1. "...Ready for It?"
Jemima: When I first heard "RFI" I loved it but wasn’t totally sold. It’s so different from everything we’re used to from Taylor, and my debut album-loving heart just wanted some good ol’ country Swift. But now I’m more accustomed to her new sound I’m so into it, and it’s such a good opener for the album. “Let the games begin” really sets the scene for how much this album is going to fuck everyone up. She knows she’s about to get a lot of criticism no matter what, and she’s ready for it. Meanwhile, I am not.
Kristin: When I first heard the chorus I broke down, it’s classic Taylor (but more I’m-an-adult-having-sex Taylor) and I screamed at my phone in the middle of a restaurant over a bowl of pasta. I was both simultaneously not ready for it and ready for it. “Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted” — this lyric is perfect, please tattoo this on my forehead.
Jen: Taylor clearing her throat at the beginning is still my favorite lyric of the song. Taylor raps… I don’t hate it, but honestly still don’t love it. But you know what? It gets me AMPED and ready to take on the world and it was our first hint that the old Taylor was probably not actually dead at all.
Ellie B: The first time I heard this song, I was in an airport about to get on a plane and I listened to it on repeat for the entire flight. It was my favourite single for a good few weeks, mostly because the chorus throws it back to Tay's classic style, and I was worried we wouldn't get any of that after "Look What You Made Me Do."
Ellie W: Unlike "Look What You Made Me Do," I liked this track immediately when it was released. The chorus, which is classic old school Taylor, gave me ~mature~ "Wildest Dreams" vibes, while the verses are her new sound. The combination really shouldn’t work, but totally does. Also, that final chant of “Let the games begin” is so perfect it gives me goosebumps each time.
Ryan: The bridge. The bridge. The bridge. When the bass drops and I heard, “Baby, let the games begin / Let the games begin,” I felt a Rocky-level rush of adrenaline. I love this song and will continue to pray for all the rap careers that were ended thanks to the first two verses.
2. "End Game"
Jemima: This is…different. I’m still recovering from Kendrick’s verse on "Bad Blood," so it might take me a while to come around on this. I LOVE the lyrics, which are always the best drawcard of a Swift song. "Your handprint’s on my soul” is such a beautiful, classic Taylor lyric. It’s weird to hear it in this context but I can’t say I hate it.
Kristin: Ok first things first, before I even hit play: WE GOT A DAMN SWEERAN TRACK. As soon as she said “I wanna be your A-Team” I SCREAMED. Like honestly, my friends were like what is wrong with you (to which I say, Are you even an Ed Sheeran fan????). With all that aside, it’s not my *favorite* track — I was expecting more “Everything Has Changed” vibes that would make me sob, like, We’re both in love with people and love is beautiful and cool and great. But we got a Taylor + Ed + Future collab and I’m not gonna complain. I also appreciate her Tumblr-esque shipping lingo.
Jen: I wanted to love this song, I really did. It’s the Reputation track and the Ed Sheeran collab we’ve all been waiting for, but I hate to say that it just didn’t really do it for me. I wanted so much more. *listens to “Everything Has Changed” on repeat for the rest of time*
Ellie B: The first time I listened to that I wasn't all that into it, but I'm slowly coming around — it's definitely a new kind of music for Taylor, but some of the lyrics are beautiful. And that bridge!!!! Pls.
Ellie W: Sorry, I’m really not sold on this. It felt too much as though she was cramming each expected theme of the album — Reputation! Enemies! Drama chasing her! — into one song with a catchy soundbite name. Maybe it’s a grower.
Ryan: I love a good hater song. I feel like this song is “Shake It Off” on crack. Right off the bat, Taylor is owning a few things: She’s got a reputation, she’s got enemies, and she knows people talk about her. And then towards the end, I feel like the whole album is really encapsulated with the lyrics: “I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put ‘em ... / I swear I don’t love the drama, it loves me.”
3. "I Did Something Bad"
Jemima: OH MY GOD she said "shit" and I hate how fucking excited that made me. There’s something about this song that I love, though I can’t put my finger on what exactly. It’s just making me really happy and now I’m crying excited tears. Also guys, not to alarm you, but this is going to be SO GOOD LIVE. Just imagine how she’s going to stage this on the rep tour, I reckon it’ll be "Blank Space" vibes with the smoke machines and the light flashes. Oh lord. LIGHT ME UP literally same.
Kristin: Hoooooly shit. My first question: Why the hell wasn’t this a single??? This song is a true damn bop, it’s so good I wanna cancel all my Friday night plans and endlessly dance around my living room to it for seven hours. Also I’d personally like to request a three-second loop of her saying “If I could” to listen to for the remainder of my life. “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one, so light me up” — IDGAF Taylor is my favorite Taylor.
Jen: This, to me, is the true beginning of Reputation and it’s a fucking bop. There are also so many quotable lyrics here that belong all over Tumblr: “You gotta leave before you get left” and “If he spends my change, then he had it coming.” And the way her voice slides on “If I could.” I die.
Ellie B: I am living for the implied Tayvin/Hiddleswift shade in this song and I cannot wait to walk down the street dramatically miming the chorus as if I just killed a man.
Ellie W: OHHHH SHIIIIIT she really dropped that "S" bomb. I feel like this track sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s from the perspective of a darker, more mature, zero-fucks-given Taylor and I am here for it.
Ryan: In this song, we meet “I don’t give a fuck" Taylor. She doesn’t trust narcissists, she doesn’t trust playboys, and she doesn’t really care if you have a problem with her saying the word “shit.” LOVE IT.
4. "Don't Blame Me"
Jemima: Oh god, I have goosebumps all over from this song. I’m listening to it and I feel like it’s going straight through my ears into my soul if that makes sense. I want to play this at full volume while lying on the floor and crying???? Holy shit, I’m obsessed with this. It reminds me a lot of Delta Goodrem’s “The River,” which you all need to go listen to right now if you like "Don't Blame Me."
Kristin: Okay, damn. This is like if Hozier and Taylor Swift had a baby that moved to a cabin in the woods and exclusively drank whiskey. This song is sexy and brooding and when she goes up on “daisy” I kinda wanna faint??? I fucking love this.
Jen: This is an entirely new Taylor sound, and I’m obsessed. Can’t wait to hear it on every single Shondaland promo for the rest of time, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Ellie B: I am most definitely here for the darker, slow sound of the verses here, and I love the lyrics, but the chorus is...not for me. NEXT!
Ellie W: This was the first song that really made me ~feel~ things. The chorus is amazing and the use of the choir just works so well. Also, I’m sorry but the “I get so high! / Trip of my life!’ refrain that just builds and builds is So. On. Point.
Ryan: USING FOR THE REST OF MY LI— OOhOOhh! cured my anxiety, paid off half of my students of loans, and made me a better person. If you’re one of those assholes who says Taylor can’t sing, listen to this song and the ad-libs. Iconic.
5. "Delicate"
Jemima: Uh, is anyone else hella excited every time they hear her say “reputation”? This song is very Imogen Heap and I’m OBSESSED. Almost like a sexy, darker cousin to “Clean.” Not to sound weird, but hearing Taylor sing about sex is my new religion. I love that this song actually sounds ~delicate~. Somehow she’s perfectly nailed the feeling of a new relationship and now I want to weep in the shower.
Kristin: In true Taylor fashion, she flawlessly captures the literal exact words and thoughts running through your mind the first few anxiety-ridden weeks of dating someone new. “Is it cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you’re in my head? Is it too soon to do this yet?” SAME.
Jen: “My reputation’s never been worse, so he must like me for me” is a lyric that so simply and eloquently encapsulates Taylor’s entire career and it’s so sweet and sad at the same time. Joe, DO NOT HURT HER.
Ellie B: This was one of the songs I was most excited to hear based solely on the track list and damn, I was not disappointed. It's such a gentle bop and I am getting Queen Carly Rae Jepsen vibes. Don't @ me!!!
Ellie W: When the tracklist was released, I thought this was going to be a whimsical love song, but it’s really not. In fact, it perfectly captures both the flirtation and anxiety of the early stages of a relationship, when you’re unsure how you should be feeling, what you should be saying, or whether it’s going to work out but you're trying to just go with it anyway. The lyric "Sometimes when I look into your eyes / I pretend you’re mine" is too real in that context.
Ryan: This song has a lyric that I immediately need framed: "We can't make any promises now, can we, babe, but you can make me a drink." Amazing.
6. "Look What You Made Me Do"
Jemima: I’ll never forget the feeling the day that we first heard it, getting new Taylor music for the first time in FOREVER. I sat on my bedroom floor and scream-cried. And don't even get me started on the video. It’s such a clever, well-written, and well-produced song that every time I listen to it I love it a little more.
Kristin: I love a good stunt-y single, and this track is exactly that. When the music video dropped, I too dropped to the fucking floor. Like, actually I gasped about 73 times. And after listening to this on repeat for the past few weeks, I’m still a fan. (Although not thrilled about the old Taylor dying, because I’m not ready to let go of Red yet.)
Jen: Listen, “LWYMMD” is the exact song Taylor needed to release in that moment as the first single. It’s splashy, it’s campy, the music video was perfect. Is it the best song on Rep? Far from it. But I appreciate it for what it is.
Ellie B: I didn't looove this song when I first heard it, but it's a pretty typical lead single, and it was the first new Taylor we'd had in three years, so I listened to it repeatedly anyway. And guess what? It grew on me! Reading the lyrics as Taylor making fun of her past public personas makes it so much more enjoyable.
Ellie W: I was so unsure what to make of "LWYMMD" when I first heard it. In fact, I spent virtually a whole weekend on Tumblr trying to decode it. I also wasn’t sure what to make of it sonically either. There’s a part in the middle eight where things feel like they’re about to really kick off, but then the chorus hits and it's so monotone. HOWEVER, the song began to make sense and then grew on me after the video dropped. It’s still not my favorite, but looking back it was definitely the best choice of comeback single.
Ryan: This was necessary. It created buzz. It got people talking. And most importantly, it let people know that she’s not going to be doing the same self-imposed rules anymore. And the video. Just hand her and Joseph Kahn the Grammy now. It’s brilliant — lavish, self-deprecatory, and fuckin’ badass.
7. "So It Goes..."
Jemima: Uhhhh “I’m not a bad girl but I do bad things with you” has straight-up murdered me bye see ya its been nice please make sure you play Reputation at my funeral. OH NO WAIT I KEPT LISTENING AND I HEARD “SCRATCHES DOWN YOUR BACK" NOW I’M REALLY DEAD. Guys I’m literally sitting on my bed cackling to myself I can’t deal.
Kristin: Daaaamn, T. “You know I’m not a bad girl but I do bad things with you.”
Jen: Remember back when we thought, “I’ll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands” was peak scandalous Taylor? Ha ha ha ha ha.
Ellie B: This didn't stand out to me on my first listen-through, but a few listens later I'm into it! Also, "scratches down your back now"? Damn, Tay.
Ellie W: It pains me to say it, but I’m pretty sure this is destined to be a "skip" track. I like the whispered “One, two, three,” and the outro is pretty good, but the rest of it is just a bit "meh."
Ryan: “You did a number on me, but honestly baby, who’s counting?” Her lyrics are so fkn clever. For anyone else this would be a standout lyric, but for Taylor, it’s just the norm.
8. "Gorgeous"
Jemima: The first time I heard "Gorgeous" I was underwhelmed, it sounded to me just like every other song on the radio. But after watching the video of her writing it, I sheepishly had to backtrack when I realized how complex it is and how much thought she actually puts into every song. (I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.) I seriously LOVE it now but somehow I don't feel like it fits with everything else on this album?
Kristin: Listen don’t @ me, but these lyrics are not my fave. But after spending the past few weeks listening to it, it’s good. I like it. The little ding sound makes me smile.
Jen: Gotta say, I’m a “Gorgeous” apologist. It’s been in my head a lot the past few weeks and it just makes me feel good.
Ellie B: The *ding* is everything to me.
Ellie W: I loved "Gorgeous" on first listen. Unlike "LWYMMD" and "RFI," it felt more recognisably Taylor. I also love, love, love the final 30 seconds where "You make so happy it turns back to sad / There’s nothing I hate more than what I can’t have" is repeated — it perfectly sums up the emotion of unrequited feelings.
Ryan: It felt very Avril Lavigne-y. Not saying that’s a bad thing, but I was waiting for a climax, or for it to pick up a little more. Either way, still catchy AF and would’ve been any other singer’s, like, best song.
9. "Getaway Car"
Jemima: Wow, I’m already obsessed with this song. I’m seriously praying this is a single because I NEED a video clip for this masterpiece. The verses sound like they could belong on 1989, while the bridge sounds like a grown-up Speak Now track... I’m loving it. Thank god we have a breakup song on this album, because my poor single heart wasn’t ready for nonstop love songs.
Kristin: Do you think Taylor Swift knows how much of a goddamn genius she is? Guys. GUYS. This song, these lyrics, her voice — I am, truly, at a loss for words. Aside from being three minutes and 53 seconds of perfection, it reminds me of a 2017 version of “Out of the Woods,” which kinda feels like wrapping yourself in warm, familiar blanket.
Jen: This reminds me of “Out of the Woods” and I think it’s only going to continue to grow on me as I listen over the next few weeks. It might be one of my favorites on the album, and it’s PEAK Jack Antonoff.
Ellie B: This is definitely one of my top three songs on the album. It's like "Wonderland" (from the deluxe edition of 1989 — listen to it)'s older, gives-no-fucks sister. It's about trying to hide your love for its own good, but the secrets end up tearing you apart. The feels! Also, the key change!
Ellie W: I’m struggling to articulate how much I love this. The lyrics, the production, and Taylor's delivery are all completely electrifying and left me covered in goosebumps. Just when I thought I'd heard the best part, a new section kicked in and left me virtually deceased. The '80s feel also reminded me a lot of "Style" from 1989, which was my favorite track from that album and my most played ever on iTunes, but I think "Getaway Car" is about to steal that record. TL;DR: I need a whole album of purely Taylor Swift and Jack Antanoff.
Ryan: This song makes me want to go on walk on, like, a bridge in the dark. It’s fun + Haim + Bleachers and it’s fucking great. I love the way she says “getaway” too. “I was just drinking.” I also love how openly Taylor talks about drinking. So important to me.
10. "King of My Heart"
Jemima: The lyrics of this are so Red I want to die. I’m not a huge fan of the beat and melody of this but oh shit do I love the lyrics. I can feel a lot of Instagram captions coming from this. But yeah, overall to me it’s not 100% memorable. (But probably cut to me in a week jamming out to this nonstop. Who knows.)
Kristin: “And all at once you are the one I have been waiting for.” Guys, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there are a few lil' tears in my eyes as I type this. I meaaaaan. Damn. When is the wedding? Follow-up question: can I be a bridesmaid?
Jen: A happy Taylor is a happy life. Also: Jag-u-arrrrrrs.
Ellie B: I cannot wait to scream the ever-loving shit out of this chorus on tour with tears of happiness streaming down my face. Just listening to it makes my heart feel full.
Ellie W: I’m not a massive fan of the production on this, but I like the sentiment behind the song. Falling in love again after being fucked over is scary but amazing and I think the song captures both. "My broken bones are mending" is a perfect lyric.
Ryan: "King of My Heart" is like the opposite of “Never Grow Up.” It’s like yes, I live alone. I don’t need to be tucked in. I need to be an adult and do whatever the fuck I want.
11. "Dancing With Our Hands Tied"
Jemima: The lyrics of this song are seriously beautiful, I’m shook. Like, I need to sit down with a highlighter and a red pen and give it a high school English analysis. I love this a lot, it’s already in my top five, I’m ready to listen to it on repeat.
Kristin: Okay, we are more than halfway through and I’m emotional as hell. Her voice sounds so velvety — this song is gorgeous and makes me want to simultaneously dance and weep.
Jen: This and “King of My Heart” remind me most of 1989. Like 1989’s late-twenties, been-through-more-shit, is-a-real-grownup-now sister.
Ellie B: This gives me early '00s vibes. It's definitely not one of my favorites, but I'm not mad at it! And you can guarantee I'll be getting my magnifying glass out to analyze all these references to blue and gold.
Ellie W: Like a few other songs on the album, I feel as though the production overtakes everything, including the incredible lyrics. However, I feel like this could be a grower.
Ryan: This song is great. It’s a bop. It’s catchy. BUT, it’s also very visual. There are a lot of winter visuals — ice, snow, frozen — as well as colors — blue, gold. As I’m listening to it, I’m like, “OK, I need to go back and analyze the shit out of this.”
12. "Dress"
Jemima: I literally had to pause this before it came on so I could get myself ready for the sex song. I love it so much. The beat is so good and I’m also getting real Britney Blackout vibes and I’m obsessed. Also, her calling Joe “my one and only” has wrecked me, my heart is so happy.
Kristin: Just in case you haven’t figured it out by now, fyi, this is Taylor’s sex album. “Only bought this dress so you could take it off,” yeeeeesssss girl, yes. I am too damn obsessed with this track. It's sexy and emotional, and makes me wanna put on some red lipstick but also cry?
Jen: It’s officially official: Taylor fucks.
Ellie B: FUCK. ME. UP. TAYLOR. I have already listened to this song approximately a million times. The first time I listened to this song I burst into tears. A lot of the buzz around this song is that it's Taylor's ~sexiest~ song yet — but the emotional lyrics get to me. "I don't want you like a best friend." "My hands are shaking from holding back from you." "All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting." Seriously, this song is everything to me. I stan one song only.
Ellie W: I absolutely loooove this. Obviously everyone is losing their shit over ~sexy Taylor~ and I agree — with the orgasmic "ah, ahh, AHHH," I’m not surprised Andrea left the room when it was played during Secret Sessions. Aside from the sexiness though, it’s actually a low-key love song. The lyrics “Even in my worst times you could see the best in me” and “My one and only, my lifeline” are just beautiful.
Ryan: Ok, this is obviously about sex but my first thought is...IS THIS ABOUT ED SHEERAN??? “I don't want you like a best friend / There’s an invitation in the SHAPE OF YOU.” WTF???
13. "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"
Jemima: Oh holy shit I AM LIVING THIS SONG HAS SAVED MY LIFE. The shade is amazing and it’s so catchy and THIS IS GOING TO BE MY SONG OF THE SUMMER. "BAD BLOOD" WHO?
Kristin: Listen, when she started cackling after preaching “forgiveness” I screamed so loud that my colleague messaged me from the other room to ask if I was ok. This is the camp-y, IDGAF track of my goddamn DREAMS.
Jen: Ho-ly shit. HOLY SHIT. I wasn’t ready. I’m still not ready. The shade is so strong and it’s the perfect anthem. I’m glad the whole album wasn’t a shady album, but DAMN I’m glad she went there with this one. Plus, I don’t think I’ve had a stronger reaction to hearing a song for the first time than when I heard her say, “HAHAHA, I CAN’T EVEN SAY IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE”
Ellie B: This song is fun and funny — like, I laughed out loud the first time I heard it — and I'm into the Lorde-esque "Royals" sound, but it's not a fave. To be fair, though, no song that came after "Dress" ever had a chance with me.
Ellie W: NGL, I’m conflicted about this one. It clearly references the Kanye furore, but part of me was hoping she'd take a bit of accountability for that whole mess on this album. She’s kinda forgiven though, because melodically and sonically this song is INCREDIBLE and I LOVE it so much it was actually the first one I chose for a second listen after hearing the album all the way through. It's basically yet more proof that Jack and Taylor are borderline musical geniuses and should work together always.
Ryan: FAVORITE SONG. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” makes me want to go reignite three feuds I had in college/high school/grammar school, just so I can play this song and think of them. LOVE THIS. Also, the fact that Andrea Swift is in on the drama, amazing.
14. "Call It What You Want"
Jemima: Can I just say RIGHT NOW that I love Joe Alwyn so fucking much because it sounds like he’s made Taylor so happy. I just want to send him a fruit basket or something. I have listened to this song A LOT in the last week and let me tell you I have smiled every single time. Its just so nice and cosy and fills me with joy. I can't even tell you how much the lyric "Nobody's heard from me for months / I'm doing better than I ever was" has healed my heart. Hearing it on the album right after "This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things" is truly perfect and such a journey.
Kristin: So Jack Antonoff suggested we listen to this with headphones at night on a walk and let me tell ya, he was RIGHT. I am so, so in love with this song. It’s the only thing I’ve been listening to for the past week walkin’ down the streets of NYC after dusk and it’s the best decision I’ve made in all of 2017.
Jen: Wow, what a transition from “Nice Things” to this. I’ve loved this song since the minute it came out, and it’s still perfect to me. I truly enjoy Taylor in love, and her happiness radiates off of this song.
Ellie B: Another gentle bop! I can imagine listening to this while driving on an empty road with the windows down. I stan happy, in-love Taylor.
Ellie W: This became my favourite single release when it came out last week. It’s genuinely such a beautiful love song. The lyrics about being brought back to life by someone new after heartbreak get me every time — especially the part about being built a fire to keep her warm. I also die each time I hear the way breathing is incorporated into the part where she sings about holding her breath, because that, my friends, is genius.
Ryan: This is carefree Taylor. You can tell, she’s genuinely happy. Even as she’s reminiscing on her hard times, singing, “My castle crumbled overnight / I brought a knife to a gunfight / They took the crown,” she reassures people, “It’s alright.” She’s good. She’s happy. She’s doing better than ever.
15. "New Year's Day"
Jemima: As soon as she started singing, I started crying. This is the ballad I wanted. I would love a whole album of songs like this but this one is just so good that it makes up for it. I’m not sure how she manages to make a song so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time but right now I’m weeping.
Kristin: Guys, I wasn’t ready. All I wanted was one beautiful, classic, inspiring-me-to-find-love-and-happiness Taylor track, and we got it. I’m not getting married unless Taylor shows up to perform this on piano at my wedding. My heart is gonna collapse and burst. The perfect ending.
Jen: A perfect, gorgeous, simple ending. Sorry, but the old Taylor clearly isn’t dead.
Ellie B: Listen friends. My greatest dream is for Taylor to release a greatest hits album that's just piano versions of all her best songs, à la this piano performance of "Out of the Woods." This song is like "You Are in Love" part two — where that was Taylor finally finding the truest kind of love, this is her deciding she's ready to settle down. I'm crying. I live for this.
Ellie W: Proof that Taylor is arguably at her best when she goes back to basics. The lyrics, the piano, everything about this screams old school Taylor and it’s proof that she isn’t dead even if I am after hearing this album.
Ryan: It’s classic Taylor. Taylor and an instrument. Raw vocals. Vivid imagery. Story telling. Perfect.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Jemima: I saw a tweet the other day that said, "Reputation is not going to be the album I wanted for me but will be the story I needed for Taylor Swift." This truly has to be the perfect summary of my feelings. I want country-infused pop, and soulful lyric-driven piano ballads. Obviously, I’m not going to get that any time soon but it’s fine because I can listen to Red every day for the rest of my life. Reputation is more than just an album of 15 songs. For me it's like a phone call from a best friend who's having a tough time, reassuring me that she's OK. It’s the redemption story of a girl who has weathered endless storms, emerging on the other side worse for wear but somehow also better than ever. Though she's giving off a very IDGAF attitude, I still think she cares a lot. She's just learned which opinions actually matter. I'm so ready for this era.
Kristin: Wheeeeew. I’m gonna need another eight days to truly process the 4,736 thoughts and feelings I have after listening to Reputation, but in short: We are so damn lucky. Reputation is a beautiful redemptive, unapologetic, intimate look at her roller-coaster ride of the past few years, a story that ends with her coming out on top, in love, better than she ever was. It makes me wanna grab three bottles of wine and laugh, cry, and cheers to our best friend for once again flawlessly creating perfection, even in the midst terrible torrential storms.
Number of times I screamed while listening: 4
Number of tears that welled up in my eyes: 37
Number of times I literally jumped out of my chair in excitement/happiness/pure elated joy: 9
I am so damn happy. Every album is a new beginning, a new Taylor, a new set of tracks to perfectly describe every emotion you’re feeling at that point in your life — and Reputation delivers just that.
Jen: It’s good. It’s DAMN good. Taylor truly saved the best for album release day, and I’m honestly glad she did. Favorites (at the moment, before it changes tomorrow): “I Did Something Bad,” “Getaway Car,” and “Call It What You Want.” Sorry I ever doubted you, Taylor, and so happy to have another awesome 15 songs to add to my daily Spotify rotation.
Ellie B: I'm not going to lie — when "LWYMMD" came out, I was worried. When a new album cycle starts, I always think I want more from ~Old Taylor~, but listening to this made me realise that the beauty of Taylor's music is that she gives us something completely different with every album. I think, personally, Red will always be my favourite (still bitter about that Grammy), but while Red is full of sadness, heartbreak, and autumn vibes, Reputation is going to become my go-to happy, gives-no-fucks music. Also, "Dress" is one of the best songs Taylor has ever written.
Ellie W: Before hearing this album I was hoping for something as lyrically complex as Red with the catchiness and bangers of 1989. And although some of the tracks fall slightly short of those expectations, overall so many meet or exceed them. “Getaway Car,” “Don’t Blame Me,” “Dress” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” all did to me what the best Taylor Swift songs do — make you instantly fall in love with them, make you feel things, and give you goosebumps from head to toe. And for that, I am more than satisfied after a three year drought.
Ryan: I love it. I love the different sounds. I love the different approach. I love the IDGAF attitude. I love the cursing. I love the adulthood and maturity behind the lyrics. It’s awesome. Favorite songs: "Delicate," "Getaway Car," "King of My Heart," "Dancing With Our Hands Tied," "This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things," "Call It What You Want," "New Year’s Day."