As a lover of all things musical, I find myself going through different phases when curating my playlists. These phases are usually related to what moods I find myself in and can change at the drop of a hat; One week I could be deep into early 2000’s girl-power rock, and the next week I’m looping the same Hozier album over and over.
However, one artist has stuck with me no matter what’s going on in my head, and she goes by the name of Taylor Swift. The versatility of her music allows me to jump from romantic ballads such as “Daylight”, all the way over to heart-wrenching break-up anthems like “tolerate it”.
Watching the Eras Tour concert film twice in two weeks has inspired me to collect some albums of different artists in varying genres that, in my opinion, hold the same vibes as each of Taylor Swift’s respective eras. While it’s not a guarantee that you’ll like each album I recommend, I ask you to at least give each artist an honest listen!
Debut: Can’t Hide Country by emily ann roberts
This album was just released in September and has already overtaken my country music playlist. Written and performed by Emily Ann Roberts, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, this record is riddled with southern charm and nostalgia. The vocals are incredible, and may be familiar to frequent watchers of NBC’s The Voice; Emily was a finalist on Season 9. The youthful and romantic spark evident in the tracks is what really reminded me of Swift’s debut album, specifically in the opening song, “Whole Lotta Little”. All in all, this record makes me want to throw on an Old Navy sundress, stick my head out the passenger side window of my partner’s pickup truck, and smile at the sunset.
Fearless: Golden Hour by kacey musgraves
Yet another country album! Kacey Musgraves has become a household name in the country music industry, and for good reason. Her songwriting and storytelling ability are akin to the greats; Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and The Chicks. The first time I listened to this album I started with the song “Love is a Wild Thing”, and the melody immediately reminded me of “Best Day” from Taylor Swift’s second album Fearless. Musgraves’ heartwarming prose and clever lyricism wraps you up in a warm, crocheted blanket that smells like your Grandma and sings you to sleep.
speak now: the pain of growing by alessia cara
A Canadian artist on the list, finally! This Mississauga-born artist has been charting for years with her soulful vocals on radio hits like “Scars to your Beautiful”, “Here”, and “Where the Wild Things Are”. While I love her previous record, her sophomore album The Pain of Growing takes the cake for me. The album tells a similar story as Speak Now, Taylor’s third album; a tale of heartbreak, self-discovery, and just a hint of romance. With mellow beats like “I Don’t Want To”, and anthems of painful retrospection like “Growing Pains”, this record is hard to miss.
red: rumours (deluxe edition) by fleetwood mac
Ah, the ultimate cautionary tale of dating within a band. The lore of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s affair/breakup is a tale as old as time, and with great heartbreak comes great (albeit angry) music. I immediately connected this album with Red because of the thirteenth track on the deluxe version of Rumours, “Silver Springs”. This song is currently taking TikTok by storm, due to the powerful lyric: “You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you.” The iconic performance that came with it has stuck with me since I first saw it on YouTube in Grade 9, and when I saw Taylor Swift perform the ten minute version of “All Too Well” on SNL in Grade 11, I got intense deja vu. Besides the obvious parallel between those two songs, the rest of Rumours is just as upbeat and rich with romantic composition as Red.
1989: Bloom by troye sivan
Before I found this album, the only Troye Sivan song I could recall was “Youth”, a track from the good old days of Vine. Now, I can happily report that this record exceeded my expectations. The dance-pop energy that pours from the songs is so reminiscent of 1989 to me, especially the song “Plum”. This album is a lighter, brighter contrast to his melancholic first album Blue Neighbourhood. Troye Sivan got his start as a YouTuber in the early 2010s, which helped jumpstart his career as an artist. Plus, Taylor Swift and Troye Sivan have met! They performed the song “My! My! My!” from Bloom at the reputation stadium tour in Los Angeles. I almost put this song in for reputation, but you’ll see the album I picked over it and understand.
reputation: Melodrama by lorde
Having a reputation era is a milestone that every person must reach in their life, whether they realize it or not, and this album is a great soundtrack for it. The electronic rhythm and energy of the record has just as much independent, strut-worthy content as reputation. One reason for their similarities might be that all but one of the 11 tracks on Melodrama were produced by Taylor Swift’s right-hand man, Jack Antonoff! My personal favourite song from this album is “Green Light”, just for the sheer urge to dance that it gives me.
lover: Angel face by stephen sanchez
Stephen Sanchez is my favourite TikTok musical prodigy. His most popular song, “Until I Found You”, rose to fame on the app in 2021 when the artist was just 18 years old. He recently released his debut album Angel Face in September of 2023, containing the smash hit, as well as other swoon-worthy ballads such as “Something About Her”, “Evangeline” and “Be More”. It’s enough to make you want to spam your partner with wedding posts on Pinterest until your fingers go numb, or fantasize about the day when you’re swept off your feet by the love of your life. The old-timey vibes reminded me of a modern-day Elvis Presley, a man famous for his dazzling persona and charm.
folklore: Strange trails by lord huron
If an album has never made you want to go for a hike and get lost in the woods forever, buckle in: Lord Huron brought their A-game with this record. It’s echo-y vocals and woodland imagery gave me such strong folklore vibes. The top track on the album, “The Night We Met”, is a top-tier song to cry in the shower to when life gets a bit too real. The song “Meet Me in the Woods” is one of my longtime fall favourites.
evermore: historian by lucy dacus
Evermore is without a doubt folklore‘s darker younger sibling, hence why I gave it such a mellow and depressing album to go with its energy. Lucy Dacus (also known as 1/3 of the band Boygenius) released “Historian” in 2018, and in turn smashed my heart with a hammer and fed it to me. I get the same pit in my stomach when I hear “tolerate it” as when I listen to “Night Shift”, the opening track of Historian. “Body to Flame” is another gut-wrenching song for me, but the smooth baseline and tone are just enough to keep me satisfied.
midnights: endless summer vacation by miley cyrus
I have to say, this era was the hardest to match to another album. With the variety of Midnights, it was difficult to pinpoint a specific vibe, but in the end I landed on Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation. The pop-adjacent melodies on the record are offset by the introspective lyricism and dynamic moods on each song. “Flowers” was considered to be the song of the summer in 2023, with its catchy tune. While most of the songs are upbeat as ever, Miley Cyrus still gets real; for example, the song “Used to be Young” reminded me a lot of “You’re on Your Own, Kid” from Midnights.
closing thoughts
No matter which era you identify with, it’s important to remember that sticking to one aesthetic or vibe isn’t crucial to who you are as a person. You’re allowed to experiment, change, and try new things with your style; in fact, it’s encouraged!
Above all, music taste is completely subjective. You may love every album I’ve listed, or you may not. Both are totally fine, because these are just my opinions. But, if you do love them all, I take that as a job well done.