[insert snake emoji]
Do you remember when Taylor Swift released her debut country album back in 2006? She was just a young and innocent country singer. Well, 11 years can do a lot to a person. For reputation, Swift didn’t throw out her guitar but stuffed it in the back of her closet. The album is full of dark production but mixed with classic Swift storytelling and exceptional lyrics. Did these two polar opposites mesh well together? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out.
The album starts off with one of the darkest songs on the album, “...Ready For It?.” The bass is distorted, the kick drums are punchy and the mood is mysterious - and that’s only 8 seconds into the song. Swift sings/talks/raps the opening lines with attitude and the beat continues to build. Just as you think the song is about to get darker, the drums disappear and Swift is delicately singing over a plucky synth. But before you can even adjust to the sudden mood change, Swift says into the microphone “Are you ready for it?” and the dark bass from the beginning is back. Crazy, right? Wait until you hear the rest of the album.
A few tracks later is the even darker “I Did Something Bad.” The song starts and you are immediately intrigued after you hear a repeating string loop. A few seconds in and a dark bass is introduced. Then. Swift’s vocals cut out as the beat builds and the chorus drops. The chorus is filled with intense drums, gunshots, and Swift’s amazing vocals. You might be thinking “well if the production is this good, then the lyrics must suck.” But - shocker - you’re wrong! “I Did Something Bad” is another classic Taylor Swift song about the media’s perception of her. She sings “They're burning all the witches even if you aren't one, they got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons” in the bridge. Between the flawless production by the pop genius Max Martin and Swift’s impeccable lyrics, “I Did Something Bad” is one of the standout tracks on reputation for me.
At this point in the album, some of the “OG Swifties” might be disappointed. Lots of people fell in love with Swift for her amazing storytelling and slow songs and aren’t interested in the dark production on the first few songs. Well, there’s something in reputation for everyone. Songs like “Delicate” and “Getaway Car” are reminiscent of Swift’s older music, but modernized. Both of these songs quickly became fan favourites because of their lyrics and vulnerability. Swift sings “This ain't for the best, my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me” on the intro of the former song.
Another shockingly impressive part of reputation is that its weakest is barely some pop stars' strongest. “End Game” is another trap-inspired song featuring vocals from Future and Ed Sheeran. While this sounds like the best and most confusing collaboration of the century, I’m still not sure if it worked. Future’s flow is slightly awkward and it didn’t feel like he even belonged on the song. Sheeran has the strongest verse on the song. He sings “Reputation precedes me, in rumours, I'm knee-deep” in his verse, which practically sums up the theme of the album in a sentence - so why didn’t Swift sing that?
In conclusion, Taylor Swift has evolved as an artist and a human. If one good thing came out of the Taylor Swift hate train, it’s reputation.
Stream reputation by Taylor Swift on Spotify and Apple Music.
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