Top 5: The Taylor Swift Edition

Aleish Cuaresma, Web Manager

Some Taylor Swift memorabilia, including magazines, album C.D.s, and friendship bracelets from the Eras Tour. (Aleish Cuaresma)

As a longtime Swiftie, I’ve had the honor to sit through several eras of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. I grew up listening to Swift, but I didn’t become a true fan on my own until “Reputation” released in November of 2017. I love all of Swift’s music dearly as her lyricism is unlike any other, and I adore being able to relate to them, taking what I need from her songs and applying them to my own life.
Her songs have a tempo that is memorable and exciting, but my favorite part of her music is her storytelling. There is no doubt that Taylor Swift is the artist of the century, with all her accomplishments and endeavors, such as the Eras Tour, where the U.S. leg alone grossed at least $1 billion.
She’s also my favorite artist because of her character. She’s not perfect by any means, but has proved time and time again that she truly cares for her fans, and that is something that is unique and special in the fandom.
And with the span of multiple new albums, eras, and even rerecordings, I have finally determined my top five favorite Taylor Swift songs, which is honestly such a feat because I am incredibly indecisive.

"Mastermind"

“Mastermind” (Track 13 on “Midnights”): I always joke that nobody loves this song more than I do. I’ve always been a pop music lover, so there was no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy this track, but after listening to it for the first time, it quickly shot to my favorites. As a hopeless romantic, I’ve always loved Swift’s songs where she details love and soulmates as fate, one that even you can control. “Mastermind” has a catchy beat that just had me as soon as I heard it for the first time and the lyrics are just beautiful, describing someone who schemes to ensure that their love will prevail, and their lover already knows as this is simply part of their persona and nature. It’s unique, sweet, and one of my most favorite songs because of it.

"Call It What You Want"

“Call It What You Want” (Track 14 on “Reputation”): “Call It What You Want” (CIWYW) has always been one of my original favorite Taylor Swift songs and with every listen, I only solidify that more. There’s something so delicate and comforting about this song, from the gentle synth and beat. The lyrics are so Taylor Swift, from the metaphors she uses to describe a love story that is hers and her lover’s alone, not letting outside people determine their relationship. With the context of “Reputation”, which she wrote in a period of her life where she disappeared from the public after numerous fake scandals and an incident with Kanye West, it is simply just a beautiful message accompanied by a steady rhythm.

"You’re On Your Own, Kid"

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” (Track 5 on “Midnights”): I still remember hearing this song for the first time and bawling. As in, tears streaming down my face, major sniffles, and lots of tissues. “You’re On Your Own, Kid” (YOYOK) is one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs because it is one that I am able to relate to a lot. It’s about a young person who wants the perfect relationship, but realizes that they’re alone, and that’s okay. The message that it’s perfectly okay to be alone is so reassuring and the way Swift plays on words to provide a vivid image of what she’s singing about is incredible. The bridge simply has me in a chokehold and of course, this is the origin of the friendship bracelets that are traded at the Eras Tour, a sort of sweet ode to how Taylor Swift has connected fans all across the world. And as the number one YOYOK stan, I will never forgive Taylor Swift for playing this at four Eras Tour shows that weren’t mine (just kidding, but no, seriously, we’re fighting).

“this is me trying”

“this is me trying” (Track 9 on “Folklore”): First of all, how dare Taylor Swift for hurting my feelings like this. “Folklore” was released at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and every song had its own melancholy tone to it, but “this is me trying” (TIMT) had me sadder than I’d ever been. Swift uses a rhythmic beat that I love underneath lyrics that felt like a shot to the heart, beautifully heartbreaking and spinning the tale of someone who’s attempting to heal from whatever it is they need to heal from. There’s a lot of ways that this song could be taken, which I think is incredible and one of the reasons why Swift can reach such a wide fanbase, and this is one of my favorite songs because of how comfortingly sad it is and its lyricism is one of Swift’s strongest.

“You’re Losing Me”

“You’re Losing Me” (Bonus Track on “Midnights”): Okay, now I’m really not joking when I say that I am the number one streamer for this song. “You’re Losing Me” (YLM) was released as a bonus track for her tenth studio album, and it came after the news of Swift’s break-up with longtime boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, made it onto the media. It was a shocker, to say the least, as they had been together for over six years, and YLM details the story of the relationship’s end from Swift’s perspective. A main critique that has followed Swift’s career has been that she only ever writes about ex-boyfriends, but like all artists, she takes her life as her inspiration. It’s only inevitable that she would write about past heartbreaks, and Alwyn was no exception. YLM is probably my favorite of her break-up tracks because it is the most emotional and the most raw. She uses her heartbeat alongside the instruments, and every word in YLM is like a punch to the gut. There’s just something so unique about this song that is unlike any other, and it is heartbreaking in an oddly comforting way because even Taylor Swift hurts. It makes her seem more human, and I think that’s another part of why I love it so much, aside from the fact that I’m a sucker for angsty Taylor Swift songs. Also, the bridge? Taylor Swift is considered a “bridge architect” for a reason because who even comes up with “pathological people pleaser” as a lyric? She’s getting my therapy bills in the mail.

I’m infinitely eager for Swift’s upcoming release in April for her eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, which she announced at the Grammys 2024 awards show. I have a feeling it’ll be my favorite album following “Reputation” and “Midnights”, so consider me fully booked on April 19.

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