I have been a fan of Taylor Swift since the release of her debut album, so of course, I am a huge fan and am extremely excited about any new content that she puts out. I started doing lists and rankings of her new songs since the release of Folklore and have continued doing it since. While these rankings are subject to change, this is a first impressions list of which songs I think I am going to like the most to least.
- “Snow On The Beach”
- “Anti-Hero”
- “Lavender Haze”
- “Question..?”
- “Karma”
- “Sweet Nothing”
- “Midnight Rain”
- “Labyrinth”
- “Bejeweled”
- “Mastermind”
- “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
- “Maroon”
- “Vigilante Shit”
I am not entirely sure what to expect or if my predictions of what songs I will like will be accurate, but it is nice to give a starting point for my first impressions. I can already tell that she is pulling inspiration for the album from many of her different eras including 1989, Reputation, and Lover which I am very excited to see a combination of.
First Listen Ranking And Notes
“Lavender Haze”
This is a certified bop. I loved every moment of it and reminded me so much of everything I loved about Reputation and Lover.
“Vigilante Shit”
DRAW THE CATEYE SHARP ENOUGH TO KILL A MAN! This song is sexy, it’s giving Reputation, and it is beautiful. I needed this in my life so much. I am already imagining myself walking up to campus jamming thinking I’m the coolest person ever.
“You’re Own Your Own, Kid”
This song is so catchy and I can tell I’m going to scream it in my car during a late-night drive. The bridge lyrics hit close to home and I am going to listen to this a lot.
“Anti-Hero”
I’m the problem it’s me, me too girl. She’s just like me for real.
“Karma”
I can party to this song. It’s so catchy and I just want to get up and dance.
“Mastermind”
Again I love this track, I didn’t think I was, but I did. Something about the “What if I told you none of it was accidental and the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me” just hits that spot in my brain that releases so much serotonin.
“Bejeweled”
Preface: I listened to this album release with my fourteen-year-old sister which I turned into a swiftie as a young child with no choice. When I asked her what song was playing she said it was “Be-Jewel-Eled”. I was so confused and asked if she meant “bejeweled” to which she said “I don’t know why she is choosing such difficult words as the title to her songs” and I just had to laugh. ANYWAYS this is a fun song. The moonstone aura bit was a favorite of mine, and you best believe I will be wearing my moonstone ring every day from now on.
“Question…?”
The angst made this slay. The confidence in her voice fits the vibe perfectly and reminds me a bit of “Better Than Revenge” but for 2022.
“Labyrinth”
This was giving Melodrama by Lorde, which for me is a no-skip album so I vibed with it. I like the more melancholy feel to the song, but I can tell I am just preferring the fun songs.
“Sweet Nothing”
I don’t know how much I’m going to listen to this song… but it might grow on me.
“Midnight Rain”
Reputation and Lover energy kind of missed the mark in my opinion. I can tell people like this song, but for me, it just isn’t a favorite.
“Snow At The Beach”
I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU! I wish Lana had more of a prominent place in the song, I was hoping for a “Nothing New” collab and not a “No Body No Crime” collab, and I got the latter. I love Taylor, but why does she do this every time?! The harmonies were good, but I just wanted Lana.
“Maroon”
This is not a favorite of mine… obviously since it’s ranked last. I love that she has gotten more confident with using explicit lyrics, but this one just didn’t work for me.
A Few DAys Later…
So she released more songs for the album, which I am not going to include in the ranking as they were a surprise for me. What I will say though is that “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” is probably my favorite.
I have found myself listening to “Karma”; “Lavender Haze”; “You’re Own Your Own, Kid”; and “Mastermind” the most after the first listen. My opinions on the album are that it is kind of just meh. There are great additions to her discography, however, I felt like these songs were just meant for other albums and got thrown together. I am also realizing that I prefer when she collaborates with Aaron Dessner than Jack Antonoff. I know it’s a controversial opinion, but I am definitely an Evermore > Folklore girl and I stand behind that. I feel like there are many skips on this album and it just doesn’t place up with Evermore, Speak Now, and Red which are probably my favorite albums from her. As a concluding thought, I maybe would have liked the album more if Lana actually got a verse…