I adore the connection of Speak Now & Reputation as so much of both of them are instrumentally hard hitting & lyrically were both born out of betrayel, heartbreak, responding to outside hate, & ultimately trying to learn & grow through the whole experience! Love this guys!
This was such a fun video! I’m such a big Evermore/Speak Now girlie. This was so cool to break down the similarities and impacts her albums have on each other.
I agree almost 100% with your family tree of albums. I might've added an additional line directly between Red TV and Midnights for the same reason you put the line between Lover and Midnights. I think 1989 TV takes care of the sonic influence, but I do think the storytelling and rawness of Red comes through in Midnights as well. (Not that Lover doesn't have those Raw moments as well, especially in places like Soon You'll Get Better and Death By A Thousand Cuts.) The other comment I have to say is it made me really happy to see SOMEone (literally anyone), but especially you two, connect reputation and Speak Now because I have always seen that connection, and those two have always been a couple of my favorite Taylor albums, and you two sort of pinpointed I think why I love those two albums so much.
As always, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! We found Midnights so hard to not just relate to many of the other albums because of its themes, but we can totally see where you're coming from with the specific Red connection! And yes!! Rep and Speak Now feel so linked and perhaps the Rep Vault will only strengthen that bond further. It's so interesting to see how some themes evolved and came back around in very different ways throughout Taylor's career. Thanks again 🥰
This reminds me of the flowchart someone once posted on r/TaylorSwift on which albums to listen to, starting with Red. Are you at Fearless and begging for more yeehaw? Try debut! "I said MORE yeehaw!" Uh, Beautiful Eyes EP? "I NEED MORE YEEHAW AND MY STANDARDS ARE LOW!" Okay, the Christmas album! I LOVE ALEF VERNON'S ART! I love his art sooo much like it's so creative and skillful, and then he's also cute like wtf??? How dare you have this many things going for you, man? But yeah, I imagine Rep is building defensive walls around Debut before she has to leave her alone in the vault. Rep and Lover are NOT sisters that hate each other. Lover loves everyone openly, including Rep, and she is the first one to understand when scary, aloof Rep's words and actions mean "I love you." (In the universe where they _aren't_ related, they would be a cute couple, but I _don't_ think they would date in a universe where they're related. Ew.)
I know I have talked about this before but having been with Taylor since 2006 I found this interesting. I can see how you would think. Red starts the tree. I’m on the same page that folklore is definitely related to debut. Fun fact I always called her first album Taylor Swift, but then I kept seeing people call it debut and that just always pops into my head now. Lol.
I also wanted to add (and ask if anyone else felt this way) that I felt from the jump that Midnights sounded like a hidden pre breakup/breakup album to me & lyrically, since Rep, I always felt like her & Joe didn't seem like a solid or mutually respectful relationship (so victim/savior coded). As a Swiftie since 2008, I really WANTED to love Joe for her, but songs like KOMH, CIWYW, Afterglow, Daylight, Peace, Champagne Problems, Evermore, Lavender Haze (NOT a lovesong- fight me!) & Dear Reader just read NO to me! I ADORE the musical journey that came from all of these eras, trust me, but I get tired of repeating to people this-No song is "about" some person, place or thing that happened to Taylor, they are ALL about Taylor's experience (or her connection) with those things! Especially when I learned that WCS was written & recorded right after seeing John Mayer Jan 2021 at the Folklore Grammy's (plus I'm sure revisiting Speak Now) & ending the year writing & recording You're Losing Me, I truly understood why I felt that way, & why many people feel like Midnights is kind of vague & maybe misleading in retrospect. It feels like Taylor wrote most of Midnights feeling like a kidnap victim trying to write a letter begging for help to GET HER THE HELL OUT OF HERE under the nose of her captor while trying to shake off Stockholm Syndrome! (Convoluted, I know!) but I'd love to know if anyone else feels like this! PS-I think Taylor releasing Rep TV next to get get reputation back then Debut to finally get her name back (after fully getting her heartbeat back with 1989TV) is incredibly breathtaking & must be equally satisfying & heartbreaking for Taylor! Ok I'm done❤
I can understand how RED is like the 'MOTHER' considering its a 30 song length album & has patches of pop, country, sad ballad element later inspired folklore ❤🩶 also love that you gave Debut the credit for the birth of countryness, since its overlooked by the triumph of Fearless! Speak now is def the bouncy child of Fearless + late 2000s Hayley/FoB rock & Drops of jupiter era 💚💛💜 Fearless vaults like 'That's when' definitely reminded me of evermore cover! its lyric vid on YTube has a farm visual (current Taylor returning back to the countryside being a wise woman) 🤎 1989 def the successor of the experimental pop from RED! 🩵 Bad blood, I know places, IDWLF, Better than revenge, Castles crumbling are definitely ancestors of Rep! 🖤: "rest of the world was black & white" 🩷: "but we were in screaming color" + Daylight lyrics links Lover with Rep, Red, 1989 (ran with the wolves & refuse to settle down)! Rep & Lover are the sisters of comfort during the Horribilis of 2016, she found a well-grounded person who was there for her at that time. I also gotta mention this energy stemming from Getaway car>Cruel summer>august is definitely related kinda ! Midnights being the Eras era now makes sense since they are influenced by the 17 years of her past eras. Anti hero being a descendant of New romantics, vaults having Midnights influence shows how 1989 rly paved the way being popcessful ! and the fact that she changes her profile back to Midnights feels like her time machine after SN & 1989 tv rerecords 💙
This wasn't only the perfect summary but you also hit the nail on the head with such specific examples of songs that eventually evolved into entire themes! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts💙
I adore the connection of Speak Now & Reputation as so much of both of them are instrumentally hard hitting & lyrically were both born out of betrayel, heartbreak, responding to outside hate, & ultimately trying to learn & grow through the whole experience! Love this guys!
Thank you!!!
This was such a fun video! I’m such a big Evermore/Speak Now girlie. This was so cool to break down the similarities and impacts her albums have on each other.
Thank you so much!!! We really appreciate your comment and are glad you enjoyed the episode! Evermore/Speak Now hybrid fans have such good taste!😌💜🤎
Awe thank you!! ☺️ fingers crossed our girlie wins SOTY at the Grammy’s this weekend!!
this was such and interesting episode! i love hearing these more laid back episode chats!!
Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed it🩵😂
I agree almost 100% with your family tree of albums. I might've added an additional line directly between Red TV and Midnights for the same reason you put the line between Lover and Midnights. I think 1989 TV takes care of the sonic influence, but I do think the storytelling and rawness of Red comes through in Midnights as well. (Not that Lover doesn't have those Raw moments as well, especially in places like Soon You'll Get Better and Death By A Thousand Cuts.)
The other comment I have to say is it made me really happy to see SOMEone (literally anyone), but especially you two, connect reputation and Speak Now because I have always seen that connection, and those two have always been a couple of my favorite Taylor albums, and you two sort of pinpointed I think why I love those two albums so much.
As always, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! We found Midnights so hard to not just relate to many of the other albums because of its themes, but we can totally see where you're coming from with the specific Red connection! And yes!! Rep and Speak Now feel so linked and perhaps the Rep Vault will only strengthen that bond further. It's so interesting to see how some themes evolved and came back around in very different ways throughout Taylor's career. Thanks again 🥰
This reminds me of the flowchart someone once posted on r/TaylorSwift on which albums to listen to, starting with Red. Are you at Fearless and begging for more yeehaw? Try debut! "I said MORE yeehaw!" Uh, Beautiful Eyes EP? "I NEED MORE YEEHAW AND MY STANDARDS ARE LOW!" Okay, the Christmas album!
I LOVE ALEF VERNON'S ART! I love his art sooo much like it's so creative and skillful, and then he's also cute like wtf??? How dare you have this many things going for you, man? But yeah, I imagine Rep is building defensive walls around Debut before she has to leave her alone in the vault.
Rep and Lover are NOT sisters that hate each other. Lover loves everyone openly, including Rep, and she is the first one to understand when scary, aloof Rep's words and actions mean "I love you." (In the universe where they _aren't_ related, they would be a cute couple, but I _don't_ think they would date in a universe where they're related. Ew.)
I know I have talked about this before but having been with Taylor since 2006 I found this interesting. I can see how you would think. Red starts the tree. I’m on the same page that folklore is definitely related to debut. Fun fact I always called her first album Taylor Swift, but then I kept seeing people call it debut and that just always pops into my head now. Lol.
Thank you so much for this comment! We're over the moon an OG fan agrees with us!💚😊
I also wanted to add (and ask if anyone else felt this way) that I felt from the jump that Midnights sounded like a hidden pre breakup/breakup album to me & lyrically, since Rep, I always felt like her & Joe didn't seem like a solid or mutually respectful relationship (so victim/savior coded). As a Swiftie since 2008, I really WANTED to love Joe for her, but songs like KOMH, CIWYW, Afterglow, Daylight, Peace, Champagne Problems, Evermore, Lavender Haze (NOT a lovesong- fight me!) & Dear Reader just read NO to me! I ADORE the musical journey that came from all of these eras, trust me, but I get tired of repeating to people this-No song is "about" some person, place or thing that happened to Taylor, they are ALL about Taylor's experience (or her connection) with those things!
Especially when I learned that WCS was written & recorded right after seeing John Mayer Jan 2021 at the Folklore Grammy's (plus I'm sure revisiting Speak Now) & ending the year writing & recording You're Losing Me, I truly understood why I felt that way, & why many people feel like Midnights is kind of vague & maybe misleading in retrospect. It feels like Taylor wrote most of Midnights feeling like a kidnap victim trying to write a letter begging for help to GET HER THE HELL OUT OF HERE under the nose of her captor while trying to shake off Stockholm Syndrome! (Convoluted, I know!) but I'd love to know if anyone else feels like this!
PS-I think Taylor releasing Rep TV next to get get reputation back then Debut to finally get her name back (after fully getting her heartbeat back with 1989TV) is incredibly breathtaking & must be equally satisfying & heartbreaking for Taylor! Ok I'm done❤
I can understand how RED is like the 'MOTHER' considering its a 30 song length album & has patches of pop, country, sad ballad element later inspired folklore ❤🩶 also love that you gave Debut the credit for the birth of countryness, since its overlooked by the triumph of Fearless! Speak now is def the bouncy child of Fearless + late 2000s Hayley/FoB rock & Drops of jupiter era 💚💛💜
Fearless vaults like 'That's when' definitely reminded me of evermore cover! its lyric vid on YTube has a farm visual (current Taylor returning back to the countryside being a wise woman) 🤎 1989 def the successor of the experimental pop from RED! 🩵 Bad blood, I know places, IDWLF, Better than revenge, Castles crumbling are definitely ancestors of Rep! 🖤: "rest of the world was black & white" 🩷: "but we were in screaming color" + Daylight lyrics links Lover with Rep, Red, 1989 (ran with the wolves & refuse to settle down)! Rep & Lover are the sisters of comfort during the Horribilis of 2016, she found a well-grounded person who was there for her at that time.
I also gotta mention this energy stemming from Getaway car>Cruel summer>august is definitely related kinda ! Midnights being the Eras era now makes sense since they are influenced by the 17 years of her past eras. Anti hero being a descendant of New romantics, vaults having Midnights influence shows how 1989 rly paved the way being popcessful ! and the fact that she changes her profile back to Midnights feels like her time machine after SN & 1989 tv rerecords 💙
This wasn't only the perfect summary but you also hit the nail on the head with such specific examples of songs that eventually evolved into entire themes! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts💙