Who’s blonde, has 41 Grammy nominations and 11 wins, and an obsession with cats? The answer is Taylor Swift, a well-known name in the music industry that only continues to grow in popularity with the release of new music and Taylor’s flourishing fan-base, a group of people who call themselves “Swifties.” As a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” who believes that Taylor’s music is essential for dealing with the transition from childhood to becoming an adult, here’s my complete playlist of the songs that will keep you going from the emotional breakups and stressful times to spontaneous weekends and dance parties with friends.
Album: “Taylor Swift”
Song: “Our Song”
Song Overview: “Our Song” is one of the most iconic and well-known songs by popstar Taylor Swift, using an upbeat background and “true country” style to fully capture the whimsical small town teenage romance experience in three minutes and 20 seconds.
Memorable Lyrics: “When we’re on the phone and you talk real slow, ‘cause it’s late and your mama don’t know.”
When to Listen: “Our Song” is the perfect scream-along-in-the-car song to get you and your friends hyped up for a night out.
Song: “Should’ve Said No”
Song Overview: “Should’ve Said No” is the ultimate country-style breakup song, and recreates the feeling immediately after finding out you’ve been cheated on by someone you love. It also references how impossible it is to take someone back and expect that anything would ever be the same after being cheated on, despite the claim that it happened purely by circumstance.
Memorable Lyrics: “You say that you’d take it all back, given one chance. It was a moment of weakness and you said ‘yes.’”
When to Listen: “Should’ve Said No” is the best messy breakup anthem that you can scream along to in anger or just to let off some steam.
Album: “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)*”
Song: “Love Story”
Song Overview: The classic teenage Romeo-and-Juliet-esque relationship is portrayed in this well-known Taylor Swift song. She addresses the obstacles of age, parental approval, and sneaking out to see each other, but gives the love story a happy ending and fairy tale feel.
Memorable Lyrics: “So I sneak out to the garden to see you, we kept quiet ‘cause we’re dead if they knew so close your eyes, escape this town for a little while.”
When to Listen: “Love Story” is the ideal karaoke song, perfect for singing with your best friends on a night out (or in) or when you just want a moment to fantasize about a fairy tale love story.
Song:“Fearless”
Song Overview: The title track of Taylor’s 2008 album “Fearless” (re-released in 2021 as “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”), this classic details the everyday romantic moments of young love, from dancing in the parking lot after it rains, to driving around a small town, and eventually realizing you’re falling in love.
Memorable Lyrics: “And I don’t know why, but with you I’d dance in a storm in my best dress, fearless.”
When to Listen: “Fearless” is the number one song for those late night, spontaneous moments after a first date with someone that just feels right.
*(Taylor’s Version) refers to Taylor Swift’s re-recordings of her songs that were previously owned by the record label that refused to give her the rights to her old music.
“Speak Now”
Song: “Back to December”
Song Overview: One of the more devastating songs from the album, “Back to December” is a ballad apologizing to a past failed relationship. Taylor accepts responsibility for the end of the relationship and acknowledges that she understands if her partner never wants to interact with her again.
Memorable Lyrics: “So this is me swallowing my pride, standing in front of you, saying I’m sorry for that night, and I go back to December all the time.”
When to Listen: This emotionally devastating lament to something that’s long gone should be the first song on a night full of letting it all out.
“Dear John”
Song Overview: “Dear John” is the longest song on “Speak Now” at six minutes and forty-three seconds. In this powerful, slow-burn song, Taylor reflects on her relationship with singer-songwriter John Mayer, focusing on her feelings of being used and unloved throughout.
Memorable Lyrics: “Well maybe it’s me and my blind optimism to blame, or maybe it’s you and your sick need to give love, then take it away.”
When to Listen: “Dear John” is the perfect song to get you through the “I Hate You” phase of every breakup.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)”
“All Too Well”
Song Overview: Though the newly released 10-minute version of this song has gained significant traction among Swifties, the original version of “All Too Well” is a must-know. From Taylor’s ability to reflect on the timeless moments that you can never forget to her heartfelt relationship with her partner’s mother, this scream-worthy anthem tops the charts of any true Taylor fan’s favorite songs.
Memorable Lyrics: “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.”
When to Listen: “All Too Well” is the number one sad karaoke song to sing with your best friends.
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
Song Overview: “I Knew You Were Trouble” is one of the most catchy anthems from Taylor’s “Red,” taking listeners through the excitement of a fast-paced relationship and eventually the realization of the emotional distance between you and your partner. She elaborates on the blaming of yourself that follows, and how she knew it may have been a bad idea to get involved from the beginning, though that didn’t stop her.
Memorable Lyrics: “And the saddest fear comes creeping in that you never loved me, or her, or anyone, or anything.”
When to Listen: This catchy tune is best for dealing with the end of a fling or relationship that ended abruptly.
“1989”
“Out of the Woods”
Song Overview: One of the leading singles from Taylor’s “1989,” “Out of the Woods” is an upbeat song detailing the excitement of a relationship, but the constant troubles between her and her partner that feel like a forest that’s impossible to escape. She finishes the song by discovering that the “clearing” at the end of the woods, or the end of the relationship, is where she finds herself.
Memorable Lyrics: “Remember when we couldn’t take the heat? I walked out, I said, ‘I’m setting you free.’”
When to Listen: No late-night drive is complete without this catchy and memorable Taylor song, so remember to roll down the windows and turn the volume up.
“Style”
Song Overview: Rumored to be about Taylor’s ex-boyfriend and singer Harry Styles, “Style” creates the perfect scenario of a secret fling between two people who have a hard time staying away from each other, so they continue their love affair in secret.
Memorable Lyrics: “And when we go crashing down, we come back every time, ‘cause we never go out of style.”
When to Listen: “Style” is essential for those nights when you remember the pivotal moments in any relationship, both good and bad.
“Reputation”
“Getaway Car”
Song Overview: One of the most raw and real songs on “Reputation,” “Getaway Car” is a slower song that compares the end of a relationship to the end of a long crime spree, equating Taylor leaving the relationship to be with someone new to leaving in the getaway car from a crime scene. However, this too ends in flames, creating a slew of new problems between her and her new boyfriend.
Memorable Lyrics: “We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde, until I switched to the other side.”
When to Listen: “Getaway Car” is for the girls who left the relationship for the better, brighter things on the other side, and should be at the top of the “night out” getting ready playlist.
“I Did Something Bad”
Song Overview: Taylor shocked the world when she entered her “Reputation” era, and “I Did Something Bad” is about her re-inventing herself in the face of the media. Previously seen as a “country sweetheart,” Taylor faced a lot of backlash for this change in style and personality, and uses this song to defend herself and continuous success despite everything trying to bring her down.
Memorable Lyrics: “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one, they got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons.”
When to Listen: “I Did Something Bad” is the best hype song for when you just need a reminder that you deserve your success despite anyone who may have tried to hold you back.
“Lover”
“Lover”
Song Overview: The title song from “Lover,” “Lover” is a slow and heartfelt moment that captures the feeling of being with someone you think is the one. She romanticizes her future with her partner, saying she wants to spend forever with them, and to cherish every moment.
Memorable Lyrics: “And you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me, and at every table, I’ll save you a seat.”
When to Listen: “Lover” is the go-to song for the moments before going out and seeing that special someone, and to remind you of everything you love about them.
“Cruel Summer”
Song Overview: Though it wasn’t released as a single, “Cruel Summer” is undoubtedly one of Taylor’s most popular songs. It’s upbeat, catchy, and showcases Taylor’s vulnerability after dealing with significant backlash, as well as her desire to keep her romance going because that’s one good thing in her life.
Memorable Lyrics: “Said I’m fine, but it wasn’t true. I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you, and I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer just to seal my fate…”
When to Listen: “Cruel Summer” is the perfect song to scream when you feel exhausted and like everything is against you, but you have one thing keeping you going that you’re scared to lose.
“folklore”
“cardigan”
Song Overview: The lead single of one of Taylor’s newer albums, “cardigan” is a slow, delicate song that touches on the feelings of young love and how those memories stay with you for a lifetime. She recalls feeling like people assumed she knew nothing and that she was too young for love, but how she felt safe and appreciated with her first love before things started to go bad.
Memorable Lyrics: “But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss, I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs, the smell of smoke would hang around this long, ‘cause I knew everything when I was young.”
When to Listen: “cardigan” is a song of reflection and for those chill nights when you just want to remember what it was like to be young and in love, not worrying about what anyone else had to say.
“my tears ricochet”
Song Overview: Arguably one of the most underrated songs on “folklore,” “my tears ricochet” starts off slow, but builds up to an intense bridge full of powerful lyrics. Taylor makes several references to death and being figuratively killed by the end of this relationship, ultimately saying she can go anywhere but back to her partner.
Memorable Lyrics: “You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same, cursing my name, wishing I stayed, you turned into your worst fears.”
When to Listen: “my tears ricochet” is the ultimate song to cry to. It’s mature, emotional, and perfect for all the stages of a late-night cry session.
“evermore”
“tolerate it”
Song Overview: “tolerate it” is the fifth track on “folklore’s” sister album, “evermore,” and perfectly illuminates the feeling of constantly putting in effort for nothing in return. Taylor spends this slow piece reflecting on how much she gave in the relationship, only to be met with the brutal truth that she was tolerated by her partner instead of loved.
Memorable Lyrics: “I made you my temple, my mural, my sky, now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.”
When to Listen: “tolerate it” is for the sad karaoke nights when you just need to let it all out and confront the leftover anger right after a breakup.
“ivy”
Song Overview: “ivy” is an emotional ballad detailing a love affair that can’t be escaped by those who are having it. Taylor continues the song by questioning what would happen if the love affair was discovered, and how it’s been an incredibly hard fight to keep it going in secret.
Memorable Lyrics: “I’d live and die for moments that we stole on begged and borrowed time.”
When to Listen: If a song could feel like the waves were rocking you back and forth, it would be “ivy.” This tale of forbidden love is perfect for late-night drives, getting ready, and relating to Taylor when you feel like no one else can understand.
Taylor Swift has proven to be an incredibly talented artist who writes her own remarkable songs, from her slow ballads that comfort you while you cry, to the more upbeat songs to scream in the car with your friends or during a night out. These essentials are sure to get you hooked on Taylor’s love life and experience with the media, and provide the comfort we all need to smoothly transition into the next stage of our lives.
HERE IS A LINK TO THE PLAYLIST