 2 months to decide that midnights is a masterpiece.
Folklore is a masterpiece. It's like listening to a painting.
i kinda get that
wow, you worded it so well
very well said!
Only true swifties knows why Reputation is a very iconic album. If you saw all clips from stadium tour of Reputation it became GOLD.
good to know lol
She can really work an audience
Don't you think an artist's music should be iconic for everyone and not only the fans
@@malihakarim1696 oh man… not every artist’s album comes with a backstory like reputation lmao. That’s kind of why it’s especially iconic to her and her fans
@@malihakarim1696 No.
Most interesting video I've seen in a long time. Im a huge Swiftie who's fav album is folklore and tbh it is more of a coffee in the rain album then a gym album lol. I also recommend a looking at the lyrics deeper because it gives the same depth and lyricism as All Too Well 10 min and makes the whole album seem so much more intriguing. ALSO last thing... you should totally make more videos like these with other artists such as billie eilish and conan gray... I would love to see more content like this!
i'm glad u enjoyed! yeah i definitely see the appeal of folklore. at some point i'll have to give it another try in the car or smth lol
I don’t drink coffee but I agree folklore is a coffee shop rainy album.
yes!! do it with conan gray
1894 is my favorite swifty album #slay queens
Its 1989
no words can explain the pride and respect i have for this man, slay dude.
nah. no words can explain the pride and respect i have for YOU
red and 1989 are so good! also I would say your reaction to reputation is completely valid because it does change so suddenly halfway but I think once you learn more about what was happening during this time (her disappearing from the public, all but 3 or 4 of her friends turning against her) you'll realize that the album going from edgy and loud to romantic and soft makes perfect sense because her finding someone that truly loved her made her realize that she doesn't have to prove to the world that she's a good person.. in fact reputation has more love songs than lover and that's really a statement
great insight!!
i strongly believe that taylor’s music as a whole is a grower. people might argue with that saying that it’s because the music is bad and we’re trying to convince ourselves it’s good, but that’s not the reason. all of taylor’s music is heavily focused on storytelling. her songs are so meticulously crafted and you can always find new details and connections within them. because of that her music just gets better the more you listen to it, the songs just become more and more genius because you find all those details. i think that’s why reputation aged so well
great insight!!!
Totally agree about the storytelling! It’s like how I consider The Diving Board to be Elton John’s greatest album (I know, I know, hot take) because of how mature the songwriting is, and the minimal production actually suits the songs because it makes you focus more on them.
As someone who only listened to you belong with me when I was like 10 years old, the more you mature the better Taylor Swift gets. I recently got into her music again at age 18 and finished midnights- it’s a gem. I feel she’s for all the bookworms and people who are into putting pieces together and getting a full story. Yes it’s not for everyone but her music is so beautifully written, and so heartfelt can’t help but adore her
totally agree! i also listened to u belong with me when i was little it still holds up tho
Are you me? Haha cause I think we went through the same process haha.
we're living the same life omg
A lot of artists experiment with new styles!
And while she changes styles a lot you can put her popularity down to some consistent factors: she’s a great songwriter, she tells great stories that are often relatable, she plays her own instruments, she has a whole Easter egg game going on which is good fun, and she’s funny and intelligent. Watch a few of her interviews!
She’s gotten older and as she has her sound and taste in music has changed but fans are also people with a wide range of tastes and capacity to try new things. Although I understand people all have their favorite eras. That’s also a fun conversation for fans, and something else to sort of bond over i guess?
PS my favorite album is Red but it has nothing to do with Jake and just everything to do with what a great album it is!
yeah for sure. after listening to her music how could i not like her as an artist?! the music on red is great. jake is like sugar on top ig lol
as a swiftie, some/most of her discography are sleeper hits and i find it very difficult to rank her albums because it's very circumstantial and depends on how i'm feeling that day/week. the ranking changes a lot for me. but speak now is always in the top 3
totally makes sense lol
I really liked how you put into words how I've felt about Taylor's works.. "they're not supposed to be masterpieces, they're just representations of different points of her life" ❤ and omggg Red is my fave too!
yeah it's really different than other artists to be honest. AND YEAH WOOOOO RED GOES CRAZYYYY!!!!
Totally fair to dislike the Eras name but I think it’s pretty genius tbh. Every Taylor fan knew exactly what it meant immediately and were relieved because we have gotten 4 new albums since 2019 and haven’t gotten to see any of it live. Plus 2 re-recorded albums with extra material and 4 more that could be released any time. Taylor is still peaking in her career but she’s in her 30s and “Greatest Hits Tour” branding isn’t really what you want as a relevant pop girly, and this is a good way around it. And the swifties don’t want only greatest hits anyways, the album cuts or songs she hasn’t played in a long time are what get us most excited usually.
oh yeah as a title for the tour i think it's great. i just think it's a bit odd to refer to them as eras but at the same time, it's not tht deep i kinda just said it to piss people off lol
i hate the term “girly” shes a grown ass woman lmao
@@jasonpaulkim i think the fans started calling her different time periods eras, and taylor picked it up. Defined not just by albums, but her different clothing styles, where she was living at the time etc...
@@farahwork2552 I didn’t use the term “girly” I used the term “pop girly” which is a common phrase that refers to a specific level and type of pop artist lol.
@@helloworld441 Every single music forum I've ever been in has distinguished album cycles as eras. Swifties definitely didn't invent the term or pioneer the concept of putting it into wide usage. I'm not sure what this JasonPaulKim guy is used to but in the places I frequent, the term 'era' has always been used to differentiate album cycles from one another. You'd have to be the most bland, generic artist in the world for all of your albums to just blend together with no distinction from one to the next.
As a fan of Taylor I can say I am a fan of her as a lyricist, not necessarily because of a particular sound because I do listen to all types of music. That's why personally I prefer her fountain pen and especially the quill songs, than the glitter pen ones.
respect. she's definitely talented regardless of the genre
Yesss spot on
i absolutely agree
Omg YES! This! She is an incredible WRITER.
Honestly, mad respect for giving red the attention it deserves. It’s my favorite album and while folklore and evermore are great, I feel like the fandom puts them on such a high pedestal that red gets overshadowed a lot. I think Speak Now Taylor’s Version is gonna change your mind about speak now though and it’s gonna jump up in the rankings.
haha red slappssss!!! well when speak now taylor's version comes out i'll be sure to listen to it although i gotta say, relistened to it today and it's growing on me
Yes! I fight my grown adult friends on this all the time. Red is the best album of all time.
@@marinahparkinson1802 could not agree more
This hurts a little bit Folklore, Reputation, and 1989 are tied for first on my album rankings😭😭 but I loveee Red so I understand. Taylor’s albums are definitely ones that need to be listened to multiple times to fully grasp. It took me two year to finally be able to rank folklore and evermore😭
i respect that! i'll def be relistening to folklore
My favorite album is still reputation. It's the biggest comeback in the history and the stadium tour breaking records. Also its my first taylor album ever. Reputation makes a lot more sense if you knew the history behind it. Its a narrative driven album, playing what the media painted her to be, but in its core its all about finding true love in the midst of all the chaos around her... Hence the loud production on the start of the album and her slowing things down and ending it with a ballad "New Years Day". My favorite song is, so it goes... and yes, ur so underrated... Like when I saw ur video and only saw a few views.. I was like how?? Anyways more power and keep it up 🤍. New sub here.
glad u enjoyed the video!!
I’m with you. Reputation turned me into a Swiftie. And this channel for sure deserves more subs.
reputation was also my favorite, but let's be honest. It was not a comeback. Taylor had just released her most globally commercially successful album of all time (1989), so you can't really reputation a real "comeback". At least not commercially.
@@nathanieljohnson5908 i mean she physically disappeared for a year after all those scrutiny. You can still call it comeback album.
@@nathanieljohnson5908 it was a comeback from being canceled worldwide, if that's not a comeback, idk what is. 🤷🏻♀️
I love this review. You see her more as a person than most of the fans. And you’re not afraid of voicing your opinions on her albums, even if they’re unpopular opinions.
haha thank u! yea i mean i figured if i just sat around saying what everyone else thinks what's the point of even making the vid? lol i'm glad u liked it
when people say eras they're not specifically meaning the album itself but they're also including the press, the tour, the looks and drama surrounding it, she reinvents her self again and again within each album drop that it seems as if it's a new "era" of music and style she is creating.
thanks for the insight :))
Interesting thing about 3 folklore songs (Betty, August, Cardigan). It's basically a high school love triangle comprised of 3 characters: James (The 17 year old writing the apology letter in the song Betty), August, some call her Una (Una is the unnamed lover that dreams about being in a relationship with James although he is in one), and Betty (Her song, Cardigan, is set 20 years in the future reminiscing on the whole ordeal between the 3, and also looking back on the past mistakes). If you listen to the songs in the order of Betty, August, and Cardigan, there are lots of bits and pieces taken out of the 3 songs. For example: In the bridge of August it says "remember when I pulled up and said get in the car..." and in the song Betty, James states: "Just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions, She said James get in, let's drive..." Basically that's that whole reason for the apology letter to Betty because James cheated on Betty with Una throughout the summer. Also the immaturity of a 17 year old boy is shown in Betty in the chorus: "Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends." It's truly genius how she composed all 3 of these songs to connect lyrically and musically. Also in Betty, James mentions a cardigan, which is the same one Betty talks about in the Cardigan song.
wow! i will def have to listen to those again
I'm a hardcore Swiftie, and just the nostalgia she brings, the stories she tells, and for some reason *the way her songs make you happier (proved lol),* she's just a great songwriter altogether. The ways she presents her songs, the way she acts on her tours, you feel like you're engaging more with her than what you would while listening to other singers, like youre just listening to those singers and not engaging with them as much, feeling like youre just listening to someone behind a screen. And she never names anyone in her songs, because then you can just sing it about a crush you have, or a breakup you had. Also, 1989 is a hardcore 1st place, cannot be beaten.
very well put! 1989 is a certified slapper for sure
I love Taylor Swift, and I love so many of her songs as a compilation, and I am what I would consider myself as a Swiftie, but I must say I don’t love Shake it off quite like a lot of people do as well. Thank you for not being afraid to say that. I mean, it’s definitely a hit, but it’s actually not really in my top 15 favorites.
Yesss someone else who has 1989 as number one!!!!!!!
The editing, the jokes, the script, everything was AMAZING!! And listening to the 10 albums is a LOT of work haha. Thank you for doing this, I really enjoyed the video.
haha thanks so much! i'm glad u enjoyed it!!! def a lot of work but it was honestly rlly fun :)
I'd definitely recommend spending more time with folkmore and midnights. They're albums that really focus on the lyricism.
In particular, these albums signify a switch in focus from relationships to mental health. Songs like The Archer, Anti-Hero, mirrorball, This Is Me Trying and The Lakes explore her own struggles with anxiety and depression. Songs like, peace, delicate and Renegade (Big Red Machine ft. Taylor Swift) explore how poor mental health can affect a relationship.
Most importantly, songs like evermore and You're on your own, kid both manage to depict the worst moments of her struggles whilst carrying hopeful messages at the end for those with similar struggles that these things can be beaten and pain will often feel inescapable, right before you escape it
great insight!! thanks for the recs!
I think it simply comes down to her ability to make things sound relatable, no matter how far she has come because she is incredible with her lyrics and conveying so much emotion in her voice. You can also see the journey of aging in her work because she started so young.
The Era part isn't just musically that she changes up, it is also her entire image.
great insight!! and i kinda figured abt the eras thing lol
As a Swift fan, I really enjoyed your objective take on everything. You made some really great points and I appreciate you taking all that time to listen to her work. I’ve been a fan from the beginning because of her amazing songwriting. She has this way of being so honest and finding the precise words to describe a situation and keeps it relatable. We’re 2 years apart so whenever she came out with an album I was about the same age as when she wrote them and it’s like anything I was going through she’s already been there and has the perfect song ready for me. Like advice from a big sister. A lot of her music hits different when you understand the story behind it all or who it’s about. It also takes time to fully digest what she’s saying, especially with the Folklore/Evermore albums. She really showed her writing skill with those albums bc she could tell a whole story in one song that was completely fictional and still be a great song. Lover is my favorite but the ‘folk’ albums hold a special place too. End of novel. If anyone has read this far you’re a champ and I appreciate you 😉
i read that far :)) i think it's so dope that u r that connected to her music! hoping that over time i can develop a similar one lol
The age thing between you and Taylor is so relatable, i think i have like a five year gap but always found her eras will suit the era of my life too!
My Favorite song is Holy Ground off of Red. And Red is my favorite Album as well! Its just so diverse and very cohesive! Im glad you loved it!
couldn't agree more. THAT SHIT SLAPPSSS
HIIII!!!!! A couple things I want to say about this video:
Great video! I thought it was very interesting to hear what you had to say. I’m really happy you listened to the Taylor’s versions and understood why she’s re-recording. Hearing what someone who hadn’t really listened to Taylor before thought about the album was awesome.
Now a couple other things I just wanted to mention because you might not know them:
Taylor is for sure a good person. She’s always been kind to her fans and mostly classy during drama. Pre pandemic Taylor actually use to do this thing where she would select around 50 fans off the internet, invite them to her house, and play the new album at the time BEFORE it was released. They were called “secret sessions” fans got to eat cookies Taylor baked them, play with her cats, and take pictures with her. All of that is completely unnecessary and honestly risky but she did it because she loves her fans.
Also I think Taylor’s vocals in recent years have been amazing but they weren’t always great. I’m sure you heard in her debut album that she was a little flat or off key, but she still had tons of fans, so I would argue that it’s her story telling that keeps her in the spotlights.
Love the video!
thanks for the extra context!! glad u enjoyed the video!!!
Era is acually a rollout, it's when album or lead single is announced and it ends when last single is realised and sometimes even more, if Tour happens
For example Midnights era started when she announced it on VMAs and idk when it'll end lol
Or another example, (iconic) Reputation era started when LWYMMD dropped, Aug 24 2017 and ended around this time in 2018 when she performed I Did Something Bad on AMAs (insane performance btw)
i see i see
Folklore and evermore are definitely the masterpieces of her music career.
They're definitely not gym albums because they're not meant to be. They were released in the pandemic when everyone was trapped at home and so it was brilliant of her to make music that worked so well with the environment her listeners would embrace the music. I'd ask you to please revisit the 2 albums and concentrate on the lyrics or maybe listen to interviews of her regarding these albums. Each songs is so important and so well written. Songs like "my tears ricochet" which is a literal funeral scene and can be interpreted as so many situations, songs like "this is me trying" are heartbreakingly relatable for anyone but still hold so much depth and amazing lyricism, "tolerate it" defines such an unidealistic circumstance that is sadly very common in most relationships and many more. Not to mention so many underlying references themes from books like the great gatsby, to Taylors literal previous home owners to even her bond with her grandmother in the song Marjorie where you can literally hear her late grandmother's voice singing in the background.
Give these albums another shot but with a different mindset and ideally not at the gym lol
Liked the video very muchhh 👍
so glad u enjoyed!! i can definitely understand the appeal to the duo but it's not my personal taste
@@jasonpaulkim at first I though the same way. I barely even listened to the album when it came out, then I started to listen to it I think 2 months after and I was like holy shi* this is so good. I though it wasn’t for mr but turns out I loved it. It also got me listening to Lana del Rae
The reason many people cannot embrace Taylor is because they cannot embrace change. Taylor has shifted from country-pop/rock to pop to alerternative - to indie-folk - to pop music. Many people do not have the ability to have so many versions of themselves to keep up. I am not a fan of country music, but there are a few select songs from her first 3 albums I like. Not all songs are full on country on those albums, and those are the ones I gravitated towards. Lover is a no skip album for me.
that's a really great point! lover slapssss
Why'd i randomly start crying while reading that- 😭🫠
I gasped when you said there's no prestige to her albums, she's won album of the year 3 times at the Grammys 😭(Fearless, 1989, folklore), tying Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon for winning album of the year the most amount of times
prestige as in how some artists treat it like a sacred thing. like how kanye is.
😂😂😂
The lyrics in Red intertwine really well with each other (i.e. “it’s supposed to be fun turning 21” from All Too Well (10 minute version) and The Moment I Knew being about a guy who didn’t show up to her birthday party. That one is pretty obvious but there are more. Also you might like the videos and seeing the Easter eggs in them because she does that too. I’m sure you heard about the Bejeweled music video but it is full of hints of a rerelease of Speak Now
yup!!
Reputation especially felt like an “era” because of everything leading up to it which was; nothing. It was complete silence on her end but then it was like never ending havoc with that album and it felt like a new Taylor that was now standing up for herself!! You’re right tho, New Year’s Day definitely would’ve been appropriate in any of her albums. But just the sheer disappearance and sudden reappearance of Taylor during Reputation is the reason that the word “era” is often associated with it. It’s iconic!!! I feel like 1989 is a very undermined album just because it’s pop and her older albums leading up to 1989 were majorly country so it felt like no one took it seriously but it’s one of my favorites because it’s fun to listen to!!
yeah 1989 slaps frrr
I have a theory about Taylor's music that makes her streams keep going. Her albums has initial favorites that gets listened to A LOT, but after that fans start listening more to other songs they've ignored because they were too immersed on the popular ones. She has a lot of growers!
for sure a good point
I have actually personally felt this, I listened to Miss Americana and Heartbreak Prince off Lover but then found myself craving Paper Rings more recently!
The thing is, there’s so much varied stuff in her catalogue that there’s some Taylor Swift for just about everyone. She’s always said she makes the kind of music she’s listening to at the time, so it makes sense that it’s changing
makes sense lol
You. Did. Not. Just. Trashed. Taylor’s self written Speak Now album I- 👁👄👁
lol i've actually been listening to it more cuz my friend loves it and it's growing on me
@@jasonpaulkimspeak now is my all time fav so i just jumped for joy. my favorite taylor song ever is haunted!! she also just did a re record for speak now!
11:56 Fun fact: Taylor likes to end her albums with soft-recollection style of music, which is why New Year's Day was so different from the rest.. NYD is a banger though, I hope you'll give it another try, it took me 5 repeats to truly love it. It's really a chill music where you'd want to be under a blanket in your bed inside a dark room with night lights on during a rainy time. :)
yeah i relistened check out my latest video!!
Wow I have so much respect for you. Not only for the great video, but listening to all the albums at once is a LOT. Definitely give some of them (rep and folklore are two of my faves) another chance. I’m glad you went into depth talking about all too well cuz yeah she famously doesn’t really name drop her exes (except for the one time on snl because fearless taylor is TERRIFYING) and one of my favorite examples of this is when someone was interviewing her about style and asked why it’s called “style,” because it’s insinuated to be about (duh) harry STYLES and she just kept answering “because the hook of the song is we never go out of style” like yeah. Also red is my favorite album too so I was over the moon to hear you enjoyed it as much as all of us do:))
appreciate it! red slapped!!! i'll def relisten to them
reputation is the kind of album that hits harder when you know the story behind and grows onto it. most of the lyrics has something really personal
folklore and evermore aren’t folk albums, they’re alternative. folklore means tales that are passed down throughout a long time, from person to person. which makes sense because the album feels like someone is reading a story to you. evermore’s naming seemed genius to me as folklore’s “sister” album, because these “folklores” or more commonly, fairytales have this “forever after” concept.
i understand the folk ness of them now lol
@@jasonpaulkim welcome aboard!
4:30 it doesn’t sound weird at all. in fact, you nailed it. her music is so popular because it feels like a teenager’s diary and is relatable. it’s not easy for a lot of teenagers to find music that feels like it was written for them, by one of them, that talks about the normal everyday crap they go through (paraphrased from a convo with my Swiftie niece). though obviously the music is different, it’s the same feeling i got when grunge music exploded when i was 15. i will forever be a swiftie myself (and i’m 47) because of the confidence i saw grow in my niece due to Taylor’s music.
haha that's a really great story!!!
My favorite album depends on my mood. I grew up with Taylor. I was 15 when she released her first album and it’s like we grew up together. Those things that felt a little silly romantic on the first couple albums were right where I was. And each album released into the right phase of my life. And now those albums are time capsules and nostalgia.
That being said. I think Red is my favorite. But Fearless/Speak Now/Reputation are always close behind.
Also also. She released an EP between her debut album and Fearless called Beautiful Eyes.
(This is a lot. I know. I’m sorry. Welcome to the Swiftie club. We’re glad you’re here. It only gets better)
lol it's def hard to rank them but i respect ur love for red :)
The thing about Taylor's albums is that, a lot of it won't hit you at first, but then one day when you feel like you need to give your least favourite album a second chance, you realise how good it is and it shoots up your album ranking. I couldn't bring myself to listen to Speak Now a second time, even though I cherry picked a few of my favs when I first listened to it. But then I listened to it for a second time, and the one thing I kept saying was "How the hell did I not think that this was good the first time I heard it????"
i'm sure this is true. i'll be relistening for sure
Or that one you always skip cause you hate it when the album comes out but one day it accidentally plays and you realise you've been missing out on a hit this entire time? Every time
Hey, I went through the exact same process after midnights was released, like I wanted to learn everything about Taylor, and let me tell you: it was totally worth it. I'm all for Taylor now.
hey same man, her music slaps
same
i loved this video! i was adamantly T Swift for the longest time (especially as I hail from the land of country music). i thought i was too cool for her and bought into the whole "she plays the victim" narrative. during the pandemic, i gave folklore and evermore a try because slower indie music is my jam. and over the next year, that led to me falling down the rabbit hole...
like you said, we don't know if she's a good person or not, but the entire musical trajectory really showcases all her growth from how she's handled the situations she's found herself in --- many of which were straight up just rooted in sexism. the receipts speak for themselves... she has handled situations gracefully and professionally, and as so many women are brought up to be chronic people pleasers, watching her learn to stand up for herself and assertively use her voice (while still retain her kindness and generosity) has been powerful. her career and story is really a reflection, or mirrorball (hehe) of how society is making a collective shift from misogyny and patriarchy. the more that comes out about Kanye's anti-semitism, and Scooter Braun's alleged affair/subsequent divorce, and shady back room dealings of her masters - the more I see how so much of what Taylor was wrapped up in was just, at the root of it, a permissible layer of misogyny that is slowly being addressed and finally being deemed unacceptable.
great insight!!! i think regardless of if we can determine her true true character, she's done plenty of admirable things. i'm glad u enjoyed the video!!!
I'm a shameless reputation Stan mainly cause of the Netflix stadium tour that was a show 🔥
Omg sameee I didn’t like the album very much until I saw the concert on Netflix. Since then, reputation is my favorite
damn ig i'll have to check that out then
@@jasonpaulkim 100% Check it out! We have a tradition of always watching it at the last day of the year and finish on New Year's Day, it's so perfect for that 😁
i think the disconnect here is that swifties have largely grown to prefer 'skipless' albums to ones with extreme peaks and valleys. the more uniform quality of speak now / folkmore is usually ranked higher than the chaos of lover/fearless/debut and to an extent, reputation. she was always an album artist, but by creating such a tight bond with swifties they also became 'album fans'
great video nonetheless, thanks for taking the time to form nuanced takes and for being open to her music!
that's a great point! glad u enjoyed the video!!
Sparks fly or enchanted definitely my favorite swizzle songs
not bad not bad
Loooooove sparks fly. The whole Speak Now album is perfection.
Taylor definitely had some big swings and misses with the singles that she chose from 1989 to Lover as the lead single, but as the more, you go into the track listing, the better the songs are. Appreciate this deep dive from a non-Swiftie, man! As for my favorite song of her's it may have to be All Too Well, especially the 10 minute version. As for my favorite album, I know it is not objectively the best, but Lover holds such a dear place in my heart as I listened to it multiple times a day, every day, for like 3 months after it was released.
Also subbed because of the video. Great job again
haha thank u! so glad u enjoyed!! i personally think lover is a great track especially the remix w shawn mended but to each their own :)
actually I've done something similar. after midnights, which I really enjoyed, I decided to listen to all of her albums from start to finish (i listened to her real popular songs from fearless to 1989, but thats it). now I can't stop talking about her and listening to her music. folklore is my favorite and I've been listening to my tears ricochet and mad woman on repeat
yeah it's shocking how many bangers she has on each album
@@jasonpaulkim she's such a great lyricist and all of her songs sound amazing. I'm sad I didn't look into all of her songs sooner. I think I wouldve loved her even more as a teen
definitely didn’t expect to watch this all the way through, but you did a really fun job at exploring Taylor from a more casual yet intricate perspective and I really liked it! Hopefully you can take a little bit more time to absorb the depth that a lot of her songs brings to the table ♥️
i'm glad u stuck around for the whole thing!! definitely looking forward to seeing how her music grows on me over time :)
okay but the editing tho!!! im only half way through and wowwwww. also your fearless ranking is so good, i did not get fearless TV at first but forever and always is that girl!
haha thank u! yea bro forever and always is a slapper
For reputation, you have to live in the era to actually experience it. Def my fav album and era . It was just really really good
fair enough :)
Wow! Trying to take in all albums in one day is such an overwhelming way to appreciate it all. Reputation is a fan beloved, definitely try it again. The more you learn, the more you’ll love every album.
lol yea most of them have grown on me since :)
I think the thing about Taylor is the narrative that's intertwined within her music. Because there's always been such a personal aspect to her music, you can see this sort of evolution of her as a person throughout time, and that especially hits harder for fans who have grown up alongside her. Like it bugs me a bit personally, because I feel like there's this sort of mentality in "stan" spaces that winds up treating celebrities like they're fictional characters, but it truly does feel like every new Taylor album adds a chapter to her life, of sorts. She's crafted this MCU of music of sorts (literally some fans will refer to her music and life as the Taylor Swift Cinematic Universe) with her music, something that fans can feel like they're engaging with in the same way that you might do with a TV show or movie. Plus she's always good at making a bop or two for the more casual fans sdfdsfds
i don't think that's crazy to say. i'm honestly in the same boat i can't wait to see what she releases next
BRO IVE BEEN TALKIN ABOUT THE RANODM GUY SINGING FOR SO LONG. FINALLY SOMEONE TALKED ABT IT. Great vid btw. I forgot to comment this when I first saw this
lmao thank u! and ikr lol
Great video and kudos on all the work you put into it!
I explained to a friend a few days ago exactly WHY Midnights is getting the success it’s getting, so I’m attaching it below in case you find it at all helpful!
She has always presented herself as a narrator that people are drawn to, and that has only grown exponentially over her 16 year career with her rise to fame. As a songwriter, she has bravely maintained artistic integrity by preserving her diaristic approach to her songwriting process despite how bright the spotlight has beamed down on her.
A consequence of this has been that her private life has become a game of detective for the fans and the public. Of course this works in her favor, but over sharing has resulted in her receiving slut shaming, accusations of cold-hearted, manipulative nature, etc.
Once the pandemic hit and her tour for Lover was canceled, she decided instead of making sourdough that she would be the most productive person on the planet and write/release 2 albums in 2020, folklore and evermore.
Folklore and evermore presented themselves as being creative ventures that allowed her to tell stories about herself, people she knows, and people she’s never met. That distance from the narrative allowed her to have more fun in her creativity, not feel so limited as a songwriter, and quite possibly reveal elements of herself WITHOUT stating explicitly that they were elements from her life.
Pop music, particularly pop music created by women, is often regarded as something superficial, trite, and easily derided. There have even been instances where men have taken on TAYLOR’s work and received more acclaim than her (see Ryan Adam’s recording an acoustic version of 1989 and getting more acclaim from Pitchfork than the original album).
Because folklore and evermore had a more indie/alternative lean to them, male critics and #notlikeothergirls finally started to regard her as a serious adult artist, not a silly, frilly pop act that wouldn’t fade away.
After folklore and evermore, Taylor said “suck it” to Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta by releasing her first two re-recordings for her albums Fearless and Red. These beloved albums from her country days (which included never heard before and exciting at the prospect bonus tracks) revitalized a portion of the base that had since fallen off the Taylor train.
So that brings us to now. The new folklore and evermore fans that had the interest piqued, the red and fearless og’s who were brought back in, and the people swayed by the Miss Americana documentary tuned in to listen to this very Swiftian album.
The Midnights album concept is a brilliant creative and marketing move for several reasons:
-Taylor’s return to pop: Taylor’s last pop album, Lover, was released in 2019. It’s reviews ranged from mid-good, but it’s moment was cut off by the pandemic. Also, it had TERRIBLE lead singles. This album is a direct partnership with her long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff (the bleachers, Lana Del Ray, Lorde) has resulted in some bops for fans that eagerly awaited for Taylor to return back to the genre after folklore/evermore.
-Detective-ing is activated without delving TOO deep: as mentioned earlier, people are captivated by Taylor as a narrator, almost a character in a story. People who have been following her discography are in a frenzy because, without restricting the midnights she’s talking about to a brief timeline in between album cycles, she’s made HER ENTIRE discography fair game. Relationships talked about in album 3 could be featured in this album (and they are, which long-time listeners are rewarded to know by catching subtle references).
-Lead single has a mental health angle: We are well and truly in the age of the sad girl (Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Ray, etc.) Taylor has always been riding this train, but the general public might not know that based on her singles. Her first single, Anti-Hero, is her writing out her intrusive thoughts to the world (she’ll be left alone, she’ll become a rotten person distant from a family that hates her, etc.) This, combined with the fact that the hook repurposes an old and popular meme “What if Taylor Swift wrote a song called ‘I’m the problem’” that makes the song a brilliant marketing move.
This album also presents her personal growth. Much of her catalog is based around the blossoming thrill of new relationships or the heartaches that follow. This record has a consistent theme through it of a woman who is in a good enough space with her relationship now that she’s able to analyze and discuss her own anxieties and also reflect with a more enlightened lens on past events.
I personally think it’s her best pop venture since 1989. If you aren’t a fan of it, that’s totally fine, I’m not trying to persuade you either way. This was all just my pop cultural critic brain giving you the breakdown as I see it as of this moment.
wow great insight! def her best pop stuff since 1989 imo. glad you enjoyed the video!
i just hate this whole concept of things are “bad” when women do it and “good” when men do the exact same thing. its tired and needs to die
Wow thank you for sharing this analysis, I had such a fun time reading it. As a tenure Swiftie that got through so much thanks to her music, I resonate with everything you said above. Your insight of Midnights is very similar to what I feel but you put it into words so well. Evermore is my all-time favorite Taylor’s album and it took me a couple listens to enjoy Midnights since I usually listen to more indie/alternative music nowadays, but now Maroon lives rent free in my head. I love that we get to see so many more facets of Taylor, I really respect and appreciate her for inviting audience to this extremely vulnerable and unconventional side of her. Unlike folklore and evermore which are inspired by tales and fiction, Midnights is Taylor’s own experience. The lyrics is still top-notch as always. I personally find Midnights to be a very healing album since it touches so many things I also struggle with in my own life at this point of growth. Again thank you so much for sharing your analysis, I feel super fulfilled after reading it!
aside her Poetic lyricism and Great songs,
Taylor is so Down to earth person, going to her concert and seeing and hearing she never forgets to thank every single person on the Stage and her fans, like not so many artists are doing that, she’s always Humble and Thankful ❤
I enjoyed the entire part of you simping to Red ❤️
My favorite TS album is evermore 🍂
glad to hear!! underrated pick!
@@jasonpaulkim yes very underrated, even Taylor herself sometimes forgets her 9th child evermore
Uff I love evermore too! It's my #1 album to stream more often from the ones she owns... except right now that it's Midnights turn haha
Great video! I really enjoy a thoughtful discography deep dive and your fresh perspective and funny edits made it more engaging. I’d love to see more like this!
glad u enjoyed!!!
To be honest, you wouldn't be able to enjoy Taylor's albums in one go, each album has a different experience, vibes, aesthetics, feelings which makes me enjoyable for example, Folklore and Evermore came at the heights of Covid Pandemic where people needed such soulful and soft music in lockdown(hence the oldish aesthetic of the album), reputation hits way harder back then cause everyone was waiting for her comeback after she was 'canceled' for over an year(hence the dark aesthetics of the album)
i guess ik just have to keep re listening to all of them lol
Great video! Red is definitely a fall album and I kinda see folklore and evermore as a transition into winter.. like when the fall leaves drop, the trees are bare and the sun goes down at 4 pm, that’s folklore. And the cold, awkwardly quiet days right before Christmas would be evermore for me :) still, pretty cool that you got her vinyl though! That shit is heavy
thank u! glad u enjoyed. you're definitely righ!
Red is my favorite album and State of Grace is my favorite song! No album will ever top it for me. It's just too good and so diverse. There's literally a song for every mood.
couldn't agree more!!! state of grace is a great song!!!! it has no misses!!!
Me watching this video at 5am after finding it in the homepage recommended. What an incredible video, so well made. The edits, the commentary. I like how you think, even though I don't agree with everything It's very interesting and entertaining; and what I value the most is how authentic and honest you remain whilst still being respectful ★
haha thank u! i'm so glad u enjoyed!!
About relatability - Taylor Swift and i are almost the same age, so her albums were perfectly timed for me. When she was in her fearless "era", i thought of the world in that way, cute and romantic. I got my heart broken, but also felt young, free, confused, and lonely at the same time - red. When I was finding myself, setting boundaries, testing boundaries, being labelled a b**** for having a voice, bam- reputation. I got overbhsving to prove myself and instead be comfortable being pink and sparkly - lover. I wanted to stay indoors and be cozy - everlore. I wanted to go out again, sparkle again - without being naive - midnights.
that's dope man
the accuracy 💛
come back be here is underrated so its cool that it made your top 15! also most people hate everything has changed so its interesting that you like it so much haha! i will say about reputation i didn't love it on first listen but after a few listens it easily became top 3. i also think midnights does deserve the acclaim it got but that by no means you have to love it. thanks for the video, made me laugh!
i'm glad u enjoyed!!! that is just crazy everything has changed is fantastic
Love the way you edit your videos! Was honestly surprised to see it only had 40 views!
appreciate it!!! :)
I love how you are liking and commenting on everyone's comment, even though it's for the algorithm. You engage your audience just like Taylor swift. You just gained a new subscriber here.
what can i say me and taylor r on the same wavelength i guess! jkjk i honestly rlly enjoy seeing what everyone has to say whether it's criticisms or their experience with taylor or recommendations! helping the algorithm is just killing two birds w one stone...hey like i said in the cideo
I really do believe that once you start listening to red more, you'll want to revisit the other albums and gonna end up loving them too. As you said they tell stories and at some point you're gonna realize that you need to listen to every album to understand taylor's story. Like if you don't listen to red (the song) and then go listen to daylight like what are you even doing??
yeah i def will listen to more of her stuff!! daylight slaps btw
Red is also my fav of all Taylor's albums, then folklore/evermore (I considered them as 1 album hehe) and third is Speak Now (all tracks are written by her except "If This Was a Movie" - she have a co-writer on this.) Lyrics from folkore/evermore are stories from fictional characters that she created like cardigan, betty and august (these 3 songs are connected!) I enjoyed this video/reaction and you're so fun to watch.
great picks! and thank you! glad you enjoyed
I salute your commitment, sir. I didn't even finish the full debut and Evermore albums just yet 🤣
Anyway, favorite album?
"Reputation", I understood why it's underwhelming for some but watching the stadium tour doc at Netflix, yep it definitely change my opinions about it.
Favorite song?
"Dress", I don't know, the bridge of that song slaps so hard for me. A very close tie to it is "august" from "folklore" though.
I might add: Current Taylor playlist?
"Midnights" took over it all over, it is a grower.
I think most of her albums are growers so yeah, you're doing good if you plan to appreciate each albums more. Kudos to ya! And welcome to the club, you can't go back after this.
haha thanks! solid picks! yeah i'm def listening to them more and albums like midnights and speak now r growing on me for sure. glad to join the taylor swift cult :)
Interesting video! I personally stand by my opinion that folklore is her best album because of its cohesiveness and lyrical maturity. It feels like the most complete project because of how the songs reference each other and fit so consistently into the theme of storytelling and history. However, it's definitely a very specific vibe so I see how it's not for everyone haha. Her pop albums have lots of bangers but they tend to be more hit or miss for me.
i totally see where you're coming from. i'm definitely gonna give folklore another try!!
"there's a reason she slipped over it when doing her Taylor's versions". Sometimes I'm startled by the stuff non-swiftie brains can think of
LWYMMD is referencing the kanye “Famous” situation. fire song but definitely caused a lot of drama between them, i would recommend looking into that. it’ll take you further down the rabbit hole. but yeah, when she said “the old taylor is dead” she was referring to not letting people walk all over her anymore basically, not her song style. the song style in that album was just meant to reflect that. in “daylight” at the end, the old taylor is answering the phone, which means she wasn’t even dead in the first place, just hiding and going through a period of growth (hence the butterfly symbolism in her music videos for that album). ALSO i’d look up the poem she wrote, “why she disappeared.”
“when she turned to go home, she heard echos of new words ‘may your heart remain breakable but never by the same hand twice.’”
also i just realized how fucking pretentious i sound i just know way too much about taylor swift and am super deep in the rabbit hole, i loved this video like sm you’re really funny i’m just sharing information on the topic
haha no need to worry i appreciate the info and glad u liked the vid :)))
Wow. I love this critical review of Taylor’s albums! This is such a nice video.
appreciate it! glad u enjoyed
I loved watching your journey through her music with fresh eyes!
Honestly, a lot of it isn't gym music, so for Evermore and Midnights especially, listen through with the lyrics while chilling at night. Songwriting-wise, they're masterpieces.
yeah i figured lol def giving them another shot
"every girl in the world go ballistic" nahhhh should be every girl in the world and christopher morello*
frrr her music slapsss
I honestly think that reputation is my favorite album mostly because it is the ultimate mood booster. My favorite song is You're On Your Own, Kid because it felt like she wrote it about me and the personal connections made it so much better, and I think that is why she appeals to me so much overall. I loved the video!
haha that's a solid pick! glad u liked it :)
She has honed her craft and grown. She was always a singing, songwriting genius; but her music has more depth now. She does what a true artist does, she shifts, she morphs, she changes and explores. Gotta love her - there are no other female artists out there like her. Who wants a one trick, formulaic artist?
great point!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
After I was suggested this video for a few days in my home feed I’m so happy I finally watched it! Awesome job! Great energy and super entertaining!!
glad u enjoyed it!!!
i highly recommend you to read the prologue she writes in the booklet of each album to fully understand the context behind lyrics and "era". there's a lot of information there 😉
also, taylor uses storytelling as strategy to keep us in this journey with her. she literally drops easter eggs and parallels between songs, so we can associate them in that universe created by her and see like, "another part of that story". some of these clues, words etc, overtime, shows some symbolism behind it and thats how you become a swifie 😂
thanks for the rec! do i uhhhh need to buy all of the albums to do tht orrrrr
i love the way you described fearless, it definitely feels like a personal diary.
yeah and it's just really wide eyed and youthful while still really solid
Every album of hers I listen to I initially don't really care for. It takes time to really sit and listen to the words and feel the emotions of the songs, and you can't really do that during a binge. Her album Evermore and Folklore were my least favorite albums when they were released, but now they are easily my favorite. The lyricism, the production, the mood... How she brings her emotions to life in her music is just unparalleled.
totally agree! she's just the best at what she does
your top 5 for lover validated everything ... so glad dbatc gets its flowers im not even a swiftie like that but that album and specifically that song changed my brain chemistry
it's just a bop lol
i was never a swiftie until she re-recorded Red. That album is actually incredible. All Too Well is a perfect song.
have to agree
i'm glad to see you listening to reputation and lover together! i always say to my friends, they're sister albums despite being different. personally, the last few tracks of reputation does seems like a love song (excluding TIWWCHNT which is like a last slap to her haters before she enjoys a few moments with her, well, lover.), which i find a really great transition to an album that focused on love, whether it's towards her friends, to her partner, or to her parents. lover may have not hit hard compared to her predecessors and successors (still find it so unfair that ME! had a music video, but cruel summer didn't) , but it was a good album to end a 'bad' chapter in taylor's life, especially considering she found love amidst all the chaos prior to reputation, and it was someone who made her feel well loved. it won't really make sense if she released a darker concept after reputation, when her battlescars have healed in some way.
also reputation kinda does live up to its name. the first tracks are the persona the media perceived her to be: an angry and angsty woman, but delving deeper to the album, we get to know a more 'human' and vulnerable taylor that we all can relate to once again. one thing i can conclude from the album though is that she's a huge lover (pun intended) and not a fighter lol.
yeah looking back on it i def see the appeal of reputation! lover and rep did feel kind of connected in a way even tho they were so different
I think I'm slowly morphing into a Swiftie even though I haven't listened to half the albums (folklore is my favorite by far Midnights gets better the more you listen to it.). While I don't agree with everything you said (THAT would be pretty boring!), I really enjoyed the video. You're very engaging. What's most impressive is that you seem to have acknowledged most, if not all, of our comments (I have scrolled through all 468..lol)!? That means something!😊 I'll be back....
haha thank u! I honestly just like seeing what everyone has to say!!! engaging w everyone is as fun as making the video for me :) would def recommend listening to all her stuff! i had a blast
Loved the honesty and transparency!! The thing is Taylor's songs can be overwhelming so I understand the initial reaction. I do get your point when explaining but just so you know a lot of her songs are grower HAHAHA so look out for that. Also, one great factor influencing the experience is trying to look at it in a birds eye view. Her words have soo many depth as well as meaning and knowing the backstory is another different level of experience. I do hope you enjoyed your journey 10 albums are A LOT to digest especially in such a short span of time.
yeah i definitely want to relisten and take my time with each of them! i had so much fun listening this first time around tho!!!
Honestly to fans certain album doesn't immediately slap. Even as fans there's like moments where you really couldn't fully engage to it, but give it a couple more listens and it's gonna be on repeat. So as casual listener it's sort of understandable that you wouldn't appreciate it all right away.
yeah but i'll relisten and reassess lol
@@jasonpaulkim weirdly I feel the urge to thank you even tho it's not my work lolol. But not all the album feels the same as others, like RED, and you have to get into the right mood too 🤣 RED is def one of the most well liked, I'm so glad to see underrated songs on your top list!
wow !!! this is commitment 🎉 totally insane go u 👏👏👏👏 folklore, evermore and reputation are my favourites but they’re definitely growers for some people !! also LOVE to see the respect on red and all too well.. a big reason it was so popular last year was because of all the nostalgia from 2012, so it’s so wonderful to see a new fan recognising the talent ❤ i will say it might be harder to see the prestige of each “era” without having lived through them and all the context surrounding them, personally each one feels totally sacred because of how gravitational they were on release and the impact they continue to have on pop music, but that is something that really hits harder over time !
would absolutely love to see more taylor content from u this was incredible !!
haha thank u! red slaps!! so glad u enjoyed
Im a swiftie for sure, and it is true she could release ANYTHING and it would be listened to by millions of people. One time there was a mistake and she released 7 seconds of static noise but it went #1 in Canada for a few days
lmao i love that story
1:12 there was once accidentily released "8 seconds of static noice" ..... it was only released on the canadian version of a digital drop before 1989, but the world found out pretty quickly
The drama that happened before reputation goes way beyond "being too mainstream." She was canceled because of Kim and Kanye and her reputation was in shambles. That was her come back from all the damage they did
Edit: I said the same thing about Midnight being H&M music lol
makes sense lol and yeah i swear it matches that store perfectly
To summarize why Taylor released reputation and went all emo for u:
In kanye wests song famous he used lyrics that included the line "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous." The line prompted a negative response from Taylor Swift fans, and was soon after followed by the report that Taylor and Kanye spoke on the phone before the song was finished and she "gave the thumbs up." But then she said that specifically that "Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single ‘Famous’ on her Twitter account.” And that she cautioned him about releasing the song "with such a strong misogynistic message." The statement ends by saying Taylor was not made aware of the last part of the lyric (specifically the "I made that bitch famous" part).
So the whole internet hated her and she disappeared for a year and then after proof of the unedited call was dropped she dropped this album and it was the comeback of the century
My favourite album is by far 1989! I grew up with it and the songs from that album were the first songs I had ever listened to ❤
that's awesome dude lol
this vid is honestly so relatable - i kinda lived under a rock until two years ago when i binge-listened to all of her music and i am obSESSED. i think that all of the albums definitely grow on you more depending on your tastes. for me, i've always been a mainstream pop fan so reputation, 1989, and lover were immediately my favorites, and it took a bit of time for me to warm up to the country albums + folklore/evermore. now, rep is still my fav, but folklore is my second fav, but honestly all of the albums have their time and place. i think one of the bonuses to taylor is just that she has music for almost any kind of situation, so any time of year, there's always SOME taylor song that you can listen to, and there'll always be at least a few songs that anyone likes depending on their tastes. glad u enjoyed it!!
haha great insight! glad u liked the video :)
BESTIE U NEED TO RE LISTEN EVERYTHING and REALLY digest everything!!! lol take time tho, every song of hers really grows every listen (my own experiences tho)... and just listen and understand the lyrics and the story behind it hehe new sub here!🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
i definitely will!!! glad u liked the video!