{"id":4117,"date":"2021-12-08T14:19:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T14:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/?p=4117"},"modified":"2021-12-08T14:19:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T14:19:22","slug":"taylor-swift-every-album-ranked-and-reviewed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/?p=4117","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift: Every album ranked and reviewed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taylor Swift kick-started her career as a freshman writing tracks about high school heartbreak. It wasn\u2019t until 2006 that the hopeful singer would release her first full-length record. Making a name for herself as a young teen, Swift\u2019s career has since spanned genre shakeups drifting from the country, indie-folk to tried and tested chart pop. With over a decade of acclaim to her name, the icon has become a notable figurehead for her immensely dedicated fanbase and record-breaking discography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With nine standout albums to look back on, we reflect on Swift\u2019s complete catalog and rank her records from worst to best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>9. Taylor Swift (self-titled)<\/strong><br>Right, there are bound to be Swifties that disagree with the self-titled placement, but hear me out. Sure, this was Swift\u2019s first release (and a promising one at that), but its early age inevitably pales to what the singer has since pulled off. Debuting in 2006, this was the Nashville singer at her commendable beginning. The new scene country singer made waves with her hit Tim McGraw which caught mainstream attention. It\u2019s an album laden with plucked strings, drawn-out accent vowels, and the occasional sad girl country favorite \u2013 Tear Drops On My Guitar \u2013 and the slightly more plucky Our Song. If anything, Swift\u2019s debut showcases her sharpened penmanship and diaristic talent \u2013 a talent that would make her name a handful of years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - Teardrops On My Guitar\" width=\"749\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xKCek6_dB0M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>8. Lover<\/strong><br>Lover is an unashamedly eccentric album. Packed with bright colors, vivid lyrics, and an upbeat landscape, Swift trades her melancholy greys for glorious pastels and emotionally rich tracks. Take Cruel Summer \u2013 a buzzing candyfloss pop hit that was worthy of being a lead single. Elsewhere, the album opener, I Forgot You Existed, is a sickly sweet track that casts a glance at its former black and white era. But it\u2019s not all self-referential moments. Lover sees Swift joyfully stride into atmospheric tracks Cornelia Street and Death By A Thousand Cuts. The modern equivalent of Red\u2019s Stay Stay Stay, Lover\u2019s Paper Rings is a jaunty confession of love, but the hearty album isn\u2019t just a fun pop diaristic daydream. Afterglow and Daydream are markers of Swift\u2019s love lessons and emotional honesty. Settled between the gimmicky ME! And You Need To Calm Down the singer\u2019s ode to the LGBTQ+ community, the maturity of both are dampened by the questionably chosen singles. In the end, Lover is an anecdote of strength and self-reliance and, in that, it charters her growth as an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - Lover\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-BjZmE2gtdo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7. Reputation<\/strong><br>So, before the hate tweets get drafted, let\u2019s make it clear that Reputation often deserves better \u2013 even if it didn\u2019t get a Grammy nod. Swift\u2019s revenge era record lived its truth as a compilation that set the record straight and gave us some full-throttle pop hits along the way. That said, some tracks felt incongruous to her maximalist speaker moments. The likes of End Game and This Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things were clunky add ons to a mostly sensible tracklist. However, after disappearing from public view for a year, Swift ditched country-pop love story moments for adrenaline-fuelled tales of romance and then some. Reputation saw the artist distance herself from clean synth-laden pop for a sound tangling with R&amp;B and alternative influences. Tracks like Looks What You Made Me Do set the tone for Swift\u2019s tougher exterior, with few outliers (Delicate and New Years Day) breaking the trend. Elsewhere, immediate favorites Getaway Car, Dress, and the playful Gorgeous were reminders of Swift\u2019s shapeshifting songwriting. Rich with lasting bridges, stories of score-settling, and impassioned romance, Reputation stands as one of Swift\u2019s most distinct eras, and for good reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - Delicate\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tCXGJQYZ9JA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>6. Fearless (Taylor\u2019s Version)<\/strong><br>The first effort of Swift\u2019s re-recording venture, Fearless (Taylor\u2019s Version) was unique for a multitude of reasons but, most notably, witnessing the 31-year-old revisiting her teenage years. Contextually, the album was the singer\u2019s first effort to claim control of her Masters, but her revisioned effort showcases much more than that. At its finest, Fearless is the record that gave way to her success. The modern re-recorded hits (Love Story, Fifteen, You Belong With Me) tenderly captured her coming-of-age heartbreak. However, the differences are notable: the accent twangs, Swift\u2019s slightly deeper tone, and the odd production changes, yet it manages to capture the magic of its original self. Alongside the numerous vault tracks \u2013 Mr. Perfectly Fine receiving the most attention \u2013 Fearless (Taylor\u2019s Version) is a testament to artistic principle and her message is heard loud and clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=rFjJs6ZjPe8%3Fstart%3D1\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Evermore<\/strong><br>A follow-up to Swift\u2019s acclaimed Folklore, the singer once again partnered with The National\u2019s Aaron Dessner, pop companion Antonoff, and, surprisingly, her partner Joe Alwyn. A joyous extension of what came first, Evermore effortlessly complements its predecessor while opting to lean further into its plain of woodland country instrumentals. Much like Folklore, Evermore\u2019s candescent opening spotlights Swift\u2019s in first-person storytelling and pulls you into her detailed Swiftian cinematic universe. At its helm, Evermore offers more of a country pang with The Haim-assisted No Body, No Crime is exactly that, while the likes of Ivy, Happiness, and Marjorie a softer, more folksy offerings. Evermore promises a comeback trend and it delivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - willow (Official Music Video)\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RsEZmictANA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. 1989<\/strong><br>A pure pop record, 1989 saw Swift claim her territory as history maker with her most commercially successful album up until then. The singer\u2019s 2014 era \u2013 marked with thick rim sunglasses and a signature short blonde bob \u2013 signaled her move to reinvent her (musical) image, almost a soft launch of Reputation if you will. Chart makers Blank Space and Out Of The Woods skeptically documented character-driven high-profile dating escapades and sexist headlines, while the similar vein of Clean, You Are In Love, and Wildest Dream revisited the Nashville artist\u2019s familiar romantic escapist sounds. 1989 is an album that goes full circle and addresses her past self. Whether it\u2019s besting an agitated critic from Speak Now\u2019s Mean or starting afresh as echoed in Red\u2019s Begin Again, Swift\u2019s mainstream move to pop (and New York) is a win that lands bigger than commercial success. In short, 1989 is a resilient \u201cnew soundtrack\u201d popscape that shaped the 2014 era. It\u2019s an album for the ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - Blank Space\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e-ORhEE9VVg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Speak Now<\/strong><br>Penned by 19-year-old Swift, Speak Now is vastly overlooked for its emotional nuance and self-documentation. A record that captures the singer\u2019s move from her wide-eyed country-tinged Fearless era to a burgeoning celebrity. The album sees the singer grapple with bolder themes of heartbreak, adulthood, and a more defiant crossover between her underdog country identity and emerging pop persona. Despite this subtle tension, the singer leans into her now famed grandiose melodrama in Sparks Fly and, while, later, exploring her refined biographic qualities in pop hit The Story of Us, the fairytale power ballad Enchanted, and the romanticist high stakes dark symphony Haunted. Of course, there are moments that have not aged all too well. Swift\u2019s Better Than Revenge \u2013 although akin to pop-punk turned Bad Blood moment \u2013 shares questionably misogynistic lyrics, similarly the self-titled track Speak Now points sharp lyrics at the expense of a fictitious bride-to-be. As the album looks ahead, past interrupted awards speeches and heartbreak, Swift turns to legacy in Long Live purposefully tying up Speak Now as a visionary stepping stone proving her graduated pop ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oKar-tF__ac?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Red (Taylor\u2019s Version)<\/strong><br>A re-recording of her 2012 classic, Swift imbues her latest version with diligent details as she reaches to reclaim her artistic rights. The Taylor Swift cinematic catalog is being overhauled one by one. In her second effort, the American singer decorates an already standout tracklist with quaint pop retouches and measured, polished vault tracks \u2013 forking out glossy finish to what would already be a gleaming autumnal reinvention. An opportune retrospective, Swift doubles down on her signature essayist qualities in the immaculate extended vision of All Too Well (10-minute version) to the Phoebe Bridgers\u2019 laden Nothing News. Elsewhere, the singer sweeps aside the downcast climactic versions for brighter reimaginings as she reunited with hits I Knew You Were Trouble, Holy Ground, and 22. Swift\u2019s double dose of pop is found threaded through atmospheric vault tracks such as Max Martin\u2019s Message In A Bottle and her own The Very First Night; a duo of nostalgic upbeat dance numbers. Red (Taylor\u2019s Version) pays homage to the past while signaling her re-records are anything short of a gimmick \u2013 they\u2019re a statement of artistic control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Taylor Swift - All Too Well: The Short Film\" width=\"749\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tollGa3S0o8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Folklore<\/strong><br>Swift has a penchant for eccentric reveals and detailed album rollouts, but the sudden release of folklore caught plenty of us by surprise. Teaming up with The National\u2019s Aaron Dessner, the singer delivers a cozy indie-folk sweater weather record made to sate the blues of lockdown. Swift broached her chosen woodland folksy territory with effortless ease, washing the record with a swooning movie-track soundscape and fine-tuned Nashville candor. Folklore undoubtedly reaffirmed the artist\u2019s indigenous talent as an industry-leading songstress. Whether it was the biographic charm of The Last Great American Dynasty or the sweeping intrigue of a fictitious love triangle or a charismatic ballad on loneliness with Mirrorball. Appointed as our chosen choice for Swift\u2019s greatest album, Folklore is the singer at her absolute best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Taylor Swift kick-started her career as a freshman writing tracks about high school heartbreak. It wasn\u2019t until 2006 that the hopeful singer would release her first full-length record. Making a name for herself as a young teen, Swift\u2019s career has since spanned genre shakeups drifting from the country, indie-folk to tried and tested chart pop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}