1001 Albums Summary

I find it interesting that I can only find "Taylor's version" of the album on both YouTube and Spotify. Her voice has definitely improved and I'm glad she has her music rights again, but part of me wished I could hear the raw original, even if it is potentially "worse"-- especially as her voice isn't my favorite. Also interesting to think about artists being so influential they can erase their old music and replace it with another version. Anyway, thoughts as I listened to each track: 1. Welcome to New York: good beat, repetitive. Reminds me of her being NY ambassador or whatever despite not having grown up there. I think I spaced out for part of it. 2. Blank Space: kept the "Starbucks lovers" A++. Also I swore this song came out when I was in high school, but nope. 2014. Makes me feel nostalgia despite the unhinged lyrics. The bridge is my favorite part, I like the vibrato-y, rasp ("boys only want love if it's torture") 3. Style: the guitar riff to start this is a banger. Her voice still grates a bit for me. The chorus is one of the catchiest most memorable parts for me-- especially since it's all a reference to Harry Styles. I did start getting bored at the end? Maybe because I've heard this song a lot though. 4. Out of the Woods: I don't think I've heard this song before? Or I forgot it because it's weird af. It's got some big drum/80s vibes? Oh wait, I'm listening and I know the chorus. It sounds like it's meant to be on a Disney movie like Tarzan or something. Taylor Swift meets Genesis. The music video is insane. Is it about relationships? Global warming? Mother Earth? Why not all? 5. All You Had to Do Was Stay: I vaguely know this song. The high pitched "stay" throughout took me out at times. The tone feels one-note throughout and repetitive (probably because of the constant STAY). These lyrics and beat are also the most generic of all the songs so far. 6. Shake It Off: I remember how iconic this music video (still makes me smile) was and it's one of Swift's best "clap back" kind of songs. The horn beat throughout is really fun and helps with the playful vibe the tone/lyrics give. Her voice is definitely not my favorite on this track, but the song is fun so it's easier to disregard. 7. I Wish You Would: I don't know this song and I don't know if Taylor's version is different, but it felt like I listened to it at 2x speed or something. The "driving past and memories/regret hits" vibe just makes me think of Olivia Rodrigo's song "Driver's License" and how it does a better job of capturing the vibe than this buzzy energy drink whatever this song is doing. Not surprised it didn't become as popular as the other tracks. By the end I was thinking "I Wish This Song Would End". 8. Bad Blood: I don't think I liked this song when it first came out because the chorus was annoying to me. It became an earworm though and it's grown on me over the years-- probably nostalgia goggles & Chris brainwashing. ALSO WTF KENDRICK? NVM I don't remember this song at all apparently. Has Kendrick always been featured on this??? Did it always have trap/dub clapping?? I remember less of this song that I thought lol The music video also makes me realize why people think Taylor is bi. I wonder if her and Katy Perry had a thing? Also Zendaya and Selena Gomez in the MV. Wild. 9. Wildest Dreams: she sounds like Selena Gomez in the opening. I think this song could have been on either Folklore/Evermore and fit in pretty well. Her voice is my favorite on this track compared to others, though the beat/melody is the most simple and the lyrics are just ... Fine. I love the pre-/chorus a lot though. One of my favorite tracks. 10. How You Get the Girl: the beat and lyrics are extremely generic and everything about it annoys me. I honestly think AI could make this will little prompting. Did not like it, it's the only track I couldn't listen to all the way and had to skip. 11. This Love: I like the ethereal instrumental opening. I think she's maybe doing a slight Florence and the Machine tone, but her voice isn't as husky/impactful. It's a little forgettable, but I don't mind the track overall. Just sad girl vibes. 12. I Know Places: I like the piano and vibe of her voice in the beginning of this song-- especially the vocal backtrack (the repeated "I" is fun) and some of her emotional rasp at words like "run"-- but I lose a bit at the chorus when it becomes more generic/falsetto again. I think she developed songs with this vibe that are way more refined later. I actually think this is an underrated track overall though. It's pretty fun and the lyrics aren't bad. 13. Clean: weird track to end on, but Swift loves her dark ass narrative storytelling songs and hitting you over the head with a metaphor (rain? CLEAN?? FRESH START???). Sounded like some more of her other tracks, especially the more sing-talk verse + wispy chorus with a synthesized drumbeat in the back. Not the worst, but definitely forgettable to me. Okay I didn't not realize how many iconic tracks came out on this album. No wonder it's regarded as one of her best (however I do think if it just ended at Wildest Dreams it would have been better). I'm still not a big Swiftie, so I don't think I would ever choose to listen to this album fully, but she does make some catchy tunes so I wouldn't mind listening to some of the better ones every now and then. I think Wildest Dreams, Blank Space, Shake it Off, and Style are the top for me, but again, don't think I'd even listen to them back to back.

I think I maybe know one REM song, so I'm excited for this. This album is 1 year older than me! Tracklist thoughts: 1. Drive: I'm bad with music comparisons, so I looked up who they were influenced by/influenced and I can hear Velvet Underground, definitely Radiohead, and even bits of the Decemberists. It's fairly simple in construction with the finger picking guitar and ethereal voice (almost Smiths/Doors-y?). I do think the song is a little too long for how simple it is and how much they repeat the chorus, but in the age of 1min TikTok songs, maybe it's not a bad thing (or my brain is broken). 2. Try Not to Breathe: I keep thinking the singer sounds like someone else, but I wonder if I'm just thinking of other REM songs. Very repetitive lyrics again. They're good lyrics, but they're said over and over without much change in the guitar melody. Again, maybe 4 minutes is a bit long? They probably did something crazy with their instruments or voices or whatever that makes them revolutionary in 1992, but I'm a bit bored. I actually zoned out the last minute. 3. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight: I love that he vocalizes the beginning of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for a hot second before he launches into the lyrics. The music and lyrics of these one are the most unique and fun so far. I love the chorus and the bridges as well as the harmonies in the back. 4. Everybody Hurts: ohhhhhhkay, yes. Now I remember which song everyone knows by REM lol Amazing singing here, sad af. The guitar feels a bit 50s/ Buddy Holly, but the string instruments and his shaky voice plus when the electric guitar layers in makes it such a unique and messed up song. Almost 6minutes for this song and I feel it's a bit too long again, but it does change up a lot and I can see someone just vibing to it and their feelings over and over. I'd never heard the ending "newscast" part before where apparently people just leave their cars and disappear?? I wonder if it's just for the music video. 5. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1: There isn't a No 2 on the album, so I wonder if they never made one? I love the idea of an interlude/short instrumental on an album though, especially one where they obviously love messing around with their sound and layers so much. 6. Sweetness Follows: oh man these lyrics are fucked up-- definitely a 90s grungey vibe. I really like how he sings the refrain "sweetness follows". More experimenting with electric guitar and organ music now. I wonder if these guys are classically trained? Note: the answer is no, they just have been jamming for a while 7. Monty Got a Raw Deal: love a song with characters/a story (see: Rocky Raccoon by The Beatles). **Note: I got so comfy in bed at this point that I fell asleep to the rest of the album. It was actually rather soothing.