This is a change of pace from my usual movie reviews, but Taylor Swift released an album, and it must be discussed. I wrote a review on Reputation a few years ago and can’t break that streak now. I’ve had a week to listen to the new album, study the lyrics, and gather my thoughts. This Taylor Swift fan is ready to talk about Lover! If you’re not a Taylor fan, don’t fret and…
1. I Forgot That You Existed
The album kicks off with an upbeat song about feeling indifferent towards someone who’s done you wrong. Taylor used to love this person, but they stood on the sidelines while her Reputation went up in flames. She’s using a classic Don Draper technique here.
I don’t know who this song is about, but I’m thinking maybe her ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris? Honestly, this isn’t my favorite album opener from Taylor. It’s catchy, but a little too chill. State of Grace and Ready for It remain her strongest album openers.
Best Lyrics:
I forgot that you sent me a clear message
Taught me some hard lessons
I just forgot what they were
It’s all just a blur
2. Cruel Summer
SONG OF THE ALBUM. SONG OF THE SUMMER. It may be summer themed, but it’s a song for all seasons. Mark it down right now; this will be a successful single. It sounds like a companion to Reputation’s Getaway Car in terms of production and storyline. The soaring chorus and electric production by Jack Antonoff and Annie Clarke are pop perfection. It paints a vivid picture of a relationship that created chaos in Taylor’s life, but she couldn’t leave because the guy was so intriguing. It’s unclear who Taylor is singing about in this certified hit, but it sounds like it describes the summer of 2016.
Best Lyrics:
Said I’m fine, but it wasn’t true
I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you
Snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer just to seal my fate
I scream for whatever it’s worth, “I love you ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?”
Taylor Swift illustrating the rollercoaster of emotions one feels while listening to Cruel Summer
3. Lover
This is a beautiful and romantic song that goes back to Taylor’s country roots. It’s very reminiscent of Taylor’s Red album. The lyrics paint a picture of Taylor and (I’m assuming) her boyfriend’s, Joe Alwyn, life in a simplistic, yet beautiful way. Does this count as a Christmas song if she talks about leaving the Christmas lights up until January? Can I put this song on my Christmas playlist? Well, I’m going to. Thank you for that, Taylor. The music video is a must-see for its vibrant technicolor style.
Best Lyrics:
Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?
With every guitar string scar on my hand
I take this magnetic force of a man to be my Lover
My heart’s been borrowed, and yours has been blue
All’s well that ends well to end up with you
Swear to be overdramatic and true to my Lover
4. The Man
Taylor is not taking ANYMORE sexism. She’s shutting it down with The Man. She imagines what life would be like if she were a man and how the headlines would be different surrounding her life. Maybe she wouldn’t always be chastised by the fickle entertainment industry. There’s heavy EDM influence in the song’s production that almost guarantees it’ll be a hit on the dance floor. (At least it will be for me. I will be dancing to it.)
Best Lyrics:
I’d be a fearless leader
I’d be an alpha type
When everyone believes you
What’s that like?
5. The Archer
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE OFFICIAL ANTHEM OF ARCHERY. I don’t make the rules. Taylor Swift saw that archery didn’t have enough songs dedicated to it, so she wrote one. Katniss Everdeen is thankful. The Archer is one of my favorite songs that she’s ever released. It’s very haunting and emotional as she sings about her difficulties and anxieties holding on to relationships. Joe, don’t leave her! The synthpop in this song has a strong 80’s vibe that is perfect.
Best Lyrics:
I wake in the night; I pace like a ghost
The room is on fire, invisible smoke
And all of my heroes die all alone
Help me hold on to you
6. I Think He Knows
Ok, so this is a straight-up jam that makes you want to dance! In this song, Taylor is SKIPPING down 16th avenue because she likes Joe Alwyn so much. (It sounds like it’s about him based on the timeline of the album) That’s really enthusiastic. She suspects that Joe knows she has a crush. He probably does know if she’s skipping around New York. It’s impossible to listen to this song and not have it stuck in your head all day.
Best Lyrics:
Lyrical smile, Indigo eyes, hand on my thigh
We can follow the sparks; I’ll drive
7. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince
Woah, this has such a Lana Del Rey+Marina and the Diamonds vibe. The cheerleading sound effects in the background are really reminiscent of Marina’s Teen Idle from the Electra Heart album. Taylor has said that this song is a political metaphor, and I love the way she uses high school imagery to tell the story. This is one of the most experimental songs she’s ever made, and I love the sound.
Best Lyrics:
It's you and me, that's my whole world
They whisper in the hallway, "she's a bad, bad girl."
The whole school is rolling fake dice
You play stupid games; you win stupid prizes
8. Paper Rings
What a joyful song! Taylor sings about how she fell in love with Joe Alwyn (she mentions painting his brother’s wall, which basically confirms it’s about him.) They’re so in love that she would marry him with Paper Rings. Taylor, you don’t have to do that. You have a lot of money, and he was in an Oscar-nominated movie last year. He has enough to buy you an engagement ring. I understand the sentiment, though. The verses sound a bit like Holy Ground from Red, but the chorus sounds like spending the day at Disney World. (This is high praise from me.)
Best Lyrics:
In paper rings
In picture frames
In all my dreams
You’re the one I want
9. Cornelia Street
Ok, remember when I said Cruel Summer was the song of the album? Cornelia Street is the other song of the album! This is what Delicate was for Reputation. It actually sounds a lot like a companion song to Delicate. Somehow Taylor makes a song about a street in New York scream with imagery and emotion. Cornelia Street is about a hope that she never loses her love because it would be too painful even to imagine their memories together. Just go listen to it right now because it’s so fantastic.
Best Lyrics:
I hope I never lose you
Hope it never ends
I’d never walk Cornelia Street again
That’s the kind of heartbreak time could never mend
I’d never walk Cornelia Street again
10. Death By A Thousand Cuts
This song was inspired by the movie Someone Great on Netflix, which I have never seen. I can offer no insight into how the plot influenced the song. I do know that the director/writer of Someone Great was inspired to make the movie because of Taylor’s album, 1989. It’s a full circle Inception situation.
Best Lyrics:
Our songs, our films, United we stand
Our country, guess it was a lawless land
Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand
Paper cut strings from my paper-thin plans
11. London Boy
Now it’s a party! This song makes me want to book a flight and find a man in London. The beginning of the song features an interview clip of Idris Elba saying, “We can go driving around in my scooter around London.” The beat of this song is SO GOOD. In terms of Taylor’s past music, the production sounds like a mixture of Gorgeous, and This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. It starts as a cute uptempo pop song and turns into a big production that could easily be a musical number. Now, all I want is for this song to be in a big movie musical about finding a man in London.
Best Lyrics:
So please show me, Hackney
Doesn’t have to be, Louis V up on Bond Street
Just wanna be with you
Stick with me; I’m your queen
Like a Tennessee Stella McCartney on the Heath
Just wanna be with you
Rick Astley, the original London Boy. Maybe Taylor was inspired by him when writing the song.
12. Soon You’ll Get Better (feat. The Dixie Chicks)
This transition hits hard. Idris Elba was just telling us about driving around in his scooter! I was thinking about who was going to direct the musical number for London Boy! I wasn’t ready for the emotions on this one. Soon You’ll Get Better is an emotional account of Taylor’s mother (Andrea) and her battle with cancer. It’s a deeply moving song detailing her family’s journey with her mother’s illness. It’s heart-wrenching to hear her sing about the close bond she shares with her mother as she watches her fight for her life. Anyone who has witnessed a loved one battle cancer will be tremendously impacted by this song.
Best Lyrics:
I just pretend it isn’t real
I’ll paint the kitchen neon
I’ll brighten up the sky
I know I’ll never get it
There’s not a day that I won’t try
13. False God
Whew, I gotta recover from Soon You’ll Get Better. This song starts with a saxophone solo. That’s a new sound for Taylor. This is a lot like Dress on Reputation. It’s a much more mature song for her that uses religious imagery to talk about the hard times in a relationship.
Best Lyrics:
I can’t talk to you when you’re like this
Staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town
I’m New York City
I still do it for you, babe
14. You Need to Calm Down
You Need To Calm Down has been of Taylor’s most hyped-up singles this summer. The song is all about addressing homophobia and internet trolls with the phrase “You Need To Calm Down.”
Best Lyrics:
And we see you over there on the Internet
Comparing all the girls who are killing it
But we figured you out
We all know now
We all got crowns
You need to calm down
15. Afterglow
Afterglow is the most underrated song on the album. Everyone needs to give it the respect it deserves. It’s an instant Taylor classic. She sings about taking the blame for blowing things out of proportion in a fight with her boyfriend. The production of this song is next level. The melody paired with the epic drumbeats makes for such a memorable song. Now I’m listening to it on repeat.
Best Lyrics:
I lived like an island
Punished you in silence
Went off like sirens, just crying
Why’d I have to break what I love so much?
16. Me! (featuring Brendon Urie)
You’ve already heard it, and there’s a 100% chance you have an opinion on Taylor’s polarizing first single from Lover. I personally am a fan of the positive and fun tune that’s all about embracing being you, but I am the only one of me (and that’s the fun of me). For some reason, Taylor has taken out the ‘spelling is fun!’ line. As a spelling enthusiast, that makes me sad. It will just have to live on in our memories. Never forget that spelling is fun, kids.
Best Lyrics:
Hey kids,
Spelling is fun!
17. It’s Nice To Have A Friend
This is another underrated track on the album about a childhood friendship that eventually turns into a loving relationship. The sounds of the children’s choir in the background make this sound a little bit like a Christmas song. I’m officially claiming this as another Taylor Swift Christmas song.
Best Lyrics:
Church bells ring, carry me home
Rice on the ground looks like snow
18. Daylight
Taylor Swift always has great album closers, and Daylight continues this trend. It’s all about finding a love that lasts and burns bright. It’s glowing like Daylight. She ends the album with a voice memo that says, “I wanna be defined by the things I love. Not the things I hate. Not the things I’m afraid of. Not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night. I just think that you are what you love.”
Best Lyrics:
I once believed love would be burning red
But it’s golden, like daylight
That completes my review of Lover by Taylor Swift. This is another wonderful album added to her discography. She continues to deliver top-notch creative work. My top 7 favorite tracks (since this is her seventh album) are
1. Cruel Summer
2. Cornelia Street
3. The Archer
4. Lover
5. Afterglow
6. London Boy
7. I Think He Knows
It was tough to even narrow this list to 7. Honestly, I love the whole album! What are your favorite songs on Lover?