“The Moment I Knew” (little pun for my fellow Swifties there) my writing career had come full circle was when I sat down and started writing this article, reviewing another Taylor Swift album. After having reviewed reputation when it was released two years ago, I truly did not expect to have the chance to write another one of these articles during my time in college. Alas, y’all should have seen this review coming, since we know from all of my previous articles (1, 2, 3, and 4) that I’ll be a Taylor fan for life. So, while I loved rep and never want to let her go, we have officially entered the Lover era as of Aug. 23, 2019, and let me just tell you, I think Taylor might have out-Taylored herself.
From the release of “ME!,” the first single off the album (shameless plug number 5—check out my reaction article here) to the title track “Lover” a week before the album release, this album promotion has been the complete and polar opposite to reputation in every way, shape, and form.
So yeah! Big changes to the sound, vibe, and overall feels from reputation, so let’s “Jump then Fall” (Couldn’t help myself) into this review.
TRACK 1: “I Forgot That You Existed”
On first listen, I wasn’t sure about this song, but after listening to it a bunch more times trying to pick out my favorite lyrics (below), I realized that this song feels good. It’s a happy version of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (Listen and compare). WANEGBT is forceful and almost (okay, maybe not almost, its fully) confrontational, whereas “I Forgot That You Existed,” “isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference.” I’m thankful for this opening the album. It’s the perfect placement for this piece since it is a fresh start. Forgetting your past, moving on, and feeling happy and ready to love again is the right note to start with, considering this album is about love. Out of 10, I give it a solid 7.5 on the “like” scale, which is much higher than it was originally.
Fav Line: “Lived in the shade you were throwing // ‘Til all of my sunshine was gone, gone, gone”
TRACK 2: “Cruel Summer”
Prefacing this with my love for the bridges on this album, this song has a great one that is its saving grace. The WAY that Miss Swift says “He looks up, grinning like a devil” is literally a sound I didn’t know I needed until this moment. It is literally fantastic because you can feel the love and desire in that moment tied in with the pain. It adds a much needed depth of tone to this song, and I am all around here for it. I didn’t like this song a ton on first listen, but it’s moving its way up on my “songs to scream out the window in the middle of summer with the windows down” list. On a 10 point scale, this song gets a good 8.
Fav Line: “I’m drunk in the back of the car // And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (Oh) // Said, “I’m fine,” but it wasn’t true // I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you // And I snuck in through the garden gate // Every night that summer just to seal my fate (Oh) // And I scream, “For whatever it’s worth // I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?” // He looks up, grinning like a devil”
TRACK 3: “Lover”
“All Too Well” stans, close your eyes…I’m about to say some controversial stuff, and it might hurt you. I think “Lover” might be…just as good…if not…better??? Maybe. I’m unsure because I love “All Too Well” more than most other people too, but…y’all…this song is…so good???? This song KNOWS love better than anything, and I’m sorry, but I could listen to this song forever and never get sick of it. The sound, the lyrics, the pure emotion of this song, is just…wonderful. It’s glorious. It’s gorgeous. Any synonym for those words is also applicable because this song is EVERYTHING good about Taylor’s music. This song is somehow why I became a fan so many years ago even though it didn’t exist, and it’s why I’m still a fan today. On a scale of 1-10 this song breaks it, with a big heckin’ 13 all the way from my heart. OH yeah and for my favorite line…we’re going to bridge city.
Fav Line: “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? // With every guitar string scar on my hand // I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover // My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue // All’s well that ends well to end up with you // Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover”
Honorable Mentions:
“And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear // Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?”
TRACK 4: “The Man”
This song is my second favorite on the album, and let me just tell you, it is also part two of the holy trinity of this album’s songs. As a woman, I feel like this song is an amazing review of what it means to be a woman driven by passion for your career path. While my career path is clearly a lot different, I know that some of the issues Taylor looks and speaks about here are real no matter what industry you are in. This song hits home, and I think that it works to inform people about the misogyny in both the music industry and workplaces in general. We are going back to bridge city for my favorite line of this song as well. On a scale of 1-10, I give “The Man” a solid 10.
Fav Line: “What’s it like to brag about raking in dollars // And getting bitches and models? // And it’s all good if you’re bad // And it’s okay if you’re mad // If I was out flashing my dollars // I’d be a bitch, not a baller // They’d paint me out to be bad // So, it’s okay that I’m mad”
Honorable Mentions:
“They’d say I hustled, put in the work // They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve // What I was wearing, if I was rude // Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves”
TRACK 5: “The Archer”
My third favorite on the album and an end to the trifecta. Tracks 3, 4, and 5 on this album are the most beautiful, thoughtful, well crafted trio of songs, and I stand by it 113 percent that they are back to back to back. The power that these songs have is honestly crazy, however, this little fangirl session is about “The Archer,” the finale piece to the trifecta. This song is slow, and painful, and raw. It takes you back to places you didn’t know you’ve been, and brings you to places where you feel so deeply, you’re not sure you will ever recover. This song is a true Track 5, it is devastatingly beautiful like the rest and has upheld one of the most important traditions of Taylor’s album’s without fail. On a scale of 1-10, I give “The Archer” a 10 as well.
Fav Line: “I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost // The room is on fire, invisible smoke // And all of my heroes die all alone // Help me hold on to you”
TRACK 6: “I Think He Knows”
Okay first of all, “I am an architect, I’m drawing up the plans” is a genius line. I’m here for it. As for this song…there are a few things I don’t love, but they are outweighed by the fact that this song is a complete bop and I actually do like it. It is growing on me more and more the longer I listen to it. Also, “He got my heartbeat // Skipping down 16th Avenue” is just so cute and pure as a line. I love the chorus so much because it just makes you feel this line specifically. It lightens up your heart and makes you excited for love. A solid 7.5 on the 10 point scale.
Fav Line: “I think he knows // His footprints on the sidewalk // Lead to where I can’t stop // Go there every night”
TRACK 7: “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince”
I have a history of never liking track 7…this one is no different. For me, I don’t like the yelling in the back (okay, win, fight, etc.—IDK IT’S JUST NOT SOMETHING I VIBE WITH), and I don’t really like that the song is set like it’s in a high school. It just seems more juvenile than I was hoping for with this album, especially after having a song like “Dress” on reputation. I like the sound of this song, but, otherwise, it’s a miss for me in the lyric department. My favorite lyrics (below) are the only ones that don’t make me feel like I’m back in high school, and I just wish this song had more of that because it is giving me “I Know Places” vibes, but somehow in a younger way. On a scale of 1-10, this one gets a 5 (which I don’t LIKE but y’all I have to be real with you).
Fav Line: “No cameras catch my pageant smile // I counted days, I counted miles”
TRACK 8: “Paper Rings”
Okay, the energy of this song, the sound of this song, the love in this song makes this an all around yes from me. I just love this so much, and it makes me feel so happy, because like, yeah, a ring is nice, but what does that matter when you are with the love of your life?? (HINT: it doesn’t matter at all). So yeah, this song is really doing it for me sound-wise too, with this early 2000s/vintage-y sound that I can’t even describe with words well apparently, idk it’s just aesthetically pleasing to me and makes me smile. I just think this is fun and about celebrating the love you have and I’m all for that. On a scale of 1-10, “Paper Rings” gets a 9.
Fav Line: “Kiss me once ’cause you know I had a long night (Oh) // Kiss me twice ’cause it’s gonna be alright (Uh) // Three times ’cause I waited my whole life (1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4) // I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings // Uh huh, that’s right // Darling, you’re the one I want”
TRACK 9: “Cornelia Street”
Another song I didn’t like at first and still is not my favorite. I know it is the name of the song, but Tay, you say “Cornelia Street” so many times in this song, and it gives me flashbacks to hearing the word jellicle over and over again in the show CATS. TAY I LOVE YOU, but goodness, so many times outside of the chorus, its like kind of overwhelming. THAT being said, I LOVE the vibes of this song because there are a lot of places I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to go to again without my love, and it just really hits home. On the 10 point scale, I give this a painful 6, not because I want to, but because I need to be honest with myself and how many times I can listen to the word Cornelia before its no longer a word.
Fav Line: “And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends // I’d never walk Cornelia Street again // That’s the kinda heartbreak time could never mend // I’d never walk Cornelia Street again”
TRACK 10: “Death by a Thousand Cuts”
When I first heard the title for this song, my brain could NOT comprehend it as a song title. But I have to say, this one is one of my favorite songs on the album. The sound is great and I really love the flow of the lyrics. There is a lot of pain in this song, but also a lot of hope, and I think this song fits much better under the idea of self-love and healing which is an important part of love that a lot of people tend to forget. On a scale of 1-10, I’m giving “Death by a Thousand Cuts” a full 9.
Fav Line: “Chandelier’s still flickering here // ’Cause I can’t pretend it’s okay when it’s not // It’s death by a thousand cuts”
Honorable Mentions:
“I see you everywhere, the only thing we share // Is this small town // You said it was a great love, one for the ages // But if the story’s over, why am I still writing pages?”
TRACK 11: “London Boy”
This song is cute, innocent, and about how much she loves Joe. While it isn’t my favorite, I love the beat and how cheery it is. It would definitely be a good addition to the tour setlist, however, probably not my favorite performance. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give this a soft 7 for adorableness.
Fav Line: “I love my hometown as much as Motown, I love SoCal // And you know I love Springsteen, faded blue jeans, Tennessee whiskey // But something happened, I heard him laughing // I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent // They say home is where the heart is // But that’s not where mine lives”
TRACK 12: “Soon You’ll Get Better”
This song is so devastatingly beautiful, and I am so thankful for it. This song really calls back to “The Best Day,” because of the relationship we know Taylor has with her mom, which is what makes this song so heartbreaking. I love this song so much, and I’m so thankful that the Swift family decided to share such a personal song with everyone on this album. I give this an absolute 10 on our 10 point scale.
Fav Line: “But who am I supposed to talk to? // What am I supposed to do // If there’s no you?”
TRACK 13: “False God”
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I really do not like this one. I love Taylor, but this song just feels all over the place. The music sounds funky, and I feel like the lyrics clash with the music the way it is sung. There are some good parts of this song, but overall, this one is a miss. It kills me to admit that, but I think that this falls at the complete bottom of my list of songs. On a scale of 1-10, this song is barely a 1. The good news is, is that there are 17 other significantly better songs on this very same album!
Fav Line: “I know heaven’s a thing // I go there when you touch me, honey // Hell is when I fight with you // But we can patch it up good // Make confessions and we’re begging for forgiveness // Got the wine for you”
TRACK 14: “You Need to Calm Down”
I have mixed emotions here, friends. On the one hand, I LOVE that Taylor is finally taking stances and supporting the issues she believes in publically. On the other, while I appreciate her fight, I am not fully sure whether or not I love this as the move of a true ally or not. I’m very torn and since it is pretty impossible to separate politics from this song, I feel like it would be unfair of me to say whether I really like it or not. What I can say, is that I am happy that my favorite performer is on par with my beliefs, however, I don’t know if this is the best way to use the platform that Taylor has to be able to support those rights. Who am I to decide (the answer is really and genuinely no one), I am just GLAAD that she is no longer supporting in silence when she does have a platform that can be used to better peoples’ lives. On our 1-10 scale, I’m giving this song a 6 for stepping up and speaking about issues.
Fav Line: “And we see you over there on the internet // Comparing all the girls who are killing it // But we figured you out // We all know now we all got crowns // You need to calm down”
TRACK 15: “Afterglow”
Why did I have so much against this album when I first listened? I don’t know. I can’t tell you. Honestly, I also didn’t like this song as much as some of the others. While it is still not my all time favorite song, I get it, and I like it. This song has a calm presence. Even though it is talking about a fight, it’s about taking ownership of what you did wrong, and working things out with the person you love because you do in fact, love them. I stand by this 100 percent and even though I probably won’t be blasting it with my windows down in the middle of the summer, I give it a lot of respect. On the 10 point scale, we are giving “Afterglow” a 7.
Fav Line: “It’s so excruciating to see you low // Just wanna lift you up and not let you go // This ultraviolet morning light below // Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh”
Honorable Mentions:
“I lived like an island, punished you with silence // Went off like sirens, just crying”
TRACK 16: “Me!”
While I already wrote a review on “ME!,” I never fully took a stance on the song. I really don’t dislike it, but I don’t love it either. While I really want to take a stance, what I stated at the end of the article is true. It is going to take time to fully sink in as a song I like, just like “Shake It Off” needed to do. With the removal of “Hey Kids, spelling is fun” from the actual album recording though, it really helps bring this song up from me not liking it, to not disliking or liking it. On a scale of 1-10, I would give “ME!” a solid 5.
Fav Line: “And when we had that fight out in the rain // You ran after me and called my name // I never wanna see you walk away”
TRACK 17: “It’s Nice to Have a Friend”
I didn’t like this song at first listen. I thought it was too short, too disjointed, and that it didn’t have much to it. UPON 5TH LISTEN (yeah, it took me a while to put it together, okay?? I wasn’t fully focused), I realized the progression of the verses in this song tells a love story. In verse one, they meet, and friend takes on its first meaning to the subjects. Then verse two is the first moment they fell for each other, and while they are still friends, the meaning of it is slightly different to them in that moment than it was in the first verse. Finally, verse three (and my favorite of them) is their wedding, where their friendship takes on yet another meaning as they choose to be with each other and friends with each other forever. On the 10 point scale, I’m giving this one a 7!
Fav Line: “Church bells ring, carry me home // Rice on the ground looks like snow // Call my bluff, call you “Babe” // Have my back, yeah, every day // Feels like home, stay in bed // The whole weekend”
TRACK 18: “Daylight”
Daylight is wonderful. Plain and simple. While I am not a huge fan of the spoken outro to end the album, but at the same time, it is almost perfect too. I’m not fully sure how I feel about the ending but focusing on the song itself, that is wonderful. Also, the check back to “Red” is one of my all-time favorite callbacks, and I am so here for the character development going on here. She used to think that Love was all about the passionate fighting and anger, but really it’s golden, it’s about the good shining through the bad and coming out on the other side stronger. I don’t know if that is even remotely what she is getting at, but stepping out into the daylight from a dark night is a great metaphor for falling in love after some bad relationships, so I am on board with “Daylight” as a major healing song. On a scale of 1-10, I’m going with a solid 8.5.
Fav Line: “And I can still see it all (In my head) // Back and forth from New York (Sneaking in your bed) // I once believed love would be (Burning red) // But it’s golden”
Honorable mentions:
“My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in // Everyone looked worse in the light // There are so many lines that I’ve crossed unforgiven // I’ll tell you the truth, but never goodbye”
“I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked // Clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke // Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down // Maybe I’ve stormed out of every single room in this town”
Based on what I ranked each of the songs, this puts Lover at an overall average on a 10 point scale of 7.5/10! Which, considering how much I love the sound of reputation, is a respectable rating. I will say, to close the show (article??) that Lover does NOT dethrone the ultimate pair (reputation and Speak Now) in my number 1 spot for fav album, much to my disappointment. It also does not take spot 2 away from RED. I’m sorry, that’s the tea, and I can’t change it (I will happily give it slot 3, above Fearless, the original, and 1989 though, if that pleases any of you).
Tune in for another article in the coming weeks explaining why my album rankings are what they are and aren’t what they aren’t in celebration of Lover.