MUSIC REVIEW: Taylor Swift Reputation

MUSIC REVIEW: Taylor Swift Reputation

21st November 2017 Off By Northern Lights

Taylor Swift has just released her sixth studio album Reputation. The album shows a different side to usual Taylor and she has gone far out from her country roots.

Northern Lights contributor, Bethany Reay, goes through her favourite songs from the album.

Track 4 – Don’t Blame Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHFlNfMH4vw

Although this song isn’t like anything Taylor has ever created before, we think it is lyrically brilliant like all of her previous albums. The lyrics: “I once was poison ivy but now I’m your daisy” is my favourite lyric. I think it is well thought out and can be interpreted in many ways, depending on how you’re feeling. Taylor’s tone is very calming, you almost don’t expect the beat drop in the chorus. The song is supported mostly by drums and then sounds are added over the top by Max Martin and Shellback, who helped produce the song.

Max Martin and Shellback has also produced some of the songs on Taylor’s 5th studio album, 1989, which broke many records. Obviously, Taylor brought them back to produce her 6th studio album which has also broken many records and it hasn’t even been released a week. The song gives out a choir feel, Taylor layers her own voice multiple times, creating a simple but effective harmony and towards the end of the song it gets more upbeat and poppy.

Although the high notes aren’t as powerful as many young female artists around, I was still shocked by the notes Taylor hit in the outro. ‘Don’t Blame Me’ is a fan favourite and it’s definitely one of my favourites off Reputation.

 

Track 12 – Dress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj5Zcc3vEms

This song is the most sexual song Taylor has ever written, her fanbase called Swifts and I were quite surprised when news got out from the secret session that she had written a song about sex and it made it onto the album. Wildest Dreams, which was a single from 1989 was a huge hit, I hear a similarity from the backing vocals during the chorus of both songs. Dress is much more of an obvious sexual song, she makes sexual references throughout the whole song. I think this is one of my favourite songs because it’s still Taylor’s style but the lyrics are really shocking and unexpected especially for the fans.

Taylor’s reputation was very good girl, innocent, and she never swore or talked about sex. The album defies her old reputation and I think this song really breaks that innocent girl agenda she used to have. “I only bought this dress so you could take it off” is the golden chorus lyric, I was definitely most shocked when I heard this lyric, I never thought anything like that would come from her mouth. She is a parent favourite for how clean her reputation is, that will certainly drop as parents start listening to her new album.

 

Track 14 – Call It What You Want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54CEElTF_

This song was released as a promotional single before the album. This song is very slow and low energy, there are layered voices in the back that adds to the effect of the overall beat which sounds like clicks. It is a love song about Taylor’s current relationship with the actor, Joe Alwynn.

Taylor sings about being out of the spotlight and being “better than she ever was” even though her reputation is at its worst. She sings like she is in love and I think this song is a homage to Joe and it has melted many fans hearts. “I want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck, chain round my neck, not because he owns me, but ‘cause he really knows me” is my favourite lyric in the song, it is sang in the bridge where the song gets slower before the final chorus and the outro.

I think this song should’ve been the lead single, it’s more of a Taylor Swift song than ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ is, this was my favourite single she released before the album and it has remained one of my favourite songs on the album entirely, purely because of the tempo and beautiful lyrics.