The Highs and Lows of Taylor Swift's "Reputation" Album

Taylor Swift's sixth album, Reputation, was released a little over a month ago, on November 10, 2017. I've been listening to it on my morning commute and can't help but analyze the themes. (This is much more fun to ponder than the day's impending workload.) 

Similar to previous albums, Swift alludes to her victimization. ("I don't love drama, it loves me") Her upbeat, sassy lyrics suggest that Swift has risen above it all, but the very fact that she has focused an entire album on mourning her reputation suggests otherwise. She explicitly addresses her reputation in several songs, almost as if the album is an elegy for it. There are also hints of disillusionment but, really, isn't that a stage of development in young adulthood? Growing up and losing innocence happens to us all, though maybe not with the public scrutiny Swift endures. 

There are more adult undertones in the album, as well, most notably the dramatic spike in references to drinking and/or alcohol. Eight out of the fifteen tracks mention this subject, although it's never the central focus. There is also a "racy" song where Swift repeats "I only bought this dress so you could take it off" which is a bit more suggestive than her line in 1987, "Tangled up with you all night". Anyways, she's an adult. Let's move on.

Perhaps most interesting to me is the track Swift chose to end her album. "New Year's Day" is the only acoustic ballad on the album. It's a love song with far more maturity than the "Love Story" of 2008. This song is about commitment over ups and downs, and experiencing both the exciting and mundane with someone. It's honest and sweet and really the "core" of Taylor, in my opinion. Ending the album on this note shows that Taylor can't help but stay optimistic. She'll always be drawn more towards love than revenge. 

Keep reading for my rankings on the tracks:

Highs:

1. "...Ready for It?": Swift's second single, this song's music video showed obvious themes of her battling against different versions of herself and destroying former images of herself. The lyrics are fast and a fun challenge to master. But not as interesting as...

2. "End Game" feat. Future and Ed Sheeran: This track has more of an R&B vibe, with three verses led by three different artists: Future, Sheeran and Swift. This song has one of my favorite lines from the album: "I bury hatchets but I keep maps of where I put them". Patrick says this is how every girl operates...I just think it's a clever line.

9. "Getaway Car": This track is the most "classic" Taylor Swift song. It has an upbeat and catchy tune and a familiar mixture of love and loss. Includes another great line: "X marks the spot/Where we fell apart". Isn't it amazing how you can sometimes pinpoint that moment when everything shifted? Anyways, on to my FAVORITE...

13. "This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things": This song is a snub to Kanye/Kim K. It's the perfect mix of angry and empowered with great lyrics including this one that alludes to the Kimye phone drama: "Therein lies the issue, friends don't try to trick you, get you on the phone and mind-twist you." Even if you don't care about that garbage (go, You!) the song is pretty awesome.

15. "New Year's Day": "There's glitter in the floor after the party, girls carrying shoes down in the lobby"...this is the song I mentioned earlier, Swift's last track on the album. It's relatable and sweet, with lines that cling to my heart like, "Hold on to the memories, they will hold onto you..." and "Please, don't, every become a stranger whose laugh I can recognize anywhere". And on to the Lows...

Lows:

4. "Don't Blame Me": "Don't blame me, love made me crazy." Blah, this song is just kind of boring. There's a bass beat and I want to like it more but it's just too repetitive for me I think.

5: "Delicate": This song includes one of the lamest lines, in my opinion: "My reputation's never been worse so you must like me for me". Not into it.

8. "Gorgeous": This is a song about pining after someone. She's done that topic better before.

10. "King of My Heart": This is a positive love song that seems to rely more on beats than good lyrics. It's very repetitive and I don't like the chorus so that kind of kills it.

11. "Dancing with Our Hands Tied": "You had turned my bed into a sacred oasis" was a cheesy line. This song seems to over-rely on beats to carry it. I don't want to count how many times the phrase "We were dancing" was used. Too many.

Somewhere in the Middle:

3. "I Did Something Bad": This song is okay...There are clear themes of victimization: "I never trust a narcissist, but they love me" and disillusionment: "This is how the world works". I am curious who inspired the song--maybe the court case where she testified against that DJ? Pure speculation here. 

6. "Look What You Made Me Do": This was Swift's first single from this album. It's hypnotic rhythm is fun for a while, if you're in the right mood. The music video is over the top and the line "The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now...cause she's dead" isn't subtle enough for my taste.

7. "So It Goes...": This song takes a while to pick up but it's one that has grown on me over time. It gets going but you have to wait for it.

12. "Dress": This is Swift's "racy" song on the album. I like the verses but again, the chorus, is a little lacking. 

14. "Call It What You Want": This one has also grown on me. It's slower and reflective, echoing all the themes from earlier in the album. "They took the crown but it's alright"; "All my flowers grew back as thorns"...Yep, it happens to us all at some point, Taylor. You'll be all right.

If you're interested in more Taylor, she has posted several videos on Youtube that show parts of her songwriting process for songs on this album. Check out an example here.

I also watched a video about Taylor's songwriting style which changed the way I hear her songs, probably forever. You've been warned. LINK

XOXO,

Maria