Valentine’s Day is the holiday of heart-shaped greeting cards, roses, and — for those of us with a severe addiction to the blazing pen game of a blonde cat lady — Taylor Swift. It’s impossible not to associate Taylor with Valentine’s Day when she has a catalog full of love songs (and there’s the fact that she starred in the 2010 romcom Valentine’s Day, of course). Taylor’s music has been there for us in many ways: it’s a warm hug, a shoulder to cry on, and a friend to dance with. On Valentine’s Day, Taylor’s music is a love letter that reminds us we aren’t alone. To reveal the love letter you need to hear this year, pick the Taylor Swift love song from the list below that most resonates with you. You’ll be surprised what lovely things Taylor has to say about you.
- “Cornelia Street”
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“Cornelia Street” is simultaneously the most romantic and heartbreaking song from Lover. It explores the beginning stages of a new relationship: the thrill of falling in love quickly, the anxiety of thinking you’re being led on, and the realization that you want this relationship to be the one that lasts. Taylor sings hopefully, yet anxiously, “I hope I never lose you / I hope it never ends / I’d never walk Cornelia Street again.”
Your love letter: You’ve finally gotten something you’ve wanted for a while—dreams sometimes do come true! Yet, you can’t shake the feeling that everything will crumble down one day, that this is all somehow too good to be true. The truth is, you are your own harshest critic. Good things come to you because you work hard for them — step back for a moment and admire all the good that you’ve earned. You deserve to be where you are today.
- “Ours (Taylor’s Version)”
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“Ours (Taylor’s Version)” describes a relationship under scrutiny. To combat the criticism, Taylor relishes the little joys of her relationship that even the skeptics can’t take away: “I’ll fight their doubt and give you faith with this song for you / Cause I love the gap between your teeth / And I love the riddles that you speak.”
Your love letter: Your ambition to pursue a new passion is admirable. As if it wasn’t already difficult enough to try something new, people’s criticism makes it easy to doubt whether this pursuit is worth it. But don’t let their resistance drain your spirit. It takes a lot of bravery to make it as far as you already have. The finish line is in sight — run to it, headfirst.
- “New Year’s Day”
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Depicting the clean-up after a New Year’s Eve party, “New Year’s Day” focuses not on the flashy aspects of a relationship but on the sweetness of the mundane. Taylor says she’ll be present for the ups and downs of this person’s life: “You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi / I can tell that it’s gonna be a long road / I’ll be there if you’re the toast of the town, babe / Or if you strike out and you’re crawling home.”
Your love letter: People appreciate your sentimentality and your tendency to notice the little things in life. You barely have any photos with your friends on your phone because, when you’re with them, you’re too absorbed in the moment for photos to matter. You’ll keep those moments forever safe inside your heart anyway, where they will mean more than a photo ever could. You are a warm, uplifting presence to those around you — just don’t forget to treat yourself that way too.
- “State of Grace (Taylor’s Version)”
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In “State of Grace (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor explores how rare and beautiful it is for two people to fall in love — especially when those people were never meant to cross paths in the first place. She describes what happens when you let the reward of falling in love outweigh the risk of falling out of it: “This is a state of grace / This is the worthwhile fight/ Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right.”
Your love letter: You’re bold and independent. You’ve been hurt before and have spent a long time patching yourself back up, becoming the strongest version of yourself you’ve ever been. You give yourself the room to try new things, to make mistakes and learn from them. The next time a challenge presents itself, remind yourself how many times you stood back up after falling. How many wounds you healed on your own. How you got wiser and braver because of it. This time will be no different.
- “Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
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“Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” is the epitome of Taylor’s storytelling. While exploring romantic photos and books in an antique shop, she daydreams about her and her partner falling in love in various worlds. She realizes that, no matter how their love story is written, they will always end up together. One of these daydreams is described in the song’s standout chorus: “In the 1500s off in a foreign land / And I was forced to marry another man / You still would’ve been mine / We would’ve been timeless.”
Your love letter: You’re a true hopeless romantic with a sense of childlike wonder. You may experience pushback for listening to your heart rather than your head, but your optimism and whimsicality are a gift. You believe in love and magic when the rest of us find it hard to. Keep writing a bright future for yourself and never let anyone steal away your pen. When the rest of us feel like all hope is lost, we will read your story to inspire us.
Even though Taylor originally wrote these songs about her own life, she wrote them about ours too. Regardless of which Taylor Swift love song you’ll be playing on repeat this Valentine’s Day, there’s a love letter in her discography for each of us.