I’ve had a complicated relationship with Taylor Swift over the past ten years. She is an extremely talented songwriter and performer who too often gives in to her worst tendencies. Something holds me back from embracing her completely.
This might seem like an odd comparison, but my reaction to Swift reminds me of my reaction to Quentin Tarantino. His movies are undeniably great, but he can’t help but slip in a few moments here and there that turn me off and keep me from buying in entirely.
On past lists like this, I’ve had single artists dominate with multiple appearances. I realize that can be a little boring for the reader, and it ends up pushing out acts deserving of a mention.
So this time around I am limiting myself to just one title per artist, though I will list other albums of theirs that might have otherwise made the cut.
Concluding my countdown of the songs on Taylor Swift’s Lover.
3. ‘False God’ – I wrote a little bit about this one a few weeks ago, calling it my early favorite after a couple of listens to the album. I still love it enough to have it at #3, though the two tracks below have crept their way to the top spots. This is the sexiest song on the album and a whole new sound for Swift that she pulls off beautifully.
Continuing my countdown of the songs on Taylor Swift’s Lover.
6. ‘Soon You’ll Get Better’ – This is a devastating song about Swift’s mother’s cancer, performed with the Dixie Chicks (her mom’s favorite band). It’s nice to see Swift use her star power to give the Dixie Chicks some high-profile exposure, years after they were run out of country music for daring to speak out against then-President Bush. The lesson of their blacklisting is likely one Swift took to heart, partly explaining her own political silence. I’d like to think country music has changed since then, but the truth is Swift is a full-blown pop star now so she is no longer bound by those constraints. Meanwhile, women — politically outspoken or not — continue to have a hard time getting airplay on country radio.
Continuing my countdown of the songs on Taylor Swift’s Lover.
9. ‘Daylight’ – The album’s delicate closing track looks back at the rocky road — romantically and professionally — Swift has taken to arrive at a place where she finally feels fulfilled. On Lover, Swift seems more self-aware and more at peace than ever, and this song does a lovely job of describing how she got there.
