The Reputation Review: Taylor Swift’s New Musical Journey

By Owen Bertram

Taylor Swift has been a driving force for nearly a decade in the music industry. She began her musical journey as a sweet, kind hearted country singer. Over the course of her first five studio albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989) we have seen her evolution ​ ​ as she narrates past loves, heartbreak, her public image, family, and her childhood. We, as fans, have also taken notes on her changing views, her depictions in media, and her world-famous transition from country to pop. But her sixth album, Reputation, released over a ​ ​ month ago, is seen as darker, as she has dealt with betrayal and a changing image thanks to many celebrities. Her 15-track pop album experiments with synth pop and electropop and provides a new view of her life.

Her lead single of the album, ...Ready For It?, details her fantasies about a man she ​ ​ loves, who she considers a “killer” and details his many relationships. This song peaked at #4 on Billboard Top 100. I thought that this song is very danceable and has fun lyrics. The second song off the album is called End Game. Peaking currently at #39 on Billboard, End Game ​ ​ features Future and Ed Sheeran, who explain the tale of a woman who seeks to be the one who the man relies on while dealing with fame and an infamous reputation. She also wants to become the one who is not betrayed and not like the others women the man had been with. I love how she addresses the difficulties of her reputation as well as trying to expand her vocal abilities with a new beat and two other singers.

The third single, I Did Something Bad, explains her famous feud with Kanye. The fourth ​ ​ song, Don't Blame Me, depicts Taylor as soul-searching for the right man and wants to be crazy ​ ​ in love, referring love as her drug. She explains that she wants to lose her mind and not waste her time with someone special. I realised that the subject matter shows her maturity as an artist.

The fifth song, Delicate, explains her passionate feelings for a guy while keeping in mind that ​ ​ every relationship she has been in is delicate.

Look What You Made Me Do, her sixth song, has to be her most well written song on the ​ album. She surprised us all when she shredded her image forever, giving us a raw, powerful new side of Taylor. She expresses her emotions about everything in her life. While it’s clear she worked hard on this single, I can only say that she has very good explosive lyrics, but I can’t grasp the music. It seems to be very confusing to understand the beat. On Billboard, it debuted at #77 and peaked at #1. Her seventh single off the album, So It Goes…, explains how she ​ ​ feels so trapped in a relationship with someone else. She also states that relationships fall apart into pieces. I love the dark, mysterious tone in this song as she explains how a broken relationship in the spotlight.

Gorgeous, her eighth song, is explaining her pursuit of a guy who she loves. The song ​ peaked at #9 on Billboard Top 100. I think Gorgeous has a fun beat that reminds me of the ​ ​ 1980s. Getaway Car and King of My Heart, her ninth and tenth songs, both speak of heartbreak. ​ ​ ​ ​ Getaway Car shows a romantic adventure full of freedom and promise until it all fell apart due to ​ lies. King of My Heart explains the freedom of dealing with someone obsessive and finding the ​ ​ perfect person. Both songs have a techno-beat and both are told like stories with a climax and resolution. I thought both songs were fairly similar but they both have an appeal that is fairly different.

Dancing with Our Hands Tied is the eleventh song from Reputation. This song explains ​ ​ ​ the first time someone falls in love. This song is extraordinary as it shows Taylor reaching higher octaves in this song than we’ve heard before. Dress, the twelfth song, shows the mark left by a ​ ​ relationship and shows a bond between lovers. I thought the song is okay, it could be good for studying music. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, number fourteen off Reputation, ​ ​ ​ ​ immediately shows off a carefree tone about rumors being spread by a friend. It shows off a little comedy when after singing about forgiveness, Taylor stops and laughing, like it wasn’t going to happen. This song makes shade throwing seem fun with its simple, silly beat and lyrics.

Call It What You Want is the fifthteenth song from the album. Immediately shows off a ​ humble tone and a heartbeat-like of rhythm. It is explaining after all the rumors and lies, Taylor feels more better about herself and doesn’t care about anything but her lover. I love this song as it shows a more acoustic sound and we really can understand more how Taylor is feeling in this period of her life. On Billboard, it has peaked at #1. New Year's Day is the fifthteenth and final ​ ​ composition off the album Reputation. It is very different than her other singles as it moves at a ​ ​ slow tempo and has less tech-inspired sounds. I believe New Year’s Day to be very emotional. ​ ​ After reviewing the album, I have came to the conclusion that the album is definitely different than all her others. While most talk about love, Reputation shows the darkness behind falling in love. I see from Taylor that no relationship will ever be a fairytale. I love her changing attitude towards life and how her music introduces an electropop sound. However, some of her songs don’t connect and it seems some of her songs exclude some of her younger fans. But overall, I believe this is fantastic. With quite a few of songs on Billboard, I know this album will get more the recognition it desires.