Reputation Deep Dive~

 Hello Swifties! I apologize for missing last week’s Taylor Tuesday. 

I was waiting for Friday night because I thought Taylor Swift was going to release the lead single to her upcoming album Midnights. It was silly, but she and Taylor Nation had been throwing out hints that Karma would be her lead single, releasing last Friday. 

That was not the case, BUT I am going to make it up to everyone. This week’s Taylor Tuesday is the longest one ever, and I spent forever crafting it to be exactly as I wanted. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

And next week, we will get into the Midnights tracklist since everything is leaked!

Again, I apologize, but let’s get into reputation~ :)

Oh reputation, my favorite album. It is on a different level than anything else because it is so unique. Like evermore, her current newest album is so beautiful and heart-wrenching. I love it, but you can’t compare it to reputation because they are almost opposites.

Reputation is a mix of revenge and karma over what has happened to her, but also an album full of love. (Like what happened at the 2009 VMAs, more drama with the Kardashians/Wests, and with the industry giving her an eating disorder.)

It symbolizes how Taylor felt and dealt with what happened.

She was upset, she wanted the people that hurt her to know it and feel her pain, but as the album progresses, it shows how she has grown above it, falling in love with Joe Alwyn.

Up until reputation, she released an album every two years, but she took three years to release and publish reputation. In my opinion, it gave her time to grow and heal.

Enough with the backstory now, let’s dive into the tracklist. I will briefly explain each song, along with my opinion on it. In the end, I will also rank my favs <3.

Tracklist:

1. …Ready for It?

1. One of MY FAVORITE Album introductions. Even though I have listened to it a thousand times, it never gets old and it’s something I can bop and dance to.

2. It was a single from reputation, and the first track of the album, and set fans in the mindset of the album, with the pop (kind of punky) beat and vibes, especially with some sexually suggestive lyrics. It was also reminiscent of 1989 for some. 

1. Taylor also has documented that it brings into the theme of “Crime and Punishment” which is carried throughout the album.

2. End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran & Future)

1. This is another really fun track to bop to! The collabs are fun, and thankfully not too overdone. It also features Taylor RAPPING!?!?!? I love! I love! I love!

2. This song is simpler in meaning. It relates to Taylor reflecting on her reputation, and Taylor also sings about how she wants her lover (aka Joe Alwyn), to be her soulmate.

3. I Did Something Bad

1. AHHH. I LOVE THIS ONE. In my opinion, this is a baddie anthem. You’ll hear me so many times on this album say a song is dance-able and poppable. It puts me in the mindset of just committing a crime but looking good while doing it and getting away with it.

2. This track helps bring the listener even more into the darker-trappy theme of the album. Especially with what people said about Taylor at the time, one could say that she did something bad ;). “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one.”

4. Don’t Blame Me

1. OMG TAYLOR. TAKE ME TO CHURCH! I swear, this track lifts me off my feet and allows me to fly over the room. 

2. In this track, Taylor compares love and loving someone, to drug addiction. Comparing both can drive you mad. More specifically, she says HER lover is her drug, making her happier than ever and doing things she would not necessarily do when thinking without love.

5. Delicate

1. This track is a cute little song, but it’s lower on my rankings. I had a lot of fun with this song when it first came out, and the music video is gorgeous which helped. Comparing it to the rest of the album though…

2. In Delicate, Taylor questions if this new man in her life (Joe Alwyn) likes her or not. She acknowledges that “my reputation’s never been worse, so, he must like me for me.” It also guides us through her struggles of approaching the said new man through the repetition of the song.

6. Look What You Made Me Do

1. LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO AHHHHHH. When you say anything about reputation, Swifty or Nonswifty, everyone’s mind always goes to LWYMMD. It was the lead single for the album, and it set the entire tone for the album and I LOVE IT. Most people put this track lowest on their rankings, but I still love this song.

2. The song takes jabs at people (who we have suspected to be Kim Kardashian and Kanye West). After taking the jabs and doing it fabulously, the song then goes to “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone. Why? Oh, cuz she’s DEAD.” It represents the rebirth of her and her image, not caring as much about what other people and the public think of her, along with being a stronger, bigger person. Everyone called her a snake, and SHE OWNED IT. (Hence the snakes in the music video.)

7. So It Goes…

1. THE ALBUM CONTINUES FROM THE LEAD SINGLE WITH SO IT GOES…, which is an amazing song. It’s great to bop to and I feel incredibly special like I am the only one on a stage doing something amazing. The reverberation and all of the production are perfect and I love it all so much.

2. This song represents the journey of her becoming her new self. The old Taylor is dead, but so it goes. Along with some very sexually suggestive lyrics, some of the lyrics depict her and someone else hurting each other in some way. Could be the Kardashians/Wests or it could be between the new and old Taylors.

8. Gorgeous

1. I lump this one together with Delicate… It’s not a favorite, and it will be one of the lowest on my rankings. However, it has its mood. If I’m in the right mood, I can sing my heart out and love it. I think it doesn’t compare to the rest of the album. “I guess I’ll just stumble on home to my cats,” is one of my favorite quotes ever though.

2. The song represents unrequited love. Taylor had an infatuation with someone, depicted by the lyrics. Even going as far as depending on the other person for happiness.

9. Getaway Car (A SONG THAT DESERVED A MUSIC VIDEO!)

1. GETAWAY CAR, MY FAV! This is my all-time favorite song on the album. I love it so much. The storytelling is amazing, the pacing, the production, everything is phenomenal! I could listen to this song on repeat for multiple hours on end, and I know I have before.

2. Taylor Swift is a genius. She used the metaphor of criminals in a getaway car to represent a doomed romance. She knows this love was bad, and in the end, we hear her ditch the love, metaphorically, and take the bag. Some speculate this song is about her relationship with Calvin Harris. It was doomed and she took the getaway car to be with Tom Hiddleston.

10. King of My Heart

1. I LOVE KING OF MY HEART! It’s such an amazing song. I love it dearly. I can dance to it anytime. The production is amazing, the lyrics are so wholesome, and again, it is just amazing to listen to! It is a VERY VERY close second to Getaway Car.

2. This song is very literal. She is using it to talk about her love and soulmate Joe. “Is this the end of all the endings?” She has been waiting forever to find someone as perfect for her as she considers Joe, and she has never been happier.

   11. Dancing With Our Hands Ties

1. This song is a fun bop. Just like the word “dancing” is in the title, it is so fun to just dance and destress. The beat is simpler, and you don’t have to think that much when listening to the song. You can just vibe~~

2. This song is about a relationship that was on shaky ground and ends up not being successful. It was doomed due to pressure from the media, the public, etc. It was fun while it lasted, but it was hard to do anything. 

   12. Dress

1. Dress is an amazing song. It’s slower than the others. However, while it may be shorter, it gets her message across… We had never heard anything quite like this from Taylor before, but it is still a masterpiece. I especially love when she says, “Everything just stops,” and everything goes completely quiet. It was a very nice touch.

2. While other songs may have shared a bit of the same theme, this is Taylor’s most sexual song. If you listen to the lyrics, she bought a dress, just so her lover can take it off… and you know where things go from there… The entire song she is lusting over a lover and talking about how bad she wants to be with said lover (Joe, as always).

   13. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

1. This song is honestly such a fun song. It isn’t super complicated, or something you have to think about. A lot of the song is sung very sarcastically, especially with her laughing line. Even just for the laugh line, this song can’t go too low on my rankings.

2. In this song, Taylor throws shade at either haters or other celebrities she has not gotten along with. But, she doesn’t do it in a mean way, more of a funny, sarcastic way. I love her for that <3. “And here’s to you, cuz forgiveness is a nice thing to do… HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!”

   14. Call It What You Want

1. This song is such a cute little bop. I love listening to it because I can pick out all of the different imagery and metaphors/symbolism she uses. 

2. Like a bunch of her other songs, Taylor is vulnerable until she meets her lover and she’s happy. She dealt with horrible things, taking time for herself and becoming better (thanks to her “baby”). It’s like she fantasizes almost about running away with her lover and staying with him forever.

   15. New Year’s Day

1. The final track… NOOOO… I wish this album could have continued forever. I love New Year’s Day in a different way than the other songs. It is the black sheep of the album because this song heavily relies on piano and softer vocals. It is a perfect transition into her next album, Lover, and it was a great, wholesome way to end the album mixed with such revenge and karma, but also passionate love.

2. The entire theme of the album has almost been a renewal/rebirth; however, this track takes a different approach to it. She still holds onto the memories, both good and bad, and she realized that the big parties are over, and now she is left with the aftermath. She has this love, that she never wants to see leave, and she knows that the love will stay in her life, helping her clean up after the New Year’s Eve parties. “Don’t read the last page,” the story isn’t over… :)

Here’s a truth from my red lips ;) (My Ranking):

1. Getaway Car

2. King of My Heart

3. Don’t Blame Me

4. End Game

5. So It Goes…

6. Dress

7. I Did Something Bad

8. New Year’s Day

9. Call It What You Want

  10. …Ready For It?

  11. Dancing With Our Hands Tied

  12. This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

  13. Look What You Made Me Do

  14. Delicate

  15. Gorgeous

Of course, those are only my opinions, and they change a lot. If you disagree anywhere, please comment below, and we can discuss the brilliance of every track.

(Remember, even if I rank something lower, doesn’t mean I don’t love it. I love this entire album.)

Oh well, this blog post was long enough~ tehe. I had a ton of fun, and if you’re still here reading, thank you so much. I appreciate it. 

See you all next week for more Midnights Mayhem!