By Elizabeth Smislova And Erin Cabrey
Taylor Swift’s music has been the soundtrack to the lives of girls and women for nearly 10 years, and saying the excitement for Reputation was monumental, especially after Swift’s three-year hiatus, would be an enormous understatement.
Reputation, simply put, is the most fun album Swift has ever produced. It has also been commercially successful, selling one million copies in its first four days, Swift’s fourth consecutive album to do so. This might be due to Swift’s decision to keep the album off streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music for its first week.
If you do not like Taylor Swift as a person (the internet is full of reasons should you need one), the music is still upbeat and the lyrics are as vivid as ever. However, the songs are still very connected to her personal story and uber-prevalent drama in the media. So, if you are not a Swift fan, the album probably will not convert you. Unless the reason you did not like her was that she only sang about guitars and fairytales—haven’t you heard? That old Taylor is dead.
The album opens with “…Ready for it?” which is mostly Taylor trying to rap. While featuring an impressive bridge and chorus which are reminiscent of tracks on 1989, the song has repelled fans because of its aggressive and largely off-putting verses.
“Look What You Made Me Do” is the weakest song on the album by a long shot. It is unfortunate that Swift chose this to be the lead single because its cringeworthiness immediately gave listeners a bad taste in their mouths. While the music video saw Swift make fun of her many personas, the song never comes off as ironic.
“Gorgeous” is also a low point on Reputation, as it seems like the product of lazy songwriting, a rarity for Swift.
After getting over these three songs, the rest of the album is a pleasant surprise that shows off Swift’s range and talent for song-writing. “End Game” features Ed Sheeran and rapper Future, and is a great dance song that serves as a thesis for the album (“And I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put ‘em/ Reputation precedes me, they told you I’m craz/I swear I don’t love the drama, it loves me”).
“I Did Something Bad” again alludes to Swift’s complicated relationship with the media, and it is an anthem reminiscent of “Bad Blood” from 1989, great for motivation while on the treadmill or strutting down the street.
“Don’t Blame Me,” is one of the strongest tracks on the album, despite the fact that it sounds similar to “Work Song” by Hozier. The lyric “Love made me crazy/ If it doesn’t you ain’t doing it right” is powerful, as is the entire song.
“Delicate,” “So It Goes…” and “Getaway Car” are all fun songs, evocative of Swift’s last album while being very similar to each other. While great in their own right, they get lost in the shuffle.
“Dress” sounds similar to FKA Twigs’ music, which suits Swift’s voice well. Though some critics have bashed Swift trying out new musical styles and trendS, it adds to her already extensive repertoire. It is more provocative than all of her old music and allows her to test the range of her voice.
“This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is probably the biggest and boldest songs on the album, and most directly references Kanye West and their conflict in the media. She sings, “Here’s to you, because forgiveness is a nice thing to do,” then cackles and says “I can’t even say that with a straight face.” Swift’s laughter is an attempt to showcase a new bitterly vindictive persona that seems incredibly insincere. Ultimately, it would have been a better choice for Swift to use this song to put the drawn out feud to rest, but she instead indulges in villainy and overproduction.
The album’s message, overall, is confusing and complex. Swift laces the idea of her ruined reputation through nearly every song, yet is at her best when she discusses the new, delicate relationship forming in the midst of the madness.
Old Taylor is definitely gone, but the New Taylor is not as far off as she would like listeners to believe. At the heart of this album, like the five preceding it, is a vulnerable woman infatuated with falling in love, watching it fall apart, and brushing her self off and starting over once more. This fresh beginning, while far more jarring than all her others, treats fans to a more intimate journey through Swift’s life than fans have ever experienced.
