Taylor Swift’s Lover is out right now. Taylor Swift wants the entire Snake Fam to download the album on multiple platforms AND go out and buy multiple hard copies of the album. I haven’t had the chance to listen to every single song yet, but I’m actually getting a vague 1989 feel – as in, some of these songs absolutely sound like Tay-from-two-albums-ago. It’s like Reputation never happened, huh? She also released the official music video for “Lover.”
I don’t get this at all, and I’m saying that as someone who actually *likes* the song. This song is so sweet and lowkey, there was no need for this kind of twee, sugary, over-the-top video with all of these sets. The video could have been Taylor in a cute dress, singing to a guy in a barn. And it would have been a better reflection of the lyrics too.
Other songs on this album – you can hear “Daylight” here. It sounds like a dozen other Taylor Swift songs, and it has a very 1989 vibe, honestly. Why are people hyping “Paper Rings”? It’s… not very good? “The Man” is about the patriarchy:
Here’s “Cruel Summer,” which unfortunately is not a cover of the amazing Bananarama song. *cough* You know Kanye had an album called Cruel Summer too. *cough*
Here’s “London Boy,” with Idris Elba at the start… well…it’s about how she loves a British boy.
Photos courtesy of Taylor Swift’s social media.
Haven’t listened to the whole album because I’ve had Cornelia Street on repeat.
Haha I’m doing the same with Cruel Summer.
I know there will for sure be songs on this album that make me roll my eyes, but Taylor can still pull off a great bop when she tries.
co-sign with Cruel Summer. I really like Miss Americana too
I’m with you! I’ve listened to the whole album and I like most of the tracks but keep coming back to Cornelia Street.
Cornelia Street is so damn good but it’s hard for me to pick a favorite!
I actually really like the album. Once again she picked terrible lead singles, the only single that I really liked was lover which is fantastic in my opinion. to me the album seems like if 1989 and reputation had a baby. there’s a couple skippable songs for sure, but any album with 18th songs is going to have that.
I also really love that shout out to Leo in the man haha.
I’ve listened to half of it so far and I’ve liked it. Terrible single choices, there are much better options on the album.
The album is good, and I’m not her demographic. I hate her voice, though. I would die to see someone like Lizzo cover some of these songs. She would tear them up and make them kick.
ETA She should sing every song in the voice she used in The Man, more soulful.
I actually like the video
I’m happily surprised at the diversity. Tay Tay is growing up and giving the middle finger to the establishment.
That was my thought too. Stupid that I have to even notice it, but it stands out considering who she’s avoided offending in the past.
It’s an intentional middle finger to the White Nationalists who tried to claim her and the guy is a friend/musician/ dancer from her tour and she’s promoting his music with it so I love it in multiple ways.
Having a man of color in the video is like a slap at the white nationalist fans, I’m surprised CB doesnt even mention it.
I’m surprised how much I liked this album. Thank god it’s different than reputation. But yeah didn’t get the love for Paper Rings, it’s bad. ME! and You Need to Calm Down are still the worst songs of the album, but London Boy was close. And if she wanted a “woke” song as a single, she should’ve chosen The Man since it’s actually good.
The highlights to me were Death by Thousand Cuts (what an amazing bridge) and Lover.
PS: is Forgot That You Existed supposed to be about Karlie?
I think based on the lyrics that she’s trying to say that her and Joe had a close friendship before they started a relationship. there’s references to being friends first all over the album, and in the song dress from reputation. and the songs seem to be pretty clearly about Joe.
me! is trash and should have been left off the album, but I actually really like London boy.
I like The Man. I will prob give the album a try.
The Man is actually exceptional (I can’t believe I’m saying that about a Taylor Swift song).
Agreed. I can be a total music snob, but there are some truly fantastic songs here – “The Man” in particular.
I actually love the video. I love how the vibe of each set goes along with the beat.
The best songs on the album:
– cruel summer
– Cornelia street
– Lover
– Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince
– False God
– Afterglow
Well, I for one am not a Taylor fan and don’t really know her previous albums, just songs here and there, and while I don’t like the aesthetics of this album or the first songs that were put out (ME!, You need to calm again), I think it’s a really nice album to listen to overall, with good rhythmic songs (ehem, Paper Rings) , some great ballads (Soon you’ll get better) and very nice lyrics overall. I actually I think I like them all except three or four. Also, the video for Lover is all wrong for the song, what a pity.
Just heard Lover today (the song, not the album) and it’s not bad. Looking forward or hearing the rest of the album as I liked 1989.
Its alright, actually. A lot of different styles, some good, some bad and a lot of wedding playlist material – Paper Rings will be on all of them.
I went for the Dixie Chicks collab first, and its gut wrenching.
There was a lot of criticism about her choice of singles, but I think with Me! (as with LWYMMD) as first singles its more about the videos and visually announcing (all the hidden clues) the album and teasing the tone, they don’t necessarily need to fit in with the rest.
Didn’t she say that GoT was the inspiration behind many of her lyrics? Because Daylight screams Arya and Gendry to me (I’m still sad about that btw).
she said that was for reputation. which didn’t make any sense but 🤷
Look What You Made Me Do makes so much sense if you think about it as told from Arya’s perspective IMO
The album is far better than Reputation and is getting good reviews. While I get putting out the more catchy songs, which aren’t always as good, as lead singles she really screwed up in this case because Me! and YNTCD were just plain meh and I suspect the semi-bad buzz might even hurt her initial album sales. Paper Rings would have been a good lead single, imo, or The Man.
Cornelia Street on repeat the whole day. Also love Cruel Summer, Death by a Thousand Cuts, Daylight and of course Lover and Archer, etc.. lots of soft dreamy melodies which makes for a pleasant time just chilling while listening. Soon You’ll Be Better made me tear up.
I like the video too especially the fishbowl part and how he got in with her.
Yeah, apparently I’m still going through heartbreak cause Cornelia Street and Death by a thousand cuts got me weeping.
I’m feeling it…
Song…
Video…
Lyrics….
I really wanted to like this album because I hoped it would have some lovely love songs and contemporary pop ballads but I’m super dissappointed. The album matches the aesthetic in that it’s shockingly twee and cutesy and regressive. I liked Afterglow and maybe I’ll listen to False God again but the songs are soo forgettable and elementary. Jack Antanoff’s influence seems to permeate the entire album but he needs strong lyrics and a unique voice to elevate his work and both of those things are entirely absent here. This isn’t the album I would have expected from a 30 year old and even songs like ‘The Man’ are a few years too late, in every way. Plus, starting the album with a dig at Kanye? It’s all so boring and I’m dissappointed.
I thought/suspect/think IFTYE was for– Calvin?
>>
Got out some popcorn
As soon as my rep started going down, down, down
Laughed on the school yard
As soon as I tripped up and hit the ground, ground, ground
And I would’ve stuck around for ya
Would’ve fought the whole town, so yeah
Would’ve been right there, front row
Even if nobody came to your show
The lyric about ‘rent free’ makes me suspect it was about Karlie. Didn’t she have her own room at Taylor’s apartment?
Hmm yeah, you guys are probably right! The whole ‘front row, go to your show’ thing is probably about Karlie and modelling. I think I just heard her referencing schoolyard bullies and immediately blocked out the rest of the song.
make sense, ‘show’ can also be fashion show
I don’t think IFTYE has anything to do with Kanye. My first guess is that it’s about Calvin, second guess is that it’s about her and Karlie’s friendship ending.
Yeah, thinking it’s either Calvin or Karlie.
I think it is 100% Karlie. She and Calvin were already done when the Kanye/Kim recording stuff happened and I think that is what she is referring too.
@Smalltown Girl They had just split, and he added to the fray with a Twitter message calling her out saying that “I know you’re off tour and need someone new to bury like Katy etc” and I think liked some tweets about the whole mess. The whole “grabbed popcorn and watched my downfall” along with the stuff about going to a show and being in the front row made me think it was him. Especially since she was in a selfie with Karlie as recently as a year ago when Karlie went to one of her shows, so that was 2 years after the Kim/Kanye stuff.
Plus, she’s forgotten he existed so much that he has managed to not have any songs released about him, despite being by far her longest public relationship outside of Joe.
Agreed, Pixie. I usually like the majority of Taylor’s music but I couldn’t believe how boring this album was. Every song sounded similar and just had juvenile lyrics. I’m kinda surprised so many people on here like it, because I think it’s her worst album. Reputation was much better, imo. But I think this is perfect Taylor. She gets praised for even her mediocrity.
I actually think that 1989 is her worst album (well, I ignore the first two except for You Belong With Me, anyway). I still don’t understand all the love for that album.
I think this is tied with reputation for my favorite, and then Speak Now and Red are tied for second.
I put it on this morning and so far I like it. The Man is my favorite so far, the one that caught my attention.
Wait… Taylor Swift has a non white lead as a love interest in her music video? Wooowwwwwww. Her? She’s always come across as so white, tbh.
I cried so hard listening to soon you’ll get better 🙁 cruel summer and the man are my favorites so far
Oh,that’s the song I am referring to in my comment below, I liked what I heard of it.Just didn’t hear enough to really get it,but it was emotional.
Heard one of her new songs while driving my daughter to school,she’s 16,and will probably download the album.I guess after so many years Taylor is growing on me..But she’s what almost 30?And I still think her demographic is the teenage girl set,not a put down,and she’s definitely showing more maturity lately??IDK.The song I heard was a ballad,but didn’t hear it all.And don’t know which one it was,but it seemed nice.
I think this album will compete with 1989 in terms of popularity.Decent.
My Opinion on the album:
– I love how this album has some nods to her country roots (Lover, Paper Rings (which is SUCH a fun summer bop btw, it has so much energy and THAT CHORUS) and Soon You’ll Get Better (also, is no one gonna talk about the fact that the DIXIE CHICKS are featured on this? I only discovered this group a few years ago thanks to my dad and liked their music instantly, it was sad to hear how the country music Industry basically shunned them for voicing their opinion!)
– Soon You’ll Get Better is also about her mother’s battle with cancer. It’s heartbrekingly beautiful
– About the pop songs that make up the rest of the album: Cornelia Street is pop perfection. So are Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, Cruel Summer, The Man and Death by A Thousand Cuts
– Is it me or do ME! and YNTCD feel kinda out of place on this album? Like when they were released as Singles, I liked them for what they were but now I prefer most of the othe tracks to them. It was the same for me with Shake it Off vs. the rest of 1989, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble and 22 vs. the rest of Red and Mine vs. the rest of Speak Now
She has nights in Brixton?! Photos or it didn’t happen, Tay
@OriginalRose – right? I can’t see it.
Lover sounds like music from an Anthropologie store
The opening reminds me of Mazzy Star fade into you
Its a great song
The video is lovely
its all working for me
agreed. being anthropologie music isn’t necessarily a bad thing- I love shopping there.
I’ve only listened to a few of the songs and I actually like them. The first two singles were terrible so I was prepared for cheesey teeny-bopper music but I’m pleasantly surprised. Not that I’m going to go buy the album (let alone FOUR different versions of it?!), but it’s definitely something I’ll stream from time to time.
Death By a Thousand CATS is what I keep misreading track 10 as, hahaha.
All the more power to her for wanting to re-record her albums. What a trailblazer! She’s clever and I’m sure she’ll find a way to get people to re-buy them. I’m curious though, her last three albums and half of Red were highly produced, as in every inch was filled with several layers of sound. Will she re-record in the same vein, or will she duplicate her earlier, stripped down sound?
Here’s an idea… re-do the more acoustic songs with the current electronic aesthetic, and vice verse… I’d be into hearing that 🙂
I hope she records them kind of differently, personally. I’m excited to hear her old songs with her improved vocals, though.
I’m surprised by how much I liked the album based on how much I hated the first two singles, even if that’s been her pattern in the past. Cruel Summer is probably my favorite but I think Paper Rings is fun and will be used to death on wedding playlists.
I want to give her props for featuring an interracial couple, and the little girl/snowglobe thing is cute, but … she has zero chemistry with the male lead. She is just not a woman who can pull off “romantic chemistry” in a meaningful way–the closest she’s come is the Blank Space video, but that was supposed to be dysfunctional relationship. Hmm.
I mean, the actor projected chemistry with the other women in the video in their 2 seconds or so of screen time, so I’m not blaming him.
He’s a friend/ colleague from her tour so I think you see that in a few of the scenes when they’re having more fun/ laughing.
That makes sense. They seem like people who like each other fine, but I got no vibe that either has even the tiniest hint of actual sexual interest in the other.
I got through 3 songs on my way to park my truck this morning to go to work and I found myself smiling the whole time. I love pop Taylor. I hate pop music but she is my all-time guilty pleasure. I don’t listen to radio or pay attention to ‘singles’, I wait for whole albums and I go to it. So far I totally feel 1989, which is fine. I loved that album!
I also downloaded the new Tanya Tucker today and am so excited to give that a listen as well!
I thought this album was going to be so saccarine, I’m not a fan of the whole pastel esthetic. But I’m getting married in a month and keep listening to Paper Rings and Lover and I just get so sappy. It’s cute.
I just watched the video with my 7 year old and she was enraptured. My husband is black and I’m white and my daughter was thrilled that she was represented in a Taylor Swift video. She even already has the same pajamas as the little girl! It seriously made her day.
Well, that just warmed my Grinch heart on all the levels.
Oh, this is beautiful. Representation matters.
I love the whole album so much. The production is fun and original, the lyrics are fantastic and varied. I totally agree that Forgot You Existed is about Karlie. I don’t think she spent that much time thinking about Calvin, since she admitted she wanted to break up with him on Reputation.
I adore The Man, London Boy, Cruel Summer, I Think He Knows… most everything. The only thing I was hoping for was more of a banger w/ the Dixie Chicks. Maybe something ripping up Trump. But I’m sure they’re saving that for their album.
I’m surprised by the fact that I love all the songs on Lover, except for Paper Rings and False God.
The line about Leo in The Man made me laugh out loud and Soon You’ll Get Better made me tear up. I also like Cornelia Street and The Archer a lot (and You Need To Calm Down and London Boy are fun to listen to).
But my favorite songs on the album are Cruel Summer (I really hope it’s gonna be a single), Miss Americana and the Heatbreak Prince (which gives me Lana Del Rey vibes), Death By A thousand Cuts and Afterglow.
Does anynone else think Cruel Summer is Getaway Car 2.0 and that Taylor is singing about Tom Hiddleston in it ? Because she’s clearly hinting at summer 2016 in it, isn’t she ? I’m also curious to know who she’s talking about in Death by A Thousand Cuts (people say it’s either Calvin or Tom) and in Afterglow – some people think it’s about Tom but I think she’s talking about her fights with Joe.
I think Cruel Summer is Joe-song, it has similar sentiments with Ready for It/Delicate, ie. she’s dooming herself and struggles with being vulnerable but cannot help it (because guy is hot?). Also ‘blue’ is in the lyrics.
Death by A Thousand Cuts is– idk. It doesn’t fit with the narrative timeline, there is no significant ex anywhere recent, so either delayed release/old reworked song or not a ‘blind item’ (or it’s about Karlie, sure. Or similarly unpublicized/hidden relationship).
And yep Afterglow looks like another Joe-song (I always wonder what he thinks about having songs upon songs– *two albums* thrown at him. Mostly gushing how hot he is).
But yes, my headcanon is that Getaway Car and Cruel Summer overlaps or very closely one after another/ same summer of 2016. Two sides of the same timeline?
Her own diary tells us she didn’t get with Joe until October, but in cruel summer we are to believe she told Joe she love him in the summer. This song is about Tom. Maybe that’s why she was so pissed. Imagine falling hard and someone doesn’t feel the same.
Yes. She liked many aspects of her relationship with Tom and felt honor-bound to alert him to this “Joe” person in the background, but Joe was still on the fence. And she really, really did like Tom’s garden, so she gave into temptation and didn’t divulge the potential “other man”. Throw in the cultural differences between men and women and maybe especially between proper British gentlemen used to posh male privilege … and romantic, relationship-oriented women. I don’t think he was trying to lead her on… At least, his gentlemanly behavior and obsession with kindness served her well after the break-up.
It sounds like a very cruel summer for her. Inwardly confusing and frustrating, outwardly an unstoppable circus. Seeing a new, non-angelic side of herself. Thirsting for someone who perhaps didn’t reciprocate. Being gob-smacked by discovering her deep desire for a conventional long-term relationship. But self-knowledge and love as the reward.
It should be an opera! Or at least an aria! (LB we say about the same thing and I hope I don’t jump over your well thought-out comment)
Yes, I think Cruel Summer is about the fact there was a kind of emotional overlap between Tom and Joe. Taylor is supposed to have met them at the same time, at the Met Gala. So she met Joe, had an instant crush on him but as she was not sure how he felt about her (or maybe he was not single at that time), they were only friends in the beginning (she sings about that in Paper Rings and It’s Nice to Have a Friend).
Meanwhile she needed a reason to dump Calvin so she startet dating Hiddles, because… he was available and smitten with her ? Or maybe she really liked him, too.
And maybe she really tried to make things work with Tom, so that’s why they kind of went overboard with the romantic trips, meetings with families, swan pastries and I heart T.S shirt ?
But her friendship with Joe quickly developed into something else, she felt suddenly trapped in her relationship with Tom and it became a “cruel summer”. But then Joe told her he loved her too so… bye bye Tom ?
I don’t know but if I’m right that’s a really bad timing for everyone involved !
Her song The Man sounds like “Forever” from Haim.
You can’t not tear up when listening to “Soon you’ll get better”, especially if you had a loved one touched by cancer. False God is a whole mood too.
I feel like Lover is a much better album than Reputation if only because it comes from a much better place.
This is the reason I haven’t listened to it. A bit too close hitting.
I love the song and I’m cool with the video. I can’t wait to see the outfits Swifties come up with when the tour starts. The pop culture Cosplay that comes with Tay Tay is a delight. I’m listening to the new album right now and so far Lover is still my favorite song.
Great album ! Wow all of the videos really do match.
I’m not surprised she chose a man of colour as it was said a lot that she wouldn’t ever do that. However she already lost the déplorables by coming out for gay rights and Democrats, right?! It’s nice (and it seems rare) to have that kind of representation, white woman with man of colour. That said I’m not sure they have any chemistry. Maybe them both not being professional actors plus they will continue a working relationship doesn’t help with getting chemistry on camera. He’s cute though!
I love how Taylor’s basically trolling the Deplorables at this point. She’s also getting a few digs in at fake “Christians” too on this album.
She seems to be like “So they think I’m their alt-right Barbie? Let’s burn this muthaf**ker down.”
I also appreciate the fact that she’s creating opportunities for friends/colleagues like Todrick and this dude in her videos.
Cornelia Street and the one about her mom’s battle with cancer, Soon you’ll Get Better, are standouts to me on first listen. They sound more like Red-era Taylor (my favourite era). Her singles and the over-produced pop are her weakest offerings. She should stick to heartfelt, guitar songs and the soft Jack Antonoff synths as that’s where she shines.
So is Afterglow her second ever apology song? I think Remember December was the last one.
Am not in her demographic but there is usually a few songs from her albums that I can listen to. Her lyrics are simplistic (she’s no Shakespeare) and she has a good production team around her that helps but yeah this new album is very much like 1989 but then again she writes about the same things with every album.
I like Lover, The Archer, The Man and Cornelia Street. Didn’t much like the songs she released as lead singles thou I can see why she went with You Need to Calm Down.
I am 41, obviously not her demographic but have always liked many of her songs. I think calm down is great!
I’m actually surprised how much I like it. Lover gives me 90’s cowboy junkies feels.
I just don’t get how she can write this new song many interpret as her cheating. So we are to think she’s a cheater. It happens. But let’s not forget her last album where she wrote a song & made a video that shamed that very person she now tells us she cheated on (at least emotionally if not physically too). It’s just so mean, don’t you think? I don’t believe that narrative because no way in hell would her ex who was treated that way say such lovely things about her months afterwards (kind, lovely, we had the best time together). I think she was was broken, fell hard, & this unrequited love by her now ex bf, or the fact he didn’t want her enough to stick with her in this state, it broke her even worse, and that’s why her ex handled her with kid gloves during that interview months later.
Which ex? Tom? I don’t think cheating happens really, but overlap periods of feelings, I mean, rebound boyfriend and all. She owned up using him as Getaway Car from the longest relationship she ever had. The best thing you can do in that sort of messy situation is to break up with them as cleanly as possible.
Yeah I can see breaking up cleanly. But like you said, she used him. And then he says she’s kind, lovely, we had a great time together? And ex who had been used, I’m not saying he would hate her, but calling someone who used you lovely and kind doesn’t make sense to me anyways.
Well it’s not like he can say otherwise. Can you imagine the (even worse!) ridicule/reports about Hiddles being a grumpy scorned ex of Taylor Swift? (Like Calvin lol)
True. He couldn’t have insulted her, that’s for sure. But Tom has an amazing command of language & could have easily given some neutral statement that did neither compliment or insult. But if he thought she was in the midst of a mental breakdown, now that might drive him to give her compliments because he felt compassion for her or didn’t want to feel responsible for making her mental state worse.
It’s a serviceable pop album. Fun to listen to but not my favorite. It doesn’t have any stand out songs to me, but it’s better than the singles suggest.
I love this album! I also love how she put herself at Leo’s level. It’s so true, too! 😂