Hey Swifties, welcome to another one of the biggest weeks of our lives– Midnights release week. With the release of the Midnights Manifest on Taylor’s Instagram… if there’s one thing we know, it’s that we have a lot of things to look forward to. I love all of the excitement just as much as anyone else, but I can’t help but feel extremely nostalgic and proud of how far Taylor has come since her debut album’s release in 2006. So, to honor this feeling and say a public “Thank You” to Taylor, I wanted to compile the ways in which her album eras are respectively nostalgic and vital in both personal and pop culture memory.
So, just in case Taylor Swift stumbles upon this article… On behalf of generations: thank you. It feels unexplainable to have an artist in my life that I have genuinely grown up with; that always has something that understands me and what I’m going through in my life. Inspirational doesn’t even begin to explain it.
Taylor Swift (2006) and Fearless (2008)
My experiences with Taylor Swift began with Taylor Swift and Fearless. In 2009, I would use the family mp3 player and burn CDs to listen to on the bus to my elementary school. Namely, young Erin listened to a lot of “Picture to Burn” and “A Place in this World” off of Taylor’s debut album. Viewing Taylor’s music videos as a young girl was beyond influential: I wanted nothing more than to be “a princess on the floor in a dress” like Taylor was in “Teardrops on my Guitar,” or the cute geeky girl in “You Belong With Me.” Her curly hair, lip gloss, Southern twang, and flashy performance dynamics are what felt like such a spectacle to me as a child.
Speak Now (2010)
I’m not entirely sure why, but I heavily associate the Speak Now era with my young Twilight era: everything feels mystical and “flowy” in my brain. Specifically, I cannot listen to “Haunted” without thinking about Edward and Bella in New Moon, or “Enchanted” without thinking about turning into a vampire a little bit. Moreso, Taylor’s aesthetic and performances during this era were explosive; her singing felt like fireworks. With the emergence of the iconic red lipstick, I was quickly approaching the age in questioning whether I wanted to be Taylor Swift or just that I really, really liked her (more on this in the Lover era).
RED (2012)… & Red (Taylor’s Version)
Hello, Tumblr era! During this era, I was heavily introduced to meme culture, specifically the cats and screaming goat edits of songs. This era of Taylor Swift, while I was young at the time, felt “happy, free, confusing” and many other things. I was not old enough to understand the complexities of “All Too Well” and primarily associated this album with the fun feelings of “22.” With the re-recording of Red, I was old enough to understand how devastating this album can be. It is peak sad autumn girl. “22” is so much deeper than it was when I was 9, “We Are Never Getting Back Together” holds so much more meaning to me now. I love the timelessness of Taylor’s music.
1989 (2014)
This. Album. Was. Everything. This album is everything! It was the most embarrassing, fun time of my adolescence. A Unicorn Frappucino while listening to “Shake it Off” was an enigma of a feeling. Scrolling on Pinterest while you’re in class (mustache edits, punk edits…), reading Taylor x Harry fanfiction on Wattpad… What a time to be alive. This album feels like running through the streets of Times Square without a care in the world; the beautiful, treacherous journeys of love, acceptance, youth, and fun. This era of Taylor blossomed the woman I wanted to be. After viewing Miss Americana, the 1989 era holds a different meaning for me. While it has all of these amazing aspects, I can’t help but think about how much Taylor was struggling with her body image or reputation in media. She was helping so many of us at once with so many different things, I just want to be able to go back in time and pour that love back to her.
Reputation (2017)
High school will do some stuff to you, man. This album was released as I entered my freshman year of high school. This album, quite literally, navigated me through my life that year. As an angry teenage girl, “Look What You Made Me Do” was frequently blasted from my bedroom as I stared at Taylor’s choreography in the music video. Her reclamation of power was exciting, enthralling, and a little… sexy? This album helped me to feel the feelings that I had always been told or taught to repress: anger, love, or potential lust (idk, girl, have you heard “Dress?”). The sheer power she held in this era taught me that it’s more than okay to act and ask for nothing less than you deserve. I really wished I could have rocked black lipstick, but I was a 14-year-old girl in the middle of Ohio and that was a little bold for me.
Lover (2019)
Gay!!!!!! Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Holy realization! Self-discovery is a whole thing, but discovering further validity within an artist that has kind of “known” you your whole life felt pretty special to me. On another level of this, Taylor’s outward expression of Pride was inspirational to me not just because I am a member of the LGBTQ community, but essential in the sense of her relationship and happiness. With the songs written about and the introduction of Joe Alwyn, I felt Taylor had finally gotten what she had always dreamt of. I felt so happy for her and Joe, but I also used Lover for silly selfish reasons like getting into my own long-term relationship. Lover is an immensely deep album for me: her takes on love and attachment feel so personal and intimate to me. I feel understood, loved, and safe with Lover.
Folklore & Evermore (2020)
Have you ever been indescribably sad? Me too! These two albums came to us at a time we all needed them most: they both feel like walking alone into the woods to think. These albums feel like hugs with tear-stained cheeks, the memory of the “clink” of wine glasses between friends, like wearing Betty’s cardigan on a cold winter’s night. I know that’s, like, so cheesy, but it highly shapes how I feel and interpret these two albums. Folklore feels like the turmoil before asking for help; the journey of love, grief, and destruction. Evermore feels a little more healing and nostalgic, like watching an old film with a pumpkin candle lit (and Taylor’s chai cookies). I hope and pray that we get more “long pond studio sessions,” especially for Evermore as she rightfully deserves.
Midnights (2022)
…and here’s to all the memories we will make during this era! Remember to take care of yourself, have fun, and stream Midnights! <3