Taylor Swift. Fearless. Speak Now. Red. 1989. Reputation. Lover. Folklore.
Eight albums through fourteen years.
Four genres. Countless subgenres.
Taylor Swift has gone through some of the most difficult years of a person's life, all in the public eye and often times writing songs about it. Her first album came out when she was sixteen, and now that she is approaching her 31st birthday, it is impossible not to notice her evolution from "Country's Sweetheart" to "Badass B!tch". As Taylor Swift would say, since she was sixteen, "Everything Has Changed".
TAYLOR SWIFT: 2006
Arguably her most "traditional" country sound, Taylor Swift's debut album, self-titled Taylor Swift was full of JAMS. With sweet melodies and songs about young love, the most commercially popular standouts from this album were "Tim McGraw", "Picture to Burn", "Teardrops on my Guitar", "Should've Said No", and "Our Song". All songs were unapologetically country with guitar, fiddles, and sometimes banjos. "While Should've Said No" and "Picture to Burn" showed a darker side of Taylor as a woman scorned, the overall tone of the album was sweet and full of love songs.
To accompany her sweet songs, Taylor Swift created a completely sweet image. With her naturally blonde ringlets, long flowing dresses, and cowboy boots, she seemed like a country princess, who could do no wrong. Even when she sang about heartbreak and someone upsetting her, it seemed almost dishonest, as if she couldn't
Each song on this album was either solely written or co-written by Swift, and as many began to figure out, the songs were largely autobiographical, or at least inspired by true events. "Teardrops on my Guitar", one of her first singles, talks about a boy named Drew that only sees her as a friend. This was actually a completely true story from Taylor Swift's perspective, down to his name and everything. She didn't hold back about mentioning names and eluding to different people in her songs, even in her first album, which is one of the things she became most known for.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
Tim McGraw- Country
Picture to Burn- Country Rock
Teardrops on my Guitar- Country Pop
A Place in this World- Country Pop
Cold as You- Country
The Outside- Country Pop
Tied Together with a Smile- Country Pop
Stay Beautiful- Country Pop
Should've Said No- Country Rock
Mary's Song (Oh My My My)- Country Pop
Our Song- Country
I'm Only Me When I'm With You- Country Pop
Invisible- Country Pop
FEARLESS: 2008
Taylor Swift took the world by storm in 2008, with her sophomore album, Fearless. Once again, she took to writing about personal experiences and using the names of potential or former suitors. "Hey Stephen" was actually written about one of the singers of a country duo, Love & Theft, who she had met while touring. She continued with her sweet country music star vibe, and her songs still leaned country. While many thought she was pop, there were at the least, country leanings in all of her songs.
Her style stayed similar. She still had her traditional blonde ringlets, but at this time, she often brushed them out a bit more. She stuck to long dresses and boots, but often opted for sparkly and sequined gowns.
At age 19, Swift became the youngest artist to win the CMA Entertainer of the Year, the highest trophy in country music. Fearless also became the best selling album of 2009 in the USA. Fearless was also the winner for the Album of the Year at the Grammys, making her the youngest Grammy winner to win that award at that time.
Interestingly, her hit song, "Love Story", from this album recently made a comeback by becoming a TikTok sensation.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
Fearless- Country Pop
Fifteen- Country Pop
Love Story- Country Pop
Hey Stephen- Country Pop
White Horse- Country
You Belong with Me- Country Pop
Breathe- Country Pop
Tell Me Why- Contemporary Country
You're Not Sorry- Country Rock
The Way I Loved You- Contemporary Country
Forever & Always- Country Pop
The Best Day- Country
Change- Pop Rock
Today Was a Fairytale- Country Pop
SPEAK NOW: 2010
Speak Now, a personal favorite album of mine, introduced a much sassier Taylor Swift than before. While she still had her traditionally sweet love songs like "Mine" and her sad break up/heartbreak songs like "Back to December", she created a different, more rock persona with songs like "Better than Revenge" and "Enchanted. She also leaned toward folk/bluegrass/alternative more than before. This was the beginning of her genre transition from Country subgenres to deeper and darker themes. She also stayed traditional by namedropping a few different exes, most notably John Mayer, who "Dear John" was about.
Her style in 2010, also began to change and reflected her new music sound. She ditched the boots and long dresses for more form-fitting, shorter dresses and heels. She also opted to straighten her blonde ringlets. Swift's look definitely turned from "Country Sweetheart" to more of a "Mainstream Hottie".
When this album was released, songs from Swift's last album were still charting. She became the first and only artist to have seven songs enter the Top Ten of the Hot 100 chart.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
Mine- Country Pop
Sparks Fly- Country Pop
Back to December- Country Pop
Speak Now- Folk/Folk Pop
Dear John- Country Rock
Mean- Bluegrass Country
The Story of Us- Pop Rock
Never Grow Up- Folk/Folk Pop
Enchanted- Pop Rock
Better than Revenge- Pop Punk
Innocent- Soft Rock
Haunted- Alternative Rock
Last Kiss- Folk/Folk Pop
Long Live- Country Rock Ours- Country
If This Was a Movie- Pop Rock
Superman- Pop
RED: 2012
Red was the first album where Taylor Swift officially cemented herself as a pop superstar. Interestingly, according to a podcast with Rolling Stone, Swift stated that she felt incredibly apprehensive when creating this album because she felt that she had already reached her shelf-life. She even went as far to say she felt like "old news". She decided that she did not want to be in one lane or genre, and it is evident with her songs. The subjects of the lyrics did not change in this album, but instead, the production of her songs did. Swift leaned heavily into traditional pop, especially with songs like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble". While she had a fear of being stagnant, "Red" really was a different album and sound than her other albums, and it was arguably more successful.
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was the fastest selling single in digital history, and now is ranked third.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
State of Grace- Alternative Rock
Red- Pop
Treacherous- Pop Rock
I Knew You Were Trouble- Electropop
All Too Well- Soft Rock
22- Pop
I Almost Do- Folk/Folk Pop
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- Pop
Stay Stay Stay- Folk/Folk Pop
The Last Time- Alternative Rock
Holy Ground- Pop Rock
Sad Beautiful Tragic- Folk/Folk Pop
The Lucky One- Pop
Everything Has Changed- Folk/Folk Pop
Starlight- Electropop
Begin Again- Country
1989: 2014
1989 was a different album of sorts for Taylor. While Red was her first complete submersion into pop music, 1989 was her embracing pop music. The songs were light and airy feeling. It was the kind of album that you would jam out to in the car with friends with no cares in the world, especially "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off". "Bad Blood" was another of her autobiographical songs, and people quickly began speculating who the song was about. The general consensus was that it was written about her feud with Katy Perry.
Taylor Swift's style once again reflected her music. She wore a lot of crop tops and skirts, often showing her mid drift. She chopped her hair off and of ten styled it wavy instead of her traditional curls. Her makeup was often simple but somewhat bold with her red lip.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
Welcome to New York- Synth Pop
Blank Space- Electropop
Style- Synth Pop
Out of the Woods- Synth Pop
All You Had to Do Was Stay- Pop
Shake It Off- Dace Pop
I Wish You Would- Pop
Bad Blood- Pop
Wildest Dreams- Dream Pop
How You Get the Girl- Pop
This Love- Dream Pop
I Know Places- Pop
Clean- Pop
A series of Facebook posts, showing how important a Taylor Swift concert was to 12 year old me^
*also, the tickets were most definitely not front row seats :-)
REPUTATION: 2017
Reputation was the album that really changed Taylor Swift's image. She was no longer the sweet, young girl singing about getting her heart broken, or jokingly referring to breakups. She was hardly even pop anymore. Her music was darker and deeper. She purposely released "Look What You Made Me Do" as her first single after blacking out her social media. After listening to the lyrics, it was clear: she was upset. Kanye West had once embarrassed her at the VMAs in 2009, to which she answered with grace and poise, yet with the renewed Kanye drama in 2016, she was angry. She took control of her narrative and used music to share her side of the story.
Not to mention, the beginning of 2017 was full of fear and uncertainty politically, so Taylor Swift's much gloomier album became especially popular and anthemic of sorts.
Her style also began to reflect her new, darker persona. She chopped her hair off and kept her bangs. She often wore black, especially when performing. She chose dark lipsticks and darker eye makeup than usual. Even her hair was a dirtier blonde than her previous hair color. Everything was darker.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
...Ready for It?- Electropop
End Game- R&B
I Did Something Bad- Electropop
Don't Blame Me- Synth Pop
Delicate- Dream Pop
Look What You Made Me Do- Dance Pop
So It Goes...: R&B
Gorgeous- Pop
Getaway Car- Synth Pop
King of My Heart- Synth Pop
Dancing with Our Hands Tied- Electropop
Dress- Synth Pop
This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things- Electropop
Call It What You Want- R&B
New Year's Day- Pop
LOVER: 2019
Lover had a completely different overall mood than the Reputation. The album was lighter as a whole, whereas Reputation was dark and more cynical.
"You Need to Calm Down" was released to celebrate LGBTQ Pride, to some mixed feelings. However, the general feelings behind the music had changed. The songs were, for the most part, happy and light. "Lover", a classic love song, leans more traditionally country and folk, yet the album as a whole leans mostly retro pop and synth pop. Described as a "love letter to love itself", Lover truly celebrates love on all spectrums. Some of the songs have deeper meanings, such as "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince", which shows Swift's disillusionment with the current US government and politics. The lyrics become more artful than previous albums by Swift, and it seemed to be a more "adult" album than previously.
Swift's style was similar to before the Reputation album, but she donned bright colors more often during the release of this album. She kept her signature blonde hair, but her looks in general began to look less curated and more effortless.
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
I Forgot That You Existed: Pop
Cruel Summer: Synth Pop
Lover: Indie Folk
The Man: Synth Pop
The Archer: Dream Pop
I Think He Knows: Synth Pop
Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince: Synth Pop
Paper Rings: Indie Pop
Cornelia Street: Dream Pop
Death by a Thousand Cuts: Synth Pop
London Boy: Synth Pop
Soon You'll Get Better: Country
False God: Dream Pop
You Need to Calm Down- Synth Pop
Afterglow: Pop
Me!- Bubblegum Pop
It's Nice to Have a Friend: Indie Pop
Daylight: Dream Pop
FOLKLORE: 2020
The most recent album from Taylor Swift, folklore was released during a global pandemic, and what a welcome surprise it was. The songs were refreshing and sad. They were slow and pleasant. The songs were relaxing and mellow. Almost every song on the album is a ballad. The songs were styled in all lowercase in the track listing, and Folklore was much different from her previous albums. Arguably the most famous, "Betty", has been hailed as one of the best songs this year.
The songs are acoustic with harmonica, piano, and a plucking guitar in the background.
Once again, Taylor Swift's style began to reflect her album. While she has only performed a few times this year, when she has, her hair and makeup has been natural. Her clothes have seemed like traditional Taylor Swift, yet a little more subdued, kind of like this album.
Honestly, as if you needed another clue, I am telling you to go. listen. to. folklore!
TRACKLIST/GENRE and SUBGENRE
The 1: Minimal/Indie pop
Cardigan: Folk/soft rock
The Last Great American Dynasty: Indie pop
Exile: Indie folk
My Tears Ricochet: Indie pop
Mirrorball: Dream pop
Seven: Folk/soft rock
August: Folk/soft rock
This Is Me Trying: Indie folk
Illicit Affairs: Minimal/Indie pop
Invisible String: Indie pop
Mad Woman: Soft rock
Epiphany: Folk/soft rock
Betty: Country folk
Peace: Indie Folk
Hoax: Indie pop
The Lakes: Folk
IN CONCLUSION, Taylor Swift is amazing in a million different ways, and somehow, she can come across as genuine and honest in whatever genre she chooses to embody. Country, pop, folk, rock, it doesn't matter. She can do it all, and she can do it all well.
SOURCES:
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Elizabeth, D. (2020, August 08). Taylor Swift Confirmed Some "Betty" Fan Theories. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/taylor-swift-inspiration-theories-betty
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McDermott, M. (2019, June 21). Taylor Swift has angered many people with her 'You Need To Calm Down' release. Here's why. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2019/06/21/how-taylor-swift-angered-everyone-you-need-calm-down/1512715001/
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Stone, R. (2020, November 17). 500 Greatest Albums Podcast: Taylor Swift on How 'Red' Changed Everything For Her. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/500-greatest-albums-podcast-taylor-swift-red-1090540/
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