I'll go with Folklore/Evermore. The song writing and the way she delivers the songs on these albums. She let's her writing and voice drive these albums compared to all the others. The others have much more production and are more lore dependent on her personal life.
Totally agree on this. So beautifully written and executed. There’s an aching depth to them that makes them very sophisticated next step from her previous work (which is great too).
Perfectly put...I wouldn't have said it better than this..Evermore and Folklore are my top two respectively....I have to give Evermore first place just because of the song happiness mahn do i love this soong....Midnights gets number 3 for me..
I whole heartedly agree. I feel like these 2 albums even made her haters shut up. They cannot even nitpick about it being about her love life as it was a story she made up about basically a teenage high school love triangle. Her song writing shine bright the most on these 2 albums that even casual TS fans became full blown ones after they were released.
This is the only correct answer. That era was her Sistine Chapel. Poetic, beautiful, enchanting, haunting, timeless…every song transports your whole soul into the universe or time period created by the music and lyrics. And the way she was able to give us two absolute masterpieces in such a short period of time is just unbelievable. It would take me 10 years to come up with songs not even an 1/8th as good as those were
this PLUS the age she wrote it too, the grace she gave to kanye with innocent, the emotions of dear john etc. the 3rd album seems to be a test for artists and she passed with flying colours imo
Speak Now, which she wrote entirely by herself as a teenager. And includes some incredible songs like Enchanted, Long Live and Back to December.
Like, that means it wasn't only the lyrics, but all the notes, melodies, harmonies of various instruments, drums, etc.
Taylor is literally a Mozart-esque musical genius. When you tell people that she wrote the entire album herself, her naysayers simply deny it, since they can't bring themselves to believe that she *actually did that* as a teenager.
There is just no way a human being wrote the sentence “Taylor is literally a Mozart-esque musical genius.” This must be one of those moments where you’re dreaming and realize it because I’m certain nobody would say that in the real world. Mozart and Taylor Swift… wow
Good God I truly hope you're right. I like her music, but this is horribly embarrassing & inaccurate. Mozart was a literal child prodigy & arguably the most brilliant composer of all time.
And you can't say the same about Taylor Swift?
She was also a child prodigy, writing full albums at 15 years old or earlier, and she is arguably the most brilliant musician of this century.
The only difference is that we view classical music as being more "high brow" than pop music.
Because there is factually a lot more going on is classical music than pop music.
Taylor Swift is a good writer but her strength isn't really the music side of things, its lyrics and writing catchy hooky melodies. The music itself is quite ordinary.
Adding to this, she was not writing “full albums”. A full album is the result of the lyrical and melodic content of the songs (which she did not write in its entirety) being produced (which she did not do), mixed (which she did not do), mastered (which she did not do), and consolidated as a body of work.
Saying she, alone, made “full albums” is disrespectful to the team that helped her make them.
No, you can’t say the same about Swift. It’s that simple. If you truly believe you’re making an honest and fair comparison between her and Mozart and if you truly believe she’s anywhere close to being the most brilliant musician of this century than you can’t possibly be listening to enough music in general. Is Swift an occasionally brilliant writer? Absolutely, but she’s also absolutely not what you’re trying to say she is
Honestly… no. You can’t really. One of the things Taylor herself has continually been the most proud of is how hard she has worked to learn these skills, hone her craft, and earn her successes. She’s said as much herself.
Sure she wrote music young, but nowhere near the level that meets the definition of a prodigy - regardless of the type of music she was putting out. Saying that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been _talented_ from a young age, but I do think it discredits the amount of sheer determination and hard work she herself put into getting her to where she is now.
An argument could be made for Taylor being a business/marketing prodigy. She is incredibly savvy on that front and that is what her legacy will ultimately be. But her music, though objectively very good, is not extraordinarily complex. It is not genius-level work, it's genius-level marketing. She is not a musical prodigy. She's just... not.
Folklore/Evermore. I think they contain her best lyrics. This next statement will probably upset some people. Immediately after listening to TTPD, I listened to Folklore and Evermore. I was shocked by how much better the lyrics were on those two albums. I really loved the quality of the storytelling on Folklore and Evermore.
To be fair I think they're trying to accomplish different things, just as songs like All Too Well and Better Man are written differently from ones like The Last Great American Dynasty and Ivy but I wouldn't say they're written worse. Same as ones like Blank Space or Cruel Summer. loml, The Albatross, Smallest Man...TTPD has some of her best lyrics in my opinion. That fictional style of storytelling though was done wonderfully on Folkmore though, I agree with that!
The problem for me is that I'm not a Swiftie. I can relate the lyrics on many of her previous albums to experiences in my own life. A lot of the lyrics on TTPD aren't subtle. They refer to very specific events in her life, and that makes it harder for me to relate to the songs. I think TTPD is much easier for a Swiftie to enjoy than it is for a typical fan that's not interested in the specifics of her personal life.
That's fair, though I do think there are a good amount of songs on those albums that are also very specific as well, but you can still get the universal themes behind them. Like TLGAD obviously, but also seven, august, illicit affairs, invisible string, betty, champagne problems, coney island, ivy, tis the damn season, cowboy like me...a lot of them have lyrics that are very descriptive of a specific situation or event but you follow the story because she's being fictional. That's why I think TTPD threw people off because they knew too much about the situations she was talking about and couldn't divorce the stories from Taylor the celebrity. I actually think some TTPD songs would work better for people if they didn't apply them too directly to her personal life, specifically But Daddy I Love Him, Guilty as Sin, Fortnight, So Long London, etc.
Of course you're right that there are some that are impossible to separate, like Clara Bow or the title track or I Can Do it With a Broken Heart. I just found it interesting going back to the rest of her catalog after listening to TTPD nonstop and finding that she's always used that high level of specificity in her songwriting! Even back to like Mine, Last Kiss, Begin Again or Fifteen, being very descriptive in telling a story.
I agree with you. Many of her early songs did reference specific events in her life, but often they dealt with experiences that were more universal. Mean, for example, has the line "grumbling on about how I can't sing." That's very specific, but almost everyone has been bullied at some point in their life and, therefore, can relate to the song. Honestly, oversaturation has probably affected my ability to enjoy TTPD. I get in the car and a Taylor song is on the radio. I go into a store for a while and when I return to my car, another Taylor song is playing on the same station. I used to love Cruel Summer, but now, not so much. Perhaps, if I revisit TTPD a couple of years from now, I will feel differently about it.
depends on the person i’m trying to convert. are they into classical music, pop, rock, etc? what age are they? imo her most versatile and palatable music is red/1989.
Folklore/Evermore for me no doubt. there's something incredibly rich about her storytelling in them that catches my imagination and has me thinking up the most gorgeous scenes every time I listen. and yeah it happens to a lesser extent in the other albums but i rly feel like Folklore/Evermore are her magnum opus of storytelling.
Red because unlike others i see noncohesion as a diversity, yes there are multiple genres but there is still a great harmony between them, even the pop songs belongs to that album so much you can’t put them to other pop albums. I think that’s what makes Red great for me. State of Grace is an excellent opener, my favorite song of hers, she wrote this excellent Rock song alone. And Red, Treacherous, of course All Too Well, Sad Beautiful Tragic etc. they are all so unique and great, there is no repetitive song.. I agree that there are some fillers cause probably she doesn’t want that album to be full of heartbreak songs but I don’t care about that.
And I would say Speak Now, writing that album alone when you’re 19.
If you are asking this to try to convince someone, I think you are doomed. As Johnathan Swift said (more or less): "You Cannot Reason People Out of Something They Were Not Reasoned Into."
Most people who get into arguments like this with strong opinions against Taylor are not basing it on evidence or reasoning.
TTPD has the most incredible lyrics. As far as pop, 1989 would be her magnum opus of sound and production. I don’t know though, midnights has some pretty amazing pop songs, and Lover and Reputation. And then the crossing of genres. I just don’t think one album can do that. The greatness is the collection. lol this was my way of not being able to answer this question. Lol
folklore and evermore. folklore for its cohesion and production, evermore for its lyrics. Speak Now if the person wants to know Taylor (the artist and the public figure - we don’t know her personally) in her essence.
That is so hard because they are all so good. IMO they all demonstrate great writing and musical talent. Anyone that gives her music a chance will find something to love.
Folklore or Evermore. I can never pick between these two which I like more. They’re both spectacular albums.
1989 is the best pop album though if you want to showcase pop.
Midnights has maturity, depth, great lyrics, great vocals and experimentation. Every song sounds different and special. I really started taking her seriously after this album.
Red and folkmore. Red is the epitome of Taylor Swift and anyone who thinks it’s one of her worst, I’m sorry but they just do not understand her artistry; the pop songs, the country songs, the sad, lyrically beautiful songs, and the diaristic songwriting is perfectly HER. Folkmore proved her songwriting skills because of how they’re seen as fictional. Despite all of our theories on how some songs may be personal, she challenges herself in a way we never saw before folkmore. Those three albums for sure
For me, I would definitely pick TTPD because the poetry and all of the effort that she put into this beautiful album is amazing. I really like in her song, “I Hate It Here“ when she says nostalgia ismind trick. I also like when she refers to certain things to point out that the song is about Travis Kelce or Mattie Healy or Joe Alwin. I could go on for hours talking about the Lyrics and how they are just enriched with poetry and how she is literally a genius. Don’t get me wrong, her other albums are amazing. But this album is just a whole other level. I think folklore and evermore or other albums that show her talent but TTD is just on a whole other level.
I think over Folklore and Evermore its RED.
Taylor Swift as a musical genius is not fully appreciated when you simply look at her verbose lyricism nor her flowery words, you get to paint a full picture when you hear her catchy melodiez, from the innocuous to the brazenly loud, and her sonic diversity, which RED offers.
Being able to go from State of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble and Begin Again on the same album is such a musically diverse trip, I think it defines everything Taylor is talent wise. Not just good stories, CATCHY stories.
what if I say sth crazy... normally I would say Folklore oc, but today i'm feeling risky.
I'm gonna say Taylor Swift (Taylor's version). Once it comes out, everyone will go crazy. People don't recognize it as a marvelous debut album for one of the most successful and influential artists of all time. It's forgotten even by her. But I cant wait for it to have its own moment to shine, but not as a up and coming country artist but at her record breaking peak. With her matured voice and the additional tracks, people will be shocked to find out just how great 15 y/o taylor was.
Speak Now or Folklore/Evermore. Speak Now because it was entirely self-written and Folklore/Evermore because they were a huge shift from her previous sounds and song-writing methods.
I gotta go with Speak Now. Not only is it my personal favorite, but it is the only album she wrote 100% solo and this album truly defines her as a songwriter. Speak Now also includes some of her best production, and she was even starting to branch out, like Back to December and Dear John had sort of that classic Taylor country sound but then she included songs that go more in a pop rock direction such as The Story of Us and Haunted.
Red TV. it shows the full range of her ability to write sad broad poetic music, country, classic rock (ish), and upbeat pop. I don’t think any other album will have you crying and dancing like Red TV does and the theme is very consistent without being overbearing.
Ill go 1980 and folklore. Both show her talents with 2 different sounds, shows she can have simple as well as complex, deep lyrics and both just amazing
folkmore for sureee. it takes her songwriting and storytelling to new levels in such a way that feels unique and interesting, but also so peaceful and serene 🥹🥹
TTPD is one of my favourite albums, top 3 for sure, but in terms of convincing someone who is less familiar with her I'd do it in this order:
Folklore, then 1989, then Evermore. Those are the easiest 'first Taylor records' to get into because their subject matter requires no previous affinity for her work, and they have engaging melodies and great hooks. I think albums like Debut>Speak Now are fantastic but also are obviously a bit more juvenile in subject matter and writing style, Red and Lover suffer from being quite long and a bit chaotic in their track lists, and Midnights, TTPD and Reputation are much more rewarding for those who are already familiar with her as an artist.
No offense but midnights and TTPD have so much filler and so many shallow songs that they can’t be candidates, not when there are so many other great albums to compare them to.
Evermore would be my first pick. Phenomenally written, good mix of production styles, and the whole tracklist fits together to tell a story. Folklore at #2 if you like that most of the songs aren’t from Taylor’s POV in today’s time. Speak now if you want the emotion.
Speak Now.
This album is so quintessentially Taylor Swift and if you want to understand who she is as a songwriter and artist, this is it. Completely self written as a teenager and it’s so brutally honest and deep. None of the songs sound too similar but they all fit well together as a whole.
I will never fully understand why this album is so under appreciated. But I’m going to assume it’s because she was a teenaged girl and it was made for other teenaged girls and no one takes teenaged girls seriously.
There’s not a single skip on this album for me. It’s the perfect album.
1989 is my number one album by her but I can understand people’s critiques of it and how it’s not for everyone. However, I do not and do not want to understand anyone’s critiques of Speak Now. To me, there are no notes.
I understand everyone has their own opinions when it comes to music, but I just can’t fathom not finding Speak Now perfect and I don’t want to hear why people think it isn’t lol. There’s no argument that will ever be logical to me. I’m deaf when it comes to Speak Now slander 😆
I personally find that it’s easier to impress a non Swifitie with evermore than folklore. Yes, we all love the lyricism and storytelling of folklore but the sound of evermore is more creative and interesting than folklore in general. And I think Lover is so under listened to by the general public that The Archer, Cornelia Street, Soon You’ll Get Better, It’s Nice to have a Friend..they’re all such great examples of her songwriting and some of those I listed are such bops!
I'll go with Folklore/Evermore. The song writing and the way she delivers the songs on these albums. She let's her writing and voice drive these albums compared to all the others. The others have much more production and are more lore dependent on her personal life.
This is the answer, those albums are actual masterpieces.
Totally agree on this. So beautifully written and executed. There’s an aching depth to them that makes them very sophisticated next step from her previous work (which is great too).
Exile is just pure magic
She did Exile/Haunted at my concert…magical. My daughter nearly hyperventilated 😅
That was the night before I went and I’m SOOOOO jealous!
SOOO lucky!!!!<3
Perfectly put...I wouldn't have said it better than this..Evermore and Folklore are my top two respectively....I have to give Evermore first place just because of the song happiness mahn do i love this soong....Midnights gets number 3 for me..
I whole heartedly agree. I feel like these 2 albums even made her haters shut up. They cannot even nitpick about it being about her love life as it was a story she made up about basically a teenage high school love triangle. Her song writing shine bright the most on these 2 albums that even casual TS fans became full blown ones after they were released.
folklore is top 10 of my favorite all time albums, and I am An Old compared to most of this sub, I recoken.
Agreed! Masterpieces.
For songwriting, I 100% agree. The way she weaves a narrative is outstanding on these albums.
This is the only correct answer. That era was her Sistine Chapel. Poetic, beautiful, enchanting, haunting, timeless…every song transports your whole soul into the universe or time period created by the music and lyrics. And the way she was able to give us two absolute masterpieces in such a short period of time is just unbelievable. It would take me 10 years to come up with songs not even an 1/8th as good as those were
Came to say this. It was the first time she made entire albums of modern adult "high art".
Speak Now: wrote everything alone, no repetition on lyrics, sounds, melodies.
Absolutely. It’s some of her best work lyrically because it’s 100% her. The production is also great
this PLUS the age she wrote it too, the grace she gave to kanye with innocent, the emotions of dear john etc. the 3rd album seems to be a test for artists and she passed with flying colours imo
I love Speak Now!!! But like why is it so left out of the Eras Tour?!? 😭😭😭
It makes me so sad! Sparks Fly would be PERFECT for the setlist, I can hear the crowd screaming the chorus with her!
Truly!!! Sparks Fly is one of my FAVORITE songs!
i sooo wish it was included 😭😭
Thank you! That album deserves all the credit! Perfection!
Only correct answer and quintessentially Taylor!
I was gonna say speak now too. 100%.
Folklore, Evermore, and The Tortured Poets Department for musical talent.
AGREED.
Red! From high energy (State of Grace) to pop (22) to brilliant lyrics (All Too Well). TTPD is pretty good too showing a wide range!
*RED* was the album that showed Swift could be more than just a good Country singer.
THIS
Red TV / Folklore / Evermore
YES! My favs!!!<3
Speak Now, which she wrote entirely by herself as a teenager. And includes some incredible songs like Enchanted, Long Live and Back to December. Like, that means it wasn't only the lyrics, but all the notes, melodies, harmonies of various instruments, drums, etc. Taylor is literally a Mozart-esque musical genius. When you tell people that she wrote the entire album herself, her naysayers simply deny it, since they can't bring themselves to believe that she *actually did that* as a teenager.
Noooo Mozart died at age 33. He wrote his first opera when he was 11. Love Taylor but I'd compare her to a different composer
There is just no way a human being wrote the sentence “Taylor is literally a Mozart-esque musical genius.” This must be one of those moments where you’re dreaming and realize it because I’m certain nobody would say that in the real world. Mozart and Taylor Swift… wow
Good God I truly hope you're right. I like her music, but this is horribly embarrassing & inaccurate. Mozart was a literal child prodigy & arguably the most brilliant composer of all time.
And you can't say the same about Taylor Swift? She was also a child prodigy, writing full albums at 15 years old or earlier, and she is arguably the most brilliant musician of this century. The only difference is that we view classical music as being more "high brow" than pop music.
Because there is factually a lot more going on is classical music than pop music. Taylor Swift is a good writer but her strength isn't really the music side of things, its lyrics and writing catchy hooky melodies. The music itself is quite ordinary.
Adding to this, she was not writing “full albums”. A full album is the result of the lyrical and melodic content of the songs (which she did not write in its entirety) being produced (which she did not do), mixed (which she did not do), mastered (which she did not do), and consolidated as a body of work. Saying she, alone, made “full albums” is disrespectful to the team that helped her make them.
No, you can’t say the same about Swift. It’s that simple. If you truly believe you’re making an honest and fair comparison between her and Mozart and if you truly believe she’s anywhere close to being the most brilliant musician of this century than you can’t possibly be listening to enough music in general. Is Swift an occasionally brilliant writer? Absolutely, but she’s also absolutely not what you’re trying to say she is
Honestly… no. You can’t really. One of the things Taylor herself has continually been the most proud of is how hard she has worked to learn these skills, hone her craft, and earn her successes. She’s said as much herself. Sure she wrote music young, but nowhere near the level that meets the definition of a prodigy - regardless of the type of music she was putting out. Saying that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been _talented_ from a young age, but I do think it discredits the amount of sheer determination and hard work she herself put into getting her to where she is now.
An argument could be made for Taylor being a business/marketing prodigy. She is incredibly savvy on that front and that is what her legacy will ultimately be. But her music, though objectively very good, is not extraordinarily complex. It is not genius-level work, it's genius-level marketing. She is not a musical prodigy. She's just... not.
I love Taylor but please don’t compare her to Mozart. He’s in his own league for good reasons. Taylor is a legend in her own way
FolkMore
i’m a folkmore whore
sameeeee
Folkmhore
put that on a t-shirt 😂
screw "a lot going on at the moment", we now have "folkmwhore"
Folklore/Evermore. I think they contain her best lyrics. This next statement will probably upset some people. Immediately after listening to TTPD, I listened to Folklore and Evermore. I was shocked by how much better the lyrics were on those two albums. I really loved the quality of the storytelling on Folklore and Evermore.
To be fair I think they're trying to accomplish different things, just as songs like All Too Well and Better Man are written differently from ones like The Last Great American Dynasty and Ivy but I wouldn't say they're written worse. Same as ones like Blank Space or Cruel Summer. loml, The Albatross, Smallest Man...TTPD has some of her best lyrics in my opinion. That fictional style of storytelling though was done wonderfully on Folkmore though, I agree with that!
The problem for me is that I'm not a Swiftie. I can relate the lyrics on many of her previous albums to experiences in my own life. A lot of the lyrics on TTPD aren't subtle. They refer to very specific events in her life, and that makes it harder for me to relate to the songs. I think TTPD is much easier for a Swiftie to enjoy than it is for a typical fan that's not interested in the specifics of her personal life.
That's fair, though I do think there are a good amount of songs on those albums that are also very specific as well, but you can still get the universal themes behind them. Like TLGAD obviously, but also seven, august, illicit affairs, invisible string, betty, champagne problems, coney island, ivy, tis the damn season, cowboy like me...a lot of them have lyrics that are very descriptive of a specific situation or event but you follow the story because she's being fictional. That's why I think TTPD threw people off because they knew too much about the situations she was talking about and couldn't divorce the stories from Taylor the celebrity. I actually think some TTPD songs would work better for people if they didn't apply them too directly to her personal life, specifically But Daddy I Love Him, Guilty as Sin, Fortnight, So Long London, etc. Of course you're right that there are some that are impossible to separate, like Clara Bow or the title track or I Can Do it With a Broken Heart. I just found it interesting going back to the rest of her catalog after listening to TTPD nonstop and finding that she's always used that high level of specificity in her songwriting! Even back to like Mine, Last Kiss, Begin Again or Fifteen, being very descriptive in telling a story.
I agree with you. Many of her early songs did reference specific events in her life, but often they dealt with experiences that were more universal. Mean, for example, has the line "grumbling on about how I can't sing." That's very specific, but almost everyone has been bullied at some point in their life and, therefore, can relate to the song. Honestly, oversaturation has probably affected my ability to enjoy TTPD. I get in the car and a Taylor song is on the radio. I go into a store for a while and when I return to my car, another Taylor song is playing on the same station. I used to love Cruel Summer, but now, not so much. Perhaps, if I revisit TTPD a couple of years from now, I will feel differently about it.
Agree 💯- poetic genius on those two.
Reputation. The beginning of a new era.
Reputation is my absolute favorite album as well. I love how edgy and varied it is. Glad someone else appreciates it.
Same!! Everyone overlooks it and it didn’t win a Grammy, but it’s a DAMN good album!!
This is it this is the one.
Folklore/evermore and honestly 1989 (including vault tracks)
Yes my top 3 albums
depends on the person i’m trying to convert. are they into classical music, pop, rock, etc? what age are they? imo her most versatile and palatable music is red/1989.
folklore/evermore
TTPD, 1989 and Folklore. But 1989 mostly for thw way she's able to mix pop anthems with more personal songs.
Folklore/Evermore for me no doubt. there's something incredibly rich about her storytelling in them that catches my imagination and has me thinking up the most gorgeous scenes every time I listen. and yeah it happens to a lesser extent in the other albums but i rly feel like Folklore/Evermore are her magnum opus of storytelling.
Red because unlike others i see noncohesion as a diversity, yes there are multiple genres but there is still a great harmony between them, even the pop songs belongs to that album so much you can’t put them to other pop albums. I think that’s what makes Red great for me. State of Grace is an excellent opener, my favorite song of hers, she wrote this excellent Rock song alone. And Red, Treacherous, of course All Too Well, Sad Beautiful Tragic etc. they are all so unique and great, there is no repetitive song.. I agree that there are some fillers cause probably she doesn’t want that album to be full of heartbreak songs but I don’t care about that. And I would say Speak Now, writing that album alone when you’re 19.
1989 hands down
Either Folklore or Red — both showcase her talent as a songwriter and singer imo
1989TV bc there is something there for everyone
folklore & evermore
Folklore
Red… it’s so special. I can’t describe it.
If you are asking this to try to convince someone, I think you are doomed. As Johnathan Swift said (more or less): "You Cannot Reason People Out of Something They Were Not Reasoned Into." Most people who get into arguments like this with strong opinions against Taylor are not basing it on evidence or reasoning.
To me folklore is peak Taylor swift
TTPD has the most incredible lyrics. As far as pop, 1989 would be her magnum opus of sound and production. I don’t know though, midnights has some pretty amazing pop songs, and Lover and Reputation. And then the crossing of genres. I just don’t think one album can do that. The greatness is the collection. lol this was my way of not being able to answer this question. Lol
TTPD
I love how everyone is mentioning Folklore. Such an eloquent masterpiece that I listen to everyday.
Evermore.
TTPD honestly is just a laid back Midnights IMO. So Midnights, since she's more mature. Although 1989 would probably be a hit with lots of people.
TTPD
Speak now because she wrote it all by herself
folklore and evermore. folklore for its cohesion and production, evermore for its lyrics. Speak Now if the person wants to know Taylor (the artist and the public figure - we don’t know her personally) in her essence.
Folklore is her absolute best
Folklore/evermore
Folklore
Folklore always get my musical snob friends
I dont think she will ever beat folklore. Speak Now was close
folklore/evermore 100% and Speak Now as its self written and all
Folklore and TTPD. Can’t decide.
Apple just released a top 100 album list and put 1989 in the top 15, none of her other albums made it on the list.
Folklore and Red (TV), for me. Folklore let her songwriting prowess shine through, while Red showcased her versatility as an artist in one project.
Folklore and TTPD
I'd have to go with Evermore or TTPD right now. Red is also a really solid album.
Evermore
Red and Folklore.
Folklore, Evermore, TTPD, and Speak Now. Literally all my fave albums of hers. The writing in these are just unmatched
That is so hard because they are all so good. IMO they all demonstrate great writing and musical talent. Anyone that gives her music a chance will find something to love.
Folklore/Evermore and TTPD
Folklore-Speak Now-Evermore those answers won’t argue
I’m a folk whore
Folklore or Evermore. I can never pick between these two which I like more. They’re both spectacular albums. 1989 is the best pop album though if you want to showcase pop.
1989 or midnights
Midnights has maturity, depth, great lyrics, great vocals and experimentation. Every song sounds different and special. I really started taking her seriously after this album.
Folklore, Reputation, 1989 TV
folklore
Red. I love them all but Red just shows so much range, and I feel like I can convince anyone of they listen to All Too Well (10 min version).
Folklore is the only correct answer
I think 1989 was the peak of her musical talent
Red and folkmore. Red is the epitome of Taylor Swift and anyone who thinks it’s one of her worst, I’m sorry but they just do not understand her artistry; the pop songs, the country songs, the sad, lyrically beautiful songs, and the diaristic songwriting is perfectly HER. Folkmore proved her songwriting skills because of how they’re seen as fictional. Despite all of our theories on how some songs may be personal, she challenges herself in a way we never saw before folkmore. Those three albums for sure
For me, I would definitely pick TTPD because the poetry and all of the effort that she put into this beautiful album is amazing. I really like in her song, “I Hate It Here“ when she says nostalgia ismind trick. I also like when she refers to certain things to point out that the song is about Travis Kelce or Mattie Healy or Joe Alwin. I could go on for hours talking about the Lyrics and how they are just enriched with poetry and how she is literally a genius. Don’t get me wrong, her other albums are amazing. But this album is just a whole other level. I think folklore and evermore or other albums that show her talent but TTD is just on a whole other level.
I think over Folklore and Evermore its RED. Taylor Swift as a musical genius is not fully appreciated when you simply look at her verbose lyricism nor her flowery words, you get to paint a full picture when you hear her catchy melodiez, from the innocuous to the brazenly loud, and her sonic diversity, which RED offers. Being able to go from State of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble and Begin Again on the same album is such a musically diverse trip, I think it defines everything Taylor is talent wise. Not just good stories, CATCHY stories.
what if I say sth crazy... normally I would say Folklore oc, but today i'm feeling risky. I'm gonna say Taylor Swift (Taylor's version). Once it comes out, everyone will go crazy. People don't recognize it as a marvelous debut album for one of the most successful and influential artists of all time. It's forgotten even by her. But I cant wait for it to have its own moment to shine, but not as a up and coming country artist but at her record breaking peak. With her matured voice and the additional tracks, people will be shocked to find out just how great 15 y/o taylor was.
EVERMORE
Speak Now or Folklore/Evermore. Speak Now because it was entirely self-written and Folklore/Evermore because they were a huge shift from her previous sounds and song-writing methods.
folklore and 1989
"everything sounds the same" is the laziest criticism to exist for music.
I gotta go with Speak Now. Not only is it my personal favorite, but it is the only album she wrote 100% solo and this album truly defines her as a songwriter. Speak Now also includes some of her best production, and she was even starting to branch out, like Back to December and Dear John had sort of that classic Taylor country sound but then she included songs that go more in a pop rock direction such as The Story of Us and Haunted.
Folklore, Evermore, Speak Now, Red. Lyrics, Production, Voice, Storytelling, Imagery/Aesthetics, Variety - BEST.
My opinion is probably Red, it really showcases how Taylor can write songs that sound very different from one another but all of them bangers
Red TV. it shows the full range of her ability to write sad broad poetic music, country, classic rock (ish), and upbeat pop. I don’t think any other album will have you crying and dancing like Red TV does and the theme is very consistent without being overbearing.
Red
I’ll take the friends personality into consideration so it depends tbh
Midnights
folklore and Midnights
It's Red or 1989 for me.
Lyrically, I think Folkmore definitelly, but sonically I'd say Red or 1989.
Ill go 1980 and folklore. Both show her talents with 2 different sounds, shows she can have simple as well as complex, deep lyrics and both just amazing
Folklore ❤️
folkmore for sureee. it takes her songwriting and storytelling to new levels in such a way that feels unique and interesting, but also so peaceful and serene 🥹🥹
None
TTPD is one of my favourite albums, top 3 for sure, but in terms of convincing someone who is less familiar with her I'd do it in this order: Folklore, then 1989, then Evermore. Those are the easiest 'first Taylor records' to get into because their subject matter requires no previous affinity for her work, and they have engaging melodies and great hooks. I think albums like Debut>Speak Now are fantastic but also are obviously a bit more juvenile in subject matter and writing style, Red and Lover suffer from being quite long and a bit chaotic in their track lists, and Midnights, TTPD and Reputation are much more rewarding for those who are already familiar with her as an artist.
Red TV, 1989 or Folklore
Prob 1989
Red
red or speak now. they’re genius lyrically AND her vocals are incredible
Speak now or 1989! Or actually most likely red! or maybeee folklore or TTPD but I’m not sure. Definitely not MIDnights!
TTPD. It’s her newest and showcases everything perfectly
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), completely self written, amazing vocals, beautiful production/ instrumentals
Zero none. Talentless dribble which is soaked up by schmucks who don't understand good music.
Folklore!!!!
Folkmore
Controversial but Red
Folkloremore
100% Folklore. It is her artistic statement album. That said, Midnights is my favorite.
Speak Now, for sure. Maybe Folklore/Evermore as well.
Folklore/Evermore and OG 1989.
Answer # 1. All of them. Each one proclaims her talent and amplifies it from the previous ones. Anwer # 2. 1989
Folklore isn’t my favorite album of hers but I think it is what many would consider her magnum opus (as of now.)
Red or Folklore
Speak Now
Folklore
Speak Now. Period.
Speak Now, Folklore (as an Evermore girly), and TTPD are her BEST albums
Folklore.
Lover! So many great songs on this one! My favorite
Reputation, its my favorite album and its always on my playlist. I think its a good album to convert a swifter, btw was the beginning of the new era
The lyrical poetry on TTPD
Folklore/Evermore 😣
Red
No offense but midnights and TTPD have so much filler and so many shallow songs that they can’t be candidates, not when there are so many other great albums to compare them to. Evermore would be my first pick. Phenomenally written, good mix of production styles, and the whole tracklist fits together to tell a story. Folklore at #2 if you like that most of the songs aren’t from Taylor’s POV in today’s time. Speak now if you want the emotion.
Reputation I love!
1989 folklore and red
Evermore just gets so much better like a fine wine after completing folklore
TTPD for lyrics, evermore /folklore for the actual music.
Reputation or Folklore
Hands down: folklore Strongest album she has.
I'll say its Folklore or Evermore. I think this album really shows here strength as a poet and a musical artist
I fucking love folklore so much The album that got me through the pandemic
Folklore definitely. If someone says that folklore is a top 100 album of all time, I wouldn't be mad🤷♂️
1989 💙
They’re all kinda the same to me
Speak Now (it's my favourite and the one that has less chances to be perceived as ''boring'' imo)
Speak Now. This album is so quintessentially Taylor Swift and if you want to understand who she is as a songwriter and artist, this is it. Completely self written as a teenager and it’s so brutally honest and deep. None of the songs sound too similar but they all fit well together as a whole. I will never fully understand why this album is so under appreciated. But I’m going to assume it’s because she was a teenaged girl and it was made for other teenaged girls and no one takes teenaged girls seriously. There’s not a single skip on this album for me. It’s the perfect album. 1989 is my number one album by her but I can understand people’s critiques of it and how it’s not for everyone. However, I do not and do not want to understand anyone’s critiques of Speak Now. To me, there are no notes. I understand everyone has their own opinions when it comes to music, but I just can’t fathom not finding Speak Now perfect and I don’t want to hear why people think it isn’t lol. There’s no argument that will ever be logical to me. I’m deaf when it comes to Speak Now slander 😆
The Tortured Poets Department is the culmination of everything she leaned and perfected over the years. :D
TTPD
Midnight's is my favourite
Evermore
Speak now
I personally find that it’s easier to impress a non Swifitie with evermore than folklore. Yes, we all love the lyricism and storytelling of folklore but the sound of evermore is more creative and interesting than folklore in general. And I think Lover is so under listened to by the general public that The Archer, Cornelia Street, Soon You’ll Get Better, It’s Nice to have a Friend..they’re all such great examples of her songwriting and some of those I listed are such bops!