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HAPPY TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM RELEASE DAY!!
>>> Order Reputation Here <<<
Feels like Christmas came early, right?!? So this post is inspired Jordyn, a true Fairy Princess that is as beautiful inside as she is out, check out her walk down memory lane of T.Swift songs here.
But… TBH, I miss the old Taylor *shields face from angry T.Swift fans throwing stones*
As I write this it's Thursday – the day before Reputation's release. And while I DO like her new songs released so far, they just don't give me the same feelings her old songs gave me. I've had to listen to the new ones a few times before I decided that I liked and eventually loved them – back in the day I immediately just loved them.
UPDATE: Go listen to “End Game” & “We Can't Have Nice things” & “New Year's Day” #LIFEEEE
I'm not trying to get into a debate on new vs. old T.Swift, because honestly I flip flop and stand somewhere in the middle. I love that she's taking back her narrative and clapping back at everyone, but I also just don't think she's taken enough ownership on some of the things she's done (re: Bad Blood). So am I still a Swiftie? Obviously! But I miss the old Taylor. The one who was relatable, kind, but still strong. So for just a moment today, let's take a walk down memory lane and say hello to the Taylor Swift of yore.
Excuse Me, Can The Old Taylor Come To The Phone?
Tim McGraw
Favorite lyric: “I said, “That's a lie.”
How “Tim McGraw” Connect To Me:
I was 15 turning 16 when this song came out, just starting my junior year. Afew months into that very junior year, I started dating a football player who I thought was too good to be true – everything happened so fast from us dating, to us breaking up, that it took months to make sense of what happened and to get over.
Taylor's words just got exactly where I was at. For months I pulled up to school and parked my car across from his while listening to this song, swallowing the tears as I put on my brave face before getting out my car, face to face with him. Standing in the very same spot he had asked me to be his girl. My favorite lyric held particularly true when said ex came up to me months later drunk at a party and said, “I couldn't handle it, you were too good for me.” – said boy still watches my Insta-stories, so if you're reading this, hi! #sorrynotsorry
Tear Drops On My Guitar
Favorite lyrics: “Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see”
How “Tear Drops On My Guitar” Connects To Me:
Freshman year of college, I basically lived in a fraternity house, and was totally in love with one of the older brothers named Drew. He totally friend zoned me. I found myself watching black and white movies, doing crosswords, and eating Chinese food with him more nights than I can count while the rest of the house partied on. And then even more nights crying to this song while singing it at the top of my lungs with the rest of the brothers who knew about my not so secret crush.
Our Song
Favorite lyric: uhm all of it?
How “Our Song” Connects To Me:
Again, screaming it at the top of my lungs with a bunch of brothers in the Frat house (are we seeing a theme to my freshman year of college yet?)! Dreaming of a simpler time, young love, and just feeling such comfort and hope that this type of fun, pure love would find me again some day.
[RELATED] Advice To My 18 Year Old Self
Love Story
Favorite Lyric: “‘Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter”
How “Love Story” Connects To Me:
It wasn't until my sophomore year of college that this song took hold of my heart… once again related to a boy. I had become best friends with one of the brothers in the frat. We spent all of our time together, doing everything together. Everyone thought we were a couple, but we weren't. And then I caught feelings. He's Muslim, and I'm Jewish. He had tried dating a Jewish girl in high school and it didn't end well so I knew we could never get together and this song just spoke to me. The forbidden love, the societal pressures, she understood it all…
You Belong With Me
Favorite Lyric: “Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you, Been here all along so why can't you see”
How “You Belong With Me” Connects To Me:
This song opened the flood gates to a million memories when it came out. This song was the story of my life. Always feeling like “one of the guys,” it seemed like the boys I really wanted to be with, passed me over for someone else. Plus, part of me got trapped in high school, especially with my first love, and this song just took me right back to that relationship. Plus anytime I take a quiz on “which T. Swift song are you?” I ALWAYS get this one.
Mine
Favorite lyric: “Braced myself for the goodbye, ‘Cause that's all I've ever known”
How “Mine” Connects To Me:
There was this boy…We were both in college, and waiting tables. We got together against all the odds. Total opposites, we felt like love would burn us again. Even being from totally different worlds, we dated for about two years. He was the first [romantic] boy I felt like I “lived” with. The first person I talked about so many of my secrets to in detail. He was safe, but rebellious for me at the same time.
Until he dumped me, at about 2:30 am one morning. On the one hand I thought we would get married some day, but on the other, I had been bracing for that goodbye for so long, it's all I ever knew and played out just how I thought it would. I remember wishing for that man that would come into my life and just understand and support all my secrets and would never turn his back on me. I wanted someone that would be mine.
Better Than Revenge
Favorite Lyric: “There is nothing I do better than revenge, ha”
How “Better Than Revenge” Connects To Me:
AH this was the height of my Joe Jonas obsession, sooo basically how this all played out felt like a personal attack on me too (anyone else?!) Which doesn't help because remember that first love I mentioned earlier? Yeah, same situation is how we ended. Sooo that little part of me that was trapped in high school sang this song on full blast – particularly when running into the girl a few too many times the same year this was released.
Mean
Favorite lyric: Again, can't I just choose the entire song?!?
“Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me,And all you're ever gonna be is mean”
How “Mean” Connects To Me:
When my blog started doing well I remember blasting this song in my bedroom and just dancing like no one was watching. Particularly when I realized that all the ex-boyfriends I've mentioned to date and quite a few girls who cut me down a few too many times in high school follow along with the blog and my Instagram. It just feels so sweet to prove so many people wrong.
Blank Space
Favorite lyric: “Got a long list of ex-lovers, They'll tell you I'm insane”
How “Blank Space” Connects To Me:
Literally who I was before meeting E // Okay who I was at the start of meeting E. I LOVE the game. If you read how E and I met, you know just how hard I played him. Generally speaking, I wanted to find love and have a happily ever after, but love was a game for me and I loved see how each one was going to end. It was like a high for me. I dated and kissed so many boys over the years that honestly, if I was in the public eye like Taylor Swift, people would say the exact same stuff about me. So basically this song felt like my anthem to celebrate all the parts of me that people typically like to shame.
Shake It Off
Favorite Lyric: “It's like I got this music in my mind – Saying it's gonna be alright”
How “Shake It Off” Connects To Me:
THIS SONG THOUGH! Literally my life. For so many years people labeled me so many ways and tried to put me in a box. And this song felt like my anthem to break free. Especially since it was around TCM's launch and it just felt like all the stars aligned in the Universe and gave me my groove. So here's a music video of me expressing myself:
And with that, I invite you to share what Taylor's songs have meant to you! What memories do you have about them? Which have been your favorites and why?
UPDATE: Where to stream Taylor Swift's Reputation today:
Also, clearly I'm not the only one feeling like this because the ONLY place to stream Reputation today 11/10 is on iHeartRadio and they are mixing in her new stuff with her old stuff on the Reputation Station! So It's a great mix of old and new for people feeling like me!
Hahahah YASSS I love the title of this blog post!!!! I totally agree with you!! I LOVED the old T-swift. Absoutely was obsessed with her country music, and even some of her early pop stuff (the Red album.) But now…..she cray.
Ha! I just miss how RELATABLE it was! Like I DO love the jigsaw mind game that her new music is and find it SO fun to figure it all out – but i just don’t feel things the same way with her new stuff. I still like it though, it’s just not the same and I’m not a fan of change in general haha!!
Yaaasss! Happy Taylor Swift Day! I’m listening to it right now. I
YAAAASSS ! Happy Taylor Swift Day!! I’m listening to it right now. I’m with you. I miss old Taylor and those hit you in the feels songs, but I also love her new songs after a repeat or two.
RIGHT!? Like I do like them, but the old T just got my heart on a different level!
This was such a fun post to read! My 10-year-old daughter loves Taylor Swift, so before she started making me listen to her music a few years back, I never gave her music much of a chance. But, I’ll be honest, I actually really like her older music now. Her new stuff is ok, too.
But I super enjoyed your stories around each song listed!
I love this. I totally see where you’re coming from. I think the evolution shows what happens sometimes out there in the world to people. You are hopefully and then you get burned so many times by friends/guys/whatever but then you end up developing this harder exterior. The old you “dies” so a new you can emerge. I think Red was my favorite Taylor album or 1989 if i had to pick but I am excited for the new one.
YES! that’s why like I’m not knocking who she’s become – i just wish she would take a little responsibility — and sometimes you just want a walk down memory lane!
Interesting post!!
I tend to steer clear of ‘drama’ when it comes to social media so I’ve been less interested in T. Swift because I just want to enjoy their music and not think about all the stuff happening in the background!
Totally get that! which is why I wrote this post! I think it’s better to remember the music because honestly its SO overwhelming trying to figure out all the sub-meanings!
I’m so with you…I miss the old Taylor too. She should have stayed with country music and maybe none of this “old Taylor” crap would be happening to her. Just sayin….
I’m with you when it comes to preferring the old Taylor! I still know most of the words to Our Song, and I actually sang Love Story in school choir, so I feel a connection with that too. While new Taylor is still kind of catchy, it doesn’t do the same thing for me as old Taylor did.
LOL LITERALLY LISTENING TO OUR SONG when I read your comment!
Fun! And very coincidental, because I am listening to EW Radio on SiriusXM right now and they are talking about the new T-Swift record. My favorite of her songs is Shake It Off. It’s a pretty perfect pop song!
Rachel, I love this article! It’s so fun looking at how you’ve related to Taylor Swift songs over the years. I totally want to do a post on this now too, haha! Though I love the new album, I completely agree that it’s less relatable than her previous work…of course that’s okay and I still like the songs, but I do love a good Tswift throwback for sure!! xx
Haha do it!! I still like the new ones too! New Year’s Day has that same feel a little bit and I literally well up in tears so that feels like a win! And “this is why we can’t have nice things” literally feels like my life RN haha! So I am actually not as disappointed as I thought I would be!
I completely agree, I really miss her heartfelt love songs. She really made me feel so many things when experiencing high school and first loves!
I really loved this walk down memory lane with T Swift! Still haven’t listened to the new album though!
Honestly when I heard Look What You Made Me Do when it came out months ago, I was WORRIED for this album! As a Swiftie, I was soo worried it was going to be bad haha but I stayed up so late last night listening to the album and I am so happy with it! I think it’s so good, and she did a great job – she’s definitely changed, and I’ll always love her old music but I am really liking reputation!
Girl I was SO worried too! Like I get taking back your reputation and clapping back at how fair you’ve fallen – and I do like the new album – but it does concern me that all of her songs seem to mention partying or drinking, especially after what Ed Sheeran just came out about – like I hope she doesn’t fall down a bad path and that she realizes this is just a chapter in her life and she can come back with some humility and vulnerability again. My concern is that her new album empowers so many to be a “mean girl” and not take responsibility. – like I said I like the new album but it’ll be interesting what happens next!
I’m definitely not sure how I feel about her new songs but I definitely loooved her first albums when they came out. They were my jam in middle school and I still love hearing them.
I love both Taylors but her old songs definitely bring back memories that tug on my heartstrings. It seems no matter who she is though her songs are always amazing!
I’m probably one of the few who isn’t going crazy over her new album haha. I’ll just wait until I hear them on the radio. But I do like most of the ones you listed – I def prefer her older songs to the new ones! And so interesting to hear how you related to each one!
Oh man “You Belong to Me” brings back all the memories of high school football games and pep rallies!
Old T for life! I like her new stuff too but nothing compares to the old jams. So many of them hold a special place in my heart for the same reasons you mentioned! #memorylane
The new Taylor songs have been slowly growing on me, but I really do love her old stuff better. 1989 was the best in my book. My fave Taylor song is “How You Get The Girl” …. so good!
Oh my god what a walk down memory lane…I STILL haven’t actually listened to Reputation so that’s my soundtrack of the week ahead. Ha!
Old T.Swift is my jam too but I still love her. I still need to listen to the entire Reputation album bc I was a little scared with the releases so far.
Yessssss love me some old TSwift!
Awww I do love all these songs so much. That’s so cool that you can remember each moments during your life that you played and loved these songs. Sorry some of them were sad times.
I was in 8th grade when Tear Drops on my guitar came on to the radio. I was so excited because I thought that her name was Taylor SMITH and that was my name! I quickly became obsessed and I’ve bought every album. I can honestly say there isn’t a song she’s come out with that I don’t love or at least like. I know all the words to every song (even reputation at this point LOL). She helped me get over boyfriends, mean girls and find myself as a teenager. I have loved watching her evolution.
I’ll agree that I haven’t been 100% on board with some of her newer stuff. Excited to listen to the new album though and give it a shot!
Great minds think alike. I’m such a fan of Taylor in general that I can’t pick between the two. I’m loving her new album though. She’s such an innovative artist and continues to inspire me with how she handles the negativity thrown her way.
Holy crap. It was like “Our Song” was DECADES AGO ? I miss old Taylor….you are so right! I did obsess over blank space when it came out though…that one shot of her standing on the house (literally just a second long clip in the whole video)….epic.
My high school boyfriend was obsessed with T-Swift, so all of her albums before 2012 remind me of that time in my life! I am buying the album TODAY!