“Lover” is loved: Taylor Swift’s seventh studio album takes priority on the charts, and in our hearts

BY ALEXANDRA SANSONE

How does one explain the talent that is Taylor Swift? It goes without saying that over the years, Swift has amassed a large following of loyal ‘Swifties’ and a seemingly endless list of achievements. The pop icon has succeeded yet again, managing to create another batch of hits on her recent album “Lover.”

Gone are the dark brooding tracks of Swift’s last album, “reputation,” and here now is the sugary, sweet, cotton candy world of her latest and greatest body of work. But don’t be fooled. Despite its glittery exterior, the contents of “Lover” are anything but lacking in terms of depth and meaning. 

“Lover” shines a refreshing light into Swift’s brain and brings back the vulnerability the pop star is known for pouring into her work. It’s hard to pick just a few stand-out pieces to rave about. Each song can hold its own outside the context of the album, yet still manages to fit cohesively together as a unit. The lyrics are quippy and the production is top-notch. Each song has you dancing around, screaming or crying.

It’s hard to pick just a few stand-out pieces to rave about.

Love is the overarching connection each piece shares, something expected given the album title. But it differs from the story of the perfect couple that Swift was expected to sell. Love is discussed from all angles— from the awestruck feeling one gets when crushing on someone, to the crushing devastation of having to say goodbye to someone you love because it just didn’t work out. 

With the discussion of love, Swift subtly approaches more serious topics. Mental health motifs can be picked up in her lyrical composition. The first track, “I Forgot That You Existed,” is the perfect example of this. While serving as a segue from the combative nature of “reputation,” it is a universal bop for moving on from someone who zapped you of all of your affection and energy.

Track five, “The Archer,” frequently repeats phrases in a manner that hints at the anxiety of being vulnerable and having people “see right through” you. “Cruel Summer” first comes off as an overly simplistic pop song but, after a closer listen, it’s revealed that it addresses the harm of hiding your true self from the one person who is meant to see it. The heartbreaking “Soon You’ll Get Better” featuring the Dixie Chicks tells the story of having to watch a loved one suffer from a horrible sickness.

Swift stays true to the creativity that sets her apart from other artists.

The album’s songs are applicable to any relationship, romantic or not, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful things about “Lover.”  

Though this is coming from a girl who has been listening to Ms. Swift since her teardrops landed on her guitar in the early 2000s, “Lover” is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while. It’s simplicity in the best form. Swift stays true to the creativity that sets her apart from other artists but doesn’t overdo it with unnecessary metaphors. Swift makes her intentions clear and in doing so, she allows her work to resonate with the masses.

Given this, it can only be hoped that “Lover” is only the next chapter in her catalog and not the finale.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Swift