By Lexi Lane
In her sixth album release, Taylor Swift explodes in a way never before heard with “Reputation,” but the way she does makes it a thrill.
It opens with “…Ready For It?”, a good introduction that revs up from the very start, giving listeners hints at what’s to come. This is followed up by the only collaboration on the album, “End Game,” which boasts big names, Future and Ed Sheeran. This song has a darker mood with each artist having their own rap verse. This leads into standout lyrics where all three reference the album’s title in a dynamic way with a repetition that gets stuck in your head.
Other tracks from the record include “I Did Something Bad,” “Don’t Blame Me,” and the lead single off of the album, “Look What You Made Me Do.” These have a grittier vibe to them, compared to her previous music, that view the world from a dark and unapologetic perspective. “Don’t Blame Me” showcases Swift’s vocals best out of these three because it brings a softer element to the song when she peaks at the chorus. “I Did Something Bad” is brilliant lyrically, telling the story of using guys around the world and not feeling guilty about doing bad things. It shows a progressive side of Swift in that it is her first song to ever include a swear word.
“Getaway Car” is a personal favorite off this album because it portrays the story of escaping one relationship to follow a new one, leaving both of them in the end, in a Bonnie and Clyde-esque way. The story of the criminals-on-the-run is told in a lyrically creative way, and the lead-up to the chorus makes the track more interesting in the way it crescendos.
One of the more aggressive tracks on this album “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” references being betrayed (over the phone, to be exact) as Swift points the blame back on those who “mind-twist” her and rain on her parades. The ending features her saying “forgiveness is a nice thing to do” and follows it with mock laughter, so it’s easy to say that whomever the song is about, the bad blood isn’t going away anytime soon.
However, there are romantic, calmer songs on the pop record, rumored to be about her current relationship with Joe Alwyn. These include “Delicate” and “King of My Heart” which reference the fact that Swift is still loved no matter how bad her reputation is, which brings a personal aspect to this album.
The album closes off beautifully with “New Year’s Day,” the slowest song on the album, but it is the best combination of Swift’s power as a singer and a writer, backed by a piano that provides listeners with a warm feeling at the close of the piece.
