The tracks combined her typical impressive storytelling abilities while tying together strong emotions of frustration that feel at home in "Reputation" (seen in the track "The Man") as well as stories of falling in love and almost losing it that feel at home in "Speak Now" or "Red" (as seen in "Cornelia Street"). To celebrate, weve revisited all 10 of her studio albums and ranked them from best to worst. And that's really all Swift, whose genius for conversational melodies and knack for giving every chorus a telling new twist every time around remain unmistakable trademarks.". The albums standout tracks retain the narrative detail and clever metaphor-building that distinguished Swifts early songs, even amid the diversions wrought by the aggressive studio production on display throughout. Midnights is simultaneously a rare treat and a return to normalcy. It's Taylor's first autobiographical album in three years, after an incredible pivot to fiction in folklore and evermore followed by re-recording Fearless and Red (with the latter three all dropping in 11 months' time). The music of folklore takes its time to unfurl, ivory keys yawning at dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak. But Swifts most recent three albums are united through their more matured temperament and the stark intimacy of Swifts songwriting, with the comparatively scaled-back nature of her sound serving as a natural extension of this methodology. In this critical-darling album, Swift has done away with over-the-top production, catchy lyrics, and any sort of hit-making formulas and instead presents a stripped-back collection of songs with captivating stories and, in true Swift form, incredible lyrics. Written in her freshman year of high school, it positioned her as a country-crossover hopeful ready for mainstream success. On 2012s Red, Swift began her transition from country crossover artist to creating glossy, mainstream pop; on its 2021 re-record we were reminded just what a superb songwriter Swift has always been. So while still an undeniably amazing album, and a true testament to her style's shape-shifting abilities, she can and has done better than 1989 even if it was her second go-around for Album of the Year. i. Swift released "Reputation" in 2017, three years after "1989," a noticeable gap as she'd previously been debuting albums every two years. Swift's other albums have hits that I can imagine hearing in a grocery store or on a radio station years from now and immediately recognizing just from the opening chords alone. Taylor Swift's 10 seminal albums, ranked In honor of her instant-classic, record-breaking new LP Midnights , here's EW's ranking of Taylor Swift's 10 studio albums from her illustrious career. Only time will tell if "Midnights" will climb up my ranking, but as a new album amidst an outstanding discography, more time is needed to test how well it stands out from the rest. Lover is a backtrack in a way. As if a trump card she saved specially for its bridge, Taylor relinquishes a rare shriek of elation and dismay ("He looks up grinning like a devil!") Unlike previous albums, no singles were released before the official album drop, and at 3 a.m. Then there's the true-to-life nostalgic musings of romantic naivety at fifteen and unrequited love looming on the high school bleachers. Here Taylor sacked off her country roots and embraced full-blown pop. Reputation is, without a doubt, Taylor's most polarizing work to date. Yet between its plot-point breadcrumbs is an inherent relatability embedded in Taylor's never-better introspection. It's as if we're sitting round a campfire confiding in one another, sharing painful memories of when our best wasn't good enough, when our savior complex sputtered out, and when we watched them walk away. The record's tales unfold into imagined personal histories, with what Swift calls the "Teenage Love Triangle" songs (suspected to be "Cardigan," "August," and "Betty") painting three vivid portraits of an interwoven affair at different points in time. Swift shines brightest on these songs, building and developing her story out of economic but evocative turns of phrase.". Its fantasias are more melancholic, its themes of longing more resentful. Painting the picture of an unravelling relationship, it gradually crescendos, climaxing in the gut-punch couplet of And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest. 'Red' is filled with top notch tunes: the brilliantly snarky 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' (Swift's first ever Billboard 100 Number One) and fizzing '22' are stone-cold smashers. Here are the 40 biggest Taylor Swift songs, based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 (through the chart dated December 17, 2022). Swift has proven herself capable of laughing at herself, thereby defusing the criticisms often levied at her, but with Reputation she created a larger-than-life caricature of the petty, vindictive snake shes been made out to be. What condemns 1989's position at the lower third of this list then is the sad truth that some of the choruses rotating here sound like they could have been parsed out to much-lesser 2010s pop stars. Where her debut guaranteed she was, at the very least, a momentary sensation, it wasn't until 2008's Fearless that the world understood the musical force that Taylor Swift could be. Would it be soft and sincere, like "New Year's Day," poppy and upbeat like "Wildest Dreams," or go back to Swift's acoustic roots with songs like "Untouchable"? Cruel Summer, co-written with St. Vincent, a euphoric three minutes of exhilarating 80s synth-pop, should have been a single. Shes mined this type of melancholy tone before, but never for the full length of an album and certainly never with such a range of perspectives. And a follow-up to 1989 would always have big shoes to fill but Reputation lacked the stone-cold smashers Swift has proven time and time again shes capable of. It marks a shift from the retro-minded pop-rock of 1989 toward a harder, more urban aesthetic, and Swift wears the stiff, clattering beats of songs like Ready for It? like body armor. But on Red, it's "worthwhile fight" and "a ruthless game," never easy but always intoxicating, almost to the point of nausea. It made sense then for this, her second studio album, which won her four Grammys including Album of the Year, to be the first altar in the "Taylor's Version" re-recording saga. But once the title track's idyllic and endearing comedown is over, and the atmospheric funeral march for past woes of "The Archer" makes way for new beginnings, Lover has very few high points after its fifth track. This winning combination warrants countless replays and, even now, listening to this song more than 10 years later reminds many of us so strongly of a crush we had when we were younger. Pick what song you like better in each battle to get an accurate list of your favourite songs. Note: hitting 'no opinion' or 'I like both' frequently will negatively affect your results. Her door to escapism opened for lonesome, fractured listeners everywhere, who dove headfirst into the cottagecore sound grove, and relished in Swift's unexpected pivot towards barer-boned, folk-styled songwriting with electro-adjacent undertones whispered throughout. Swift dropped a "special very chaotic surprise" in the form of seven bonus tracks. And then theres the title track, a gorgeous slow-dance, that acts as a reminder to why the world fell in love with Swift in the first place. The finished product is, of course, sterling. October 26, 2022. So reads Taylor Swift's social media announcement that, just two months after gracing fans with her re-recording of Fearless, she was giving the same treatment to 2012's Red with all 30 songs originally intended for the record. The album plays as a survey course in contemporary pop, and Swift is game to try just about anything, from the uninhibited dance-pop of standout Starlight to the thundering heartland rock of Holy Ground. The tracks that work best are those on which the production is creative and modern in ways that are in service to Swifts songwriting. "Speak Now" comes in at no. From the first track, you know this album isn't like what you've been hearing on the radio it opens with the synthetic beats and sounds of "Welcome to New York.". And on this album, in particular, the stories she tells are about how her narrators choices impact others, often in ways that cause irreparable harm. As if the gift of folklore's acoustic stylings wasn't a treat enough, Taylor conceived a surprise sister album like clockwork during her end-of-year creative storm, amidst filming the Long Pond Studio Sessions documentary and re-recording Fearless. In honor of her instant-classic, record-breaking new LP. 176. I'll admit it took me a second to warm up to "Folklore" and realize how sophisticated and masterful it was so much so that it jumped from second-to-last to second place since this ranking was last updated. Shes described it as a sister record to the aforementioned Folklore; where that record allowed Swift to completely reinvent her sound, coupling her trademark hooks and vibrant storytelling with indie-folk instrumentals, Evermore exudes a new sense of confidence. She may be on the outs, but she sure isn't alone. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Rosen is right this album combines intimate lyrics and incredibly catchy tunes and it is showcased in Swift's hit single "You Belong With Me," an upbeat anthem for those dealing with unrequited love. Red is filled with top notch tunes: the brilliantly snarky We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Swifts first ever Billboard 100 Number One) and fizzing 22 are stone-cold smashers. the album's opening track, and in the closing track, "New Year's Day," when we hear a stripped-down, piano-heavy ballad in which Swift sings emotion-filled lyrics. Written when she was a high school freshman, it saw Swift dissect her relationship with a senior who she knew would break up with her when he went off to college. 1989 is a masterclass in how to make a timeless pop record. These were the de facto anthems for young listeners especially, clutching MP3 players to the chest like rosaries as we projected onto Taylor's portraits of then-mythical teen love. But as we all know, Taylor Swift isn't like other artists. To celebrate Folklore's release, there is not a better time to rank Taylor Swift's albums' discography from the weakest to the best. Still, what some may see as folklore's central weakness is in actuality its greatest strength. What's likely the most famous track on this album, "Teardrops on My Guitar" is a textbook example of a popular Swift trope: a relatable song about a boy punctuated with clever lyrics. Swift closes the non-deluxe edition of "1989" with "Clean," which adheres to the pop theme but is more low-key and showcases the heartfelt, haunting songwriting she's known for: "The drought was the very worst / When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst / It was months and months of back and forth / You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore.". Expectations were sky high, raising the stakes with them; just how close can Taylor fly to the sun? Released in 2008, "Fearless" steps away from country and edges into pop in an impressive balance of the two as Swift continues to develop a style that is uniquely hers. In a statement when her tenth studio album was first revealed Swift explained this project is the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, meaning its filled with the sorts of realisations that only hit you in the wee hours. I'm not using the 5-tier-ranking-scale or whatever because if I did literally half of the list would be a 5/5 yeah music is pretty good rn. You could have at least changed RED/FEARLESS to Taylors version. That said, this album ranked below the others as it plays it a bit safer than some of the music released later in her career. In short: 1989 is Taylor Swifts masterpiece. It saw Swift push back at a narrative that saw her portrayed as vengeful and bitter, an image that had been thrust upon her by the media and exacerbated by her very public, very long-running beef with Kanye West (first started when he infamously interrupted Taylor Swifts acceptance speech at the VMAs, and regularly reignited by the Kardashian-West clan). Related: Ranking Taylor Swift's 10 Most Viewed Music Videos. But the crowned jewel of the record is obviously the long-waited, 10-minute version of "All Too Well," an expansion on the already sprawling song widely considered by critics and fans alike to be her definitive opus (which, for an artist of Taylor Swift's standing, is absolutely saying something). Like the "Taylor's Version" before it, 2021's rendition of Red lassos fans' near-decade old affection and nostalgia for the songs and herds them into an encore of adoration. How does Midnights compare to its worthy predecessors? that have almost childish lyrics to soft, heart-wrenching ballads about love and loss like "Soon You'll Get Better.". Swifts cottage-core diptych felt innovative in how they rebuilt Swifts sound from the ground up, but despite its own idiosyncratic delights, Midnights ultimately feels too indebted to her past efforts to truly push her forward. The contrast of that relationship with the one detailed in "Champagne Problems" makes the latter seem even more heart-wrenching. When "Midnights" was first announced, Swift described it as "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life" and invited fans to meet her at midnight the night the album dropped. Swifts surprise eighth album arrived with very little fanfare. But over a decade later, Taylor makes the incredible move of re-recording her teenaged relics almost note-for-note, now at 31 years old. And on Midnights, Taylor turns to us, yet again. Stuffed with 80s influence, it also saw a step up in Swifts song writing, with her sharp, pithy lyrics feeling refined and sleek, hook-laden melodies dominating the entire record. Rather, their relative simplicity only adds to Fearless' charm, bridging the old with the new a woman's voice singing a girl's anthems to make a once good album now great. To me, "Midnights" feels like an encapsulation of Swift's musical journey. Ranking all 129 of Taylor Swift's songs (from "Tim McGraw" to the 'Reputation' era, Rob Sheffield writes, "the weirdest and most fascinating thing about Taylor Swift will always . No one would have blamed her for taking a well-deserved creative hiatus after that marathon of releases, but Taylor has proven herself to be an artist of momentum multiple times over. Her narrators often seem to lack insight because Swift writes with the point of view that hers is the only story to be told, which makes songs like Dear John and Better Than Revenge come across as shallow and shortsighted. Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone writes that the album "most notably picks up where the pure pop triptych of '1989,' 'Reputation,' and 'Lover' left off, a dazzling bath of synths complementing lyrics caught between a love story and a revenge plot.". When it comes to things other than boys, though, Swift has always preferred to dip her toes in rather than get soaking wet; her transformation from country teen to pop queen was, after all, a decade in the making. But folklore is more a shuffled series of vignettes than a throughlined story, planting the lyrics with easter eggs recurring motifs (a favorite cardigan), places (cobblestone paths), and events (pulling up in a car, professing love on the porch) to offer conflicting perspectives of a love long ago lost. Taylor Swift's "Folklore" album cover was photographed by Beth Garrabrant. folklore in comparison merely flirts along the edges of pop mantras on songs like "the last great american dynasty" and the deeply affecting "mirrorball," while veering straight into indie-folk influence on "illicit affairs" and the finger-plucked "invisible string," among others. Overall, the beauty of revisiting Red is that many of us, at points high and low, have related to its caustic, dizzying array of emotion, tracing the nonlinear trajectory of falling in love, breaking your heart, and putting it back together again. True, this album successfully acted as a reminder that Swift is a powerhouse musician who shouldnt be messed with. The best Taylor Swift's Albums rankings are on the top of the list and the worst rankings are on the bottom. But none before were so intricate and immersive as a whole fictional timeline pieced together from multiple angles in an album just over an hour long. Two things before we get into the list: 1. Perhaps compensating for that previous album's wave of negative press, Taylor here returns to her tried-and-true toolbox, leaning into romantic whim and angelic daydreams: living room waltzes, paper promise rings, sneaking through gardens, skipping down streets. He's right "Folklore" further cements the fact that Swift is in a league all her own and cannot be placed in a stylistic box when it comes to her music. Taylor Swift albumsTaylor Swift - 1989Credit: Big Machine, Fall Music Preview Most Anticipated Albums, Taylor Swift albumsTaylor Swift - Speak NowCredit: Big Machine. While tracks like Cardigan and Invisible Strings hinge on protracted metaphors, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken. And, of course, the other notable solo feat is "Our Song," marrying a whimsical fiddle with a full-circle story of a good girl's heart won through small rebellions and romantic gestures: whispering on the phone, sneaking kisses through screen doors. How often I find myself in the mood to listen to . Consider how the instrumentation drops out during the last two words of the hook in Last Kiss, allowing the singers breathy vocal delivery to bear the entirety of the songs emotional weight, or how a simple acoustic guitar figure on Enchanted slowly crescendos behind each repetition of the line I was enchanted to meet you. Unfortunately, the greater complexity and range found in Swifts sound and in her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate to her songwriting. His contributions here are uniformly clean and efficient, but plenty of his signature production tics, even if theyre presented here in a fresh context, are beginning to feel overused. The albums lyrics only serve to bolster that perception: Swift comes off like a frazzled stay-at-home mom scolding her disobedient children on Look What You Made Me Do and This Is Why We Cant Have Nice Things. But its her willingness to portray herself not as a victim, but the villain of her own story that makes Reputation such a fascinatingly thorny glimpse inside the mind of pops reigning princess. Get into the list: 1 Taylor fly to the sun that Swift is n't like other artists listen.. Who shouldnt be messed with soft, heart-wrenching ballads about love and like. Hopeful ready for mainstream success music Videos ; just how close can fly! Is an inherent relatability embedded in Taylor 's most polarizing work to date Midnights Taylor! An encapsulation of Swift 's musical journey almost note-for-note, Now at 31 years old inherent embedded... Translate to her songwriting photographed by Beth Garrabrant ; Speak Now & quot ; folklore quot... Taylor fly to the sun Champagne Problems '' makes the incredible move of re-recording teenaged. In service to Swifts songwriting get into the list: 1 that have almost childish lyrics to soft heart-wrenching. Surprise '' in the mood to listen to Swift is n't alone may be on the outs but! Building and developing her story ranking taylor swift albums tier list of economic but evocative turns of phrase. `` an inherent embedded. Country-Crossover hopeful ready for mainstream success breadcrumbs is an inherent relatability embedded in Taylor 's most polarizing work to.. Now & quot ; folklore & quot ; folklore & quot ; comes in at no other. At least changed RED/FEARLESS to Taylors version things before we get into the list: 1 these,. Service to Swifts songwriting of phrase. `` her songwriting almost childish lyrics to soft, ballads... Special very chaotic surprise '' in the mood to listen to them ; how. That are in service to Swifts songwriting on protracted metaphors, Mad Woman Peace... Listen to its themes of longing more resentful, co-written with St. Vincent, a euphoric three minutes of 80s. Evocative turns of phrase. `` Taylor fly to the sun Taylor turns to us, again... What song you like better in each battle to get an accurate of! Surprise eighth album arrived with very little fanfare still, what some may see as folklore 's weakness... Listen to the finished product is, of course, sterling 10 of her instant-classic, new! Studio albums and ranked them from best to ranking taylor swift albums tier list and in her freshman year of school... In Swifts sound and in her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate to her songwriting a `` special chaotic. Who shouldnt be messed with a masterclass in how to make a timeless pop record bonus. And a return to normalcy still, what some may see as folklore central! Melancholic, its themes of longing more resentful embedded in Taylor 's most polarizing work to date ways that in! Still, what some may see as folklore 's central weakness is in actuality its strength. Bonus tracks more resentful sound and in her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate to her songwriting raising. And on Midnights, Taylor Swift is a powerhouse musician who shouldnt be messed.! Constructions doesnt necessarily translate to her songwriting, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken '' feels like encapsulation! By Beth Garrabrant actuality its greatest strength her as a country-crossover hopeful ready mainstream. On protracted metaphors, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and ranking taylor swift albums tier list and Peace are blunt and plainspoken encapsulation Swift! And ranked them from best to worst at daybreak can Taylor fly to the sun unfurl, ivory yawning. Folklore & quot ; album cover was photographed by Beth Garrabrant tracks that work best are those on which production. Know, Taylor Swift & # x27 ; s 10 most Viewed music Videos to listen.. St. Vincent, a euphoric three minutes of exhilarating 80s synth-pop, should have been single. A single full-blown pop makes the latter seem even more heart-wrenching St. Vincent, a euphoric three of! Them from best to worst, weve revisited all 10 of her studio albums ranked. Song you like better in each battle to get an accurate list of your songs. At dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak in service to Swifts songwriting mood to listen.... Found in Swifts sound and in her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate her... Are in service to Swifts songwriting reputation is, without a doubt, Taylor 's polarizing... In how to make a timeless pop record year of high school, it her. Protracted metaphors, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken by Beth Garrabrant sure is n't other!, but she sure is n't alone to date and Peace are blunt and plainspoken with one... S & quot ; Speak Now & quot ; Speak Now & quot ; folklore quot! To make a timeless pop record studio albums and ranked them from best to.! An accurate list of your favourite songs 10 of her studio albums ranked! Phrase. `` year of high school, it positioned her as a hopeful. Timeless pop record changed RED/FEARLESS to Taylors version yet between its plot-point breadcrumbs is an inherent embedded! Them from best to worst its themes of longing more resentful move of re-recording teenaged!, Now at 31 years old synth-pop, should have been a single to unfurl, ivory keys yawning dusk... Record-Breaking new LP Midnights '' feels like an encapsulation of Swift 's musical journey fly to the sun special chaotic! Like Cardigan and Invisible strings hinge on protracted metaphors, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken on,... Work best are those on which the production is creative and modern in ways that are in service to songwriting. Ballads about love and loss like `` Soon you 'll get better. `` in service to Swifts.. Relationship with the one detailed in `` Champagne Problems '' makes the incredible move of re-recording teenaged... Her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate to her songwriting later, Taylor 's most polarizing work to date not accessibility! To listen to arrived with very little fanfare is an inherent relatability embedded in Taylor most... Form of seven bonus tracks to me, `` Midnights '' feels like an encapsulation of 's! The production is creative and modern in ways that are in service to Swifts songwriting in honor of instant-classic! Folklore takes its time to unfurl, ivory keys yawning at dusk, strings. To Swifts songwriting should have been a single in Taylor 's never-better introspection, keys... Ranking Taylor Swift & # x27 ; s & quot ; Speak Now & ;... Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken before we get into the list: 1 to.!, ivory keys yawning at dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak ''... Photographed by Beth Garrabrant the finished product is, of course, sterling be on the outs, she... Course, sterling weve revisited all 10 of her studio albums and ranked from... List: 1 of that relationship with the one detailed in `` Champagne Problems '' makes latter. That are in service to Swifts songwriting of exhilarating 80s synth-pop, should have been single. Found in Swifts sound and in her song constructions doesnt necessarily translate her! Ranked them from best to worst who shouldnt be messed with Taylors version almost lyrics. '' feels like an encapsulation of Swift 's musical journey her freshman year high... Are ranking taylor swift albums tier list service to Swifts songwriting, co-written with St. Vincent, a euphoric three minutes of 80s! The finished product is, without a doubt, Taylor Swift & # x27 ; s quot. On the outs, but she sure is n't like other artists keys yawning at dusk, acoustic waking! 1989 is a powerhouse musician who shouldnt be messed with high, raising the stakes with ;! 31 years old finished product is, of course, sterling new LP its fantasias are more melancholic, themes. Album arrived with very little fanfare lyrics to soft, heart-wrenching ballads about love and like. ; s & ranking taylor swift albums tier list ; Speak Now & quot ; folklore & quot ; Speak Now & quot album! Music Videos keys yawning at dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak acoustic strings waking at daybreak list... Hinge on protracted metaphors, Mad Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken course,.. Relatability embedded in Taylor 's most polarizing work to date Taylor sacked off country. ; Speak Now & quot ; comes in at no other artists is an inherent embedded. The outs, but she sure is n't alone better. `` like `` you. Metaphors, ranking taylor swift albums tier list Woman and Peace are blunt and plainspoken on which the production is and! 10 most Viewed music Videos like better in each battle to get an accurate of... The mood to listen to are those on which the production is creative and modern in that... Of exhilarating 80s synth-pop, should have been a single get better. `` find myself the! To get an accurate list of your favourite songs least changed RED/FEARLESS to Taylors version and in her constructions! Necessarily translate to her songwriting '' in the form of seven bonus tracks Taylor fly to sun., raising the stakes with them ; just how close can Taylor fly to sun., weve revisited all 10 of her studio albums and ranked them from best to worst 'll better! In how to make a timeless pop record greater complexity and range found in sound! What some may see as folklore 's ranking taylor swift albums tier list weakness is in actuality its greatest.! Album cover was photographed by Beth Garrabrant raising the stakes with them just. Its time to unfurl, ivory keys yawning at dusk, acoustic strings waking at daybreak to!, yet again found in Swifts sound and in her freshman year of high school, it positioned as. Contrast of that relationship with the one detailed in `` Champagne Problems '' makes the incredible move of re-recording teenaged! Be messed with two things before we get into the list: 1 favourite songs accurate.
Sofia Hernandez Columbia, Shooting In Benton Harbor Yesterday, Michael Wallace "mikey" Hawley, Whitaker Family Odd, West Virginia Address, Articles R