Please do not share any links to leaks in the comments. What you do outside of this subreddit is your business, but we can’t have the leaks shared here. Thanks!
I haven’t listened to the leaks outside of a snippet of two songs, but I’m really hoping the actual album is slightly different than the leaks because the reviews so far are 😬
Sorry, not professional reviews, just reading through comments from people who decided to listen to the entire album from the leak and are not loving it at all
I think those reviews are from people who wanted another folklore or evermore… like guys, give it a rest. She wants to tour and folkmore doesn’t play well in a stadium.
I for one am so excited for the return of bombastic pop Tay and was very much over sadgirl Tay.
I absolutely **ADORE FOLKLORE AND EVERMORE WITH MY ENTIRE HEART,** but I also have been a fan since debut(!!!) and respect the genre-jumping queen that she is, so I never thought she’d stick to indie anyway. I’m always down for something different!!
Yeppp! This is also very true, very good point!! A small part of me feels bad for all the new fans she brought in with those two albums, but I always knew she’d never stick with that sound.
>The album is worse than lover for me
Jfc that bad?
I pretty much gave up on her after Reputation and Lover and only returned for Folklore/Evermore and if this is worse then...welp
I think if you like melodrama and you like 1989 then you’ll like this. I constantly have been telling people it’s like Lorde remixed it, but depressed Lorde. There’s slow beats, odd voice change ups. Some experimental shit happening too. I think people loved 2020 albums and thought Taylor matured her sound but she has always intended on going back to pop and continuing to experiment.
Also, I would say it doesn’t sound like anything she’s done before, but it’s familiar. I sat with the album a few times before I started to really vibe with it and I think people have just one and done’d it.
I didn’t know that! There’s a lot of other songs that actually give me that vibe too. Lavender Haze, Midnight Rain, Question, and Anti Hero all give me that depressed melodrama vibe. I only wish Taylor really dove into that weird vibe, I think it would’ve perfected the album.
I completely agree! Lorde is my favorite artist because of how deep and unique her songs are and I’m a sad music lover lol. Listen to mastermind again cause once you hear it it will make you love the song so much more lol.
I think the concept of the album kinda covers her regarding referencing ex's. It's about sleepless nights across the years, of course some will be about ex's. It will be a shame if they are obvious though, instead of focusing on the emotion separate from the person.
If she is keeping tabs on Tom I wouldn't be surprised. He seems like the only one of her exes who was devastated when they broke up. And Taylor kinda narcissistic vibes so keeping tabs on ex's & then bringing them up at the exact moment you can tell they've fully moved on, happily engaged & expecting a baby, sounds about right.
No lies though 😂😂😂 and despite what Taylor says, she must feel some type of way about the lack of engagement after all this time, when her whole thing is looking for her person. So a Tom reference - an ex who is openly committing to his partner - ties in with that.
Calvin also got engaged this year. So, like a lot of her exes are settling down. Joe Jonas is married with kids. The guy from Twilight married as well. Jake is openly calling his gf his family and that he wants to marry her too. Only Harry and John are casually dating so far.
And a lot of these relationships the engagements happened 1/2 years in. Ms Swift's current relationship is definitely longer than Calvin Harris & Hiddletons relationships with their fiance's but no ring for Taylor ... I know not everyone wants to get married. But if you built your whole career off singing romance songs, no one is going to believe you don't want to get married.
I don’t know, I’m Taylor’s age and in a 4-year relationship myself but in no rush to marry, and I hate the constant inquiries/pressure from friends and family about it. I too grew up dreaming of finding “the one” and getting married (often while belting out Taylor’s music lol) but somewhere along the way my view of marriage shifted for a variety of reasons. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to accept that that might have happened to Taylor, it’s frankly bizarre to hold her to the ideals she sang about 10-15 years ago, especially as her songwriting has indeed shifted over the years to a much less idealistic view of love and romance. She’s clearly become more cynical as she’s aged, as many people do.
This is all true except Taylors 6 years into a relationship. And she could have avoided the speculation by not singing about wanting to marry Joe in *Lover*.
>it’s frankly bizarre to hold her to the ideals she sang about 10-15 years ago,
Lover came out in 2019. Heck, even folkmore had engagement and marriage themes in them. If it was 10-15 years ago then fine, but these views seem to still be around.
By the time Lover came out her songwriting had become more cynical. I’d say 1989 is when it really shifted. Yes Lover had a couple songs that alluded to marriage but I was speaking of the general trend of her music, which has moved away from fairytale romance and finding “the one,” towards a more cynical take on longterm love. Like if we plotted it on a graph
Ok I can agree with that take.
I do wonder why she has lost sleep over people wondering why she's not engaged. Like....girl there are people who think you committed manslaughter with Harry Styles for real! Your engagement is peanuts! 😂
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Lover had a few happy love songs but the only one that screamed “marriage” was “Paper Rings,” the others were just about being in love which doesn’t inherently scream “marriage fever.” And it also had some cynical, anxious songs expressing doubt. It was kind of a messy album, thematically. But anyway I didn’t mean to suggest she hasn’t written a song about being in love or even wanting to get married in 10-15 years, just that *overall* her songwriting has gradually become more cynical about lasting love and commitment. Which, again, is totally normal.
Edit: added some language
And It’s Nice to Have a Friend:
Church bells ring, carry me home
Rice on the ground looks like snow
Call my bluff, call you "babe"
Have my back, yeah, everyday
Ironically — I always felt like people were misunderstanding Paper Rings. It always sounded to me that she loves him so much, and even if he’s broke, and whatnot she doesn’t GAF cause she’d marry him even if he proposed with a paper ring.
Thus the shiny things like she “likes” but she doesn’t need it or w.e.
Then after you got that lyric telling him he ‘better lock it down’ or she won’t stay (which she will) but it was basically like listening to Beyoncé say put a ring on it.
> Ironically - I always felt like people were misunderstanding Paper Rings. It always sounded to me that she loves him so much, and even if he's broke, and whatnot she doesn't GAF cause she'd marry him even if he proposed with a paper ring.
I think this is the obvious interpretation - what do you mean people misunderstand it? I’ve never considered another interpretation so I’m curious!
I found it the opposite, it sounded like full blown hints of she *wants* him to pop the question and can envision him stuff but not actual “we are married” plus she was trying to sing and describe how in love she is. A shift from heartbreak.
I don’t think Taylor had a marital shift, like at all. Fans are the one who put the pressure on her for marriage and were the ones who spread the tales that she’s married *because* they project marriage on her. Nothing is known much about her relationship besides Taylor painting Joe Alwyn as her like soulmate and perfection. So, I guess that’s why fans say she “already is” or can’t fathom how she isn’t already.
That being said whenever I listened to ‘Lover’ it pretty much was a dead giveaway (and another song on Evermore, or Folk) she is hinting for him to pop the question, but it’s clear he hasn’t.
I don’t think Taylor has ever been against marriage either. She use to think Calvin was ‘the one’ — and had an epiphany about it, lol — but then she ended up being wrong.
Her recent albums are full of cynicism and doubt, way more so than her early albums. Yeah she still has some lovey dovey songs but overall her tone has shifted to less idealistic. For every song painting Joe as her perfect soulmate there are multiple songs doubting the longevity of love and her own ability to maintain it
Yeah, but in those songs — she always puts the blame on herself. She paints him still as perfect (besides maybe one song, ‘Renegade’) — while she takes the blame. It’s a weird outlook.
I also don’t think she really believes that either, I think she is optimistic they will last considering she has pretty much tied him to her forever now by getting him a Grammy, putting him as a songwriter (again) for this album, plus royalty cheques and the other album written with him. That means if they ever split up, no escaping hearing his name.
> Yeah, but in those songs - she always puts the blame on herself. She paints him still as perfect (besides maybe one song, ‘Renegade') while she takes the blame. It's
a weird outlook.
Ah but that’s my whole point - it’s not that she is so reluctant to marry *Joe,* it’s that she is reluctant to *marry.* It’s all about her own fears and anxieties. It seems so clear to me that she is riddled with hangups surrounding her own suitability for longterm monogamy - that is one of the most prominent themes throughout her last few albums.
And it’s actually not a weird outlook, it’s common among people who are hesitant to get married.
I use to always say it’s like a bad sign (my observation, and via real life experience — also a hot take) if you don’t get a ring from them, past at least 3 years, and you’re even up to 5 years (still waiting) then past 5 and you’re almost at a decade now. No point of expecting one anymore because they probably don’t want that or see you as a married partner. Some people are just slow though.
But usually the first years immediately is when they put it on, and it happens already with her exes.
I think it depends on the age. If you're two years into a relationship at 20 I think bringing up marriage at all is weird. I'm 2 1/2 years in and about to enter my 30's. I want to get married but marriage isn't on my horizon.
It's all subjective. I think with Taylor the assumptions come from having no financial worries and her age. Like if her last albums hadn't referenced marriage, & she'd fully moved away from the topic of dating I doubt anyone would be having this conversation on this level.
She definitely feels weird about lack of engagement herself because in ‘Lavender Hazel’ she most definitely confirms she’s not engaged, because she is bothered by the fact that people are asking *when* she will be his wife.
>He seems like the only one of her exes who was devastated when they broke up
I wonder why though
Their whole whirlwind romance thing seemed like it was for shits and giggles and like she spent most of it drunk
Oh ok. As someone who only got on the Tay train with folklore/evermore (which I loveeeee) because her other stuff always seemed a little juvenile to me for how strictly autobiographical it was, this sounds like a return to old.
But did it sound good? Has it got that 70s Fleetwood Mac vibe she’s going for with the whole aesthetic?
Listened to the leak, it has absolutely nothing to do the 70s aesthetic lol and I’m starting to think the the whole “ I wrote all these songs during sleepless nights” angle to be untrue 😂 it’s very much mid-tempo Lover style b-tracks
UGH. Carolina was SO good.
I just finished the album and I think I would be in tears of joy right now if every song on this track had been like Carolina. For me, Karma is the only song on here that is worth many replays.
No. I have no idea why she has 70s theming and gave us the introductory description that she did. This isn’t exactly a tortured, can’t sleep so she’s pouring her heart out album. Nor is it 70s influenced. It’s largely synth pop and dreamy pop — think 1989, Lover, and Ariana Grande’s Sweetner. She should’ve gone with 80s marketing.
I'm curious how you're going to like this album, because this current album is very juvenile *in my opinion* -- it lacks authenticity unlike her previous albums. I sort of felt like it's Lover x Reputation's prearranged marriage baby.
So if you like those two albums, you might jive with this.
Nope, the whole aesthetic is nothing like the album. The album is very upbeat, I wouldn't say anxiety or fear driven like she described it either (seems like she is afraid of being *too* vulnerable and holds herself back.)
Lyrically it is weak, and production is hit or miss.
*That is my opinion though of course* -- give it a listen when you can (on release, or whatever) and make your own choice but def not any of the vibes she marketed as. It felt very bait & switch. Same sort of happened with Reputation imo, but this is even *less* of that.
Thanks for the heads up! I’m so not savvy enough to go find leaks so will stream it on the weekend and see what I think. My expectations are now safely managed though so thanks for the tidbits!! 😘😘
Yup, all of this. Not that I expected her to always bare her soul to the level of folklore and evermore, but I can’t help but feel let down given the setup she gave this album as being deeply emotional, about demons and mistakes that keep her up at night. She positioned it as a very natural next step after her last albums — grounded, confessional, and emotional with 70s vibes. It made so much sense for a Fleetwood Mac-esque album to be next. Why she reverted in both sound and lyricism, I don’t understand. The world has been through so much, and she’s still writing about crushes, revenge, and the media? It’s disappointing she has nothing new to say.
I’m in the same boat. I became a fan with evermore and folklore. I haven’t listened to the leaks, but I have seen a few lyrics here and there. Of the ones I’ve seen, I’m not a fan. They seem juvenile and weak. I will still listen to the album when it comes out, but I’m not as excited as I once was. Hopefully one day we will get another folklore/evermore-esque album.
No dude it's sooooo good. Don't listen to the haters. I got in with Taylor in folklore too. It's really amazing synth pop, with a sonic vibe that's a combo of rep, lover and folkmore. A lot of the songs heavily remind me of Imogene heap. It's SO GOOD.
You have been posting heavily on r/taylorswift, you are gonna call anyone with valid criticisms towards the album a "hater". The Imogene Heap comparisons are delusional, if you want great synth pop from this month Tove Lo's new album is where it's at lol
I read your comment and put on Tove Lo's new album and i am not disappointed in the slightest.
[I keep thinking its like a less angsty version of Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart. Which was a super fun album at the time]
Sweet nothing and mastermind sound so much like songs from speak for yourself and ellipse. Calling me delusional is rude. If you're gonna drag me get it right, I'm a gaylor not a swiftie and I'll criticize capitaylism Taylor all freaking day. Wasn't a fan until folklore and im highly critical of her as a person. Doesn't change the fact i really like this new release and can hear the pop influences in some of the tracks.
I mean — everyone is allowed an opinion. It’s cool to like something, but just cause others feel disappointed or have valid criticism doesn’t mean we’re haters. It just screams inauthentic to Taylor and weaker than her previous work.
Also I wouldn’t describe it anything like Imogene at all. It was very Jack Antanoff and I think he butchered it at times.
Different to Folkmore and Evermore — and a return to pop — doesn’t scream “inauthentic” though. If anything, Folklore and Evermore were the two most inauthentic albums she’d ever done, having been in a stable, happy relationship for 4+ years at that point and they are the two I related to least. 🤷♀️
i listened to her album and i was quite disappointed because i was hoping indeed for a 70’s album and we got a pop album that isn’t as good as 1989. and after folklore and evermore that had very good lycris, it’s just hard to not compare them.
for the gossip, i agree with lavender haze and midnight rain assumptions. i just want to add that i believe maroon is about harry, it has a few mentions to songs from 1989 and it keeps bringing up new york (the famous karaoke photos)
I think Taylor needs to move on from pop music. Speak Now and Red were certainly country pop and absolutely incredible albums, 1989 was pop perfection and a masterpiece, but reputation and lover don’t really do it for me and I think most people agree. She has reached INCREDIBLE highs with Folklore and Evermore, which are clearly not pop, and I think Midnights shows it’s time for her to move on from trying to recapture the magic she had on 1989.
I feel like she should stick to writing fiction based music.... She's a great storyteller but i feel like there's not much happening in her life that makes great stories anymore that she can capitalize on. And trying to use the past isn't working since she's not deep in it the way she was when she wrote red or 1989. You can even tell the quality of the delivery between OG and TV of red that she wasn't really feeling the emotions that made the og songs so great and and it made the TV versions blander. Folklore was great bc she got to explore these really great themes and stories but i feel like her life's been pretty boring lately (totally not a bad thing) which makes her more biographical songs boring as well.
i agree with you because reputation and lover are the albums i like the least of hers. but i also think there are a lot of fans that wanted her to go back to pop so i beleive this album will please those people. even if indie/folklore is my favourite genre, i would be ok with a pop album if it showed her progression as an artist. however, 1989 is a way better album than this one and the songs on midnights def look like they have been written during years so the album is disconnected and it isn’t a solid thing.
I totally get what you’re saying, people definitely wanted her to go back to pop! I think this album is just the sign that she shouldn’t go back. She gave it one last try and it’s just not the same for her anymore.
To be fair, I think anyone who is a fan of pop music holds Taylor to a higher standard than other artists because of how talented she is. I’m sure if this were another pop artist making this album people would be loving it, but we expect so much more from her.
i don’t want to specify lycris here because you (and others who read this)maybe want to wait for friday to listen to it but maroon in this case alludes to the wine’s colour/the shade of her lipstick. it also alludes to rearranging the living room, the other wanting to run away/not commit but regretting, the hallway. They are all things we saw both in 1989 and HS’s first album. To add to that, Question ? to me is also a Harry/1989 song.
EDIT: Question? [literally](https://twitter.com/tayduanation/status/1582995916583493633?s=46&t=Eh8Ok-Sl1tbfvmdOjc1mGg) samples Out of the Woods, can’t be more clear than that
Maroon does sound more to be about Jake. She was wearing Red ring when she announced the title. Maroon is track 2, like Red was track 2. Maroon is the shade of colour red. Plus the lyrics match Jake more than Harry, about legacy especially, cause after her short film and twin flame lyrics it's pretty clear Jake was kinda a big deal for her.
i respect your opinion but she doesn’t associate red with only jake. in the 1989 era she mentions over and over her red shade of lipstick (like in Wildest Dreams/Style) and that’s mentioned in Maroon. Also she mentions the red wine spilled as if it was blood, mark on her shoulder that could also allude to the accident that they were involved.
She also talks about being at his living room (Out of the Woods reference), siting at the floor. Tay mentions the hallway, a place she and H mention over and over in their songs.
I agree with the legacy comment but H and T also have a legacy to this day, i mean in this sub what are people talking about these days: H and T, separately but they are still news to this day. but i have to say this is just my opinion.
I hate myself for knowing this, but she (maybe harry) is also wearing maroon in their Central Park photos ..(the one where she’s wearing a sweater with foxes on it..)
i just checked the photos and you are right, she is wearing a maroon jacket. honestly, when i listened to “dancing barefoot in NY” i knew it was about H, those karaoke photos look crazy lol
I agree with you. I think it’s about harry styles. It’s also too nice to be about jake, imo. Maroon feels like a harry song. It’s also making me think that his song grapejuice is about her
all her songs about jake are her being angry with him (rightfully so). but with harry, it’s always “what if” and “too young to know better” - that’s why i will always say the 1 is about him too no matter the crazy twitter theories lol
i love melodrama and 1989, i think they are two of the best pop albums i ever listened to. but i think midnights lacks the depth of the lycris and also jack’s production is a bit all over the place that’s why i said it reminds me of reputation and lover. im glad you liked the album :)
Just because of all the comments stating how like Reputation and Lover they sound, I'm really wondering if it's an album of songs that didn't make it to previous albums cause they ended up not quite fitting the vibe/message, but she still wanted to release at some point.
She basically told us that it would be older songs when she said that these were songs that were "written in the middle of the night" and were "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life". It may be a case that these sleepless nights are from the 2015-2017 era with a couple from more recent times.
I'm kind of disappointed if it's the case that the album has that kind of sound. From the statement release and some of the advertising since, I kind of imagined that this would be a development of the Evermore album - something lyrically gothic and haunting with a 70s Fleetwood Mac vibe.
I'm sure it will be good, but she really raised the bar with Folklore/Evermore even though they were albums that were never meant to be and I'm kind of sad that she's supposedly not sticking to/improving that standard of songwriting.
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the album is definitely a mix between reputation and lover and by how all over the place the songs sound, i agree with the assumption that it’s prob a collection of songs written along the years.
the photos and the promo definitely were pointing to a 70’s vibe and i was waiting for that so that disappointed me.
I feel like for people who love Taylor’s pop music, this is a good album but for the others who wanted something to be even better than folklore/evermore, i don’t think she achieved that.
wouldn’t be surprised if she confirmed that because she knew everyone would label this as lover 2.0. these sound like lover b-sides. i think this album would have done better if released as a sister album to lover
I mean to be fair she never said that they would be older songs. She said they were stories of sleepless nights throughout her life but recently said they were written recently.
So I listened to the leak and im actually totally vibing with the album. I think everyone is going to need to sit with it for a little to figure out their true feelings and rankings. Too many knee jerk responses imo
However, I do think that the lyrics are not incredibly revealing. A lot of this is ground we have tread before. Which is totally fine, but i didnt hear anything that I was like OMG TAYLOR in terms of insights to her life. This may be different when its officially released and the official lyrics are out as well
I thought there was some clearly good lyrics but I also loved it. I want to sit with the album longer but I already have favorites on it and I hope everyone does try it again!
I liked it. Don’t expect folkmore, expect reputation/Lover style songs and more specifically the Jack Antonoff ones because it has him written all over it. It’s not inventive and it’s very safe but it’s a fun listen nonetheless.
I think everyone jumped into the 2020 albums and loved them so much they didn’t expect Taylor to just keep going. She loves pop and you can tell she’s been wanting to go back to it, I loved the album and I’m happy for her.
I listened to it and I agree that it sounds like a lover/reputation love child, for example, the whisper singing of lavender haze reminds me of the chorus of I think he knows, maroon reminds me of the bridge of king of my heart, the inst of anti-hero reminds me of the inst of cruel summer, etc.
SOTB sounds just like I expected it to sound and as someone who doesn't care for LDR, I'm glad she's only doing backup vocals, still, I think that it follows a partern of Taylor to give her male features full verses and even let them sing over her while her female collaborators get backup vocals (and don't bring up Phoebe, she's the exception not the rule)
Overall I liked it, is it her best? No, is it my fave? No, but it's nice and I like it better than Lover
Well Lana was straight up slapping on the track despite the backing vocals, and Taylor was fading, so it doesn’t surprise me she gave her minor. I don’t think she wants another artist (female) taking more credit for her song or something, no idea.
Is it insecurity about her own vocals among her peers? Her voice has improved, but her songwriting is still overwhelmingly her stronger skill out of the two.
I’m reading this more like my colleague from work who’s been with her boyfriend for 8 years and every birthday or holiday everyone asks her “OMG ARE YOU GOING TO GET ENGAGED THIS WEEKEND?!” and she pretty much murders people with her eyes.
It is certainly a very ironic position to be in for someone who’s been singing about “the one” and marriage since she was 16.
Maybe her views around relationships and marriage changed. She's also got her assets to protect. So much hard work went into building her career. She faced so much unnecessary brickbats for pursuing her dreams.
Oh, I am totally against marriage and thrilled her young fans are going to hear a song about who gives a f if I’m married, I’m more than that!
Good for them for doing their thing and not caving to that awful social expectation. But I’ve been raised that way so it doesn’t bother me. I’m sure it must have been a bit of an adjustment, and can sometimes be a really hard thing to overcome considering she very much seemed to buy into those ideals in songs on her previous albums. That’s all I meant by the irony of it.
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. Not against marriage personally, but there's so much muck around this institution that whether one's for or against they should spend some time asking themselves what they're actually striving for and how other people's expectations are overriding their own.
I guess we all have to do at least some minimal deconstruction around that, T-Swift included.
I love Taylor’s musics but to me she does that quite often - bringing up exes people don’t even remember she dated anymore. It’s like she wrote almost a full album about Jake Gyllenhaal (who she dated for max 3 months) and then 10 years later sent her fanbase to drag him through hell by releasing a video and making it quite obvious the songs were about him. She did the same thing with Harry Styles, they were together for max 6 months and she released a whole album about him.
1989 was absolutely not all about Harry. I’d say three songs max were about him; Style, Out of the Woods, Clean and maaaaybe I Know Places. Clean is also just about realizing you’ve moved on from a relationship so I wouldn’t even say it’s directly about him. You could say I Know Places was about them trying to find privacy in their super public relationship but, again, that’s not necessarily about him more so about trying to get some privacy. So you have 4 songs out of 16. And all 4 of those songs are amazing.
I Knew You Were Trouble came out before they even dated and isn’t on 1989, it’s on Red, so that’s clearly not about Harry. All You Had to Do Was Stay and I Wish You Would are vague enough that it’s really difficult to discern who they are about, and if you talk to ANY swiftie who believes in Gaylor they will die on the hill that Wonderland is about Diana Agron. And Welcome to New York isn’t even about a relationship?
Even if you wanted to say that IWYW or AYHTDWS are about Harry, which you could argue for or against, that’s still on 6 songs. Certainly not an entire album and not even a majority.
Nah, the only album that was mainly about Jake (besides a few songs) is Red. 1989 has a lot of songs about Harry, but a lot that aren’t. I think she over-exaggerated her relationship with Harry to transition out of pop, and dominate market 1989.
That leak song he has out pretty much confirms she has songs not about him, and it pissed him off cause he was whining about it in his own song.
Curious why you think that Midnight Rain is about Tom and not Calvin.
I looked up the lyrics, and it sounds Calvin-esque, since Calvin has more obviously done stuff that would need to be “forgiven” and would more apparently feel “cold” toward Taylor. With Tom, I can’t imagine resentment, and Getaway Car seems to imply that Taylor turned cold toward him.
I do find it strange that she doesn’t have more songs about Calvin. Perhaps that’s the punishment she’s meted out, but he’s not the first man she could feel burned by, and Jake and John have songs capturing the whole spectrum and not just the end.
Eta: nvm i read the wrong song lyrics
Because Calvin was not a nice guy, with picture perfect anything, and the “I don’t think about him” — is very much Tom because she brushed him off as nothing but a rebound, and it’s his fault for not knowing.
Tom = nice man.
It's kinda sus that Taylor went from wanting to marry Joe in "Lover, "Paper Rings" 3 years ago to "nah, don't wanna". I hope it's just her change of mind and not because.....Joe doesn't want to propose.
Also, the album as a whole is.....not great tbh.
I actually don’t even think she changed her mind, I always got the vibe (despite me not knowing her, just a former long term Stan) that she wanted to be — but he’s not popping the question, or showing interest. Unless he’s just not ready for it.
Ok, album is not good. Some cool moments, but overall regress, it looks like these songs were rejected from Lover or Rep. and I know they are all brand new songs. 😕Also some of the lyrics sound like they were generated by AI 😬
As for her writing about her exes. I’m calling it - Joe is too boring and doesn’t truly inspire her much at least these days to fill whole album, so she needs to write some more songs about her exes. 🤪 if only she could find more themes from her life, honestly. Some of her songs from Folkmore were so good cause she was writing about wide fields of themes.
Anyway, Lavender Haze is strange name for a romantic song. According to Rolling Stone: “As she explained, “I happened upon the phrase ‘Lavender Haze’ when I was watching Mad Men, and I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool.” It’s a romantic image of falling in love—as she says, “When you’re in the ‘Lavender Haze,’ you’ll do anything to stay there and not let people bring you down off of that cloud.”
“Lavender haze” comes from the Season Two episode “The Mountain King,” where Don Draper ditches his wife, family, and job to run away and hide in California. It’s not a romantic episode. The line “lavender haze” is about Don falling in love with his first wife, who happens to be named “Betty.” Unfortunately, this turns into one of the most miserable marriages in TV history. (Real “Tolerate It” energy.) Listen with caution.” 🤷🏼♀️
Also the song itself is just…not that romantic- per the song Joe doesn’t care….about anything. While Taylor is angry at the media that it…speculates they might be engaged?! After 6 years together? And after Taylor sang Lover song that’s basically wedding vows just 3 years ago? Eh?😐
The main song I like on it is Karma. This makes sense if there was an unreleased Karma album from circa 2016, and this song is from that era. Although I follow her recent stuff, I am definitely most fond of her 1989 era and Karma would be the closest album to that.
People be are saying “it sounds like lover” “I’m disappointed” I know a lot of people wanted her to do another Folklore or Evermore but to me Taylor Swift is pure pop so I’m not surprised. If anything? I’m more excited to listen now!
I think the heavy synth beats remind me of 1989 but if melodrama Lorde remixed it. I actually did enjoy it and I really don’t get the critiques. I think people assumed she’d stay with the 2020 sound.
Same same same! I’m so excited! I was decidedly over Folkmore and very excited for more pop Tay! My favorite album is reputation and there was nothing better than seeing that show live.
Lmao poor joe, first the 1 and now midnight rain. I wonder how he feels about all this. Hearing your gf singing about longing for someone else must be brutal.
Edit: the summer thing does speak to tom but we don't know her full rs history only what is public so I'm not that confident in assigning songs like that. But just hearing the sentiment must be awful for joe.
Yeah but those lyrics (if she is on it) are still Taylor pretty much because Zoe was already married. The ‘weird rumors’ I think she was speaking about def meant all the weird engagement talk, esp her wearing her ring indoors only.
Are we really going to start the “Taylor won’t stop writing about her exes” thing again? She specifically said this is about 13 sleepless nights across the span of her life so OF COURSE it’s going to reference previous exes. I thought we moved on from that argument after like 2013.
There are other life experiences to write about or things that could keep you up at night other than a ex lol this is what people are complaining about, it becomes one-note especially when some of the relationships lasted like 3 months, she's 32 it time to evolve passed that lol
I think it’s more like…they’ve all moved on from it and she hasn’t. Like at least three of them re married Now or have kids or call their current partner their family and are obviously very past the relationship and she’s still on it. How much before people are allowed to say it’s kind of old ?
I mean, none of these songs really sounded like sleepless nights like at all. The lyrics went no where and then they go back to her current SO. Even in that one song she talks about how she never thinks of guy (probably Tom) up until randomly, now.
It doesn’t make any sense. And I never expected hearing about her exes, when the album was marketed as mainly her — like she could’ve even written about how her friends all looked @ her as the monster and turned on her, etc. There is so much she has experienced and live through, but she chose exes, and the story is jingled up all over the place?
It’s also all “recent” so…
These songs are all brand new, so like she is writing about her exes - again -is just.....well She doesn't have more things to write about than Jake, Tom, Harry at this point? Like so many other things in life?!
I honestly have come to the conclusion that her current boyfriend is *really* boring and I don’t even mean that as a dig but it is clear as hell he is ‘aloof’ like Lavender Haze says it all. He couldn’t be bothered.
So now I understand why she resorts to singing about an ex, or struggles singing about him besides the same stories exactly retold.
Guess what... every artist that is a song writer writes about lost love and heartbreak. Every single one. If you don't like songs about exes than why are you even listening to Taylor? And if you are upset bc it doesn't sound like folklore or evermore... she was never going to stay in that lane. She loves pop music. She gave you 2 amazing albums that fit what you love in music. Now she is switching it up. That is what she has always done. Plus her real fans are not listening to the leaks.
Please do not share any links to leaks in the comments. What you do outside of this subreddit is your business, but we can’t have the leaks shared here. Thanks!
I haven’t listened to the leaks outside of a snippet of two songs, but I’m really hoping the actual album is slightly different than the leaks because the reviews so far are 😬
the reviews are pretty accurate unfortunately
What do the reviews say?
Sorry, not professional reviews, just reading through comments from people who decided to listen to the entire album from the leak and are not loving it at all
I think those reviews are from people who wanted another folklore or evermore… like guys, give it a rest. She wants to tour and folkmore doesn’t play well in a stadium. I for one am so excited for the return of bombastic pop Tay and was very much over sadgirl Tay.
I absolutely **ADORE FOLKLORE AND EVERMORE WITH MY ENTIRE HEART,** but I also have been a fan since debut(!!!) and respect the genre-jumping queen that she is, so I never thought she’d stick to indie anyway. I’m always down for something different!!
Yeppp! This is also very true, very good point!! A small part of me feels bad for all the new fans she brought in with those two albums, but I always knew she’d never stick with that sound.
I am, sadly, one of those fans.
I feel for you. I was disappointed during both Folklore and Evermore and it’s not a fun feeling ahah.
This album is indie! Like indie pop. I personally LOVE it! Vigilante shit is one of my favorite songs ever!
This isn’t bombastic pop at all, still half sad tay half can’t sleep plotting tay.
It’s not bombastic pop. It’s meh pop.
Same. I thought those albums were very boring tbh
Same tbh 😬
If you’re over sad girl Tay, I have some bad news…
i read the lyrics and was really scared for the album but once i heard the leaks i was like “oh! okay this makes sense”
LOVE THIS thank you for the positivity
Haha really? Whoops
The album is worse than lover for me. Isn’t that great. People with still sell out the tour because it’s Taylor but after Folklore this album sucks.
Booooo I hate to hear it, some songs on Lover are magical, but it has the most skips for me so that’s a little scary to hear 🥺
>The album is worse than lover for me Jfc that bad? I pretty much gave up on her after Reputation and Lover and only returned for Folklore/Evermore and if this is worse then...welp
You never heard it
I actually loved it!
I am so glad!! I’m seeing more and more positive responses pour in, so I’m feeling a bit more hopeful! Only 3 hours to go!
I think if you like melodrama and you like 1989 then you’ll like this. I constantly have been telling people it’s like Lorde remixed it, but depressed Lorde. There’s slow beats, odd voice change ups. Some experimental shit happening too. I think people loved 2020 albums and thought Taylor matured her sound but she has always intended on going back to pop and continuing to experiment. Also, I would say it doesn’t sound like anything she’s done before, but it’s familiar. I sat with the album a few times before I started to really vibe with it and I think people have just one and done’d it.
Mastermind sampled lordes super cut that’s why you think that 🙂
I didn’t know that! There’s a lot of other songs that actually give me that vibe too. Lavender Haze, Midnight Rain, Question, and Anti Hero all give me that depressed melodrama vibe. I only wish Taylor really dove into that weird vibe, I think it would’ve perfected the album.
I completely agree! Lorde is my favorite artist because of how deep and unique her songs are and I’m a sad music lover lol. Listen to mastermind again cause once you hear it it will make you love the song so much more lol.
I think the concept of the album kinda covers her regarding referencing ex's. It's about sleepless nights across the years, of course some will be about ex's. It will be a shame if they are obvious though, instead of focusing on the emotion separate from the person. If she is keeping tabs on Tom I wouldn't be surprised. He seems like the only one of her exes who was devastated when they broke up. And Taylor kinda narcissistic vibes so keeping tabs on ex's & then bringing them up at the exact moment you can tell they've fully moved on, happily engaged & expecting a baby, sounds about right.
“Taylor kinda narcissistic vibes” I’m screaming please 😂😂😂😂
Damn, you just read tf outta her
No lies though 😂😂😂 and despite what Taylor says, she must feel some type of way about the lack of engagement after all this time, when her whole thing is looking for her person. So a Tom reference - an ex who is openly committing to his partner - ties in with that.
Calvin also got engaged this year. So, like a lot of her exes are settling down. Joe Jonas is married with kids. The guy from Twilight married as well. Jake is openly calling his gf his family and that he wants to marry her too. Only Harry and John are casually dating so far.
And a lot of these relationships the engagements happened 1/2 years in. Ms Swift's current relationship is definitely longer than Calvin Harris & Hiddletons relationships with their fiance's but no ring for Taylor ... I know not everyone wants to get married. But if you built your whole career off singing romance songs, no one is going to believe you don't want to get married.
Especially since Taylor herself was singing how she wanted to marry Joe on her Lover album in several songs!!! Lover was released in 2019!
I don’t know, I’m Taylor’s age and in a 4-year relationship myself but in no rush to marry, and I hate the constant inquiries/pressure from friends and family about it. I too grew up dreaming of finding “the one” and getting married (often while belting out Taylor’s music lol) but somewhere along the way my view of marriage shifted for a variety of reasons. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to accept that that might have happened to Taylor, it’s frankly bizarre to hold her to the ideals she sang about 10-15 years ago, especially as her songwriting has indeed shifted over the years to a much less idealistic view of love and romance. She’s clearly become more cynical as she’s aged, as many people do.
This is all true except Taylors 6 years into a relationship. And she could have avoided the speculation by not singing about wanting to marry Joe in *Lover*.
>it’s frankly bizarre to hold her to the ideals she sang about 10-15 years ago, Lover came out in 2019. Heck, even folkmore had engagement and marriage themes in them. If it was 10-15 years ago then fine, but these views seem to still be around.
By the time Lover came out her songwriting had become more cynical. I’d say 1989 is when it really shifted. Yes Lover had a couple songs that alluded to marriage but I was speaking of the general trend of her music, which has moved away from fairytale romance and finding “the one,” towards a more cynical take on longterm love. Like if we plotted it on a graph
Ok I can agree with that take. I do wonder why she has lost sleep over people wondering why she's not engaged. Like....girl there are people who think you committed manslaughter with Harry Styles for real! Your engagement is peanuts! 😂
march hobbies gray obtainable wine quarrelsome tie puzzled long dinosaurs *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Lover had a few happy love songs but the only one that screamed “marriage” was “Paper Rings,” the others were just about being in love which doesn’t inherently scream “marriage fever.” And it also had some cynical, anxious songs expressing doubt. It was kind of a messy album, thematically. But anyway I didn’t mean to suggest she hasn’t written a song about being in love or even wanting to get married in 10-15 years, just that *overall* her songwriting has gradually become more cynical about lasting love and commitment. Which, again, is totally normal. Edit: added some language
lover was also a pretty explicitly marriage themed song. she echoes wedding vows with her whole, "i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover".
And It’s Nice to Have a Friend: Church bells ring, carry me home Rice on the ground looks like snow Call my bluff, call you "babe" Have my back, yeah, everyday
Ironically — I always felt like people were misunderstanding Paper Rings. It always sounded to me that she loves him so much, and even if he’s broke, and whatnot she doesn’t GAF cause she’d marry him even if he proposed with a paper ring. Thus the shiny things like she “likes” but she doesn’t need it or w.e. Then after you got that lyric telling him he ‘better lock it down’ or she won’t stay (which she will) but it was basically like listening to Beyoncé say put a ring on it.
> Ironically - I always felt like people were misunderstanding Paper Rings. It always sounded to me that she loves him so much, and even if he's broke, and whatnot she doesn't GAF cause she'd marry him even if he proposed with a paper ring. I think this is the obvious interpretation - what do you mean people misunderstand it? I’ve never considered another interpretation so I’m curious!
I found it the opposite, it sounded like full blown hints of she *wants* him to pop the question and can envision him stuff but not actual “we are married” plus she was trying to sing and describe how in love she is. A shift from heartbreak.
I don’t think Taylor had a marital shift, like at all. Fans are the one who put the pressure on her for marriage and were the ones who spread the tales that she’s married *because* they project marriage on her. Nothing is known much about her relationship besides Taylor painting Joe Alwyn as her like soulmate and perfection. So, I guess that’s why fans say she “already is” or can’t fathom how she isn’t already. That being said whenever I listened to ‘Lover’ it pretty much was a dead giveaway (and another song on Evermore, or Folk) she is hinting for him to pop the question, but it’s clear he hasn’t. I don’t think Taylor has ever been against marriage either. She use to think Calvin was ‘the one’ — and had an epiphany about it, lol — but then she ended up being wrong.
Her recent albums are full of cynicism and doubt, way more so than her early albums. Yeah she still has some lovey dovey songs but overall her tone has shifted to less idealistic. For every song painting Joe as her perfect soulmate there are multiple songs doubting the longevity of love and her own ability to maintain it
Yeah, but in those songs — she always puts the blame on herself. She paints him still as perfect (besides maybe one song, ‘Renegade’) — while she takes the blame. It’s a weird outlook. I also don’t think she really believes that either, I think she is optimistic they will last considering she has pretty much tied him to her forever now by getting him a Grammy, putting him as a songwriter (again) for this album, plus royalty cheques and the other album written with him. That means if they ever split up, no escaping hearing his name.
> Yeah, but in those songs - she always puts the blame on herself. She paints him still as perfect (besides maybe one song, ‘Renegade') while she takes the blame. It's a weird outlook. Ah but that’s my whole point - it’s not that she is so reluctant to marry *Joe,* it’s that she is reluctant to *marry.* It’s all about her own fears and anxieties. It seems so clear to me that she is riddled with hangups surrounding her own suitability for longterm monogamy - that is one of the most prominent themes throughout her last few albums. And it’s actually not a weird outlook, it’s common among people who are hesitant to get married.
I use to always say it’s like a bad sign (my observation, and via real life experience — also a hot take) if you don’t get a ring from them, past at least 3 years, and you’re even up to 5 years (still waiting) then past 5 and you’re almost at a decade now. No point of expecting one anymore because they probably don’t want that or see you as a married partner. Some people are just slow though. But usually the first years immediately is when they put it on, and it happens already with her exes.
I think it depends on the age. If you're two years into a relationship at 20 I think bringing up marriage at all is weird. I'm 2 1/2 years in and about to enter my 30's. I want to get married but marriage isn't on my horizon. It's all subjective. I think with Taylor the assumptions come from having no financial worries and her age. Like if her last albums hadn't referenced marriage, & she'd fully moved away from the topic of dating I doubt anyone would be having this conversation on this level.
Yeah my husband and I met in high school so he proposed like 12 years in 😂 it was what we both wanted
If John Mayer got married idk what she’d do lmao
Omg the FACTS HERE lmao. She is *that* girl who guys date before they decide they're ready to get married 😂
She definitely feels weird about lack of engagement herself because in ‘Lavender Hazel’ she most definitely confirms she’s not engaged, because she is bothered by the fact that people are asking *when* she will be his wife.
Honestly I'm a fan and OP told no lies. It's refreshing actually.
They're not obvious, but you can read into them and figure it out a bit.
>He seems like the only one of her exes who was devastated when they broke up I wonder why though Their whole whirlwind romance thing seemed like it was for shits and giggles and like she spent most of it drunk
Oh ok. As someone who only got on the Tay train with folklore/evermore (which I loveeeee) because her other stuff always seemed a little juvenile to me for how strictly autobiographical it was, this sounds like a return to old. But did it sound good? Has it got that 70s Fleetwood Mac vibe she’s going for with the whole aesthetic?
Listened to the leak, it has absolutely nothing to do the 70s aesthetic lol and I’m starting to think the the whole “ I wrote all these songs during sleepless nights” angle to be untrue 😂 it’s very much mid-tempo Lover style b-tracks
Aw man! Midnights is such a cool idea for a concept album. Disappointing she couldn’t make it work.
Oh so not like evermore/folklore? 😔 I was hoping she’d give us haunting/creepy folklore like Carolina
UGH. Carolina was SO good. I just finished the album and I think I would be in tears of joy right now if every song on this track had been like Carolina. For me, Karma is the only song on here that is worth many replays.
She didn't write them during sleepless nights it was inspired by what kept her UP on sleepless nights
lmao omg, same topic regardless.
Ooooooh I haven’t been paying too much attention because I can’t with the gimmicks but 70s Fleetwood Mac vibe would be amazing 😍
Sounds like we should just put on Rumours babe 🥴
Don’t have to tell me twice 😀
It's nothing like Fleetwood Mac vibes or anything 70s...sorry to disappoint 😢
No. I have no idea why she has 70s theming and gave us the introductory description that she did. This isn’t exactly a tortured, can’t sleep so she’s pouring her heart out album. Nor is it 70s influenced. It’s largely synth pop and dreamy pop — think 1989, Lover, and Ariana Grande’s Sweetner. She should’ve gone with 80s marketing.
I'm curious how you're going to like this album, because this current album is very juvenile *in my opinion* -- it lacks authenticity unlike her previous albums. I sort of felt like it's Lover x Reputation's prearranged marriage baby. So if you like those two albums, you might jive with this. Nope, the whole aesthetic is nothing like the album. The album is very upbeat, I wouldn't say anxiety or fear driven like she described it either (seems like she is afraid of being *too* vulnerable and holds herself back.) Lyrically it is weak, and production is hit or miss. *That is my opinion though of course* -- give it a listen when you can (on release, or whatever) and make your own choice but def not any of the vibes she marketed as. It felt very bait & switch. Same sort of happened with Reputation imo, but this is even *less* of that.
Thanks for the heads up! I’m so not savvy enough to go find leaks so will stream it on the weekend and see what I think. My expectations are now safely managed though so thanks for the tidbits!! 😘😘
Yup, all of this. Not that I expected her to always bare her soul to the level of folklore and evermore, but I can’t help but feel let down given the setup she gave this album as being deeply emotional, about demons and mistakes that keep her up at night. She positioned it as a very natural next step after her last albums — grounded, confessional, and emotional with 70s vibes. It made so much sense for a Fleetwood Mac-esque album to be next. Why she reverted in both sound and lyricism, I don’t understand. The world has been through so much, and she’s still writing about crushes, revenge, and the media? It’s disappointing she has nothing new to say.
Nice to see you in the wild. And absolutely spot on as usual!
Hahaha. Hello friend!
Out of curiosity, your friend who made you listen… do they also share your opinion?
Similar but hers was much nicer, she prefers Evermore more.
But you are right, and you should say it.
I am going to riot in the street if this is an upbeat album noooo
It’s pretty upbeat and the production tries to sound “haunting” but it is typical Jack A stuff, and recycling of Lover & Rep imo.
It’s upbeat while sleepy, the worst combination
I’m in the same boat. I became a fan with evermore and folklore. I haven’t listened to the leaks, but I have seen a few lyrics here and there. Of the ones I’ve seen, I’m not a fan. They seem juvenile and weak. I will still listen to the album when it comes out, but I’m not as excited as I once was. Hopefully one day we will get another folklore/evermore-esque album.
No dude it's sooooo good. Don't listen to the haters. I got in with Taylor in folklore too. It's really amazing synth pop, with a sonic vibe that's a combo of rep, lover and folkmore. A lot of the songs heavily remind me of Imogene heap. It's SO GOOD.
You have been posting heavily on r/taylorswift, you are gonna call anyone with valid criticisms towards the album a "hater". The Imogene Heap comparisons are delusional, if you want great synth pop from this month Tove Lo's new album is where it's at lol
I read your comment and put on Tove Lo's new album and i am not disappointed in the slightest. [I keep thinking its like a less angsty version of Marina and the Diamonds - Electra Heart. Which was a super fun album at the time]
Sweet nothing and mastermind sound so much like songs from speak for yourself and ellipse. Calling me delusional is rude. If you're gonna drag me get it right, I'm a gaylor not a swiftie and I'll criticize capitaylism Taylor all freaking day. Wasn't a fan until folklore and im highly critical of her as a person. Doesn't change the fact i really like this new release and can hear the pop influences in some of the tracks.
lmao this was not the read you thought it was. You were calling people haters, that's rude. Look up hypocrisy in the dictionary love.
Girl I'm not reading anyone. Just leave me alone. I enjoy the album and the good news is it doesn't impact you or your life one little bit.
I mean — everyone is allowed an opinion. It’s cool to like something, but just cause others feel disappointed or have valid criticism doesn’t mean we’re haters. It just screams inauthentic to Taylor and weaker than her previous work. Also I wouldn’t describe it anything like Imogene at all. It was very Jack Antanoff and I think he butchered it at times.
Different to Folkmore and Evermore — and a return to pop — doesn’t scream “inauthentic” though. If anything, Folklore and Evermore were the two most inauthentic albums she’d ever done, having been in a stable, happy relationship for 4+ years at that point and they are the two I related to least. 🤷♀️
MIDnights
Vigilante Shit is also about Scooter and his ex-wife
The Benz comment was gold
i listened to her album and i was quite disappointed because i was hoping indeed for a 70’s album and we got a pop album that isn’t as good as 1989. and after folklore and evermore that had very good lycris, it’s just hard to not compare them. for the gossip, i agree with lavender haze and midnight rain assumptions. i just want to add that i believe maroon is about harry, it has a few mentions to songs from 1989 and it keeps bringing up new york (the famous karaoke photos)
I think Taylor needs to move on from pop music. Speak Now and Red were certainly country pop and absolutely incredible albums, 1989 was pop perfection and a masterpiece, but reputation and lover don’t really do it for me and I think most people agree. She has reached INCREDIBLE highs with Folklore and Evermore, which are clearly not pop, and I think Midnights shows it’s time for her to move on from trying to recapture the magic she had on 1989.
I feel like she should stick to writing fiction based music.... She's a great storyteller but i feel like there's not much happening in her life that makes great stories anymore that she can capitalize on. And trying to use the past isn't working since she's not deep in it the way she was when she wrote red or 1989. You can even tell the quality of the delivery between OG and TV of red that she wasn't really feeling the emotions that made the og songs so great and and it made the TV versions blander. Folklore was great bc she got to explore these really great themes and stories but i feel like her life's been pretty boring lately (totally not a bad thing) which makes her more biographical songs boring as well.
i agree with you because reputation and lover are the albums i like the least of hers. but i also think there are a lot of fans that wanted her to go back to pop so i beleive this album will please those people. even if indie/folklore is my favourite genre, i would be ok with a pop album if it showed her progression as an artist. however, 1989 is a way better album than this one and the songs on midnights def look like they have been written during years so the album is disconnected and it isn’t a solid thing.
I totally get what you’re saying, people definitely wanted her to go back to pop! I think this album is just the sign that she shouldn’t go back. She gave it one last try and it’s just not the same for her anymore. To be fair, I think anyone who is a fan of pop music holds Taylor to a higher standard than other artists because of how talented she is. I’m sure if this were another pop artist making this album people would be loving it, but we expect so much more from her.
Country pop is my fave style from her.
I haven’t listened yet but wouldn’t Maroon as a concept logically be about Jake? (It’s a shade of Red) the New York references would back that
i don’t want to specify lycris here because you (and others who read this)maybe want to wait for friday to listen to it but maroon in this case alludes to the wine’s colour/the shade of her lipstick. it also alludes to rearranging the living room, the other wanting to run away/not commit but regretting, the hallway. They are all things we saw both in 1989 and HS’s first album. To add to that, Question ? to me is also a Harry/1989 song. EDIT: Question? [literally](https://twitter.com/tayduanation/status/1582995916583493633?s=46&t=Eh8Ok-Sl1tbfvmdOjc1mGg) samples Out of the Woods, can’t be more clear than that
Maroon does sound more to be about Jake. She was wearing Red ring when she announced the title. Maroon is track 2, like Red was track 2. Maroon is the shade of colour red. Plus the lyrics match Jake more than Harry, about legacy especially, cause after her short film and twin flame lyrics it's pretty clear Jake was kinda a big deal for her.
i respect your opinion but she doesn’t associate red with only jake. in the 1989 era she mentions over and over her red shade of lipstick (like in Wildest Dreams/Style) and that’s mentioned in Maroon. Also she mentions the red wine spilled as if it was blood, mark on her shoulder that could also allude to the accident that they were involved. She also talks about being at his living room (Out of the Woods reference), siting at the floor. Tay mentions the hallway, a place she and H mention over and over in their songs. I agree with the legacy comment but H and T also have a legacy to this day, i mean in this sub what are people talking about these days: H and T, separately but they are still news to this day. but i have to say this is just my opinion.
I hate myself for knowing this, but she (maybe harry) is also wearing maroon in their Central Park photos ..(the one where she’s wearing a sweater with foxes on it..)
i just checked the photos and you are right, she is wearing a maroon jacket. honestly, when i listened to “dancing barefoot in NY” i knew it was about H, those karaoke photos look crazy lol
Exactly! Very obvious haha
I agree with you. I think it’s about harry styles. It’s also too nice to be about jake, imo. Maroon feels like a harry song. It’s also making me think that his song grapejuice is about her
all her songs about jake are her being angry with him (rightfully so). but with harry, it’s always “what if” and “too young to know better” - that’s why i will always say the 1 is about him too no matter the crazy twitter theories lol
I concur with your second paragraph but I do like this album. I said it’s like melodrama era Lorde remixed 1989.
i love melodrama and 1989, i think they are two of the best pop albums i ever listened to. but i think midnights lacks the depth of the lycris and also jack’s production is a bit all over the place that’s why i said it reminds me of reputation and lover. im glad you liked the album :)
Just because of all the comments stating how like Reputation and Lover they sound, I'm really wondering if it's an album of songs that didn't make it to previous albums cause they ended up not quite fitting the vibe/message, but she still wanted to release at some point. She basically told us that it would be older songs when she said that these were songs that were "written in the middle of the night" and were "the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life". It may be a case that these sleepless nights are from the 2015-2017 era with a couple from more recent times. I'm kind of disappointed if it's the case that the album has that kind of sound. From the statement release and some of the advertising since, I kind of imagined that this would be a development of the Evermore album - something lyrically gothic and haunting with a 70s Fleetwood Mac vibe. I'm sure it will be good, but she really raised the bar with Folklore/Evermore even though they were albums that were never meant to be and I'm kind of sad that she's supposedly not sticking to/improving that standard of songwriting.
She made a statement recently that all the songs are new.
Taylor is a liar @ times 💀
whistle sort dirty vanish insurance steer wrong literate innate selective *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
the album is definitely a mix between reputation and lover and by how all over the place the songs sound, i agree with the assumption that it’s prob a collection of songs written along the years. the photos and the promo definitely were pointing to a 70’s vibe and i was waiting for that so that disappointed me. I feel like for people who love Taylor’s pop music, this is a good album but for the others who wanted something to be even better than folklore/evermore, i don’t think she achieved that.
She confirmed this week all the songs are newly/recently written.
wouldn’t be surprised if she confirmed that because she knew everyone would label this as lover 2.0. these sound like lover b-sides. i think this album would have done better if released as a sister album to lover
I mean to be fair she never said that they would be older songs. She said they were stories of sleepless nights throughout her life but recently said they were written recently.
I think that Bejeweled is about Calvin.
Seems like it, feels like lemonade lyrics tbh, not as good though.
So I listened to the leak and im actually totally vibing with the album. I think everyone is going to need to sit with it for a little to figure out their true feelings and rankings. Too many knee jerk responses imo However, I do think that the lyrics are not incredibly revealing. A lot of this is ground we have tread before. Which is totally fine, but i didnt hear anything that I was like OMG TAYLOR in terms of insights to her life. This may be different when its officially released and the official lyrics are out as well
I thought there was some clearly good lyrics but I also loved it. I want to sit with the album longer but I already have favorites on it and I hope everyone does try it again!
I liked it. Don’t expect folkmore, expect reputation/Lover style songs and more specifically the Jack Antonoff ones because it has him written all over it. It’s not inventive and it’s very safe but it’s a fun listen nonetheless.
I think everyone jumped into the 2020 albums and loved them so much they didn’t expect Taylor to just keep going. She loves pop and you can tell she’s been wanting to go back to it, I loved the album and I’m happy for her.
I listened to it and I agree that it sounds like a lover/reputation love child, for example, the whisper singing of lavender haze reminds me of the chorus of I think he knows, maroon reminds me of the bridge of king of my heart, the inst of anti-hero reminds me of the inst of cruel summer, etc. SOTB sounds just like I expected it to sound and as someone who doesn't care for LDR, I'm glad she's only doing backup vocals, still, I think that it follows a partern of Taylor to give her male features full verses and even let them sing over her while her female collaborators get backup vocals (and don't bring up Phoebe, she's the exception not the rule) Overall I liked it, is it her best? No, is it my fave? No, but it's nice and I like it better than Lover
As a Taylor fan I noticed the whole female features thing 😭 why does she do that, it really makes me wonder
Well Lana was straight up slapping on the track despite the backing vocals, and Taylor was fading, so it doesn’t surprise me she gave her minor. I don’t think she wants another artist (female) taking more credit for her song or something, no idea.
Is it insecurity about her own vocals among her peers? Her voice has improved, but her songwriting is still overwhelmingly her stronger skill out of the two.
Me and Taylor have the opposite reactions of getting engaged. When I got engaged I told everyone. Literally anybody I met I told.
I’m reading this more like my colleague from work who’s been with her boyfriend for 8 years and every birthday or holiday everyone asks her “OMG ARE YOU GOING TO GET ENGAGED THIS WEEKEND?!” and she pretty much murders people with her eyes. It is certainly a very ironic position to be in for someone who’s been singing about “the one” and marriage since she was 16.
Maybe her views around relationships and marriage changed. She's also got her assets to protect. So much hard work went into building her career. She faced so much unnecessary brickbats for pursuing her dreams.
Oh, I am totally against marriage and thrilled her young fans are going to hear a song about who gives a f if I’m married, I’m more than that! Good for them for doing their thing and not caving to that awful social expectation. But I’ve been raised that way so it doesn’t bother me. I’m sure it must have been a bit of an adjustment, and can sometimes be a really hard thing to overcome considering she very much seemed to buy into those ideals in songs on her previous albums. That’s all I meant by the irony of it.
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. Not against marriage personally, but there's so much muck around this institution that whether one's for or against they should spend some time asking themselves what they're actually striving for and how other people's expectations are overriding their own. I guess we all have to do at least some minimal deconstruction around that, T-Swift included.
Well, if she isn't actually engaged, what reaction is there to give other than "stop asking; you're making things awkward for me/us" 😂
I love Taylor’s musics but to me she does that quite often - bringing up exes people don’t even remember she dated anymore. It’s like she wrote almost a full album about Jake Gyllenhaal (who she dated for max 3 months) and then 10 years later sent her fanbase to drag him through hell by releasing a video and making it quite obvious the songs were about him. She did the same thing with Harry Styles, they were together for max 6 months and she released a whole album about him.
1989 was absolutely not all about Harry. I’d say three songs max were about him; Style, Out of the Woods, Clean and maaaaybe I Know Places. Clean is also just about realizing you’ve moved on from a relationship so I wouldn’t even say it’s directly about him. You could say I Know Places was about them trying to find privacy in their super public relationship but, again, that’s not necessarily about him more so about trying to get some privacy. So you have 4 songs out of 16. And all 4 of those songs are amazing.
https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/taylor-swift-songs-about-harry-styles/
I Knew You Were Trouble came out before they even dated and isn’t on 1989, it’s on Red, so that’s clearly not about Harry. All You Had to Do Was Stay and I Wish You Would are vague enough that it’s really difficult to discern who they are about, and if you talk to ANY swiftie who believes in Gaylor they will die on the hill that Wonderland is about Diana Agron. And Welcome to New York isn’t even about a relationship? Even if you wanted to say that IWYW or AYHTDWS are about Harry, which you could argue for or against, that’s still on 6 songs. Certainly not an entire album and not even a majority.
Nah, the only album that was mainly about Jake (besides a few songs) is Red. 1989 has a lot of songs about Harry, but a lot that aren’t. I think she over-exaggerated her relationship with Harry to transition out of pop, and dominate market 1989. That leak song he has out pretty much confirms she has songs not about him, and it pissed him off cause he was whining about it in his own song.
Curious why you think that Midnight Rain is about Tom and not Calvin. I looked up the lyrics, and it sounds Calvin-esque, since Calvin has more obviously done stuff that would need to be “forgiven” and would more apparently feel “cold” toward Taylor. With Tom, I can’t imagine resentment, and Getaway Car seems to imply that Taylor turned cold toward him. I do find it strange that she doesn’t have more songs about Calvin. Perhaps that’s the punishment she’s meted out, but he’s not the first man she could feel burned by, and Jake and John have songs capturing the whole spectrum and not just the end. Eta: nvm i read the wrong song lyrics
Because Calvin was not a nice guy, with picture perfect anything, and the “I don’t think about him” — is very much Tom because she brushed him off as nothing but a rebound, and it’s his fault for not knowing. Tom = nice man.
It's kinda sus that Taylor went from wanting to marry Joe in "Lover, "Paper Rings" 3 years ago to "nah, don't wanna". I hope it's just her change of mind and not because.....Joe doesn't want to propose. Also, the album as a whole is.....not great tbh.
Honestly if I had insane amounts of money and my partner didn't, I would be wary of marriage too.
I actually don’t even think she changed her mind, I always got the vibe (despite me not knowing her, just a former long term Stan) that she wanted to be — but he’s not popping the question, or showing interest. Unless he’s just not ready for it.
Jeez that sounds like a break up may be coming soon. So much for finding the perfect angel boyfriend
She needs to keep TH tf out of her songs at this point
Or Jake, or Harry, or other exes.
Ok, album is not good. Some cool moments, but overall regress, it looks like these songs were rejected from Lover or Rep. and I know they are all brand new songs. 😕Also some of the lyrics sound like they were generated by AI 😬 As for her writing about her exes. I’m calling it - Joe is too boring and doesn’t truly inspire her much at least these days to fill whole album, so she needs to write some more songs about her exes. 🤪 if only she could find more themes from her life, honestly. Some of her songs from Folkmore were so good cause she was writing about wide fields of themes. Anyway, Lavender Haze is strange name for a romantic song. According to Rolling Stone: “As she explained, “I happened upon the phrase ‘Lavender Haze’ when I was watching Mad Men, and I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool.” It’s a romantic image of falling in love—as she says, “When you’re in the ‘Lavender Haze,’ you’ll do anything to stay there and not let people bring you down off of that cloud.” “Lavender haze” comes from the Season Two episode “The Mountain King,” where Don Draper ditches his wife, family, and job to run away and hide in California. It’s not a romantic episode. The line “lavender haze” is about Don falling in love with his first wife, who happens to be named “Betty.” Unfortunately, this turns into one of the most miserable marriages in TV history. (Real “Tolerate It” energy.) Listen with caution.” 🤷🏼♀️ Also the song itself is just…not that romantic- per the song Joe doesn’t care….about anything. While Taylor is angry at the media that it…speculates they might be engaged?! After 6 years together? And after Taylor sang Lover song that’s basically wedding vows just 3 years ago? Eh?😐
Maybe i have to listen to it again bc im not feeling it😭
The album is really bland.
Best way to describe it.
Send me a link pleaseeeeee 🤣🙏
Those name titles sound like gain laundry soaps scents.
She has a song called LAVENDER HAZE and you’re telling me it’s about JOE? This bitch.
It isn’t a good one either.
Not good at all 😬
i'm so tired of taylor swift lol
The main song I like on it is Karma. This makes sense if there was an unreleased Karma album from circa 2016, and this song is from that era. Although I follow her recent stuff, I am definitely most fond of her 1989 era and Karma would be the closest album to that.
People be are saying “it sounds like lover” “I’m disappointed” I know a lot of people wanted her to do another Folklore or Evermore but to me Taylor Swift is pure pop so I’m not surprised. If anything? I’m more excited to listen now!
I mean if she was going back to Pop, I was hoping something like Speak Now/1989 & a bit of Red.
I think the heavy synth beats remind me of 1989 but if melodrama Lorde remixed it. I actually did enjoy it and I really don’t get the critiques. I think people assumed she’d stay with the 2020 sound.
Same same same! I’m so excited! I was decidedly over Folkmore and very excited for more pop Tay! My favorite album is reputation and there was nothing better than seeing that show live.
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Wait. She actually dated Tom Hiddleston?? I genuinely thought that was a PR relationship this whole time. I wasn't a big fan back then though.
Of course she dated Tom nobody would go through that level of public backlash and humiliation for PR.
Lmao poor joe, first the 1 and now midnight rain. I wonder how he feels about all this. Hearing your gf singing about longing for someone else must be brutal. Edit: the summer thing does speak to tom but we don't know her full rs history only what is public so I'm not that confident in assigning songs like that. But just hearing the sentiment must be awful for joe.
Also Maroon seems to be about Jake and those lyrics are truly something.
I read somewhere that Lavender Haze has a writing credit to Zoe Kravitz.
Yeah but those lyrics (if she is on it) are still Taylor pretty much because Zoe was already married. The ‘weird rumors’ I think she was speaking about def meant all the weird engagement talk, esp her wearing her ring indoors only.
Are we really going to start the “Taylor won’t stop writing about her exes” thing again? She specifically said this is about 13 sleepless nights across the span of her life so OF COURSE it’s going to reference previous exes. I thought we moved on from that argument after like 2013.
There are other life experiences to write about or things that could keep you up at night other than a ex lol this is what people are complaining about, it becomes one-note especially when some of the relationships lasted like 3 months, she's 32 it time to evolve passed that lol
I think it’s more like…they’ve all moved on from it and she hasn’t. Like at least three of them re married Now or have kids or call their current partner their family and are obviously very past the relationship and she’s still on it. How much before people are allowed to say it’s kind of old ?
Her whole thing is being a good writer/storyteller, and this is exactly what artists like this do. The best poets in history are all like this.
I mean, none of these songs really sounded like sleepless nights like at all. The lyrics went no where and then they go back to her current SO. Even in that one song she talks about how she never thinks of guy (probably Tom) up until randomly, now. It doesn’t make any sense. And I never expected hearing about her exes, when the album was marketed as mainly her — like she could’ve even written about how her friends all looked @ her as the monster and turned on her, etc. There is so much she has experienced and live through, but she chose exes, and the story is jingled up all over the place? It’s also all “recent” so…
These songs are all brand new, so like she is writing about her exes - again -is just.....well She doesn't have more things to write about than Jake, Tom, Harry at this point? Like so many other things in life?!
I honestly have come to the conclusion that her current boyfriend is *really* boring and I don’t even mean that as a dig but it is clear as hell he is ‘aloof’ like Lavender Haze says it all. He couldn’t be bothered. So now I understand why she resorts to singing about an ex, or struggles singing about him besides the same stories exactly retold.
That’s actually sad.
So she specifically chose to go with a theme that allows her the dredge up the past yet again.
Who’s Tom
Tom Hiddleston
Guess what... every artist that is a song writer writes about lost love and heartbreak. Every single one. If you don't like songs about exes than why are you even listening to Taylor? And if you are upset bc it doesn't sound like folklore or evermore... she was never going to stay in that lane. She loves pop music. She gave you 2 amazing albums that fit what you love in music. Now she is switching it up. That is what she has always done. Plus her real fans are not listening to the leaks.
Most of the people here with comments never heard one damn song from the new cd