Taylor Swift, Lover | Album Review 💿

Grammy winning pop superstar Taylor Swift proves seven is indeed a lucky number on her brilliant, seventh studio album, ‘Lover.’

When Grammy-winning country/pop artist Taylor Swift announced a pop album in 2014 (1989), it wasn’t a huge surprise.  1989 turned out to be a smash for Swift, and since then, she’s kept her foot firmly planted in pop music.  On her highly anticipated third pop and seventh studio album overall, Lover, she actually sounds as if she’s more assured in her status as a pop star.  1989 is her most important pop album obviously, but Lover has a legitimate argument as being her best pop album to date, dipping into multiple styles.

“I Forgot That You Existed” 

Lover commences in bright and bubbly fashion with the sleek ✓ “I Forgot That You Existed.” From an initial listen, “I Forgot That You Existed” feels and sounds like ‘pop gold.’  Taylor Swift delivers a playful performance that oozes with personality.  Melodically, the record is quite lovely, though it should also be noted the non-melodic, spoken-word portions are also quite alluring, contributing to the gem-status of the opener. Swift keeps things piping hot on follow-up ✓ “Cruel Summer,” the first of many productions/co-productions by Jack Antonoff.  There’s nothing the slightest bit cruel about the record, which benefits from a fantastic chorus, as well as an utterly thrilling bridge.  Swift is definitely ‘turned up,’ giving her all early-on on Lover.

“I take this magnetic force-of-a-man to be my lover / My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue / All’s well that ends well to end up with you  / Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover…” ✓ “Lover” reunites Swift to a certain extent with country music.  It isn’t explicitly country, but there are retro cues in place that remove it from the pop she’s served up since 1989 in 2014. What isn’t brand-new about the record is a topic of familiarity for Swift – love.  Clearly, as she sings to and about her boyfriend, and, she’s TOTALLY feeling him:

“Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, take me home (Forever and ever)
You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

Thematically and lyrically, “Lover” is simple, but enjoyable and effective to the nth degree.

“The Man”

“I’d be a fearless leader / I’d be an alpha type / When everyone believes ya / What’s that like?” Following the slower, love-centric “Lover,” Taylor Swift picks up the pace and the personality on ✓ “The Man.”  She approaches the song from the perspective of ‘the man’ which is quite effective.  Naturally, this approach allows Swift to highlight the issue of gender inequality, even if it’s packaged as a commercial, hella fun pop song.  “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can,” she sings on the chorus, continuing, “Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man.” From being a man, she assumes the role of “The Archer”:

“I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey
Who could ever leave me, darling?
But who could say?”

On “The Archer,” she focuses on relationships, as well as her perception to others. On the aforementioned chorus, she might as well say that she’s had her good and bad moments in her respective relationships. On the verses, she questions her current relationship, specifically her own actions and insecurities from the past.  This is quite pronounced on the second verse: “And I cut off my nose just to spite my face / Then I hate my reflection for years and years.”  Later, on the bridge, she tussles with stating “‘Cause they see right through me” versus asking her current man, “Can you see right through me?” Lyrically, “The Archer” is quite interesting. Musically, it’s also alluring, dipping back into the 80s. A cool feature is how it builds as it progresses.

“I Think He Knows” 

“I Think He Knows” benefits from being groovy to the nth degree, as well as incredibly playful.  Taylor Swift shines her thanks to exhibiting ample personality – that’s where that playfulness comes into play.  “I Think He Knows” won’t change lives, but it’s definitely fun pop through and through.  She follows up with another excellently produced effort, “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” which takes it back to high school.  “You know I adore you, I’m crazier for you,” Swift sings on the first verse, continuing, “Than I was at 16, lost in a film scene / Waving homecoming queens, marching band playing.”  As is the case with the majority of Lover, it is the chorus that is truly the crème de la crème.

Following the slightly slower tempo of “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” ✓ “Paper Rings” picks up the pace and incorporates a number of music styles.  “Paper Rings” has elements of pop-punk, New Wave, and pop/rock.  One listen confirms Antonoff’s return behind the boards, and it’s certainly ‘a match made in heaven’ on this particularly cut.  The energy is infectious, the background vocals are a brilliant touch, while key change on the bridge is a pleasant surprise (“I want to drive away with you ./ I want your complications too / I want your dreary Mondays / Wrap your arms around me, baby boy.” Once again, the chorus is the ‘cat’s meow.’ “Cornelia Street” has a tough act to follow, and certainly doesn’t trump the best, but the record certainly continues the overall enjoyable nature of Lover.  The way that Swift’s voice sounds in its upper register is a selling point.

“Death by a Thousand Cuts”

“‘Cause I can’t pretend it’s okay when it’s not / It’s death by a thousand cuts.” The 10^th cut, “Death by a thousand Cuts” commences intriguingly with numerous, repeated “My(s)” during the intro section.  Taylor Swift reveals the cards on another marvelous chorus, which occurs prior to verses.  The lyrics are quite nice, but the keyboards and synths are absolutely gorgeous. “London Boy” is a clear contrast to the majority of Lover, adding hip-hop producer Sounwave as a co-producer.  This bright, urban-pop sound is surprisingly effective as we don’t normally associate Swift as that type of artist.  Of course, she did drop the uncharacteristic “Look What You Made Me Do” on reputation back in 2017. 

“Lover” approached a return to country music for Taylor Swift without fully committing to the genre. ✓ “Soon You’ll Get Better” featuring Dixie Chicks is indisputably a country track, with singer/songwriter sensibilities.  Dixie Chicks provide Swift with backing vocals as opposed to appearing as the main attraction. That’s the way it should be. Perhaps “Soon You’ll Get Better” doesn’t possess the same excitability as the shimmering pop cuts, but it’s among the best written songs and impeccably performed.  And again, it reminds us that Swift was once a highly successful country musician. ✓ “False God” also stands out, thanks to playful, rhythmic melodic lines, unique production (Antonoff at it again), and the religious references that appear throughout.  The chorus is a prime example:

“But we might just get away with it
Religion’s in your lips
Even if it’s a false god
We’d still worship
We might just get away with it
The altar is my hips
Even if it’s a false god
We still worship this love
We still worship this love
We still worship this love.”

“You Need to Calm Down”

“You are somebody that I don’t know / But you’re taking shots at me like it’s Patrón…” ✓ “You Need to Calm Down” is bright, irresistible, and sunny in sound, set in a major key. Besides the sound and vibe, Swift manages to deliver another super catchy chorus. Adding to the allure of the chorus is vocal layering. Notably, “You Need to Calm Down” is anthem encompassing love and respect for the LGBTQ+ community.  This is explicitly shown in the second verse, with references to GLAAD, as well as a key lyric, “Sunshine on the street at the parade / But you would rather be in the dark ages / Makin’ that sign must’ve taken all night.” The reaction to Taylor Swift’s purported support for the LGBTQ+ community has drawn criticism (Christina Cauterucci  of Slate dubs it “… A Teachable Moment About How Not to Be an Ally”), but if nothing else, this energetic, sunny joint is notable if for no other reason than the fact that it’s the catalyst for discussion.

“Afterglow,” the 15^th track, continues the enjoyable vibes of Lover, even as the runtime is starting to have an effect. Promo single ✓ “ME!”, smartly follows, bringing familiarity to the album.  “ME!” commences with sleek harmonized vocals by Swift, before she jumps right into the first verse. Fueling her fire is military-styled percussion, which consistently keeps the energy at an all-time high. Swift brings more punch on the chorus, which is quite catchy. Brendon Urie enters the mix on the second verse, providing a brilliant contrast to Swift. The chemistry between the two is notable, as they join forces on the pre-chorus, before blessing listeners with the chorus. “ME!” received its fair share of criticism, but IMO, Swift and Urie have the personalities to sell this irresistibly fun record, intact with all the schmaltzy, tongue-in-cheek goodness.

“It’s Nice to Have a Friend” 

At 18 tracks, Lover is quite long.  Even so, the penultimate record “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” keeps things interesting, finding Swift dip into indie- and tropical pop.  It shows her willingness to experiment, and at only two-and-a-half minutes, it’s an inoffensive risk. “Daylight” is nearly twice as long.  Like everything else, Swift sounds well-rounded, even if at this point, the best of the best has already passed on Lover.

Final Thoughts 

Since Taylor Swift shifted to pop, I have had my fair share of criticism and skepticism at times.  On Lover, arguably, Swift delivers her most well-rounded pop album.  Sure, 1989 will likely remain her most important pop effort but overall, what really makes Lover special is how she dips into different styles, the catchy choruses come over as catchier than ever, and honestly, vocally, she sounds well-rounded.  The biggest rub about this album is simply the fact that it’s too long.  Otherwise, Swift delivers a pretty sweet LP.

✓ Gems: “I Forgot That You Existed,” “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” “The Man,” “Paper Rings,” “Soon You’ll Get Better,” “False God,” “You Need to Calm Down” & “ME!”

Taylor Swift • Lover • Republic • 2019

Photo Credit: Republic