Taylor Swift - Midnights (October 21, 2022) Album • Page 163

What is shocking about “ME!” though? I mean, other than how bad it is.

 

It's a full, complete, 180 degree flip from reputation, the absolute opposite of what she marketed that whole era as

 

We’re up to Folklore in the TS poll and I think (aside from ST) Lover has the most weak tracks

 

Yeah, but it's ultimately a pretty by-the-numbers bubblegum pop song, which is something everyone knew she could do by that point. And was anyone really expecting Reputation to be the new style going forward? I think I would have been more surprised if she didn't retreat from that sound immediately on the lead single from the following album. Of the pre-release singles from Lover, the only one I was remotely "shocked" by was the title track, just because it was the closest thing she'd done to a country song in seven years.

 

I did “Lover” at a drag performance right before Covid hit. Very special song to me

 

Reputation leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but is always better than I remember (though too many songs have high highs and low lows). I feel like I’m reading heavy revisionist history when I see people talk down on Lover, it’s at worst a middle of the road entry and I thought everyone loved it save for Me. Doesn’t get me as jazzed as her other post-country era records but I like it quite a bit.
Thus, here’s a track by track:

Reputation art: Regardless of how many good vs bad songs are on reputation, the cover/album aesthetic is v bad so the cringe/bad girl/etc parts of the album feel magnified.
1. …ready for it? has an elite pre-chorus but the rest of the song is cringe.
2. End game: Taylor’s “big reputation/heard about you/etc” section and rapping are embarrassing, but the end game/first string/a-team section and the interlude are buttery smooth. Hate Ed Sheeran’s part. Future sounds fine. Song has high highs but some of the lowest lows of her career.
3. IDSB: song is fine, vocals are good, hate the instrumentation of the chorus tho, sounds goofy
4. DBM: probably the best on reputation. Blatant hozier mimicry but this song just sounds sultry and sexy af
5. Delicate: banger top to bottom, no big critique
6. LWYMMD: pre-chorus is catchy but everything else about this song is cringe-y and ugly sounding
7. SIG: kinda like This one, cool vibes
8. Gorgeous: I get why people like it but it doesn’t click with me. Lyrics a bit silly.
9. Getaway car: solid tune, above average song
10. KOMY: also solid, if unexciting. Doesn’t fit on the record much to me but no complaints
11. DWOHR: also probably the best. some days a top 5 Taylor song for me, also super sexy sounding
12. Dress: v elegant song. V good.
13. Nice things: aimless song to me, don’t really like it
14. Love the crooning in this one but I don’t listen to it much
15. I rank this one lower than most but no real reason why. Good song.

Lover: one of my favorite album covers of hers. Cool pivot from rep. Great colors and aesthetic.
1. IFTUE: cute song, dig it
2. Cruel summer: great song, has gotten a bit overrated to me but it’s a jam
3. Lover: insta-classic. The song that launched a thousand weddings, I’m sure
4. The man: good catchy run but I find this song a bit underwhelming melody-wise
5. Archer: good times keep rolling. Reminds me of heartbreak warfare.
6. ITHK: first stinker. Just don’t like the melodies.
7. Americana. This one actually gives me Rep vibes at times but I like it a lot. Catchy. Cool title/lyrics.
8. Paper rings: fun as heck
9. Cornelia street: another highlight. Could’ve fit on, and been among the best on midnights
10. 1000 cuts: another great 4 song run
11. London: not great. Or good.
12. SYGB: quite a good song by itself but doesn’t feel right here. I don’t listen to it.
13. False god: some days my fav on the record. Really love the vibe. Melodies and sax work well together.
14. YNTCD: don’t get the hate for this one, nothing offensive about it. chorus is fun! Cheesy sure but it’s Taylor we’re talking about!
15. Afterglow: dig it, chorus is a winner
16. ME: I’ve never voluntarily listened to it but the hate is hyperbolic (except for the interlude, that’s dreadful).
17. NTHAF: adore this one. So charming!
18. Daylight: it’s fine, I’m getting tired by now

Some parts of reputation really get me excited but overall yea lover is way better

 

You Need to Calm Down is probably the one that would have benefited most from not being a single or at least from Me! not being a single. Def bottom half of record for me, but still pretty fun. Just when the first single is one of your worst songs ever, second single being just good is concerning.

I get the sense people hate I Forgot That You Existed but that song fuckin rules

 

Yeah I suppose, I guess for me it just felt so aggressively COLORFUL after the black and white darkness, it worked to kinda shock people in the sense of whiplash, not as much like "new" if that makes sense

 

looking at the lover tracklist like goddamn it i love that album even the bad songs :(

(except "me")

 

her being too much of a coward to own hey kids spelling is fun is worse than the line at least for me

 

It's still part of my version of the album

 

Not that it rly matters, but I think she stays as private as her partners want to be. I think she likes to be more public about it. she's articulated frustration about private relationships in the past and feeling like her partner was ashamed to be seen with her and how she thinks it feels less normal to try to hide. But she seems to default to her partners preference. I imagine that would be difficult to parse out the difference sometimes tho. Being a celebrity would just be a no go for me in every sense. Gimme more money without more problems plz. I think she wants to be part of a power couple and have that be part of her legacy which is why she tried to go to bat for joe with the grammys. But hard to be a power couple when ur so big there's like no equal to be your other half


ANYWAY this is my Ted talk and this has been interesting for me because it's no secret that I'm overly invested in pop culture and even I'm like wow this is a lot and I thought we'd kinda moved on from speculating about her love life, but I guess it's the clash of two dedicated fanbases.

 

We'll see her true bravery when picture to burn lgbtq version Taylor's version comes out

 

I like Me more than at least one song off every one of her albums.

 

It's just really hard for me to resist starting at Cruel Summer.

 

Heading to Chicago this morning, crazy that our show is next up. Been years. Saw her in 2008 behind self titled, maybe 3 months before “Love Story” dropped, had tickets to reputation and had to sell them. 15 years is definitely the longest I’ve gone between seeing the same artist twice.

 

never heard of ice spice before but her feature is pretty boring and unneeded. it's like when katy perry added kanye on ET, the album version was already fine.

 

Fucking disgusting. Just go to the bathroom like a normal person. You can hear in the bathrooms at most venues

 

There are 44 songs… pick one you don’t love and run.

 

People take things too seriously... like yes I'm sure someone has done it but I'm sure most people are joking/looking for engagement.

 

the womens restroom line was insaaaaaane at my show but the mens line was nothing. so i told my wife and our friends to just use the mens restroom cuz there were empty stalls, and they were in and out super quick haha.

 

I’ve personally never had to go to the bathroom during a show but I’m built different

 

had a top row of the lower bowl aisle seat right next to the empty men's room in nashville. was v nice.

 

This is why Me! should have been in the set

 

I used The Last Great American Dynasty for my bathroom break.