Taylor Swift. My words fail me right now, because I don’t know if I have words that will do this album justice- Lover. We really needed you.
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LISTEN to LOVER on YouTube, Spotify, etc. Purchase Deluxe (or regular) Editions at Target!
Taylor also released 3 other tracks prior to the release of the full album this past week on Friday, August 23rd.
You Need To Calm Down
The Archer
Lover (video) strategically released the eve before the album release! And shocker, it’s BRILLIANT!
Now as usual when I know I want to write a review for an album, I listen to it, with a pad and pen in hand and take notes. Nothing crazy just things I notice, things I like, lyrics that strike me, or just things I hear that I like and notice in the music. This album (the deluxe version) has 18 TRACKS! So it is quite the treat for us swifties!
Let’s get started. Keep in mind, this is a FIRST LISTEN. So my thoughts are kinda random. LOL.
1.) I Forgot That You Existed
*Break up song/ANTHEM! (happy)
*A Bob! *Strong first track
2.) Cruel Summer
*I noticed some lyrics from this song are in the Lover music video “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes.”
^ Taylor and her Easter eggs. 😉
*Fun!
3.) Lover
*The release of this song/video was so perfectly planned.
*Lyrics!!! [Engagement?]- Sure sounds like she’s engaged. 😉
*Romantic
4.) The Man
*YES!!!
*FEMINISM!
*Badass Boss Lady!
5.) The Archer
*I didn’t love it my first listen when it was an early release.
*But I watched her YouTube special the eve of the album release and she performed it, and I just liked it so much more!
*Love her voice- breathy/airy/light
*Sonic
***She shares some fun info about the album here too! And the fact that she’s OPENING the VMA’s tonight- Monday, August 26th! OMG I CAN’T WAIT! ***
6.) I Think He Knows
*Sexy/Rap
*”Wanna see what’s under that attitude.” “I think he knows he better lock it down.” Haha love those lines!
*Girl is so good with metaphors and symbolism.
*Engaged? (Again it appears to be a possibility, lol)
*90’s girl jam (I just feel like I could see like a girl group singing this in the 90’s #GIRLPOWER)
7.) Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
* Darker sound
*Auto tune
*Synthesizer?
8.) Paper Rings
*Stalker Cool haha
*Snaps!
*60’s/70’s/swing vibes
*Rocker/2000’s vibes [Yes at the same time, she plays with a lot of sounds and genres but it’s all EPIC AF]
*Wedding themed [Again!] 😉
9.) Cornelia Street
*”how this city screams your name.”
*pretty lyrics
*Voice! *”Dress” vibes from Reputation album
10.) Death By A Thousand Cuts
*Super interesting sounds
*Like I’m LISTENING to a Kaleidoscope.
*Chimes/taps/funky guitar/drums
*”Trying to find parts of my body you didn’t touch”- beautiful metaphor
*The title is clever, you wouldn’t think it would be so light sounding. From the name, I expected darker Taylor to creep out.
11.) London Boy
*”Darling, I fancy you.”
*Stella McCartney name drop (the reason why we have that tye dye dream of a collection)
^I’ve been eyeing one tee, but it’s a bit pricey [$60] if you ask me, and I don’t even know if it’s still available. New merch was being released each day for only a couple hours at a time.
*Cute
*About Joe Alwyn? (who’s voice is that in the beginning???- apparently it’s Idris Elba & James Corden)
12.) Soon You’ll Get Better (feat. The Dixie Chicks)
*Country Roots
*”Cause you have to.”- this line breaks me.
*CRYING!
*hit hard
“Who am I supposed to talk to?”
*Rough one to listen to, but beautiful. (I skip it when I re-listen, it’s just too much for me.)
^Taylor herself has said in recent interviews that she can’t listen to this song or perform it. It was hard to write and she and her family made the decision together, choosing to include the track on her album.
13.) False God
*Jazzy/slow jam
*R&B
*”I’m New York City, I still do it for you babe.”
*”We’d still worship this love.”
*OMG she can do ANYTHING!
14.) You Need To Calm Down
*Clever Lyrics- “Cuz shade never made anybody less gay!”
*Anthem
*Timing is perfect! “Political” stand.
*Inclusion
*Bop!
*Polite Diss song
15.) Afterglow
*”Hey it’s on me, don’t go.”
*Pretty
16.) Me! (feat. Brendon Urie)
*1st single-loved immediately
*video is magical!
*Brendon Urie!!!!
*Chanty!
*Chorus! 🙂
*Happiness!
*Self Acceptance
*Fun intro to this new album and the world she was creating for us.
*Great Collaboration. One we didn’t know we needed!
*Flash mob vibes
*Where is my fav line! “Hey Kids, Spelling is fun!”????
^So I did a little google search….So sad they took this out because people were giving her crap because it was “offensive.” I just don’t get it. People are way to sensitive these days, and that’s coming from someone who takes EVERYTHING to heart. So…yea.
17.) It’s Nice To Have A Friend
*Childhood
*Folksy
*Running with the fairies
*Harp
*Fantasy
*Chorus
18.) Daylight
*”I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you.”
*Lyrics!
*Perfect last song
^Taylor actually said this was almost the little of the album, but then she wrote Lover and felt like that embodied the theme of the whole album and she was spot on. This album is a lover of love. A celebration of it’s ups and downs.
After the track finishes we get a little audio note from Taylor and what she leaves us with is quite the profound message…”I want to be defined by the things that I love…you are what you love.” Such an amazing body of work.
LYRICS: I could sit here and tell you every lyric I loved, but that would take forever, because Taylor is such a genius with lyrics. you can really see how she’s matured and how she is writing from a place of being in love and the things that come with that. It’s so beautiful that she’s so in love. I really hope she and Joe make it all the way to the aisle….or maybe that’s already “locked in.” 😉 Please feel free to READ all the lyrics and analyze for yourself. You won’t regret it!
Overall Thoughts: So dang strategic. Crazy feels and lyrics. A true artist. 18 songs. This album takes you on a journey. A roller coaster of emotions. A masterpiece. Brilliant album. I have 0 complaints. In fact I was texting with one of my best friends as I listened and after every song, I would text- OMG I love this one, I love that one, I can’t decide! It’s insane how much love and thought she puts into these albums and the campaign behind releasing them. I really respect her creative process. I love how she really is so involved in what she places her name on. She wrote/co wrote every track. She plans everything from the mood to the colors to the imagery she uses to convey the feelings of this album to her fans. I mean even if you HATE her, you can’t deny her! She is a true legend in the making. And I only say in the making, because she still has so much more to go. And I cannot wait for that TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! I have yet to see her in concert and she is on my concert bucket list. I kicked myself for not seeing her in concert for the 1989 album. So this time, I am making sure I plan ahead!
Although I find it hard to choose favorites, I will say my current #onrepeat tracks are- I Forgot That You Existed, The Man, I Think He Knows, False God and Afterglow. But they are changing as I sit here, listening. She experimented with so many interesting sounds and touched upon some new genres. She really proved her voice can do so many different things. And I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.
Stay Tuned! My Lover Album unboxing is coming up next!
And don’t forget Taylor opens the 2019 VMA’s tonight at 8 PM on MTV
Red carpet at 7
*I do not take credit for any images/videos/music used.*
-<3-
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Michelle Leigh Writes 