Installment number three of running all of Taylor Swift’s albums: reputation, or the ultimate comeback album. This album was released after her very public feud with Kanye West and a year after Swift went into hiding. The public didn’t see her face for about a year. This was also when her relationship with current boyfriend Joe Alwyn began to bloom. With a mix of fiery comeback songs and sultry love songs, here is the definitive ranking of reputation:
15. End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran, Future)
One of the only Swift songs I don’t really care for… Swift’s verses are only okay and her take on rapping isn’t impressive. Ed Sheeran and Future’s verses don’t add anything substantial to the song that makes it stand out on the album either. The song is fun, but that’s about it.
14. So It Goes…
Another song that’s only okay. The song has a synth-pop vibe and the lyrics don’t compare to the rest of the album. The song itself is relatively one-dimensional, but you’d be lying if you say you don’t enjoy the whispered “1, 2, 3.”
13. … Ready For It?
I actually quite like this opener to the album. It establishes the tone for the rest of the tracks–a hip hop-inspired sound, a dreamy chorus, a few beat drops, and Swift’s rapping. We also get a taste of Swift’s sass that acts as a nice preview for “Look What You Made Me Do.” Whether or not you like this song, you have to admit it makes you want to get up and dance.
12. Look What You Made Me Do
While not one of Swift’s best songs, the music video makes this song for me. Swift comments on her past and current criticisms while throwing shade towards Kanye. This song is snarky, angry, and overall fun. However, the chorus is kind of a let down. But, come on, we all have to admit we love the iconic “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, because she’s dead.”
11. I Did Something Bad
Arguably one of my favorite performances on the reputation Stadium Tour on Netflix, the song continues to reference media criticism and her feud with Kanye, one of Swift’s main themes on the album. With some intense sound effects like gunshots and lyrics like “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one,” I gotta say, I love Swift’s sassy side.
10. Call It What You Want
Swift directly tells listeners she’s done caring what the media thinks with this song. She again references her feud with Kanye saying “I brought a knife to a gun fight,” but eventually overcomes this difficult time by focusing on her relationship with Alwyn. This airy love song is sweet and sensual, a perfect tune for the beginning of her and Alwyn’s relationship.
9. Don’t Blame Me
Sexy, sassy, and fiery, “Don’t Blame Me” is the epitome of reputation. Often compared to Hozier’s “Take Me To Church,” this track Swift compares love to addiction and features some great vocals from Swift. This is one of the songs on the album that got me to really love it.
8. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
This is a guilty pleasure song for me. It’s fun, comical, and made for an epic closer on the reputation Stadium Tour. I think Swift tried to outdo this song with “Me!” and “You Need To Calm Down” but they don’t compare. This is a great break from the seriousness of reputation while also staying on theme referencing Swift’s constant media criticism.
7. Dancing With Our Hands Tied
While this song can sometimes be forgotten in between “King Of My Heart” and “Dress,” I recommend listening to this song on its own. The song features multiple beat drops and even some high notes that Swift hasn’t hit on any of her previous albums. Overall, this song is simply a bop.
6. King Of My Heart
This sweet, electro-pop love song about Alwyn hints at Swift’s revelation that he might be “The One” that she sings of on reputation, Lover, and folklore. Swift has always said that Alwyn lives a normal life despite being an actor, and in this song she reveals she wants that too. She doesn’t need extravagance in her relationships, referring back to her year in hiding in which her and Alwyn’s relationship developed.
5. Gorgeous
This is the first song on the album that I truly loved. It’s upbeat, sweet, catchy, and has a great chorus. Swift references past relationships, specifically with Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston. She reaffirms her love for Alwyn with this song. And I can’t lie, I don’t hate James Reynolds’ (Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ daughter) cameo in the beginning.
4. Dress
This slinky and sexy song is one Swift’s mom won’t listen to, but I play on repeat. It has a dreamy and steamy sound and features some borderline citchy pauses, but they work well with the song. Chronicling the start of her relationship with Alwyn and the end with Hiddleston, this song remains deep and tender despite it presenting as only sexually-charged.
3. Getaway Car
This song is a fan favorite among most Swifties with a perfectly fitting key change and one of Swift’s best outros to date. This song is reminiscent of the previous 1989 era and is most likely about Hiddleston. My favorite part about this song is the killer bridge that you just can’t help but sing along to.
2. Delicate
This song is the highlight of reputation. This song features amazing, breathy vocals from Swift and the vulnerability we know well in her songs like “All Too Well” and “White Horse” (all three of these songs happen to be the fifth track on the album). The simple instrumentation works well with the song which allows the listener to focus on the lyrics. This song’s just absolutely beautiful. It might even be one of my favorite Swift songs of all time.
1. New Year’s Day
As I’ve said previously, Swift’s final tracks on each of her albums are meant to be perfect closer and usually end up being a hidden gem in her large discography. “New Year’s Day” is exactly that. This song is reminiscent of the Speak Now and Fearless eras with simple production with the majority of the song only on the piano. The track fits perfectly on reputation as it emphasizes her letting go of media criticism and focusing on her relationship with Alwyn. The song is emotional, vulnerable, and takes the cake for me.
On first listen, reputation can seem disjointed and jumbled with only a few standout songs, but as I’ve re-listened to the album over the last few years, it’s really grown on me. Listeners get a mix of Swift’s upbeat pop songs and her more acoustic love songs. If you don’t like this album, I recommend going back and giving it a listen because it has since become one of my favorites. Click here to listen to reputation ranked in this order.