My first memory involving Taylor Swift was of my dad singing “You Belong With Me” in our old car as we were driving down the highway. I was about seven years old and I laughed as he sang off-pitch, but whole-heartedly. Afterwards, I went home to look up all of Taylor Swift’s songs she had released at the time. My life changed before I knew it. Whenever I was playing a game called “Dance Off” with my friends at parties, I would choose a Taylor Swift song, and when I got my first and only MP3 Player, most of the songs I downloaded were by Taylor Swift.
I couldn’t get enough of her music.
As a young Swiftie, I didn’t know the significance of track five songs, but as any Taylor Swift fan is likely aware of, those track five songs are amazing emotional ballads with an honesty that hurts your heart every time you hear a crack in her voice, or one lyric that ties everything together. As I’ve grown up, I have learned the wonders of Taylor Swift’s track five songs, and why they are so anticipated by fans. However, some track five songs have not been as relatable or personal to me in ways that others songs, that aren’t track fives, have. Below is a list of 5 songs I think would fit into track five tier, which is all inclusive of her newest album and the vault tracks on her re-recordings:
1. “I Almost Do” on Red (Taylor’s Version)
“I Almost Do” focuses on the need to contact someone, because you crave and miss them so much, but knowing they are bad for you. You are in the stage where you don’t want to let go of this person, but somewhere deep down, you know you have to. It is a song to listen to once you’re finally out of the raw light of heartbreak and recognize how strong you are to come out of such an emotional state of mind.
2. “Nothing New” on Red (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault] [feat. Phoebe Bridgers]
“Nothing New” is about growing older, feeling lost in who you have become, and being truly confused on what to give to the world. Growing older makes you reflective of the past. There’s a lot of fear and anger in this song about growing old and not having a single way to stop it. It is arguably the theme song for any twenty-two year old girl that feels they have lost all perspective and sight of who they used to be, and who they thought they were going to be.
3. “this is me trying” on folklore
Listening to folklore for the first time, and hearing “this is me trying”, made me wonder why it wasn’t track five. It was so emotionally raw, detailing the return from a dark place, back to an old life, after you made a few bad decisions, while also realizing that your efforts are all that you have to keep you going. You’re in the throes of having to live with your past, but also learning not to let it harm your life a second time. The song is about reflecting on your life and your regrets.
4. “right where you left me” on evermore
If this was a ranking of my favourite Taylor Swift albums, evermore would be in first place. The song “right where you left me” is similar to “I Almost Do”; but in the opposite regard, where the person is still thinking about their significant other, and cannot move on or recognize they have the ability to. On a more positive note: despite the sad theme of the song, it has a rhythm you can dance to!
5. “I Look In People’s Windows” on THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY
On her latest album, THE TOTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, the sadness was overwhelming, and I had a difficult time relating. The one track that really struck me was “I Look In People’s Windows” on THE TOTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY, which amplifies the feeling of being an outsider. It’s hard to accept the feeling of not belonging somewhere. You have this certain desire to fit in, but recognize that no matter how close you are to fitting in, there will always be some kind of barrier that prevents you from truly finding a sense of belonging.
Only after listing all of my track five tier songs have I realized that a lot of them revolve around personal reflection and struggling to embrace one’s feelings, which was not my intention. It’s important to reflect on your life. Sometimes you may only have a short amount of time to do so, and just need to hear that someone else knows what you’re going through. That’s what Taylor Swift’s music does for me. I’m taken away from a place of loneliness, to a place where I feel understood.
Throughout the years, Taylor Swift has created sensational songs that fans from all over the world can connect to. For me, those songs were listed above, but others may have different opinions on what their list of track five songs looks like. But that’s the magic of music: Everyone can have a different experience in life, and still understand one another through the lyrics of a song. Seven-year-old me could have never imagined that music would have a huge impact on my life. It all goes back to that one day, listening to my dad singing, and realizing I was going to be a part of something bigger.