#taylor swift wrote half her discography on them

[autumiaxx]

Cold was the steel of my axe to grind

For the boys that broke my heart

Now I send their babies presents

[sapphirerogers]

Let me add...

And if I didn't know better, I'd think you were singing to me now. But I know better, but I still feel you all around. What died didn't stay dead, you're alive, you're alive in my head.

And...

I'm still a believer but I don't know why; I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try, I'm still on that trapeze, I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me.

Plus...

So I wander through these nights I prefer hiding in plain sight. My fourth drink in my hand, these desperate prayers of a cursed man spilling out to you for free, but darling, darling, please, you wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking. If you knew where I was walking...to a house, not a home, all alone, cause nobody's there. Where I pace in my pen and my friends found friends who care. No one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire.

Do you ever imagine Steve listening to Coney Island and quietly crying at the bridge, knowing that what he had with Bucky in Coney Island is now gone, and that every chance they had to reunite was always stripped away from them? Do you think he relates to Right where you left me, because he saw 70 years pass by in a blink of an eye and all he’s ever known is gone, and what he now loves has too slipped from his fingers? Do you think he listened to you’re on your own, kid, thinking about how he has always been alone except for his mom and Bucky, and they too were stripped away from him, while he was forced to move on and be mighty and strong and an icon, because he is Captain America and he can’t cry over his mom or his best friend? Do you think he listened to the archer on repeat, resigned at the fact that everyone has always left him, and that the one who would always stay will never come home because he wasn’t able to save him? Do you think he skips soon you’ll get better because remembering the last moments with his mom are just too painful and he can’t bear it?

Do you think Steve Rogers listens to Taylor Swift and mourns the continuous loss of his best friend, of the life he could’ve had if war never happened, of the friends and years he lost in the present, his new home? Do you think he curls up in his bed crying, when these songs bring up his emotions, wishing for a hug from a mom who had to leave him all those years ago?

… or, are you sane?

[dragonfly0808]

Musa’s Discography Pt.2

First Full Album. Written throughout the second half of s3 and the first month of summer. Published int he summer between s3 and s4

This one again didn’t have a specific theme though I did try to go for a vibe. Like, this is Musa writing to cope with everything that’s going on whilst trying to ignore her mental health issues so there are one or two ‘darker’ songs when she couldn’t write smth happy or at least not act like everything is fine.

Not sure if I worded that correctly. Here goes:

Afterglow by Taylor Swift.

This is perfect to me as an opening track right before Rivusa have made up she writes this because well… it just fits a lot and I think it’s perfect to open an album that’s kinda Musa just trying to look at the brighter side and ignore the bad shit going on or trying to act like everything will be fine

The Louvre by Lorde.

I see Musa writing this towards the start of summer as a fun summer track to distract herself as she tries to figure out where to stay

Best Friend by Conan Gray.

This was written in bits and pieces over s2 and s3 and it’s just about the squads, I can see her basing it off of the platonic soulmates, like the final part is a super old recording of Sky when Stella told him an ex called her before s1

New Romantics by Taylor Swift.

Another fun summer song to cover up the sadness in an iconic way. I love this song way too much, it deserves more hype

Blue by Madison Beer.

Another track co-written by Helia, story-based. This is the first time the tiniest bit of darkness slips through mostly on the production

Exhale by Sabrina Carpenter.

One of few songs where Musa is fully honest and lets herself go a bit, but I still don’t really count it as one of the ‘darker’ songs. She wrote this before gaining Enchantix

Tornado Warnings by Sabrina Carpenter.

This one was one that she wrote in one night with Helia when neither could sleep and after Musa had lied to her therapist pre-Enchantix, so they just took the phrase ‘lying to my therapist’ and made up a little story as they do

Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift.

This song is peak Rivusa s3 for me, like- just both of them being so bad at relationships but wanting to be in one regardless and just UUGGGGHHHH love them

Sober by Lorde.

First slightly ‘darker’ song, was meant to be a summer bop but turned a bit darker. Here is where the album goes on a tiny spiral. I say tiny cause she won’t really go ‘dark’ till the second album

Stay Numb and Carry On by Madison Beer.

First song she wrote after gaining Enchantix. Kinda wrote a few nonsensical lyrics before pulling them together for the verses and the chorus is just how weird she felt after gaining Enchantix

Follow the White Rabbit by Madison Beer.

Another song she wrote soon after gaining Enchantix. Co-written by Helia cause that song to me is Helia-coded when he’s in a bad mental space…

Tell Em by Sabrina Carpenter.

More light-hearted, wrote it after Tecna ranted about Timmy and about how if they did started dating she’d be stressed about people knowing. Started writing it in s2 while Tecna wouldn’t shut up about Timmy. ‘Cause I’m falling down like I’m summer rain’ Idk why but to me that’s such a Tecna-coded line

idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie Eilish.

Probably the darkest Musa gets in this album, I almost see this as the mirror of Exhale. This was after she kinda processed everything that happened after gaining Enchantix and a few intense therapy sessions

Shadows by Sabrina Carpenter.

It just fits so well at first. I can see her writing this about lit the whole squad before gaining Enchantix, it doesn’t fit as much after that.

Giant by Yuqi.

This would kinda be her way to close the album in a more ‘positive, don’t worry I’m totally fine, I’ll be alright ajajaja rise up like a giant yeah…’ way. Basically she wrote it as a way to tell everyone don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine

Now, on to, the extra tracks of the deluxe version! Oh yeah we’re getting way too specific!!!

The deluxe version comes out after she’s taken in by Tecna’s family.

Deluxe version includes:

skinny dipping by Sabrina Carpenter.

Wrote this during her time at the Wujin Festival whilst the squad went backstage to chat and have fun, performed it on her last day. Little details about almost everyone ‘Oatmilk latte in your name’ is Stella. ‘Arguments in your garage’ is Riven/Timmy, ‘Shannon’s being Shannon’ imagine she said Lexie. Etc.

Bigger Than the Whole Sky by Taylor Swift.

Wrote this while Tecna was in Omega, didn’t want to publish it originally but Tecna cried when she heard it and said she should

i love you by Billie Eilish.

Written during the Rivusa fights and the reconcilation. Very vulnerable so she was hesitant to include it at first but decided to go for it

Labyrinth by Taylor Swift.

Written by Helia about Flora, it was originally a poem. Musa loved it and together they modified a line or two to make it into a song

The Best Day by Taylor Swift.

Musa wrote it whilst sobbing after the Crystal Labyrinth, she wanted to write about the good times she remembered and kinda just sing about her mom’s life instead of her death if that makes sense. Decided to include it in the deluxe version last second cause it felt so personal

decode by Sabrina Carpenter.

This is about her dad. Written after the Wujin Festival and Musa choosing to stop trying to mend their relationship.

That was a long one phew… that’s the first album!!! Yay!!!

Part 1

Winx Rewrite Masterlist

[starrygemi]

Taylor Swift songs that remind me of Stephanie Brown

Just finished up Steph’s pre-n52 appearances, so I have a right to do this now /lh /hj

These are songs that REMIND me of Stephanie Brown! The short list version without explanation, then the explanation in the second half. I tried very much to be unbiased, as most songs I listen to have imagery of Steph (or TimSteph) right now. Again, songs that REMIND me of her. I don’t think she’d like Taylor deeply, and honestly, I don’t think that hard towards what character would listen to.

Better Man tolerate it Dear John Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve A Place In This World* The Outside this is me trying* Tell Me Why* Fifteen Never Grow Up You’re On Your Own, Kid

When you fall in love with a character so deeply, every other interest you’ve had starts intermixing into and with them. Quite literally, everything starts reminding you of them, and your mind is just jumbled with all your interests trying to redirect it back to the character you’ve fallen in love with—and when you like something that the majority of the fandom dislikes, it’s kinda sad.

I’m not going to get into it, because this is a DC/Stephanie post—so just be nice to each other <3

Anyway! Lighter notes! I think Stephanie would be a Speak Now and Fearless girlie. I love Speak Now, so that may be a bias I have there. (Also Speak Now’s purple, soooo… /lh) This post also will not have anything from TTPD, because I need that to marinate a little longer. If I feel any of those songs fit Steph, I’ll add a reblog to this.

I've gotten a headache trying to figure out what's not allowing this to show up in tags, so here are just the screenshots of what I wrote. I can't keep "/"ing words 🤮🤮

Honorable Mentions:

I do think there are many songs from Taylor’s discography that can relate to Steph, but these were the ones’ that made it to my short playlist. In actuality, these are in honorable mentions, because I can't re-explain what's clearly given or I couldn’t articulate my reasoning properly, so you get this <3

A Place In This World "I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know / I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on / Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world" "Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission / But I'm ready to fly"

this is me trying "I didn't know if you'd care if I came back" "That this is me trying / At least I'm trying"

Tell Me Why "You took a swing, I took it hard / And down here from the ground, I see who you are" "You tell me that you love me, then cut me down" "But you know you got a mean streak / That makes me run for cover when you're around" "Why do you have to make me feel small / So you can feel whole inside?"

If for whatever reason you got here—please befriend me if you like Taylor and DC, I’d love to be friends 😭 If you have any Taylor songs that remind you of Steph (or honestly any of the Batfam), let me know!!! Because that’d be fun to dissect together!!

In regards to TTPD, I’ll reblog and add those later, but for now, I really still need to digest the album. 

If I get attached and infatuated on a ship, they are no longer safe from every song being related back to them, so erm...I plan to do a “Taylor Swift songs that remind me of TimSteph,” because I already have a playlist for them 💀

[personthattoleratesme]

please yap more about taylor swift and dnp I genuinely think she wrote half her discography about them! It was like an epiphany after listening to the archer for the hundredth time, I realized it's soooo dnp coded!!! The room is on fire invisible smoke I never grew up it's getting so old HELP ME HOLD ONTO YOU. The echoing They see right through me they see right through me...

Omg the archer wasn’t even on my playlist but you’re so right it’s so them! And yeah I agree so much of her discography feels like it’s written about dnp it’s crazy. I like to believe that she caught the vibe that one time she met them and has just been writing about them ever since lol. Like how do you write songs like invisible string and not think about them

[shinidamachu]

Eu não sei usar o Tumblr aaaaahhhh, just wanted to suggest Red from Taylor Swift in the InuKag playlist, I've been listening to it a lot and seeing similarities with their love story. Btw, I love your posts and feeling silly to speak Eng with another BR but anyway haha

Don't worry, I feel silly too. It is kind of funny, after all.

And I'd reply this in portuguese, as I often do with brazilian asks, but since you wrote the rest of the ask in english, I feel like it's important to answer it in english too, so most people can understand what we're talking about.

Thank you for your suggestion (and for the kind words). You're totally right. Red is peak Inukag song. Which solidifies my theory that every Taylor Swift love song is about Inukag.

In fact, "Taylor Swift Inukag Songs" could have been a playlist all of its own. Seriously. If I went to her discography and picked up only the Inukag fitting ones, I'd come up with a good amount of songs. Just look at all the other Inukag playlists people made. There's a Taylor Swift song in most of them and it's not always the same ones.

That's why I tried to limit myself to only a few songs: to be more diverse and not too obvious. And I still ended up with freaking seven songs, three in the Inukag Playlist, four in Kagome's. So I had to leave Red out of it, but here is how I think it fits, in excruciating details:

Red, in this case, means the feelings the color itself evokes. Love. Passion. Energy. Excitement. Fire. But we can’t ignore the fact that it’s also Inuyasha’s characteristic color and, by extention, something Kagome would have definitely associated with him.

Loving him is like Driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street Faster than the wind, passionate as sin Ending so suddenly

To me this represents how fast their story began and developed. They were strangers, separated by time and space. The odds of them finding each other were slim, to say the least. But from the moment they met, things just kept happening one right after the other and it might have been wild and overwhelming, however they managed to successfully catch the curveballs thrown their way. Together.

It also calls back to how Inuyasha is always running with Kagome on his back, a very meaningful part of their relationship and dynamic, in general. Faster than the wind it’s quite possible the way Kagome could describe the feeling of riding a half demon. And if there’s one thing we know for a fact Inuyasha can be, it’s passionate as sin.

Driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street sounds to me like the start of a new, very fresh and exciting relationship, that got face to face with a significant obstacle that it’s keeping it from moving forward.

Loving him is like trying to change your mind Once you're already flying through the free fall Like the colors in autumn, so bright Just before they lose it all

Kagome jumped into this story both literally and figuratively. There’s the obvious jumping through the Well back and forth, but symbolically, when she decided to be all in, she was all in. Trying to keep up with her mundane responsibilities was a good effort, but there was no denying she spent the majority of her time living this story to the fullest, head first, ride or die.

There’s also the physical side of it. The times she acted impulsively in battle or threw herself into real and methaforic abysses with the unshakeable certainty Inuyasha would always be there to catch her. It’s an uncanny level of trust.

Losing him was blue like I'd never known  Missing him was dark gray, all alone

This speaks to me in the terms of those three years apart. Blue is the color of sadness. And Kagome was dressed in blue for the majority of their time separated from one another, since it’s the color of her new uniform. Losing Inuyasha was a sadness he had never known because it was a different feeling than every other time. 

Of course she had been sad before, but this pain is highlighted by the loneliness and emptiness of realizing she isn’t where she is supposed to be. That she doesn’t belong to the place she once called home, anymore. The brightest colors faded to gray. She had her family, she had her friends and still she felt alone in a crowd.

Forgetting him was like Trying to know somebody you never met But loving him was red

These lyrics are the perfect continuation of the three years gap situation, but it’s also a good fit for the times she caught herself wondering if she shouldn’t just let it all go, only to find out it’s impossible. She could never forget him, no matter how hard she tried. Her home is literally placed around the spot their first met. And she sees him everywhere.

Touching him was like Realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you

“Someone the exact opposite of Inuyasha. That’s the perfect guy for me.” 

Is it now? At fisrt, he looked like the last guy on Earth she would have romantic feelings for, being totally different from the boyfriend she thought she wanted to be with.

But it turned out that, as the time passed and Kagome got to know Inuyasha to his core, she discovered he was someone even better: the kind of man she didn’t know she needed by her side.

Memorizing him was as Easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song

“Since we met, I’ve spent a lot of time with Inuyasha, too. And I’ve seen sides of Inuyasha that you’ve never seen [I know things about Inuyasha that Kikyo doesn’t?]” 

Kagome took the time to know Inuyasha, to learn everything there is to learn about him, like no one else did. She knows him like the back of her hand. And it happened so naturally, she didn’t even realize it until she was forced to think about it.

Fighting with him was like Trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer

"Inuyasha will never forget Kikyo. But I still love him, so there's nothing I can do." They had a fair share of fighting, Kikyo being the main reason of their quarrels. But in the end of the day, their differences meant nothing, because their love was stronger than any disagreement. It was worth the compromises they’d have to make along the way.

Regretting him was like Wishing you never found out that love could be that strong

"If I knew it would hurt that much... I wish I had never met him.”

But of course, the feeling only lasts until she realizes she would have actually done it all over again. The pain of a heartbreak it’s nothing compared to the pain of losing all the good memories they made together.

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes Tell myself it's time now, gotta let go

Echoes. As in the thing that can happen in an empty Well. After missing him for so long, it’s only logical that she would have started thinking it’s time to get on with her life. Putting her entire life on hold in hopes he will show up and steal her away is not healthy.

But moving on from him is impossible When I still see it all in my head In burning red

She tried to move on. For three years, she tried to make for herself a life that did not include him. And maybe she could have been content with it. Maybe she could be reasonably happy, eventually. But not in the way she knew she could be with him. 

Like it or not, she would forever be comparing what she had now with what she had then, her memories crystal clear. And she would have known, without a doubt, that she would have traded her best day in the future for a regular one in the past with Inuyasha.

He marked her. Changed her. Forever. There is not coming back from that.

And that's why he's spinning 'round in my head Comes back to me, burning red

[whatiwillsay]

off topic - let’s talk about gaylena 👀

selena gomez is one of taylor’s oldest and bestest friends and given that she is in the 22 liner notes, a huge part of taylor’s life, and maybe fruity herself it seems like possibly we don’t talk about her here at the blog enough!

i don’t want to do a timeline of selena and taylor’s friendship - you can read more about that here, but they met back in the day when they were both dating jonas brothers and to me this idea of finding a real friendship in the midst of these contrived promances is pretty adorable.

ofc most of y’all think taylor is a fruit basket but i think there’s a good chance that selena is too!  i’m not saying she is for sure but y’all know me.  i’’m here to make a compelling case that everyone and their dog is gay so let’s gooooo! 

Part I - At least one fake rs!  

Selena “dated” Taylor Lautner in 2009 and he’s definitely gay.  Of course, that doesn’t mean she is, it could just be PR, but y’all know I gotta note everything!  We stan our fruity bffs dating the same gays 😍

Part II - Selena x cara delevingne

i feel like there’s a chance they met through taylor but everyone in that squad adjacent circle knows one another.  cara dated michelle rodriguez for the first half of 2014 and then got with annie clark in March 2015 but it feels like it’s possible something has gone on between her and Selena from summer 2014 - early 2015? ...maybe something casual on and off a bit?

August 2014 - Steamy pics surface in Saint-Tropez, France

Selena and and a freshly single Cara vacation together in part to celebrate Selena’s 22nd birthday.

They party together and look cozy!

Pictures such as this surface and spark rumors around the two:

Selena apparently loves the rumors and gushes about being shipped with Cara.

Quote:

You say Selena drag queens were the true measure of success for you. But isn’t it true that you’re not truly famous until you’ve been the subject of a gay rumor? And last year, the tabloids had a field day with photos of you and Cara Delevingne. I’ve made it!

How did you react to those rumors? Honestly, I loved it. I didn’t mind it. Especially because they weren’t talking about other people in my life for once, which was wonderful. Honestly, though, she’s incredible and very open and she just makes me open. She’s so fun and she’s just extremely adventurous, and sometimes I just want that in my life, so I didn’t mind it. I loved it.

Notice she doesn’t deny them?  Now of course she could just be being cool, if she freaked out about it that might be even weirder but hey, it’s still kind of interesting.

Then she admits to questioning her sexuality???

Have you ever questioned your sexuality? Oh, I think everybody does, no matter who they are. I do, yeah, of course. Absolutely. I think it’s healthy to gain a perspective on who you are deep down, question yourself and challenge yourself; it’s important to do that.

(Selena btw, this is cool and all, but not everybody questions their sexuality, maybe you’re just gay 👀)

November 1 - LACMA Art + Film Gala 

they even left the event together 👀

and they hung out earlier that day as well:

They were seen the next day partying for Kendall Jenner’s bday singing to her:

a few weeks later Cara tweets Selena’s lyrics!

In December 2014 they are travelling together in texas:

in january 2015 they get cozy at the golden globes together!

and they leave together again:

January 19th/20th a bunch of gay nonsense happens

They post this gay shit with matching shoes and linked fingers:

then they say this to one another:

Enty says they were hooking up!

then we don’t get any more content that i can find for about six months! perhaps they had a fling from summer 2014-jan 2015 and then it ends, Cara gets with Annie in March?  Then after half a year apart Selena and Cara resume a friendly relationship?  Perhaps!  Selena is seen with Justin a bit off and on during this time but this was in their Style/Heat Death Era imo (tbh i probably shouldn’t give a hetty pairing including Justin that designation 🤢but y’all get what I’m saying - it’s fully possible Selena was hooking up with both of them!

Now I’m not super familiar with Selena’s discography so y’all lmk if I’m missing anything major - lyric wise that point to her not being straight.

Selena’s album Revival that comes out after this relationship has a few songs with some vibes, even though I get the feeling a lot of it is probably about Justin, allow me to reach.  The title track could be translated as someone coming to terms with their sexuality (among other things):

I feel like I've awakened lately The chains around me are finally breaking I've been under self-restoration I've become my own salvation Showing up, no more hiding, hiding The light inside me is bursting, shining It's my, my, my time to butterfly

Good for you, imo, is too sexy to be about a man even if it’s not super queer lyrically it’s a vibe ok?

Me & My Girls might be a bestie anthem a la 22 (oh wait, no 22 was gay too) but I mean...could be about a girl gang of lesbians too!

And if we want it, we take it If we need money, we make it Nobody knows if we fake it You like to watch while we shake it I know we're making you thirsty You want us all in the worst way But you don't understand I don't need a man 

Quinn Fabray indeed!

Nobody feels probably like a retrospective on Justin 🙄but...there is a hint of sapphic craving in there!  Saying this particular lover loves them differently than everyone is a bit 👀 plus this stanza:

No oxygen, can barely breathe My darkest sin, you've raised release And it's all because of you, all because of you And I don't know what it is, but you've pulled me in No one compares, could ever begin To love me like you do And I wouldn't want them to

Is Perfect about some bitch Justin started dating?  Probably but bear with me here this song is actually pretty fucking gay.  Gay enough that I’m gonna add it to one of my gay playlists.  Could this song actually be about Cara moving on to Annie?

Ooh, and I bet she has it all Bet she's beautiful like you, like you And I bet she's got that touch Makes you fall in love, like you, like you

I can taste her lipstick and see her laying across your chest I can feel the distance every time you remember her fingertips Maybe I should be more like her Maybe I should be more like her I can taste her lipstick, it's like I'm kissing her, too And she's perfect And she's perfect

Part III - Selena x Julia Michaels

Julia Michaels is a singer/songwriter known for her song Issues.  I don’t know her sexuality but she at the least has gay vibes!  It seems they met around this time perhaps because Julia wrote on Revival.

They have a friendly enough friendship for a few years, liking one another’s posts on IG from time to time, posing for a photo a time or two and then they seem to get swept up into this very intense friendship in 2019.  They write some music together and Julia goes whole hog in promoting the shoe brand Selena is hawking this time 😭

2019 - The Superior Sapphic Jelena Timeline:

It starts, for some reason with a lot of shoe promotion:

chill, chill

more shoes

but more gayness?

this homo shit

ok...

Then we go into the REALLY GAY NOVEMBER OF 2019:

Then they perform together:

And...actually kiss...on the mouth on stage???

Sure it’s just a peck but still...if that were a guy people would say they were dating.  

Somehow kissing on the mouth isn’t the gayest thing these girls do over this period because these fucking dykes got matching tattoos.  I’ve read enough Larry blogs to know this actually means they’re secretly married.  All jokes aside this is fruity behavior. 

From their IG stories:

Selena gets Julia a very nice christmas gift:

Covid sets in and content drops off but god damn!  It’s possible they just had an intense friendship but if a man and a woman collabed on music together, kissed in public, and got matching tattoos everyone would say they were dating!

Selena, as far as I can find, didn’t have any public boyfriends around this time so who are some of these love songs about?

Rare comes out in January 2020 and perhaps has some gayish songs?

Don’t tell me why but boyfriend lowkey, has a gay vibe.  Don’t ask me to explain it but it’s just the musicality of it.

Crowded Room could be a love song for Julia?  (or by Julia for Selena, since they’re collaborators?)

Baby, it's just me and you Baby, it's just me and you Just us two Even in a crowded room Baby, it's just me and you, yeah

These are general gay vibes, our secret moments in a crowded room tease

It started polite, out on thin ice 'Til you came over to break it I threw you a line and you were mine

It would have started out polite between them, since they worked together for years before whatever 2019 was happened.  And throwing someone a line first of all makes Selena sound like the aggressor but also “throwing someone a line” could be a reference to writing songs together.

Yeah, I was afraid, but you made it safe I guess that is our combination Said you feel lost, well, so do I So won't you call me in the morning? I think that you should call me in the morning If you feel the same, 'cause

Lots of people are afraid at the beginning of a gay rs.  Treacherous tease 👀

In summation!

Selena does gay stuff like fantasizing ab kissing other women in her music, getting very touchy with famous dykes on vacay, hangs out with Taylor Swift, has chronic mental health issues, dated a jonas brother and a twilight gay, has admitted to questioning her sexuality, and loves being shipped with women.  Is she gay?  I don’t know!   But all she’s missing from her celesbian bingo card is a suspiciously intense friendship with a Glee Cast member! What do you guys think?  Selena fruity or just weird?

Edit to add: so apparently I missed an entire ship and Selena supposedly acted really gay all the time with her backup dancer Charity Baroni.  Exposing SMG has posted a lot about all that.

Also Selena has been cast in a gay role! edit to add: @bisluthq went and found this for me - julia is indeed a fruit queen

[yescs2020]

apparently this list was blocked in Canada and Cuba and all it is is somebody’s opinion:   By Hannah Mylrea- 8th September 2020 “Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness She's one of the greatest pop stars in the world, and she's released the official lockdown album in 'Folklore'. But which is Tay's single best song of all time?” article with rankings starts here:

A few months ago Taylor Swift did something totally un-Swiftian, and surprise released her latest record ‘Folklore’. The indie-inspired album, which featured collaborations with Bon Iver and The National‘s Aaron Dessner, was remarkable and unexpected, and another example of the bold moves Swift has navigated throughout her career.

From the country of her early albums to the glittering synth-pop of ‘1989’ and experimental sounds of ‘Reputation’, this is an artist who’s constantly reinvented her sound. Yet at the core of it one thing remains: Swift’s sheer songwriting talent. It’s worth remembering that Taylor is the person who wrote ‘Love Story’ in 20minutes on her bedroom floor when she was only a teenager.

Now, almost a decade-and-a-half into her career, we look back on Swift’s glittering discography and rank every single one of her songs. That’s right: all 161 of ’em.

A few caveats to begin with – no officially unreleased songs have been included, nor songs that are “featuring Taylor Swift”. Anything written under a pseudonym has also been forgone (so her credit as Nils Sjöberg ‘This Is What You Came For’ isn’t given a look in). We have, however, included officially released cover songs – so that includes all of the Swifty renditions on the ‘Speak Now World Tour Live’ record and her bevvy of Christmas covers.

Additional words: El Hunt, Nick Reilly

161‘Christmases When You Were Mine’ (2007)

There’ve been a handful of Swift-does-Christmas moments over the years. Some are truly lovely – but this original tune from 2007 EP ‘The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection’ is not one of them.

160‘Superstar’ (2008)

A syrupy song about Swift fancying a celebrity, the puppy love of ‘Superstar’ is innocuous but bland.

159‘You Are in Love’ (2014)

A sweet bonus track from ‘1989’, it’s inoffensive but you can see why it was only bunged on the end of the deluxe edition of the album.

158‘White Christmas’ (2007)

This festive cover is absolutely fine – nothing more, nothing less.

157‘Silent Night’ (2007)

A cover of the classic Christmas carol, Swift well and truly puts her stamp on Franz Xaver Gruber’s song. Growing to a melodramatic finale, it’s an overblown rendition.

156‘Beautiful Ghosts’ (2019)

Written by Swift and musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for last year’s film adaptation of Cats, this is a bit slushy. But, no, we wouldn’t say it’s a CAT-astrophe.

155‘Christmas Must Be Something More’ (2007)

Another festive tune: this time Swift questions the commercial nature of Christmas over rootin’ tootin’ country instrumentals, concluding that December 25th is actually about “the birthday boy who saved our lives”. Happy birthday JC!

154‘Umbrella’ (2008)

An acoustic cover from Swift’s ‘iTunes Live from SoHo’ EP. It’s nice, but little more to it.

153‘American Girl’ (2009)

A cover of the Tom Petty classic, you can’t deny it’s a beast of a song. But this slowed down rendition saps some of the energy out of it.

152‘Last Christmas’ (2007)

There’s plenty of Christmas joy in this cover, but it doesn’t have a patch on the Wham! classic.

151‘King of My Heart’ (2017)

This electro-pop moment has a sweet sentiment: that the extravagance of past relationships isn’t what Swift wants anymore, and now this new love interest could be The One (“Is this the end of all the endings? / My broken bones are mending”). But this soppiness is delivered over jittery instrumentation, which three years on already sounds dated.

150‘If This Was A Movie’ (2010)

A bonus track from ‘Speak Now’, ‘If This Was a Movie’ is frustratingly repetitive. With its droning guitar licks and dreary chorus, it stutters towards the finish line.

149‘Last Kiss’ (2010)

A plodding waltz from ‘Speak Now’. Fine, but by no means vintage Taylor.

148‘Santa Baby’ (2007)

A twee cover of the iconic Christmas song, it’s a sauceless version of the usually sultry festive bop.

147‘I Did Something Bad’ (2017)

A cavernous slab of EDM, this was basically Swift proving that she’s a good girl gone bad. The devilish lyrics are fun (“They say I did something bad / Then why’s it feel so good?”), the dubstep-laced hook of “Ra-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-da-da” less so.

146‘You’re Not Sorry’ (2008)

Imagine Swift doing Eurovision – this is what ‘You’re Not Sorry’ sounds like. Filled with melodramatic piano chords and overdone vocals, it’s a histrionic ballad that you can imagine accompanied with bombastic visuals and a ton of pyro.

145‘Girl At Home’ (2012)

The bubbling ‘Girl at Home’ fuses the driving country of ‘Red’ with bleeping 8-bit sounds, and is a sweet but bland tune.

144‘Come Back… Be Here’ (2012)

A weepy ballad where Swift reminisces over a lost love, this is uneventful – but fair play to Swift for managing to get “nonchalant” into a pop song.

143‘I Want You Back’ (2011)

A cover of The Jackson 5 taken from the from live album ‘Speak Now World Tour – Live’, this 90-second cover is short, sweet and absolutely fine.

142‘The Way I Loved You’ (2008)

A bit of a head-banging country moment, ‘The Way I Love You’ lacks the radio-ready hooks and megawatt moments of Swift’s other tunes.

141‘So It Goes…’ (2017)

An ethereal synth-pop moment laced with EDM and trap, this ‘Reputation’ cut is sleepy filler.

140‘Sweet Escape’ (2011)

This Gwen Stefani cover is deliciously entertaining, with Swift spitting out the tongue-twister pre-chorus of “Cause I’ve been acting like sour milk that fell on the floor / It’s your fault you didn’t shut the refrigerator” and almost nailing it. Taken from the Target DVD version of ‘Speak Now World Tour – Live’, is an intriguing rendition.

139‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ (2017)

This song was written as a response to the media after they criticised her decision to throw big parties for her pals and get them up on stage during the tour for ‘1989’ – things she considered “nice things”; a powerful sentiment, but an acquired taste.

138‘Haunted’ (2010)

Sounding like it should be accompanying a wild fantasy movie, with over-the-top strings and belted vocals, ‘Haunted’ feels like the younger sibling to Swift’s fairy-tale epics such as ‘Love Story’. They’re fine, but lack the nuance that some of her enchanting, happy ending filled romances boast.

137‘Long Live’ (2010)

A fairly pedestrian song from ‘Speak Now’, ‘Long Live’ is a fairly generic slice.

136‘Ours’ (2010)

With its muted acoustic instrumentals and mawkish lyrics, ‘Speak Now’ is sickly sweet.

135‘Breathe’ feat. Colbie Caillat (2008)

A sleepy, acoustic number that sees Swift teaming up with American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, it’s a largely forgettable tune taken from ‘Fearless’.

134‘Drops of Jupiter’ (2011)

Another cover from the ‘Speak Now’ live album, this rendition of Train’s 2001 hit ‘Drops of Jupiter’ is a stripped-back version of the bombastic pop rock song.

133‘…Ready for It?’ (2017)

This slab of industrial pop opens Swift’s ‘Reputation’. With its dubstep wubs, EDM beats and trappy instrumentals, this messy number feels like a tug of war between this collection of different genres.

132‘September’ (2018)

Earth, Wind & Fire, but make it Swifty! Recorded for the Spotify Singles series, this stripped back cover is lovely. Plus it features a typically Swiftian Easter egg, where she changes the opening line of “Do you remember the 21st night of September?” to the 28th night, a cute tribute to her anniversary with boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

131‘This Love’ (2014)

A weepy moment from ‘1989’, ‘This Love’ feels remarkably maudlin when nestled in-between the bevvy of synth-pop bops that Swift’s fifth album holds.

130‘A Place In This World’ (2006)

Written when she was just 13 years old, ‘A Place In This World’, it feels like a glimpse into a Swift’s secret diary. Opening with the wonderfully teenage: “I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me”, it’s the musical equivalent of telling your mum that she just doesn’t understand you!

129‘Superman’ (2010)

If you were ever imagining what Taylor Swift covering McFly would sound like – this could be it. The cheesy ‘Speak Now’ bonus track is filled with adolescent lyrics (“I watch superman fly away / Come back, I’ll be with you someday”), and is topped off with a pop-punk tinged chorus.

128‘I Heart?’ (2008)

Taken from Swift’s second EP ‘Beautiful Eyes’ – one that was exclusively released in Walmart in the US – this is a lovely country bop.

127‘A Perfectly Good Heart’ (2006)

An absolutely fine slice of country-pop from TayTay’s first album. On ‘A Perfectly Good Heart’ Swift depicts her very first experience of heartbreak. It’s one of her earliest breakup ballads, but quasi-emotive couplets like “It’s not unbroken anymore / How do I get it back the way it was before?” fail to pack the emotional punch some of Swift’s later tunes do.

126‘Untouchable’ (2008)

This cover of rock band Luna Halo’s ‘Untouchable’ is sweet, but largely unexciting.

125‘Jump Then Fall’ (2008)

A bonus track taken from the platinum edition of ‘Fearless’. Swift herself has described the song as “really bouncy and happy and lovey”. It’s an accurate description, as the bouncing banjo-led number is sickly sweet, but lacks much depth.

124‘Sad Beautiful Tragic’ (2012)

A weeper taken from ‘Red’, this gloomy tune sees Swift reflect on a relationship that was a “sad, beautiful, tragic love affair”.

123‘Bette Davis Eyes’ (2011)

A song popularised by Californian singer-songwriter Kim Carnes in 1981, Taylor’s live cover of ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ is nice but innocuous.

122‘Breathless’ (2010)

A uninspired cover of American alt-rockers Better Than Ezra’s ‘Breathless’, Swift performed the tune for Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief in 2010 (with her version later appearing on live album ‘Hope for Haiti Now’).

121‘Look What You Made Me Do’ (2017)

It’s only TayTay sampling Right Said Fred’s ‘I’m Too Sexy’! The bolshy ‘Reputation’ lead single  saw Swift giving a massive middle-finger up to the haters, and accompanied her comeback after a year-long hiatus. It impact was huge at the time, but in the meantime ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ feels like a bit of a mis-step.

120‘Crazier’ (2009)

It appeared on the soundtrack for ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’, and critics said it was the best song in the film. Bad luck, Miley.

119‘Eyes Open’ (2012)

From the soundtrack to The Hunger Games, ‘Eyes Open’ sees Swift go stadium rock. Too bad hair-whipping number’s repetitive chorus begins to grate.

118‘Nashville’ (2011)

A cover of Nashville-based singer-songwriter David Mead’s ‘Nashville’, this cover (taken from the Target exclusive version ‘Speak Now World Tour – Live’; yes, we’re really into the deep-cuts here) is pretty impassioned .

117‘Invisible’ (2006)

On this lacklustre cut from Swift’s eponymous debut album ‘Invisible’, she laments feeling invisible to the boy she fancies. It’s a bleak sentiment, and the emotive instrumentals in ‘Invisible’ mimic this.

116‘Hoax’ (2020)

The least memorable moment from the fantastic ‘Folklore’, this slow, waltzing tune is inoffensive, but lacks excitement.

115‘London Boy’ (2019)

The lyrics to this ‘Lover’ cut are wild. On ‘London Boy’ Swift proudly asserts her love for the nation’s capital, listing her fave places (including Brixton, Shoreditch, Highgate and for some God-forsaken reason “walking Camden Market in the afternoon”). With a bizarre spoken word intro from James Corden and Idris Elba, it’s cringe and weirdly entertaining in equal measures.

114‘Wonderland’ (2014)

It’s Swift does EDM, and it’s total chaos (albeit with a chorus that’ll be frustratingly caught in your head for weeks on end).

113‘Tied Together with a Smile’ (2006)

A bonus track from the debut album, ‘Tied Together With a Smile’ was written the day Swift found out one of her best mates was bulimic. An early indicator of Swift’s impressive turn of phrase (“And you’re tied together with a smile / But you’re coming undone”), it’s a lovely country moment.

112‘Beautiful Eyes’ (2008)

The title track from Swift’s EP of the same name, ‘Beautiful Eyes’ is an underrated stomper from TayTay’s extended discography.

111‘This Is Me Trying’ (2020)

A slow-burner from ‘Folklore’, this soft ballad sees Swift grapple with accepting blame for a crumbling relationship.

110‘My Tears Ricochet’ (2020)

This Jack Antonoff produced tune from ‘Folklore’ is about an “embittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of his fallen object of obsession.” Although fairly unremarkable, it does include the brilliantly Swiftian put-down: “And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?” Ooft.

109‘Me!’ feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco (2019)

A saccharine collaboration with Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, this semi-irritating (and unbearably catchy) tune is an absolutely fine single from Miss Swift. Although it gained several places in our ranking after Swift removed the “Spelling is fun!” lyric.

108‘Come In With the Rain’ (2008)

‘Come In With The Rain’ sees Taylor showing off the country-pop that defined her early years. It’s a nostalgic snapshot at Taylor’s life before world domination became the main priority. NR

107‘Cold As You’ (2006)

As Shakespeare once wrote in ‘Sonnet 18’ – “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” If it’s Tay Tay you’re asking, then absolutely not. Instead, this break-up ballad compares thee to a grey, dreary and completely sodden wash-out of a day. EH

106‘Never Grow Up’ (2010)

Taken from ‘Speak Now’, this ballad moment peers out into a dimly lit crowd, and sees Swift dealing out her best life advice for younger fans in particular. “I look out into a crowd every night and I see a lot of girls that are my age and going through exactly the same things as I’m going through,” she’s said. “Every once in a while I look down and I see a little girl who is seven or eight, and I wish I could tell her all of this. There she is becoming who she is going to be and forming her thoughts and dreams and opinions. I wrote this song for those little girls.” EH

105‘Bad Blood’ feat. Kendrick Lamar (2017)

This Kendrick Lamar-featuring cut would have been right at home on Taylor Swift’s villainous ‘Reputation’ – a record on which she embraced her false depictions in the media, and ran with them. Instead, though, it felt like an outlier on ‘1989’. Swift herself said that it’s a song about a friendship with a fellow pop star that turned sour: “She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour,” she told Rolling Stone. “She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me.” EH

104‘Afterglow’ (2019)

It’s a crying shame that the track fails to live up to its title. There’s little that live longs in the memory about this drum-driven number from ‘Lover’. NR

103‘The Other Side of the Door’ (2008)

A slightly slept-on fan favourite, ‘The Other Side of the Door’ features a deliciously dramatic guitar solo and even more melodrama. Like so: “I said, ‘leave’, but all I really want is you to stand outside my window throwing pebbles screaming ‘I’m in love with you’’. Exquisite. EH

102‘Soon You’ll Get Better’ feat. the Chicks (2019)

Featuring country music icons The Chicks, ‘Soon You’ll Get Better’ is one of Swift’s most personal songs; both of her parents have had cancer, and this year the singer confirmed that her mother Andrea has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. It’s a difficult listen precisely because it’s so incredibly honest. “I hate to make this all about me but who am I supposed to talk to?” she asks. “What am I supposed to do if there’s no you?” EH

101‘Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince’ (2019)

A slow burning, electro-pop moment that’s meant for soundtracking a moody walk to the shops in the rain.

100‘Ronan’ (2012)

One of Swift’s most affecting ballads, this song pieces together quotes from a blog by a mother named Maya Thompson, who wrote about her journey with four-year-old son Ronan, who died from a rare cancer called neuroblastoma in 2011. Swift credited his mum as a co-writer and donated all the proceeds to charity. EH

99‘Stay Beautiful’ (2006)

This twanging debut cut is dedicated to the high school crush that Swifty never worked up the courage to ask out; and by the time he moved away, it was too late. “After hearing my songs, a lot of people ask me, `How many boyfriends have you had?’” she said of the song. “And I always tell them that more of my songs come from observation than actual experience. In other words, you don’t have to date someone to write a song about them. This is a song I wrote about a guy I never dated!” EH

98‘Tell Me Why’ (2008)

Despite including the brilliantly searing take-down of “You could write a book on how to ruin someone’s perfect day” this up-tempo bop is errs on the side of humdrum.

97‘The Outside’ (2006)

One of the first songs Swift ever wrote, ‘The Outside’ speaks to the feeling of being a misfit growing up: “So how can I ever try to be better?”  she asks, “Nobody ever lets me in”. EH

96‘Getaway Car’ (2017)

This banger from ‘Reputation’ references novelist Charles Dickens, epic war film The Great Escape, a runaway Bonnie and Clyde and even various meta details from Swift’s own romantic life. EH

95‘Mirrorball’ (2020)

In her candid 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Taylor Swift speaks about the struggle of your every move being followed by an audience and remarks that many women, particularly in pop, are “discarded in an elephant graveyard by the time they’re 35.” Broadly, this is what ‘Mirrorball’ seems to be about; balancing her skill for performing with the huge pressure of constant reinvention. “All I do is try, try, try I’m still on that trapeze,” she says, “I’m still trying everything, to keep you looking at me””. EH

94‘Change’ (2008)

Delivered as an official anthem for the 2008 US Olympic Team, here’s a track that sees Swift exploring the idea of overcoming adversity on the road to success. It’s easy to be cynical about it all, but it gave Swift her first US top 10, so maybe that message got through after all. NR

93‘Innocent’ (2010)

Sometimes the best revenge is to take the moral high ground. And performing at the MTV VMAs – where Kanye West infamously snatched the mic from Taylor Swift mid-acceptance speech – Swift appeared to get hers by playing ‘Innocent’. “You’re 32 and still growing up now,” she sings. Guess how old West was when he declared “I’mma let you finish, but…” Yep. EH

92‘Begin Again’ (2012)

Marking one of ‘Red’’s more pointed returns to her country roots, ‘Begin Again is, according to Swift, “about when you’ve gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup, and the vulnerability that goes along with all that”. EH

91‘I Know Places’ (2014)

Ahead of making ‘1989’ Swift long harboured ambitions of working with Ryan Tedder – most recognisable as the lead vocalist of One Republic and record producer for everyone from Adele to Lady Gaga. And their eventual collaboration came about on ‘I Know Places’ – a song that explores falling in love amid high pressure fame, and finding places to outrun the cameras. EH

90‘The Lucky One’ (2012)

Speculation orbits around ‘The Lucky One’ – which dissects the more taxing sides of fame that people don’t speak about. “Now it’s big black cars, and Riviera views, and your lover in the foyer doesn’t even know you,” Swift sings, “and your secrets end up splashed on the news front page”. Fans reckon it’s about everyone from Joni Mitchell and Shania Twain to Kim Wilde. Possibly, it could also be a reflection of Swift’s future fears. EH

89‘You Need to Calm Down’ (2019)

Delivering an effective riposte to endless streams of internet trolls can often prove to be the toughest of tasks. It’s testament to Swift then, that she managed to deliver a swift fuck you, all packaged up in the shape of a bonafide banger. Bow down. NR

88‘How You Get the Girl’ (2014)

The 10th track from ‘1989’ is like the less sabotage-hungry answer to Robyn’s ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ – here, Taylor’s full with useful tips for winning an ex back after an unwise dumping. She’s even got a script ready. “And then you say: “I want you for worse or for better, I would wait forever and ever,” she sings, “broke your heart / I’ll put it back together.” EH

87‘New Year’s Day’ (2017)

The groggy clear up that takes place after a raucous New Year’s house party has never sounded so idyllic – despite the fact their entire floor is splattered with glitter and stale old beer spilling out of half-empty bottles, Swift’s just happy to have a worthy clean-up buddy. “I want your midnights,” she sings, “but I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day” Sometimes those small, mundane moments are just as romantic. EH

86‘Dress’ (2017)

By a mile the steamiest cut from ‘Reputation’, this slinking song details the pang of secret lust in breathy falsetto. “Carve your name into my bedpost, ‘cause I don’t want you like a best friend,” Swifty pleads. “Only bought this dress so you could take it off.” Get it, girl! EH

85‘Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)’ (2006)

This debut album cut is archetypal vintage Swift, drawing on the people around her for storytelling material. Twanging and country-pop, ‘Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)’ borrows Swift’s next door neighbour – and her long, rock-solid marriage – as a protagonist. “I’ll be 87, you’ll be 89,” she sings wistfully, “I’ll still look at you like the stars that shine in the sky.” EH

84‘Christmas Tree Farm’ (2019)

Sure, it’s cheesier than an explosion at the Kraft factory, but this track sees Taylor successfully using the festive season to look back on her own childhood (she grew up on a Christmas tree farm). Christmas is now Swiftmas. NR

83‘Everything Has Changed’ feat. Ed Sheeran (2012)

Warm, fuzzy, and firmly hanging onto its rose-tinted glasses, this collaboration from ‘Red’ has a cutesy video to match, featuring miniature child versions of the pop stars. EH

82‘Should’ve Said No’ (2006)

“It’s strange to think the songs we used to sing, the smiles, the flowers, everything is gone; yesterday I found out about you,” sings Swift in the opening lines of this debut album cut – which exposes a boyfriend for cheating, and proceeds to rip him apart atop country-rock guitars and a ripper of a string solo. EH

81‘The Last Time’ feat. Gary Lightbody (2012)

On this intensely catchy anthem from ‘Red’, Swift teams up with none other than gruff-vocaled Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol – lighters in the air, everyone. EH

80‘Starlight’ (2012)

This ‘Red’ cut sees Swift transporting back to the 1940s – inspired by a photo of two loved-up teenagers dancing together. The teenagers in the photograph were actually US senator Bobby Kennedy and his future wife Ethel, and ‘Starlight’ imagines their adventures early on. “I ended up meeting Ethel and going and playing it for her,” she wrote of the song, “and she just loved it,”. EH

79‘The Best Day’ (2009)

R’The Best Day’ is one of Swift’s earliest odes to her mother Andrea. Recalling her happy childhood, it’s a sweet, if somewhat cloying look at the early years of the planet’s biggest pop star. NR

78‘I’m Only Me When I’m With You’ (2006)

Easily one of the more head-banging moments of Swift’s debut – with the hardest slapping violin solo of 2006 – ‘I’m Only Me When I’m with You’ is dedicated to the singer’s best mate Abigail Anderson, who also features in the video. EH

77‘It’s Nice to Have a Friend’ (2019

A minimal intermingling of steel drums and choral backing vocals, ‘It’s Nice to Have a Friend’ arrives near the end of Swift’s ‘Lover’ – and also features some snow-tinted nostalgia, and slightly rogue but highly enjoyable brass solo. EH

76‘The Moment I Knew’ (2012)

Nine years ago, Taylor Swift had a right stinker of a 21st birthday – her ex boyfriend never showed, and left her sobbing beneath the Christmas lights (her birthday is on the 13th December). Still, at least it inspired this deluxe edition ‘Red’ song. EH

75‘Paper Rings’ (2019)

This fidgety cut from ‘Lover’ is Swifty’s big jitterbug moment – singing about her current boyfriend Joe Alwyn, she declares that she’s willing to chuck aside all her magpie tendencies just to be with him. “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings,” she sings. Loved up – and thrifty! EH

74‘Only The Young’ (2020)

‘Only The Young’ saw Taylor truly nailing her political colours to the mast for the first time. Tackling gun violence and providing a message of hope for the next generation, Taylor emerged as the activist we all need right now. NR

73‘Treacherous’ (2012)

One of the quieter moments from ‘Red’, ‘Treacherous’ eventually grows to a subtle roar, and details a pairing that’s gradually unravelling like a ball of twine. “All we are is skin and bone, trained to get along / Forever going with the flow,” she sings, “but you’re friction”. EH

72‘Better Than Revenge’ (201)

Across Taylor Swift’s entire back catalogue, ‘Better than Revenge’ is perhaps best suited to soundtracking an angsty high school drama; think along the lines of 10 Things I Hate About You. It has its fair share of cutting one-liners, too. Case in point: “no amount of vintage dresses gives you dignity”. Burn. EH

71‘I Wish You Would’ (2014)

Co-written with frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, ‘I Wish You Would’ started with a guitar line Antonoff sent to Swift during her Red tour – and it eventually evolved into this slightly Haim-ish pop juggernaut. Lyrically, it tells the story of a heartbroken protagonist who watches her window in the middle of the night and notices that headlights keep flickering past at the same time. “It’s two AM, here we are,” she sings for the big reveal, “I see your face, hear my voice in the dark.” EH

70‘Stay Stay Stay’ (2012)

If there’s anyone who specialises in nailing the many sides of romance, it’s Tay Tay – case in point, ‘Stay Stay Stay’. The song’s placed immediately after the defiant break-up anthem ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ on ‘Red’ – and in many ways, it’s that song’s foil. Atop chronically catchy ukulele, she details a more generous kind of love that’s still worth fighting for. EH

69‘Sweeter Than Fiction’ (2013)

Taken from the soundtrack for the movie One Chance, this John Hughes-channelling tune is a new-wave belter that forecast the shimmering synth-pop of Swift’s fifth album ‘1989’.

68‘False God’ (2019)

A sultry, R&B ballad filled with religious imagery and trap beats, ‘False God’ finds Swift all grown up.

67‘Don’t Blame Me’ (2017)

This thundering, foot-stomping, fist-pumping moment from ‘Reputation’ will make you want to set fire to your ex’s car (in the best possible way).

66‘August’ (2020)

This Jack Antonoff co-write from ‘Folklore’ is a melancholic dream-pop ballad. Part of a trio of songs that Swift has dubbed the Teenage Love Triangle, ‘August’ is the tune that comes from the point of view of the other woman, telling the story of forbidden love.

65‘The Lakes’ (2020)

The ethereal ‘Folklore’ bonus track sees TayTay channel the Lake Poets in a romantic number about love, resilience and the Lake District.

64‘Daylight’ (2019)

The lovely final song on ‘Lover’ is wistful number about healing, hope and healthy new relationships.

63‘Welcome to New York’ (2014)

The opening track on ‘1989’, ‘Welcome to New York’ ushers you into the sleek synth-pop world of Swift’s fifth album. With its bouncing bassline and hand-clapped beats, it’s a bombastic tribute to the Big Apple.

62‘I Forgot That You Existed’ (2019)

There comes a moment while growing up when you just stop caring about what everybody else thinks of you. The fizzing opening track on ‘Lover’ celebrates this, with TayTay rejoicing in the peace and quiet brought on by not giving a shit about the haters.

61‘Hey Stephen’ (2008)

‘Hey Stephen’ is the stuff of gooey rom-coms. “‘Cause I can’t help it if you look like an angel,” Swift sings over warm instrumentation, “can’t help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain”. It’s wonderfully schmaltzy stuff, and comes with a chorus you’ll sing full belt after a Tinder-date-gone-right – just don’t let the date hear you.

60‘I Almost Do’ (2012)

‘I Almost Do’, Swift’s explained, is “about the conflict that you feel when you want to take someone back, and you want to give it another try, but you know you can’t”. Exploring the internal battle between moving forward and looking back, the poignant ballad fuses country-pop with soft-rock, and the result is a brutally honest and quietly powerful song.

59‘I Think He Knows’ (2019)

This sharp-edged, upbeat moment from ‘Lover’ would have stood up well as a single – charting those early will-they-won’t-they moments complete with suggestive sighs. EH

58‘Mad Woman’ (2020)

This ‘Folklore’ track skewers the sexist trope of angry women being branded hysterical. “Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy,” she claps back, rising to the challenge, “what about that?” EH

57‘Peace’ (2020)

Like much of ‘Folklore’, the sparse ‘Peace’ ponders how much life has changed, and celebrates a partnership strong enough to withstand the soaring highs and painful lows alike. EH

56‘Picture to Burn’ (2006)

Peak debut album angst, ‘Picture to Burn’ is jam-packed with sizzlingly mean one liners. Case in point: “I hate that stupid old pickup truck you never let me drive / You’re a redneck heartbreak who’s really bad at lying”. EH

55‘Fearless’ (2008)

Taylor Swift wrote the title track for her second album while touring her self-titled debut – whisked away from everyday life, the song muses on the perfect rainy first date. “I wanna ask you to dance right there, in the middle of the parking lot,” she says. EH

54‘Seven’ (2020)

Chiming and reflective, this string-adorned ‘Folklore’ track sees Swift hark back to childhood: “please picture me in the trees,” goes the opening line, throwing back to the Pennsylvanian Christmas tree farm where she grew up. It’s a snapshot of being young and carefree while real life gradually creeps into the picture – the song appears to be addressed to a friend who had a difficult upbringing. EH

53‘Call It What You Want’ (2017)

As far as years go, Taylor Swift’s 2016 was relatively tumultuous, featuring the whole ‘Famous’ lyrics debacle feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian and two very public break-ups. ‘Call It What You Want’ appears to address the singer weathering that particular series of storms, and finding quiet contentment with partner Joe Alwyn. “Call it what you want,” sings a smitten Swifty: she doesn’t care what people think any more. EH

52‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ (2019)

Apparently inspired by the 2019 film Someone Great (which in part took influence from Swift’s ‘1989’ closer ‘Clean’) this upbeat track from ‘Lover’ seems to get inside the head of the film’s music journalist protagonist right before she flees heartbreak to another city. “I ask the traffic lights if it’ll be alright,” Swift sings, “they say, “I don’t know”. EH

51‘Dear John’ (2010)

Is ‘Dear John’ about Taylor Swift’s short-lived relationship with the musician John Mayer? Well – John Mayer certainly thinks so: he told Rolling Stone he was “humiliated” by the song, and added that “it was a really lousy thing for her to do.”  Tay Tay remained tight-lipped “How presumptuous!” she told New York Daily News. EH

50‘End Game’ feat. Ed Sheeran and Future (2017)

Taylor’s own homage to the R&B-laced slow jam, ‘End Game’ is less spiky than the rest of ‘Reputation’ – instead Swift muses on wanting her relationship to last forever, while Ed Sheeran and Future chip in with punny takes on reputations that precede them. EH

49‘White Horse’ (2008)

The dual-Grammy winning ‘White Horse’ is wonderfully understated moment. Filled with romantic, fairy-tale imagery, it’s run through a realist filter that makes it like the older, more sceptical sister to ‘Love Story’. It’s one of the best Swift heart-break ballads.

48‘Epiphany’ (2020)

The warm, unpretentious ‘Epiphany’ is an exquisite ‘Folklore’ song. Filled with powerful instrumentals that could have fallen off the latest Bon Iver record and Aaron Dessner’s glittering production, it sees Swift go full-on indie.

47‘The Archer’ (2019)

The minimalist The Archer is a meditative moment from ‘Lover’. Filled with ambient synths and soft instrumentals, as Swift discloses her own insecurities in a remarkably vulnerable way.

46‘Holy Ground’ (2012)

This galloping soft-rock moment celebrates whirlwind romances, and comes with a chorus perfect for shouting along to on road trips.

45‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ with Zayn Malik (2017)

Look, it might have come from the soundtrack to the Fifty Shades of Grey sequel; but that doesn’t mean that Taylor’s collab with ex-1D member Zayn isn’t a bit of a banger. All sensual electro-pop and breathless vocals, this sultry number deserved better than the film it was soundtracking.

44‘Betty’ (2020)

This swaying folk-rock tune tells the tale of a cheating boyfriend trying to apologise for his indiscretions is a highlight of ‘Folklore’. With its woozy harmonica riffs and chiming vocals, it’s a beaut.

43‘All You Had to Do Was Stay’ (2014)

A sweltering synth-pop banger that comes off like Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Emotion’ meets Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’.

42‘Fifteen’ (2008)

‘Fifteen’ is one of Swift’s greatest ever songwriting moments. The cautionary tale of young love it as a country epic – complete with the utterly shattering line “Abigail gave everything she had to a boy / Who changed his mind and we both cried”.

41‘Back To December’ (2010)

‘Back To December’ is a musical apology, with Swift explaining that she decided to write it as “sometimes you learn a lesson too late and at that point you need to apologise because you were careless,”. With an accompanying orchestra and grandiose instrumentals, it’s unflinching and honest, with Swift taking responsibility and asking for forgiveness after a breakup.

40‘Cornelia Street’ (2019)

A highlight from ‘Lover’, ‘Cornelia Street’ is a dazzling tune that’s made even more powerful in this acoustic version performed in Paris last year.

39‘Safe & Sound’ (2012)

Before Swift took a trip to a metaphorical cabin in the woods for recent album ‘Folklore’, she dabbled in writing indie-folk tunes with ‘Safe & Sound’. Taken from the soundtrack to The Hunger Games, this pretty, stripped-back track is enthralling.

38‘Red’ (2012)

The hair-whipping, chorus-screaming title track of Swift’s fourth album is an adrenaline-charged ride.

37‘Gorgeous’ (2017)

‘Gorgeous’ is about having your head turned. It’s about seeing somebody who is so unbelievably hot that you develop a massive crush, existing partner be damned. It’s the perfect song to soundtrack a particularly juicy episode of Love Island and comes with a killer chorus to-boot.

36‘Today Was A Fairytale’ (2010)

Written for the soundtrack to 2010 film Valentine’s Day, this song was one of the only redeeming moments of the trite rom-com. A classically Swiftian country ballad stuffed full of romantic lyrics, it’s lovely.

35‘Forever & Always’ (2008)

On ‘Forever & Always’ Swift manages to evoke the crushing feeling of a crumbling relationship in under four minutes, but no couplet cuts as deep as the utterly millennial “And I stare at the phone, he still hasn’t called / And then you feel so low you can’t feel nothing at all”.

34‘The Story of Us’ (2010)

Swift was inspired to write ‘The Story of Us’ after running into an ex at an event and both of them trying to ignore the other. A break-neck tune, it’s a catchy nugget of country-pop.

33‘New Romantics’ (2014)

‘New Romantics’ was done dirty. The stomping synth-pop knockout was relegated to bonus track on ‘1989’, when it deserved pride of place. Hell, it should have even been a single! The sparkling success is pure euphoria.

32‘Dancing with Our Hands Tied’ (2017)

This electronic, beat-heavy song from ‘Reputation’ is basically as close as we’ve ever come to a Swiftie club remix.

31‘Invisible String’ (2020)

Filled with unusual turn of phrase (“Green was the colour of the grass / Where I used to read at Centennial Park“), ‘Invisible String’ is a sweet ode to Swift’s past relationships, and how they lead her to where she currently is.

30‘Illicit Affairs’ (2020)

Taken from Swift’s most recent record ‘Folklore’, ‘Illicit Affairs’ is a heart-wrenching story of complicated infidelity. Over scintillating stripped back production courtesy of Jack Antonoff, Swift manages to spin a whole tale of secret meetings, lies and clandestine romance, and the emotional impacts it can have.

29‘Tim McGraw’ (2006)

Swift’s debut single ‘Tim McGraw’ isn’t actually about country legend Tim McGraw, but instead about a boyfriend she had whilst at school who was a senior. In it, she warmly reminisces on their past relationship, with Swift knowing he was going to break up with her when he headed off to uni. It’s pretty emotionally astute stuff for the then-teenage songwriter.

28‘Mean’ (2010)

The dual-Grammy winning celebration of self-empowerment sees Swift slamming bullies over joyous banjo strums, reminding them that: “Someday, I’ll be living in a big old city / And all you’re ever gonna be is mean”.

27’22’ (2014)

Before ’22’ nobody cared when you celebrated your 22nd birthday – but then along came this gargantuan cut of bubble-gum pop, and somehow Swift turned it into a milestone.

26‘Sparks Fly’ (2010)

Swift wrote ‘Sparks Fly’ when she was only 16 years old, when she performed at small bar shows back in the late noughties. A video of one of these SHOWS made it onto the internet and fans started to request she released it. This lead to her reworking it for her third album of the same name, with euphoric results.

25‘Wildest Dreams’ (2014)

Channelling her inner Lana Del Rey, this breathless ‘1989’ moment is a synth-pop beauty.

24‘Speak Now’ (2010

‘Speak Now’ features some of Swift’s most vibrant storytelling. With lyrics that detail a wedding, giving you the full picture of the snotty bride “dressed in a gown shaped like a pastry” and how the groom’s marrying the wrong girl, it’s a brilliantly intricate story.

23‘The Man’ (2019)

A searing take-down of sexist double standards wrapped up in a synth-pop bow, ‘The Man’ sees Swift getting seriously feminist.

22‘You Belong With Me’ (2008)

A country-pop thumper from Swift’s second album ‘Fearless’, Swift was inspired to write ‘You Belong With Me’ after hearing a friend arguing with his girlfriend on the phone. Rotten for him – but we got this catchy number out of it.

21‘Enchanted’ (2010)

‘Enchanted’ is one of Taylor’s most underrated songs. A fairy-tale epic that acts as an elder sibling to ‘Love Story’, it captures the dizzy infatuation of a new romance, with huge swooning instrumentals and a heartfelt chorus.

20‘Exile’ feat. Bon Iver (2020)

2020’s been a strange year and brought with it a ton of surprises – one of these being Taylor Swift’s eighth album, and another that she managed to wrangle Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon for a guest appearance on the cinematic ‘Exile’. The gorgeous duet sees the two singers singing over each other, as the two portray ex-lovers seeing each other after a breakup. It’s an emotive cut, and one of Swift’s most impressive collaborations.

19‘Our Song’ (2006)

Taylor wrote ‘Our Song’ as she needed something to perform at her high school talent show. Built around a jangling banjo riff, with bouncing vocals which see Swift dissect how her and the lad she was dating didn’t have a song, it went down such a treat with her classmates that she stuck it on her debut album. With its enthralling lyrics, that paint a vivid picture of the young couple, it was an early indicator of Swift’s songwriting capabilities.

18‘Shake It Off’ (2014)

There’s no two ways about it: ‘Shake It Off’ is a stone-cold smash. It’s got bolshy brass, several hooks that are catchier than a rash and Tay Tay even does a rap. The uptempo tune ushered in Swift’s sixth album ‘1989’, paving the way for her new era of pop belters – but none of them slapped quite this hard.

17‘Teardrops On My Guitar’ (2007)

Swift’s breakthrough single, ‘Teardrops on My Guitar’ is pure country-crossover star. With its soft guitars, and Swift’s early earnestness, unrequited love has never sounded so good.

16‘Clean’ (2014)

‘Clean’, the Imogen Heap co-written closer to ‘1989’, is an understated moment of clarity. It’s the feeling when you’ve started to move on with your life post-breakup and you realise you haven’t thought about your ex for several weeks, and when you do, you don’t want to key their car. With chiming soft-rock instrumentals, and gorgeous layered vocals, it’s an unfussy song that’s filled with Swift’s impressive turn of phrase, including the particularly devastating: “Ten months sober, I must admit/Just because you’re clean, don’t mean you don’t miss it”.

15‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012)

There’s a lot of reasons that Swift’s Billboard Hot 100 topping, Grammy-nominated ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is excellent. There are the snarky lyrics, the ear-worm guitar riff and the megalithic chorus. But perhaps the best moment in the entire song is the delicious spoken word interlude in the middle-eight, where Swift deadpans: “Ugh, so he calls me up and he’s like, “I still love you” / And I’m like… I mean, this is exhausting, you know?/ Like, we are never getting back together – like, ever.” Wickedly savage.

14‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ (2012)

Back in 2012 things were different. David Cameron was still Prime Minster; Corona was only a type of beer and Taylor Swift experimented with dubstep. ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ was a bold step for Swift, marking a departure from her trademark country crossover songs, but somehow the genre-melding smasher just works. From the icy kiss-off lyrics that raise a middle finger to fuck-boys everywhere to the thumping dub bass, it’s Swift’s most brilliantly bombastic release.

13‘The 1’ (2020)

“I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit” Taylor begins on ‘The 1’. It’s a punchy way to begin a song, let alone ‘Folklore’. The new shit could be Swift accepting her past fights over her discography, or the indie-folk direction she took for her most recent album. But whatever “new shit” TayTay is on, if it means she makes songs as good as this, we back it.

12‘Lover’ (2019)

The slow-dancing title track of Swift’s seventh album is a celebration of being smugly, head-over-heels in love. Ready-made for waltzing at a wedding, this enchanting, romantic tune is a sepia-tinged dream.

11‘Mine’ (2010)

The lead single from ‘Speak Now’ is pure Swift. In under four minutes Swift manages to spin an expansive story of a girl who’s parents’ broken marriage caused her to put up walls and avoid putting themselves out there – who gradually falls in love and has to deal with the fear of something potentially going wrong. It’s a country-pop epic, with more of a narrative in each verse than an entire Nicholas Sparks novel.

10‘Delicate’ (2019)

This vocoded beauty was a highlight of ‘Reputation’. Whilst the bulk of Swift’s seventh album was bold and brash, ‘Delicate’ offered a gorgeous moment of vulnerability. From the exposed opening (“This ain’t for the best / My reputation’s never been worse, so /You must like me for me…”) to the lush instrumentals that mesh the woozy vocals with tropical twinkles and slinky house beats, ‘Delicate’ is dazzling.

9‘Style’ (2014)

This slice of ’80s pop from ‘1989’ embodies the change in Swift’s sound for her fifth album. Filled with chugging synths, strutting guitar licks and glittering production, it’s an effervescent, hook-laden nugget filled with sleek electronics that dissects an unhealthy on-again off-again relationship (that “never goes out of style”). It’s Swift at her best: clever lyrics? Check! Earworm melodies? Check! A chorus that you want to sing at the top of your lungs? You bet.

8‘State of Grace’ (2012)

Ever wondered what Swift singing a massive arena-rock song would sound like? Well, just listen to ‘State of Grace’ and you’ll find out. The huge, U2-flecked opener to ‘Red’ is filled with guitar reverb and vocals that are meant to be screamed back by a stadium full of fans.

7‘Out Of The Woods’ (2014)

With shimmering indie-tronica-laced production and its anthemic, exhilarating chorus, ‘Out of the Woods’ is another belter from ‘1989’. Written about a high-profile relationship that was cut short due to fear of the media’s reaction to it (Swift explained it “that song touches on a huge sense of anxiety that was, kind of, coursing through that particular relationship”), it’s a breathless, honest depiction of a lost relationship; and one of Swift’s greatest triumphs.

6‘Cruel Summer’ (2019)

‘Cruel Summer’ should have been a single. It could have been the lead single. We all know it’s true; yet it was cast aside for the likes of ‘Me!’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’. A standout moment on Swift’s seventh album ‘Lover’, this synth-pop bop was co-written with indie legend St Vincent and Jack Antonoff.

It was written about “the feeling of a summer romance, and how often times a summer romance can be layered with all these feelings of pining away and sometimes even secrecy”. Swift recounts the feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that plague a new relationship; before revealing her feelings and finding them reciprocated: “And I scream, ‘For whatever it’s worth/I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?’”

It’s the musical version of a perfect romantic comedy ending, complete with a chorus perfect for riding off into the sunset on a lawnmower a la Can’t Buy Me Love.

5‘Love Story’ (2008)

What would you do with a spare 20 minutes? Watch an episode of Friends? Aimlessly scroll through Instagram? Well, if you’re Taylor Swift, you can use that time to write ‘Love Story’. Her 2008 country-pop fairy-tale epic remains one of her biggest hits – climbing charts worldwide and receiving near-constant radio rotation. It’s still one of the biggest-selling songs ever. With its Shakespearean narrative (it sees Swift reinterpret Romeo and Juliet), and huge, megawatt chorus, ‘Love Story’ remains a classic from Swift’s bountiful back catalogue.

4‘Cardigan’ (2020)

The lead single from Swift’s latest record is a swirling amalgam of glittering production, swooning strings with flickering piano, and lyrics that evoke the pain of young love. From the searing “When you are young, they assume you know nothing”, to the heart-wrenching “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan / Under someone’s bed / You put me on and said I was your favourite”, Swift conjures up a story of teenage love and betrayal, all anchored by the Aaron Dessner’s jittery production.

We’ve all felt like someone’s old cardigan at one point in our lives, and Swift stunningly manages to convey these complex mixed emotions – the hurt, jealousy and heartbreak – in a gorgeous folk-laced package.

3‘Blank Space’ (2014)

Swift’s got a lot of chart-smashing pop gems in her armoury, but ‘Blank Space’ is surely one of her crown jewels. This megawatt electro-pop tune sees her most cutting, satirising the media’s perception of her dating life and relationships. Knowingly spitting out wry couplets that hit back at the media’s portrayal of her reputation as a man-eater (“Got a long list of ex lovers / They’ll tell you I’m insane / But I’ve got a blank space, baby / And I’ll write your name”), it’s brilliantly wicked – and it absolutely slaps! A work of art.

2‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ (2020)

Swift’s latest album, ‘Folklore’, saw her write more regularly from the point of view of other people, telling their stories as opposed to her own. ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ was an intriguing case of this – as Swift depicts the life of American artist and socialite Rebekah Harkness, who had previously owned Swift’s Rhode Island, dubbed ‘Holiday House’. Detailing how Harkness married into a wealthy family, was hated by the town and then blamed for the downfall of the Harkness family (including the death of her husband) , Swift pithily compares her scrutiny in the media to the criticism Harkness has experienced.

It’s an impressive song, managing to communicate a huge amount of Harkness’ life across in only a few minutes; and Swift does all of this and tops it off with a banging chorus.

1‘All Too Well’ (2012)

‘All Too Well’ is Swift’s magnum opus. Beginning life as a deep-cut on ‘Red’, it’s become a favourite of both critics and fans – and there’s good reason for it: it’s the perfect example of Swift’s song-writing skills. On it she movingly conveys the heartbreak of a painful break-up, spinning a tale of lost scarves and autumn days as she jumps between different points – both good and bad – in a relationship.

There’s a focus on small, painful details, which are offset by some of Swift’s best ever couplets: “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest” can’t be beaten, can it?. Swift takes you on the entire journey of a relationship, and its masterful – just as we’ve come to expect from her.

[nevermesswithteddybears]

TAYLOR SWIFT FOUGHT FOR YOUR ARTIST INTEGRITY – WHY WON'T YOU DO THE SAME? - AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERY ARTIST

I haven't been debating for three years for nothing so here we fucking GO.

Dear whomever it may concern,

In June 2015 – four years ago – Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to Apple Music explaining why she would not have her music be available for streaming on the platform; to give you a quick reminder and sum-up, she refused to have her music be streamed because the platform did not compensate artists for the three month free trial their users were getting.

To quote Taylor: „This is not about me. (...) This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field… but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.“

Apple Music changed their policy, and stated that they would be paying artists their earned due during the three months of the free trial, and on that day, Taylor Swift herself changed the game for many – if not all – artists in the industry; especially those she sought out to protect, the new talent. In fact, many artists speaking up about the current situation – some of them against Taylor, to which I'll get to in a moment – probably got quite a few cheques from their Apple Music streams that definitely helped them become financially stable. Most of all, though, this action did not remain on one streaming platform. As it is in physics, every action has a reaction, and here Taylor's actions echoed throughout the industry and insured the payment of every artist throughout the streaming platforms that are largely the way people listen to music today.

Taylor Swift did not fight for herself. By the time she released 1989, she was already an established enough artists to earn more than enough money for herself, her crew, and everyone attached to her in a more than decent manner simply by playing her live shows. As quoted above, she fought for YOU. YOU, reading this. YOU, an artist she might not even know but whose work she already valued enough to put her name and reputation on the line. YOU, who might now open your mailbox and receive a cheque of royalties from a streaming service and not even know that it might be a fraction more than it would've been four years ago before Taylor asked for adequate payment for all artists. SHE FOUGHT FOR YOU. SHE FOUGHT FOR YOUR INTEGRITY. Taylor Swift has been a punching bag of the industry for years, and yet she put a then controversial topic upon her shoulders – in actuality one of many Taylor has spoken up her, be it LGBT+ issues, sexual assault, and her recent open involvement with politics – and did it all because she through it only seeked to help the fight for OTHERS.

TAYLOR SWIFT FOUGHT FOR YOUR ARTIST INTEGRITY IN 2015. WHY WON'T YOU DO THE SAME NOW?

I pose this question beacause, once again, Taylor is placed to speak within an issue that currently to many seems small and insignificant, seems like it might be an overreaction or not that important, but will through time, echo throughout the industry in a way that will change it from the ground up.

I firmly believe what I say now; One day, you will find yourself owning your own masters without a catch. And in some way it will – much like the numbers on the cheques from the streaming companies – be thanks to Taylor Swift, and what she is doing NOW.

Taylor Swift left Big Machine Records – a label she had been signed to since she was fifteen, the label that had discovered her and under which she had released six albums, starting with her self-titled Taylor Swift and ending with reputation – last year, and through that action, through her choosing what was best for her future career, she was forced to leave her masters behind. Now, the company – and the masters – have been sold to Scooter Braun, and Taylor – whose fight for the masters I will touch upon soon – is farther from them now than she ever was.

Before I go further, I want to ask you one question. One question that sums up this entire debate that has been brought up since the news broke. One question which, when answered, should tell you whose „side“ you should be on. One question.

DO YOU, AS AN ARTIST, BELIEVE YOU SHOULD OWN YOUR OWN WORK?

Is your answer no? Well then, I won't claim to understand it, but I certainly won't stop you to continue your career without truly owning a single piece of what you've achieved. If that is where you find comfort, if that is where you are content and happy, then side with Scooter Braun.

But, I believe, in your heart, that the answer is YES. And this is where I will tell you that it is important to stand with Taylor, as it will ultimately lead to a change in your opportunities as well.

To put this into perspective quickly before I move on: Imagine you are an artist. Imagine you have a lead writing and producing credit on every single one of your songs. Imagine that, at nineteen, you wrote an entire album all by yourself. And imagine now, that you DO NOT OWN ANY OF THAT. This is the situation with Taylor Swift. After a career that's slowly reaching two decades, Taylor Swift will only truly own her upcoming album Lover, out August 23rd. She does not own the masters to any of her SIX previous ones.

Taylor has publicly said that she has fought to own her masters for years, and was continuously denied, and she has also only found out about the sale of Big Machine Records along with the world. Imagine that, imagine your life's work being entirely in the hands that are not yours, and then – without your knowladge or consent – being sold to someone else. Someone who, throughout your career, has brought you only pain. And now they hold six pieces of your heart. Now they own your fifteen years.

Scott Burchetta, the previous owner of Big Machine Records, has released a statement along with the final offer he supposedly gave Taylor for her to aquire her masters, one she has denied. And he presented that offer as if to say Taylor has no one to blame but herself for not now owning her masters, had she accepted the offer. But, he doesn't point out one thing: where Taylor offered to stay in the company for an additional seven years to in return get full ownership of her masters, Scott Burchetta wanted ten. In fact, for every album master of hers Taylor wanted to own, Scott Burchetta asked for an additional album. Even for Taylor, an artist who for the longest time had an album out on average every two years, it would far exceed the ten year timeframe. Taylor Swift took the way out, even if it meant leaving the rights to her life's work behind, because she knew it was the right thing to do. Otherwise, she would have stayed. And the management would've still changed. And she would've been left caged for the remainder of her career.

The issue at hand here, though, is that not at one point was Taylor ever again reached out to with the option to buy her masters. Not once was she brought into the conversation of what was going to happen with her fifteen year legacy. And not once was she given the opportunity to buy that legacy back. Because ultimately, this was never about money. It was about POWER. It was about two men gaining the power over a female artist's fifteen years of work, the female artist whose sole discography brings the company 35% of its entire earnings, the female artist who now probably won't get updated certifications on any of her older songs, and who through that will never be able to officially reach her deserved status of an artist legend.

The line „if a man talks shit then I owe him nothing, and if he spends my change then he had it coming“ is now owned by a man who has complete power over Taylor's masters, a man who gets money off every one of your streams or previous album purchases. A man who has done nothing but abused and bullied Taylor throughout her career.

This isn't the first situation of an artist trying to get control over their masters. Recently, artist JoJo re-recorded and re-released an album she did not hold the masters to, rendering the masters useless, and that is one solution that Taylor could try. But the point is, she shouldn't HAVE to. None of the artists should have to. JoJo herself should not have had to.

I will bring back that question now. The main question. DO YOU BELIEVE ARTISTS SHOULD OWN THEIR OWN WORK? FULLY AND COMPLETELY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? Because THAT is what this conversation is about. Ultimately, it is not about who is mean or who is nice, not about who has what reputation, or who gets the bigger name to stand behind them, it is not about who needs to give a half-assed apology or anything of that sort. It is about arists integrity. It is about Taylor Swift, and YOU, and any other artist, being afforded the opportunity to own their own work.

I believe they should. I believe something should be done to protect artists. I believe there should be a clause that all artists get their own masters once they leave once their contract is settled. If not that, then I believe all those artists should be given the opportunity to buy them back; especially once the management of the company is changing.

If you believe so too, if you believe in YOUR integrity the way Taylor Swift always has, if you believe in HER ARTIST INTEGRITY as well, then stand by her and speak up. Be the reaction to her action. Be part of the echo throughout the industry. Fight for her right because you are most certainly fighting for yours.

@taylorswift, I stand with you. Everyone else should too.

With love,

Katarina

[still-beautiful-things]

Taylor Swift’s non-love songs

I just wrote this YouTube comment and i’m just gonna put it here so I have it bc I’ve typed so many variations of this comment and always have to go through Taylor’s whole discography lol

“Taylor sings about relationships a lot, but the thing is she always tries to switch up her metaphors and present concepts in a new interesting light, so that her songs aren't all the same. People don't realize that bc they just hear she has a ton of love and breakup songs but they don't actually listen to them and appreciate the beautiful lyrics.

But, here's a list of every single released Taylor Swift song that's not explicitly about a relationship (she also has an unreleased song about 9/11, Didn't They, which you could find on YouTube):

A Place in this World

The Outside

Tied Together with a Smile (to a girl with an eating disorder)

I'm Only Me When I'm With You (kinda sounds like it but it's actually for her best friend)

Christmas Must Be Something More

(half) Fifteen (does include a relationship but it's more centered around being 15 and not understanding life yet)

The Best Day (for her mom)

Change

Mean

Never Grow Up

(half) Better Than Revenge (about a girl who stole her man, so indrectly about a relationship)

Innocent

Long Live

Safe & Sound

Eyes Open

Ronan (about a boy who had cancer, Taylor read his mom's blog about his death and wrote a song about it)

22

The Lucky One (about fame)

Girl At Home (rejecting a guy who has a girlfriend)

Welcome To New York

Blank Space (technically about the character the media painted for her, making fun of that reputation of being a "serial dater")

Shake It Off

Bad Blood

New Romantics (kind of writing off love and about our generation's relationship with love)

I Did Something Bad

Look What You Made Me Do

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things”

I Forgot That You Existed (moving on from a feud)

The Man (double standards/gender inequality)

Soon You'll Get Better (about her mom's cancer)

You Need To Calm Down (about haters)

[bhemduerme]

Favorite Album of All Time

I love music. I believe everybody does. Personally, music has been a refuge to me, especially Taylor Swift’s music. My family, friends and even acquaintances who really do not know me that much know I am a big Taylor Swift fan. I wrote another blog about how I became a “swiftie” several years ago. When I became a swiftie, I searched about her discography. I learned about all her albums and songs, awards, even her background and how she started her career.

As a swiftie who really loves Taylor and her music, it is impossible to pick just one favorite song. IT IS JUST FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE. I have a lot of favorites from each album. But I have this one favorite album of hers. It is called RED.

RED is her 4th album. It is a country album but for me, it is kind of mix of country and pop. This album is subjectively her most emotional album. Full of emotions with excellent lyrics that you can relate to.

My most favorite song/s from this album are I Knew You Were Trouble, All Too Well, The Moment I Knew, 22, Red, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Almost Do, Starlight, Holy Ground..oh wait! That’s almost half of the album. LOL!

I will be providing a link below where Taylor was discussing and explaining each track from this album so you would understand each song as you listen to them.

Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj1WllQRkxo&t=97s

You can also search for RED album reactions on YouTube. You would see a lot of YouTube reactors liking RED as well.

Get ready for an emotional ride before you listen to the entire album. 🙂

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 3rd November 2019

I apologise for how late this will probably end up being posted, but we have a big week to talk about, with EIGHT new arrivals, two from Selena Gomez, three from Kanye West and two appearing here in the top 10 so I’m just going to get through everything as soon as possible to the best of my ability, although this week has several...mishaps on the BBC page to say the least, so I’ll try to correct them if I can, and I have had to wait for my week of non-stop Weezer listening to end or for me to accidentally slip up and listen to something else so I could actually write about the new arrivals here.

Top 10

Interestingly, none of the nonsense that this chart week ensued seems to appear in the top 2 or shake the #1 at all, as “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I is at its fifth consecutive week at the top of the UK Singles Chart.

“Ride It” by Regard featuring Jay Sean – well, it’s actually a remix of a Jay Sean single but just let me relish in the fact Jay Sean is on the charts again – isn’t moving either at number-two, the runner-up spot.

The first impact that we can see at the top level of the charts is the debut at #3 for Selena Gomez’s first US #1 “Lose You to Love Me”, which the BBC has interestingly misspelled as “Loose You to Love Me”, her 13th UK Top 40 hit, fourth top 10 and highest-peaking song ever, after “It Ain’t Me” with Kygo peaked at #7. We’ll talk more about Selena Gomez’s two new arrivals later.

Thanks to Gomez, Post Malone’s “Circles” is down one spot to number-four.

At number-five is Ed Sheeran with “South of the Border” featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B, down three spots this week to number-five.

We have our second new arrival within the top 10, at number-six, “Follow God” by Kanye West from his ninth studio album, JESUS IS KING. He has several songs debuting here in the UK Top 40 this week, so we’ll talk more in-depth about his mini-album bomb later on, but this is his 44th UK Top 40 hit, which is crazy impressive, and his 20th top 10.

At number-seven, boosted up 11 spots by an Ariana Grande remix, is Lizzo with “Good as Hell”, making it officially her biggest song in the UK and her first top 10 hit, as well as Grande’s 16th.

Up two spaces to number-eight this week is “Memories” by Maroon 5.

Down two spaces from last week, we have Dermot Kennedy at number-nine with “Outnumbered”.

Finally, at #10, to round off the top 10, we have Lewis Capaldi’s “Bruises” down four spaces from last week.

Climbers

Naturally, there aren’t many climbers here because of the album bomb and influx of new arrivals, but we do have some unfortunate boosts for “hot girl bummer” by blackbear up five spaces to #25... and that’s all.

Fallers

Fallers on the other hand... we could split this up into genre, actually.

For pop, rock and EDM, we can start with “Lights Up” by Harry Styles deservedly flopping six spaces down to #17, then continue with “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber down 12 to #29, “Higher Love” by Kygo and Whitney Houston down eight to #31, “Sorry” by Joel Corry featuring uncredited vocals from Hayley May down 10 to #32 and finally “Don’t Call Me Angel” by Ariana Grande featuring Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey down 13 to #39 – but that’s not all.

For hip hop and R&B, we have “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” by Travis Scott down seven to #12, “Be Honest” by Jorja Smith and Burna Boy down five to #14, “Professor X” by Dave down seven to #21, “Take Me Back to London” by Ed Sheeran featuring Stormzy and remixed by Sir Spyro featuring Aitch and Jaykae down nine to #28, “Playing Games” by Summer Walker down nine to #33, “Ladbroke Grove” by AJ Tracey down 10 to #35 and finally, “Taste (Make it Shake)” by Aitch down nine to #39... but again, that’s not all.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

We have no returning entries but we sure do have a lot of dropouts, some of them genuine hits such as “Strike a Pose” by Young T & Bugsey and Aitch out from #36 and “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid out from #39, hits that never really hit the landing with the British general public but have been on the middling section of the charts for a while and could easily rebound like “Motivation” by Normani out from #27, “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo and remixed by DaBaby from #31, “frick, i’m lonely” by LAUV and Anne-Marie out from #32 and “Lalala” by Y2K and bbno$ and remixed by Carly Rae Jepsen and Enrique Iglesias out from #37, as well as some genuinely premature drop-outs such as “Graveyard” by Halsey out from #29 and finally, “47” by Sidhu Moose Wala, MIST, Steel Banglez and Stefflon Don out from #38. Now, finally, after all that time spent on stray UK Top 40 observations... let’s talk about Kanye.

ALBUM BOMB: Kanye West – JESUS IS KING

On October 25th, Kanye released his ninth studio album, JESUS IS KING, after missing several release dates and changing name from YANDHI. Kanye, a now born-again Christian, makes a “gospel” album free of any explicit lyrics, accompanied by a short film of the same name. It features an all-star guest list of vocalists and producers, including frequent collaborators Ant Clemons, Benny Blanco and Mike Dean, the reunion of legendary rap group Clipse, trap beat-makers Pi’erre Bourne and Ronny J, and smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G. Obviously, it went #1 in the US, #2 here, but to mixed reviews – now, I won’t be focusing on the politics that surround the album and I am not very knowledgeable of religion so I cannot really comment on much beyond my understanding of Christianity and arguably more importantly, the lore of Kanye West. Mark Grondin of Spectrum Pulse already quoted more Bible quotes in his album review than I could remember digits of pi, and several people, like DeadEndHipHop, Sean Cee and even Anthony Fantano, whether you like them or not, have made several in-depth discussion videos about whether West’s sudden revelation is a genuine moment for the rapper, a mental breakdown or a cash-grab. I’m here to discuss the music... but even that’s not very good. I wrote a very lengthy review for the album two days after it came out (And before it went through an additional few fixes for mixing quirks, sigh) which will be linked here if I remember, and overall, it was disappointing, a light 4/10 and easily the worst record in West’s discography. Regardless, let’s talk about the debuts here.

#20 – “Closed on Sunday” – Kanye West

Produced by Kanye West, Angel Lopez, Brian “AllDay” Miller, Federico Vindver and Timbaland – Peaked at #17 in the US

Features uncredited vocals from the Sunday Service choir and A$AP Bari(?)

The most memeable yet also one of the most detestable tracks on the album, this is his 45th UK Top 40 hit. “Closed on Sunday” was one of the few tracks set to fail off the pure concept, as the biggest issue with most songs on JESUS IS KING is the lack of development or complete mishandling of great ideas, to the point where there basically is no effort to, you know, write a song here. “Closed on Sunday” is essentially one verse split into half due to a flow switch at the midpoint, and despite a runtime of only two minutes and 32 seconds, it drones on endlessly, with a solemn guitar melody leading into what could sound like a pretty cool, dark ballad, built up by the choir vocalising in harmonies that sound actually pretty great but then the 808s come in and ruin any sense of harmony. Kanye comes in with some of the worst mixing I’ve ever heard vocals have, especially on an album with the budget Kanye has, with a lot of background noise and I can even hear the buttons pressed on the phone or other device Kanye is using to record at about 0:38, which signals a drastic change in how the vocals are mixed, but it’s still shoddy and allows them to have some pretty severe clipping during the “chorus”, until a sudden shift where a turgid beeping sound works as a pathetic excuse for you know, an actual synth, and until now, Kanye’s vocals have not had reverb or Auto-Tune added onto them, so his vocals being drenched in effects actually sounds great here... but he still has a sore throat and sounds like he’s struggling here, although unlike “God Is” and just about the entirety of 808s & Heartbreak, where it adds to the emotive performance, Kanye sounds bored and with no choir backing him like they could have been, the release here just isn’t as cinematic as it could be and it just sounds like a melodramatic Kanye aimlessly spouting random Bible motifs over 808s without taking his daily Dequadin lozenge... and there are no drums... ever. Oh, and A$AP Bari comes in at the end to shout “Chick-fil-A”, abruptly interrupting the beat’s natural progression and making it clear as day that the album is unfinished. Also, speaking of those lyrics, should you really be comparing YOURSELF to a fast food restaurant that donates charity to anti-LGBT hate and pressure groups? That’s not very Christ-like, Ye. It probably wouldn’t matter if they didn’t either, because a thinly-veiled Taylor Swift reference (Yes, I know the Bible mentions “snakes” and “vipers” as much as reputation does, but the two aren’t on good terms so it’s no coincidence in my opinion) and calling God your “number-one with the lemonade” don’t exactly make you sound like a wordsmith. Oh, and A$AP Bari, the uncredited vocalist on the outro, pleaded guilty to sexual assault earlier this year, which again doesn’t exactly sound like a Christ-like thing to be supporting either... but I digress. The version he performed on Jimmy Kimmel with a genuine choir backing him and a brass band is miles ahead of this, so don’t bother with this version, or better yet, don’t bother with this monotonous crap at all.

#19 – “Selah” – Kanye West

Produced by Kanye West, E*vax, BoogzDaBeast, Federico Vindver, benny blanco and Francis Starlite – Peaked at #19 in the US

Features uncredited vocals from the Sunday Service choir, Ant Clemons and Bongo ByTheWay

Now, I’m slightly more positive on his 46th UK Top 40 hit, “Selah”, the opening track (Aside from the short “Every Hour” interlude / intro track which is only Sunday Service) of JESUS IS KING, yet that might actually make it more frustrating and it’s easily the track I come back the least to because overall, it’s actually pretty uninteresting and doesn’t have a true “hook”. It starts with some cloudy synth noodling that sounds kind of cool with the subtle strings but then Kanye comes in with some pretty awfully-mixed vocals that is incredibly unprofessional, teasing his fans for wanting YANDHI, and saying it was coming before “Jesus Christ did the laundry”, and quoting John 8:33 to excuse his “Slavery is a choice” comment, which he’s been trying to respond to the backlash to for about a year and a half now, failing each time. Also:

Pour the lean out slower

Hold up –that ain’t Christ-like. The explosions of marching band drums come in in a similar fashion to “Feel the Love” off of KIDS SEE GHOSTS, and then honestly the bridge, which is insanely repetitive but builds up tension perfectly with Ant Clemons and the Sunday Service choir repeating “Hallelujah” incessantly with distant guitar strings, handclaps and sudden pitch shifts reflecting the change in Kanye’s mindset and the intensity soon becomes a lot more ramped up from now on, finishing the bridge with a pretty beautiful vocal line that the 808s hilariously harmonise with. Then, Kanye comes back in with a verse co-written by Pusha T, and you can REALLY tell, and it’s still awfully-mixed, when there’s no true excuse. He’s drowned out by the bursts of drums and bass as well as the choir’s recurring vocal sample. The best part of the song soon kind of fizzles out in a chaotic outro, in which fireworks literally go off while Kanye screams nonsense as well as “Yeezus” which isn’t exactly Christ-like, but it sounds insane and honestly a tad odd and unfitting for the album, which is supposed to be an uptempo Christian rap album? While there are parts of this song I don’t approve of, especially Kanye, who ruins pretty much every song he’s on... on his own album, this is pretty tolerable, albeit somewhat contradictory lyrically and far from my favourite Kanye track. At least there’s some grandiosity and emotion here.

#6 – “Follow God” – Kanye West

Produced by Kanye West, BoogszDaBeast and Xcelence – Peaked at #7 in the US

I should be thankful for the grandiosity and emotion behind “Selah”, because this sure doesn’t have any of that. How the HELL does this have three producers? How on Earth does this album have 11 people on the mixing and mastering and yet this still sound like absolute gutter trash in my headphones? “Follow God” is easily the least interesting song on the JESUS IS KING album, and that’s pretty impressive for a record that contains the song “Water” with Ant Clemons, yet it’s the biggest and I don’t see why at all. There straight-up isn’t a chorus by any meaning of the word, or its many synonyms, and its dated production almost resembling 90s hip hop in the soul sample from 1974’s “Can You Lose by Following God” by Whole Truth and the genuine 90s groove and funk that is somewhere here in the beat, doesn’t exactly make it sound like a catchy trap banger that would reach the US top 10 in 2019, but it’s there. It’s called by many fans a spiritual successor to 2016’s “Father Stretch My Hands” from The Life of Pablo but other than using the lyric “Father, I stretch my hands”, I don’t see it, mostly because the 2016 effort doesn’t actually have much relation to Christianity outside of the beautiful gospel choir harmonising with Caroline Shaw on the bridge of that single. In fact, that song does a better job at flipping Christian rap on its head – it’s a two-part trap banger featuring verses from Desiigner and lines about... bleached posteriors. This song on the other hand is only one minute and 44 seconds, with one badly-mixed and distorted verse from Kanye that is as repetitive as the mind-numbing recurring “Yeah” vocal sample and prone to making me roll my eyes with its one verse and the... outro of sorts. But since this beat is so minimalistic, surely he wants us to hear what he’s saying, right? Well, no, probably not, because not only is his “wordplay”(?) and half-rhymes embarrassing, but I have so many questions to raise to this drum pattern. I want to interview the 808 and the kick drum and ask what the heck they think they’re doing.

People really know you, push your buttons like type-write

That’s not a sentence. “Like type-write”? Excuse my brief, unsubtle blasphemy, but Jesus.

Every single night, right? Every single fight, right?

The ‘i’-based rhyme scheme here is cool in concept and he finds his way around it pretty well, in a fast-paced rap flow that I actually really like, but it reeks of laziness, especially since not only does he completely abandon the rhyme scheme 55 seconds in but – yes, I counted – his verse is 69 seconds, that’s one minute and nine seconds. To put into perspective, Rick Ross’ verse on “Devil in a New Dress” off of Kanye’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one minute and 28 seconds, only twenty seconds longer than this one, and it includes ten times as much clever wordplay, story-telling, interesting flow switches and bars that are really epic, making the song feel really celebratory of sorts actually – and that’s without the epic guitar solo that precedes it. What a fantastic song. On the other hand, this song is substance-less and Kanye says very little of anything despite how much he crams into every bar in the rapid yet sometimes pretty awkward flow. What he’s supposed to be discussing is his situation with his father and how when he was yelling at him and having a massive argument and fall-out, Ray West told him, it wasn’t Christ-like, leading to a revelation and possibly becoming the catalyst for the already-kickstarted Christian rebirth. Surely, his dad and God are the two most important men in his life, right? Then why does this feel passionless and boring? Why doesn’t this feel genuine? Fellow Christian rapper NF, a white rapper who makes bland piano-lead pop-rap with sung hooks, would call this flavourless, dull and more importantly, grey. It doesn’t feel blue and gold like he wants it to as he uses the colours to imply royalty, luxury and loyalty to God on the album cover and lyric video. This doesn’t show loyalty. You made this in five minutes, Kanye. You made this on a whim because you had an idea and you ran with it but you had no idea on how to actually develop it into something interesting or even listenable. What part of this shows royalty, luxury and a rich, graceful connection with God? This sounds cheap and gross, and frankly incredibly disappointing from such a talented artist. I haven’t even gotten onto the rest of the song, man, and I don’t even want to. “Decimal” doesn’t rhyme with “wrestle”, Kanye. “Wrestlin’ with God, I don’t even want to wrestle”? That’s the deepest you want to go into your confusion and conflict between Christianity and fame? That’s pathetic, as is the random screaming at the end of this track for quirky or emotive bonus points. There’s nothing lifelike or Christ-like about your lifestyle, Kanye West. Get some help.

NEW ARRIVALS

#34 – “Nice to Meet Ya” – Niall Horan

Produced by Julian Bunetta – Peaked at #9 in Ireland and #83 in the US

Sorry to any of the Niall Horan fans who crashed his website when this single was announced, but I have considerably less to say about the rest of these new arrivals than I do about Kanye West and/or Jesus Christ. I have to talk about them regardless of if I have anything I can actually add, and this one is one I’ve actually already heard since I watched the MTV EMAs and he performed it. I thought nothing of it initially, but this is the Irishman from One Direction’s comeback single after his debut studio album Flicker. This is Horan’s third UK Top 40 hit and first since 2017’s “Too Much to Ask” which peaked at #24, and I did not expect this shift to late 90s and early 2000s dance-rock, but I am definitely not complaining. It starts with a catchy piano line that’s pretty Robbie Williams-esque, then the drop comes in and it is killer. The sleek synths decorating the rock drums in a lot of slickness that you wouldn’t expect out of such a meek stage presence add to the chorus pretty well, but the best part of that chorus is the distant pitch-shifted vocal sample yelling in the background, making it feel even more industrial which again is out of character for Niall, the quiet, shy folk boy, but he definitely has the charisma to pull off this type of swaggering, stomping pop rock anthem, and he proves that in the sing-along bridge, where even his murmuring hums stand out, and while he’s drowned out by the cool bassline and drum pattern most of the time, his vocal delivery really is the highlight of the song, even if that is equally vintage and in a way, pretty nostalgic for the era it replicates. Funnily enough, it has the same lack of care for organised structure that “Lights Up” by Harry Styles had just two weeks ago, but the careless, reckless groove of this song works a lot more in Horan’s favour than Styles’. Just saying.

#27 – “Orphans” – Coldplay

Produced by Rik Simpson, Dan Green, Bill Rahko, Max Martin, Angel Lopez and Federico Vindver – Peaked at #14 in Scotland

Coldplay, with their most recent upcoming album Everyday Life, are getting pretty experimental. It’s an hour-long double-album kept a secret until a month before it is set to release featuring a track list full of songs that have odd stylisations like “BrokEn” and share song names with Arabic poems. “Arabesque”, the B-side to “Orphans”, is a storm of nu-jazz trumpets with a Fela Kuti-inspired breakdown and uncredited guest vocals from Stromae, as well as profanity, which is a first for the band. I’m not surprised at all that one didn’t kick off but we are instead left with their 24th UK Top 40 hit and first since “Something Just Like This” with the Chainsmokers peaked at #2 in 2017, “Orphans”, which is a lot tamer of a track to say the least. That doesn’t mean it’s any worse though. It starts with a kids’ choir singing before we get into a tropical rock jam with a funky bassline that I wouldn’t be surprised if Flea wrote, it’s that tight. Chris Martin sounds as focused on Christianity as he did on the Avicii album earlier this year, directly name-dropping Heaven in the first verse, and then joining in with the nonsense words that the vocal samples had been repeating prior to the verse. The chorus is pretty reminiscent of arena rock, specifically “Paradise” I feel as it has that same nasal falsetto but in a lot more palatable fashion, mostly because this actually has groove and you know, a pulse. Yeah, this is pretty great, and I love the bridge of purely the mythical guitar and Chris Martin’s ethereal vocals. Something I didn’t notice on initial listen is how that the song is about a girl, Rosaleem, during the Damascus bombing in Syria from last year (That’s what the nonsense words and sound effects are all about), who is greeted by angels who talk to her about what Heaven will be like, which is “almond and peach trees in bloom” but also a place for her dad to get drunk and talk with his friends so he can feel young again. That’s actually pretty deep subject matter, and together with Niall Horan, I’m glad we can have some fantastic rock on the charts again. “Arabesque” is the better of the two Coldplay songs though.

#26 – “Look at Her Now” – Selena Gomez

Produced by Ian Kirkpatrick – Peaked at #7 in Slovakia and #27 in the US

Man, those last two songs were so powerful and organic, I almost want some disposable garbage to review next. It’ll just be easier. Oh, we have two Selena Gomez songs and a new AJ Tracey single to cover? Perfect, that’s just what I asked for! Yeah, this is Selena Gomez’s 14th UK Top 40 hit and it is awful, but not even close to as offensively bad “Closed on Sunday” or “Follow God” are. It’s just a mistake on all fronts. The passionless vocal samples drowned out in the background that peters out by the verse and the nothingness of the synths and a glitchy beat that abruptly kicks itself out of the mix every other second, as well as Selena Gomez’s weak, whispery vocals don’t exactly scream “passionate, boasting kiss-off” to me. The chorus is absolutely PATHETIC, if it even exists at all – I mean, it’s just a bunch of different sound effects Selena Gomez made pretty much, with her rhythmically humming as if that’s an excuse for an actual chorus with some unintelligible, stuttering and sometimes whispered repetitions of the song title as well as several “W-w-w-w-wow”s that add very little to the song and seem pretty pointless. This is mixed well for the most part, despite the synths clipping at times and Selena’s vocoder-ed ad-libs in the second chorus being way louder than anything else in the mix, but I have no idea what the composers of this song were thinking. What a trainwreck. It almost sounds like glitch-pop to be honest, it’s chaos, and if it were marketed as that maybe I’d appreciate it more, but if this is supposed to be a genuine brag to Justin Bieber asking him to see what he’s missing, he might as well have dated a robot. I think a RateYourMusic user summed it up best: “This is so monumentally mediocre that it barely even exists.”

#22 – “Floss” – AJ Tracey featuring MoStack and Not3s

Produced by The Elements and AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey is a British rapper who had his break out this year and he released his self-titled debut studio album back in February, but it now has a deluxe edition, with five extra songs, this being one of them. I wasn’t exactly impressed with the album as it’s mostly pretty bland Americanised trap fluff with only some promising elements of dancehall (“Butterflies” with Not3s and remixed by Popcaan), grime (“Horror Flick”) and UK garage (“Ladbroke Grove”, one of my favourite songs of the year) propping up whenever AJ sees fit, but it’s 48 minutes so these moments can’t carry the whole track listing. Lucky for us, he’s increased that runtime to just over an hour and included a couple more boring trap songs to listen to. Joy. This is AJ’s seventh UK Top 40 hit, MoStack’s eighth and Not3’s sixth. This song relies on a pretty sweet falsetto vocal sample under a surprisingly energetic trap beat, with some pretty nice steel pans and cowbells in addition to the skittering hi-hats and 808s. AJ Tracey is pretty okay here, but I feel with these lyrics and beat he could have gone for a faster and more impressive flow than what he brings out here. I’m still in love with his “bling-blaow” ad-lib though. MoStack is embarrassing as always, with an oddly-mixed verse and sometimes off-beat flow, with the most obvious difference between him and AJ being that there aren’t any ad-libs or multi-tracked vocals, which is mostly the same with Not3s’ non-existent and actually pretty unnecessary bridge (He should have just added to the final chorus, though his last few bars sound nice). Mo does have a pretty funny line about how you wouldn’t be able to notice him on CCTV and would confuse him with Dave though. This is better than I expected, but still nothing of interest to me. Sorry.

#3 – “Lose You to Love Me” – Selena Gomez

Produced by Mattman & Robin and FINNEAS – Peaked at #1 in the US

Now, much like Coldplay, Selena Gomez also released two lead singles, however both charted and they are drastically different to Coldplay’s, quality-wise at least. This is supposed to be the big massive smash ballad hit that hit #1 in the US, becoming her first ever song to reach that peak, but I can’t bring myself to care, because honestly, this is one of her least interesting singles she’s ever released. Out of all of her songs, including some I actually like such as “It Ain���t Me” and “Same Old Love”, this seems like one of the most unlikely #1s yet it tugs at our heartstrings with the pianos from FINNEAS, Billie Eilish’s brother and producer, and it’s about how Justin Bieber dumped her with wordplay revolving around “purpose” – wow, it’s almost like she’s talking about Justin Bieber’s ALBUM, Purpose! Ugh, her mind! Okay, I’ll stop mocking her fanbase and the general public, because this really isn’t a bad song. Selena Gomez can’t sing, so through thinly-veiled Auto-Tune, the producers cleverly multi-track her vocals to create a grand, powerhouse chorus out of the repetition of “To love, to love, yeah” and because it’s a pop ballad, the vocals can be breathy and untrained and it’s fine, right? It’s a ballad, it doesn’t need to be perfect, and hence we can take advantage of the complete lack of singing talent this person has. I don’t know, it just seems so cliché and predictable to me. You can only tell it’s a FINNEAS beat once the second verse hits and the synths get jerkier with the bass wobbles, and he usually has a pretty signature sound, so yeah, that’s the best way to put it. Or, perhaps, this song is also so monumentally mediocre that it barely even exists.

Conclusion

Again, I’m sorry this is out so late but it was a big ordeal to write, especially due to all the Kanye songs. I’ll try and get the next one out a lot sooner, I assure you, but there’s an album bomb this week too, so we’ll see about that. Anyways, the Best of the Week is going to Coldplay for “Orphans”, who just barely edged out Niall Horan, who gets the Honourable Mention, with “Nice to Meet Ya”. Worst of the Week should be obvious, in fact, it’s not going to a song, it’s going to three songs, all by Kanye West. “Saleh” isn’t all that bad, but JESUS IS KING was such an immense disappointment that I think he should be crowned Worst of the Week based on not only “Closed on Sunday” or God forbid “Follow God”, but also on principle alone. The Dishonourable Mention is going to Selena Gomez for “Look at Her Now” for being hilariously misguided in the production area, Jesus. I’m going to wrap this week up with a Top 40 ranking of the whole chart on Twitter, which I’ll try to do bi-weekly, no guarantee, so follow me there @cactusinthebank for more musical ramblings and shoddy attempts at humour, and I’ll be seeing you here again next week. Peace!

[dragonfly0808]

Musa’s Discography Pt. 1

Yes, I spend way too long thinking about stuff like this about my characters leave me alone ajajajjaaa

But srly like 2 people have asked me about this and I’ve spent way too long thinking about what Musa discography would actually be like so… here is her discography with a way too detailed description of why I chose each of the songs, I had way too much fun with this.

First EP. Written in the later half of s2 and before s3 published in the summer between s2 and s3

I had no specific ‘theme’ for this one, just songs I felt fit Musa’s mentality and would be cool for her first project

For the first EP, which consists of:

The Beginning by Madison Beer.

I just really love this intro it’s a gorgeous showcase of vocals and it’s beautiful and perfect.

I Hate the Way by Sofia Carson.

I love this song. Musa would base if mostly off of Riven’s epic screw up in s2 ch27. Also the guitar solo part feels perfect for her.

Whispers by Halsey.

I can’t quite explain why but this song is so Musa-coded to me. At least my version of her. She builds walls up and tries to not care and fails miserably every time. Also touches slightly on the depression that she def never adressed before going to Alfea and meeting the girls

Run and Hide by Sabrina Carpenter.

I feel like this song fits Musa’s mentality in s1 and part of s2 perfectly especially when it comes to romantic love. ‘Started thinking love’s a loaded gun, nobody wants to fight’ ‘If you can’t hide run, if you can’t run hide’ ‘I don’t wanna run I don’t wanna hide’ it’s just perfect for how she used to think and I really love the idea of her writing this precisely as she starts to let go of that mentality

favorite crime by Olivia Rodrigo.

This would be a more story-telling type song written with Helia cause I feel like putting those two together they would absolutely go full story tellers and poem-like lyrics and this feels like smth they would absolutely write one night they couldn’t sleep cause they love a good sob love story

Ribs by Lorde.

Written about the Winx and the Specialists with a sprinkle of dreading growing up

Second EP. Written during the first half of s3, published right before Winter Break

This one did have a slight ‘theme’ to it since it was mostly written while she was fighting with Riven over secrets on both sides and she was very frustrated with herself and projecting a bit on him.

Hard to Love by Rose.

This feels very Musa-coded to me. She has that instinct of ‘oh shoot I’m loved? Fucking run for the hills!’ But more like… again, she builds walls. So I can see her writing this one night very frustrated with herself like, why am I like this?

Rock Bottom by Hailee Steinfeld.

I love this song and I feel like it suits Rivusa so perfectly in the first half of s3 ‘We’re on the right side of rock bottom and I hope that we keep falling. We’re on the good side of bad karma, cause we keep on coming back for more. We’re on the right side of rock bottom, and to you I just keep crawling. You’re the best kind of bad smth, cause we keep on coming back for more.’ Literally them at this point before they learn to properly communicate. Also ‘what are we fighting for? Seems like we do it just for fun.’ Love this song

Monster in Me by Little Mix.

Another song that suits them when they’re at rock bottom. ‘Touch me, why don’t we kill each other slowly?’ ‘The monster in me loves the monster in you’. Def can see Musa writing this when she’s frustrated with herself and Riv cause she knows why they’re both screwed up but can’t quite figure out how to get past it

when the party’s over by Billie Eilish.

This was when, for a moment Musa considered just calling it quits cause she wonders if maybe they’re both too fucked up to make it work and she wrote this whilst in depression. She also realized that she was hurting him by picking fights and not being honest and wrote this in response to that realization

Midnight Rain by Taylor Swift.

This one was also co-written by Helia, they went for another story-telling not-to-be love story.

False God by Taylor Swift.

Another song that feels oh so Rivusa-coded to me. Like, cmon this is one of those songs that played in the back of my head every single time I had them argue in s3 and feels like the perfect song to end an album all about fighting the one you love

Winx Rewrite Masterlist

Part 2

[thereviewsarein]

Taylor Swift broke tradition and gave us all less than 24 hours notice that she had an entire new album on the way less than a year after her last release (Lover) was a giant deal. It was a surprise the turned into excitement and anticipation. And then when the clock struck midnight, folklore officially joined the T.Swift discography with a collection of songs unlike her previous work and tapping into a sound that we didn’t know she was ever going to explore.

With 16 tracks (plus a bonus, the lakes, on physical copies of the LP), Taylor Swift goes to a less poppy, more indie-rocky place with Aaron Dessner (The National) walking side-by-side with her as the album’s producer and co-writer on 11 of the songs. The cynical among music fans and industry members might say that she’s reaching for some sort of cred with the partnership, but not me. What I hear is a new twist on the songwriting that Swift has been showcasing for more than a decade.

At midnight when folklore dropped, the official video for cardigan (written with Dessner) was also released. Hit play for the Taylor Swift directed and starring clip.

It’s also interesting to note that folklore includes five songs (the 1, the last great american dynasty, mad woman, betty, peace) with explicit language tags on Spotify. I don’t mean interesting in that Taylor Swift shouldn’t feel free to write lyrics that include swearing or to release songs that have those exclamations in them. But interesting that this is the first time an album of hers has ever picked up one of those tags and isn’t just a one-time thing. Do I think it was a conscious decision to go there? I don’t know – but knowing that Taylor Swift is calculated and looking at everything at all times, I wouldn’t bet against it.

In a Facebook post to go along with the album release, Swift wrote, “In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve.” That makes as much sense as anything really. She’s a writer, so it makes sense that she would write songs during the COVID-19 quarantine. She also explained in different writing that it started with visuals that turned into characters that became stories, and that should make sense to to any daydreamer or creative mind that has spent maybe a little more time than they planned by themselves or in a quiet space.

The resulting songs are story songs. Adventures and narratives that have starts and finishes and then she moves onto the next one.

And if I’m going to write about the storytelling, I’m going to share the lyric video for exile featuring Bon Iver. The track has more male narration than any of us are used to from Swift and gets to a quiet, sad, sullen place that hits hard. It’s also a new spin on the breakup songs we know Swift relishes the opportunities write and sing.

We all know that there’s a little bit of a chip on Taylor Swift’s shoulder. She’s talked in the past about needing to prove her critics wrong by writing an entire album by herself. She resolved to create a better album next time after missing out on major award nominations. She fully transitioned from country to pop and did her best to keep her country songwriting quit so it wouldn’t distract from the move. And, she has very publicly made it known that her relationship with her former label and its new ownership is very not good and that she intends to win whatever battle they are in. I say all of that because this new sound and vibe and era of Taylor Swift might very well prompt questions about why or what this means for her future or if she did this as a gimmick or what have you.

I certainly can’t speak for Taylor Swift or her internal motives, but I think there’s a very real chance that what this album represents is a chance for Taylor Swift to show that she is a storytelling songwriter and has those chops without a need for flashy pop production. We’ve seen it once in a while in her adult pop star life, and when she did it as a teenager it didn’t have the life experience or weight behind it – which is why it all feels different and heavier now.

This is the closest to country songwriting that Swift has been on a complete album of her own since she left the genre. And if she never records another country album and instead goes back to a polished pop sound for the rest of her career, folklore should stand as the album we can all look at to show what she is very capable of as a songwriter and performer.

I reached out to my pal Elizabeth Di Filippo (Lifestyle Editor at Yahoo Style Canada) and big Taylor Swift fan to ask her for her thoughts and to pick a song that she loves so far (with less than a day to really dive into the album). Here’s what she said…

“My favourite song on the entire album so far is mad woman. I feel like it’s haunting, but has such an edge to it that we’ve never seen from Taylor before. She’s done revenge songs before, playfully (Better Than Revenge, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things), but mad woman is far more mature, lyrically and musically. It gave me chills.”

Here’s mad woman.

Thanks for Elizabeth for sharing her thoughts and pick!

Here’s my wrap… folklore is an unexpected surprise album in more ways than one. We didn’t get the pomp and circumstance that we’re accustomed to with Taylor Swift releases. And we didn’t get the pop jams that we’ve become used to over the last half dozen years. What we got was an exercise in songwriting, storytelling, and stylistic experimentation from the 30-year-old star. As her eighth studio album, folklore will either be the start of a new era in Taylor Swift’s career, or it will be an outlier that we’ll always look at as her quarantine dreamscape of indie-rock influenced imagination.

Check out the full tracklist, including the bonus track only available on the physical copies, and hit play on the stream of folklore now. Enjoy.

Taylor Swift, folklore Tracklist

1. the 1 2. cardigan 3. the last great american dynasty 4. exile (ft. Bon Iver) 5. my tears ricochet 6. mirrorball 7. seven 8. august 9. this is me trying 10. illicit affairs 11. invisible string 12. mad woman 13. epiphany 14. betty 15. peace 16. hoax Bonus. the lakes



Taylor Swift, folklore Album Review Taylor Swift broke tradition and gave us all less than 24 hours notice that she had an entire new album on the way less than a year after her last release (

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This is part of my Music Monday series on my blog, where I talk all things music, from recommending songs to discussing my favourite music videos to compiling playlists based on prompts.

Summer is over!

I don’t want to say finally, because being off University has been pretty great, but I’m also so relieved the weather is going to get cooler. The weather fluctuated between INCREDIBLY HOT and ACTUALLY IT’S QUITE CHILLY in July and August and I just want it to be over please oh please.

So for Music Monday I figured I should do a little wrap up of the music I’ve enjoyed! I’ve made about 5 new music playlists for absolutely no reason at all other than I have no self control, and I keep having to edit down my 2019 playlist due to impulsively adding songs and then realising two weeks later that I honestly didn’t really love the song that much.

FAVOURITE SOLO ARTIST

My favourite solo artist this Summer was probably Sigrid. Generally with solo artists I get into one or two of their songs, and while those songs list in my favourite songs, the artist generally isn’t a new top favourite.

I’ve been a fan of Sigrid since 2017, and I finally felt like I was in the right space to listen to her new album Sucker Punch, which ended up solidifying her as one of my new favourite solo artists. She has a really intriguing voice and I love that you could dance to over half of this album because of how upbeat it is. There’s something to be said for lyrics that aren’t complicated, are easy to understand, because sometimes that makes them all the more relatable for a listener.

I also love how so much of her music is inspired by more than just romantic issues. There are crushes and friendship songs, songs about breaking free from toxic friendships– something that helped me as I reconcile with some of the more toxic elements of relationships I’ve had in the past– and there’s also a song inspired by not only Studio Ghibli, but also her attempt to control her image in the media, which is something I always love in music. Artists can be publicised so much we forget they are real human beings, and hearing their music about their public image is always humbling.

FAVOURITE BAND

  (Take This To Your Grave isn’t here because it wouldn’t fit, don’t fight me)

2008 Connie and 2019 Connie have one thing in common, and that’s their intense adoration of rock bands that formed in the 2000s. I’ve always been a fan of Fall Out Boy since I was little, but it’s only the past year I’ve actually started listening to all of their discography properly and begun appreciating what they’ve come out with.

This might be divisive, but I honestly think Fall Out Boy, of the ol’ rock/punk rock scene, have had the most consistently good albums since their debut. I think other bands have had decent albums and, in some cases, bad ones that only have one or two good songs in my opinion (Paramore’s self-titled album, I’msosorry), but not ones that have absolute hits.

Fall Out Boy are always great for me, every song on their albums that I’ve heard so far, and that’s why they are my favourite band of the Summer. They’ve changed with the times and the kind of music that’s popular in the moment without ever losing what made their earlier music so great. It’s just all very idiosyncratic, from the music videos to the content to the actual song titles, and I love them.

ALBUMS I LIKED

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Doom Days // Bastille

While doing some research on this album, I discovered that the concept for Doom Days is that it follows different points in the night at a party, a party that has a lot of “turbulent emotional chaos”. This explains why I love it so much.

In general, Bastille are a band that put a lot of thought into their music, and I think some really visceral imagery can be created from the concepts they shape the album around.

The titular song is actually my favourite of the album. It describes escapism from modern anxiety, and how, no matter how fucked the world is, you need to shut off sometimes. I struggle a lot with this– I constantly describe my own anxiety, something that I struggle with a lot, as having an IV line of straight modern horror flowing into me that I can’t disconnect from– and I think, as a song, it confronts modern fear– from climate change denial to porn addiction– without ever demonising those who make the decision to shut their brains off from it sometimes.

I think the Peter Pan reference especially reaffirms this. Yes, Peter Pan himself is a symbol of innocence, but at its core, Peter Pan’s narrative is about a girl who finds escape from the ‘real world’ long enough to figure out the issues of adulthood and growing up without losing herself along the way. In a way, that’s what this song, and the rest of the album, enforce. Escapism is good sometimes.

Third Eye Blind // Third Eye Blind

God of Wine has been one of my favourite songs for god knows how long, and after listening to a really bizarre mash-up of Welcome to the Black Parade with Semi-Charmed Life, I finally figured I should give the rest of the band’s music a try.

I’ve started with their self-titled first album, just because it’s easiest as I make my way through their discography, but I kind of stopped on this one. I just really love it. It mixes different sounds, sometimes crossing several in one song (Narcolepsy has an ending that jolts you out of your seat), with grim lyrics reflecting on suicide and mental health conditions, crystal meth, and sexual abuse.

Fun story: Semi-Charmed Life was very familiar to me before I’d even listened to the album, and when I researched into it, I realised that was because it was used in trailers for The Tigger Movie and, as a massive Winnie the Pooh fan and YouTube user, I had most definitely seen the trailer when I was younger and not put the pieces together. These trailers were obviously recalled because the song is about crystal meth, but I just think that’s a fun look into how little people actually pay attention to lyrics!

Sucker Punch // Sigrid

I’ve obviously discussed Sigrid in length earlier in this post, so I won’t say as much here. My favourite songs on the album are Basic, Don’t Kill My Vibe, and Business Dinners.

FAVOURITE SONGS

Arms Unfolding // Dodie

Oh, our fire died last Winter 

Heavy Metal Heart // Sky Ferreira

I describe the chorus and instrumentals of this as the musical equivalent of a headache, and I stand by that. Sky Ferreira’s voice is great, and I love the chaotic noisiness of this song.

Django Jane // Janelle Monáe

I actually only just listened to Dirty Computer. I tend to prolong listening to things until well after the hype surrounding them dies down, and I’m glad I did, as I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed the album otherwise.

I’m With You // Avril Lavigne

Can you tell I grew up goth? I remember memorising the lyrics to this when I was in year 3.

The Archer // Taylor Swift

Definitely the best song to come out of Taylor Swift’s latest album so far! I love the juxtaposition in the lyrics. I also wrote a whole post assigning her songs to Shakespeare Plays, if you’re interested in that sort of thing!

goodnight n go // Ariana Grande

I… don’t have much to say about this? It’s one of three songs I actually like off Sweetener. 

A Brand New Day // BTS&Zara Larsson

Everytime the first notes of this song play I get immediately hyped. I love the instruments used in this song, and I think the voices and sounds of the different collaborators in this (V and J-Hope, and Zara) all compliment each other really well.

Nightmare // Halsey

I Smile // DAY6

DAY6 were sold to me as a Korean rock group and I immediately jumped on that. I really love their album Sunrise.

Doom Days // Bastille

Someone You Loved // Lewis Capaldi

This has some iffy messages, especially concerning the idea of your partner– or a sole person– as a sort of therapist instead of pursuing other avenues (i.e. actual, paid-for therapy) to help you begin to tackle emotional issues. I do love Lewis Capaldi’s voice, though, and I think there are more ways to look at the song than just that. Remember kids: it’s okay to ask for help from loved ones and there should be a quid pro quo of support, but if your emotional issues are that bad, please seek professional help!

Kataomoi // Aimer

Baby Don’t Stop // NCT U

After how much time I’ve spent crafting paragraphs about music I love and trying to remain somewhat intelligent, I’m breaking that here: this song is just sexy. That’s the whole reason I love it. I’m sorry.

Ça Ira // Joyce Jonathan

This is a really fun song, it kind of reminds me of Sara Bareilles, only French. The fact that the music video is staged as her going on blind dates with people of all genders  is also really adorable and not something I see a lot of in music videos!

FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEOS

Spring Day // BTS

I spend most of my time attempting to deconstruct every music video BTS have ever come out with, but Spring Day is almost the be-all-end-all for me. There’s so many layers to this music video, from the philosophical references– The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin is a direct inspiration for the music video– to its context within the general BTS ‘Universe’ they’ve created with their music videos. I know this isn’t considered a direct part of the BTSU, but it is to me, and I love it. I really love the music video for Lights as well!

Nightmare // Halsey

This is a fact not many people know about, but I desperately wanted to both be in a rock/heavy metal band when I was younger, and also date someone in a heavy metal band. So all of those black and white sequences of Halsey as the frontwoman for a rock band are honestly my favourite thing ever. I love the messages of this song; I know people are divisive over their opinion on Halsey, but I’ve always loved her honesty, so I really love this song.

Kataomoi // Aimer

It’s a very quiet music video and I love that! People can do a lot with smaller budgets and minimal people partaking, I think this music video is beautiful. My best friend actually recommended this song to me with the assurance that Namjoon from BTS talked about it before.

Winter Bear // V

Speaking of quiet music videos: THIS. It’s soft and mostly uses shots and clips V got himself walking around and touring, including a few Jimin got for him. I’m very much on both ends of the spectrum concerning music videos: I love so many large-budgets videos, but I also love ones that are minimalist and filmed on smaller budgets (if you don’t count the cost of what Taehyung is wearing, obviously).

What have you listened to this Summer? I’d love some music video recommendations especially, I think it’s amazing how carefully people can form stories and messages without ever using speech, especially when the imagery isn’t overt and you can do research into shots used to understand what it could mean.

Thank you for reading!

If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi. 

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Music I Enjoyed This Summer This is part of my Music Monday series on my blog, where I talk all things music, from recommending songs to discussing my favourite music videos to compiling playlists based on prompts.

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Taylor Swift is not afraid of the drama. Shes been publicly shaming her enemies and taking on giants of the music industry for more than a decade. She often wins, and her shade beams can be lethal.

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Take this weeks incident with Katy Perry. The two have been at war for a whileand Swift has claimed a guerrilla victory in their most recent face-off.

She dropped her entire discography on Spotify the very same day Perry released her latest album, , and although it may not be lethal for Perry, Swifts throwbacks are currently outperforming her latest, which has got to sting. Shade successfully thrown.

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The Perry/Swift feud has been highly publicized and dissected, but Perry is by no means the only one who has been the target of Swifts razor-sharp shade daggers.

From boyfriends to fans, on stages and on MySpace, its been a pretty wild ride here are some highlights.

When she shaded Joe Jonas on MySpace (and a million other times).

Joe Jonas broke up with Taylor Swift on a 27-second phone call an act he may never (ever) live down.

Swift mentioned it on Ellenin 2008 and again in her 2009 SNL musical monologue, where Swift referenced Jonas by name after singing, I like writing songs about douchebags who cheat on me I like writing their names into songs so that theyre ashamed to go in public.

But the very best time she called out Jonas was in a MySpace video (because yes, Taylor Swift, has been famous long enough to have had a relevant presence on MySpace) where she held up a Joe Jonas doll and commented, See, this one even comes with a phone so he can break up with other dolls.Nice.

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When she got her Revenge on Camilla Belle.

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Speaking of Joe Jonas, Swift allegedly wrote the biting Better Than Revenge off her 2010 album, , about Camilla Belle the actress who was rumored to have stolen Jonas from her faster than you can say sabotage.

Swift wrote, Shes better known for the things that she does on the mattress, whoa.

Slut-shaming? Yeah. Shade throwing? For sure.

But this is Taylor, after all, and she wants us to know she always gets the last word.

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When she shaded Harry Styles at the VMAstwice.

Swift and Styles dated from December 2012 to January 2013 and then broke up in the Antilles,which left us with thisphoto of Swift alone on a yacht looking sad

Flying ray? more like flying solo LMFAO #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/X2VbLEpt

Addison's Disease (@MeowAddison) January 5, 2013

and this photo of Styles in Richard Bransons hot tub looking very happy.

Harry Styles with Richard Branson on Necker Island pic.twitter.com/0akhZYYl

Yassssss (@bisonstyles) January 6, 2013

When Taylor accepted her VMA for Female Video of the Year for I Knew You Were Trouble later that year, she grinned as she remarked, I also want to thank the person who inspired this song, who knows exactly who he is.

The camera then panned to One Direction, to catch Harry staring at the ceiling and the rest of his bandmates chattering.

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Later that night, when One Direction was presenting Best Pop Video, Swift turned to BFF Selena Gomez and seemed to mouth shut the f*ck up in a rare moment of off-brand profanity.

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Though, to be fair, telling her exes to shut the f*ck up is quintessentially on-brand for Swift.

Thats a lot of shade, and we havent even mentioned all thecompelling evidencethat may prove shewrote a lot of about Styles.We dont have time to get into it, but just know that it includes a snowmobile accident, one or maybe two paper plane necklace(s), a fake British accent, James Dean, and alot of references to dreamy green eyes. Well!

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When she gave clues about several exes in liner notes.

Dedicated Swifties are well aware of Taylors desire to give bits of herself and her songs away with clues and callouts. And what better way to hide these messages and up your CD sales than putting them in liner notes?

In the notes of her 2012 album, certain letters are capitalized in the lyrics to Everything Has Changed to spell out Hyannis Port famously the home of Swifts former fling Conor Kennedy.

The capitalized letters in her All Too Well lyrics spell out Maple Latte an allusion to the drinks she and Jake Gyllenhaal allegedly enjoyed on one of their dates.

REX/Shutterstock

The liner notesfor Shouldve said no spell out Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam you know, because she reportedly had a boyfriend in high school named Sam.

She does this for literally all of her songs. A full list of the secret messages can be found here.

When she had some choice words for Kanye.

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At this point, were familiar with the trend of Swift writing songs about people in her life without doing much to hide their identities (See: Dear John about John Mayer and Hey Stephen about a 2008 crush, Stephen Liles, for example).

Her career-altering encounter with Kanye West at the 2009 VMAs was no exception. She penned Innocent about the incident, saying Its okay, life is a tough crowd, 32, and still growin up now. Although, to be fair, the message of the song is pretty forgiving, so not exactly shade.

The events of 2016 changed that, but its honestly too much to re-hash here researching the mythology of T. Swizzle is a bit like taking a wrong turn and falling down a rabbit hole, so to speak.

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When she dissed Bieber, basically to his face.

Who have beef with Justin Bieber in 2016?

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In a true act of shading, when Bieber ended his performance a the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Swift dropped a two-clap drink sip and seemed to say very calmly,Next.

It was a diss cold enough to remind everyone that Bieber might be big, but Swift is still bigger.

And like Bieber, Swift isone of those stars whose myth seems to be never-ending. Her brand has been masterfully crafted into legendand her social web has been spun totangle up half of young Hollywood.

So, whether you like her or not or respect her many acts of shade throwing or not shes the kind of star thatsgonna stick around forever. And probably keep throwing shade the whole time.