One Song per Taylor Swift Album

The songs from each album that had the most impact on me personally, from the first time I heard it until today

1. Teardrops on my Guitar (from Taylor Swift)

   • first song I heard from her

   • first time I realized I could write songs about people in my real life

   • first time I saw my friends actually crying on their guitars because of this song

2. You Belong with me (from Fearless)

   • the song that made me into a fan

   • the song that got me into songwriting

   • i may have dedicated this song to a crush that didn’t notice me

   • the song (and album) made me curious about American country music

3. Speak Now (from Speak Now)

   • the first song i heard that felt like a fiction novel or romcom movie scene

   • the most storytelly song in her first solo-written album

   • special mention: Mean is the first time she directly responds to music critics

   • special mention: Enchanted was her most magical, most sprawling, and one of her longest song still today, and its bridge “please don’t be in love with someone else” really hit me

4. We are never ever getting back together (from RED)

   • its use of half-spoken and conversational lyrics fascinated me

   • the play with words like “We-eeh” and “never ever ever” was fun

   • first time i heard her be assuredly rejecting an ex-lover

5. Blank Space (from 1989)

   • the first time she played with the character imposed on her (a playgirl)

   • the synthy pop production felt like eating candy to my ears

   • this song (and album) truly turned her to a main pop star

6. Don’t Blame Me (from Reputation)

   • the angriest i felt her in a supposedly angry album

   • the synthy rock production actually makes me wanna headbang

   • special mention: Look What You Made me Do and Ready For It are the only times she made a close attempt to rapping, and End Game is the only song of hers i think that is originally written with featured rap verses

7. Lover (from Lover)

   • the most romantic song in her most in-love album

   • also came at a good point in my personal life

8. mirrorball (from folklore)

   • the most pensieve in her most pensieve album

   • when i felt like she finally realized her role as an artist in the world

   • this song (and album) elevated her as an adult-oriented songwriter

9. happiness (from evermore)

   • the most hopeful song in her forward-looking album (out of the pandemic)

   • when i felt like she is able to find peace in all of the heartbreaks she’s had

10. We Were Happy (from Fearless TV)

    • one of the first vault songs I heard that could be reflecting on a relationship from a safe distance

11. Nothing New (from RED TV)

    • first time i heard her talk about oblivion as a popular artist

    • special mention: All Too Well is a song that didn’t grab me the first time I heard but has also grown on me over the years, thanks to an amazing bridge. The 10min version is also glorious

    • special mention: in some of the vault tracks here she rerecorded songs that she wrote but gave away to other artists like Better Man and Babe

12. Anti-Hero (from Midnights)

    • first time i heard her be self-critical

    • may be her strongest internal rhymes

    • special mention: you’re on you’re own kid reflects on all her past albums, very fitting for a culminate tenth album

    • special mention: Mastermind sees her own to her reputation of being calculated

13. Hits Different (from Midnights Til the Dawn)

    • one of the many many bonus tracks that came with roll-out of Midnights that felt like could’ve been lead singles

    • special mention: You’re Losing Me reframes this whole album and yet is not part of any of the deluxe versions

14. Castles Crumbling (from Speak Now TV)

    • one of her many vault songs where now she was able to collaborate with some of her biggest heroes that may have inspired the same song

15. Is it over now? (from 1989 TV)

    • one of those vault songs that she may have not been able to release back then but now completes the picture for that album

16. Fortnight (from The Tortured Poets Department)

    • first time i heard her talk about mental health struggles

    • came at an important time in my life too

17. I Hate It Here (from The Anthology)

    • first one resonated with me as someone who sometimes felt like it’s better/nicer to be in my fiction-writing head than in the real world

    • special mention: The Prophecy sounded like a thesis statement for her most recurring themes so far: relationships never lasting

18. The Fate of Ophelia (from The Life of a Showgirl)

    • the song that (hopefully) closes the chapter on the most recurring theme in her life: relationships never lasting

    • special mention: Father Figure also cements her winning the fight over her masters

From non-album tracks:

1. Safe & Sound (from Hunger Games)

2. Crazier (from Hannah Montana)

3. I knew it, I knew you (from Toy Story 5)

4. Today was a Fairytale (from Valentine’s Day)

5. Two is better than One (With Boys Like Girls)