Album Review: Lover by Taylor Swift

Captivating, heartwarming, and emotional. Those are the words I’d use to describe Taylor Swift’s new album Lover. I’ve been a fan of her ever since I was about 10 years old, and this is definitely one of her best albums. One of my favorite songs is “Cornelia Street.” It’s about how Taylor would feel if her lover ever left her, and she ties it with how she would never be able to walk Cornelia street again because it would remind her of him too much. The melody is so diverse and as with all her songs, I feel like I'm actually in her mind, feeling what she feels through her personal lyrics. Lover takes you on a journey through heartbreak, Taylor’s thoughts about how some people view her in a negative way, and of course, unconditional love. Another one of my favorite songs is “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” Taylor uses the metaphor of a high school to compare it to her political views in such a clever way. The word “blue” is repeated throughout the album, and colors are significant in her music because they symbolize concepts and feelings, such as in her album Red. I also really love “Death By A Thousand Cuts,” which Taylor said was inspired by the Netflix film, Someone Great. She compares experiencing a breakup to slowly dying by a thousand cuts because it can be difficult to move on and not have flashbacks about one’s relationship. Some songs on the album such as “I Think He Knows” have an 80’s poppy vibe, bursting with a playful and catchy melody.

In “The Man,” Taylor expresses a message that many women, including myself, can relate to. She sings about how she thinks her life would be like if she were a man, such as how the media wouldn’t judge her as harshly for her actions. She would be treated as the powerful person that she is, instead of being seen as someone who’s “bossy.” The chorus’ lyrics are “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can/Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man.” If Taylor was a man, many people would cheer for her relationships rather than negatively commenting on how she has been in “too many” relationships. There are double standards for men and women in society and men and women definitely don’t get treated the same based on their romantic relationships and so many more factors of life. I admire Taylor for writing this song and being brave to share it with the world because it’s an important message that so many women can connect with and feel like they’re not alone.

Overall, Lover is a beautiful album with heartfelt lyrics. It’s definitely one of my favorite albums of hers and I admire how she constantly experiments with different musical styles. I’m so excited for her tour – check out the dates on her site!