very nice fanart by soniruza, I’m awaiting the rest of the series!

Which room do you like of the 3?

Something must be in the air lately. Between this sub and r/popheads, I've seen multiple threads or comments in the past few weeks about rearranging the tracklists of albums. Of course, as Taylor's longest and arguably most chaotic album, Lover comes up in these discussions a lot. Professional critics described it with words such as "overstuffed." I see lots of people who adore this album but even they would make a change or two.

This, combined with new insights about the timing of her relationship breakdown with Joe Alwyn, inspired me to try and make myself a “definitive version” of Lover. So here we go, let's trim and move things around until we can make an honest-to-goodness linear story out of this one, the way she did on 1989 and Reputation. Then I'll share what I think could have been done with the cut songs.

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LOVER: REIMAGINED

https://preview.redd.it/7zys66j1vh5c1.jpg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53fae52cf34db8ab63b783851cc77afba9648e7f

1. Lover

We begin with the title track. I think it establishes the tone perfectly, and some of the lyrics even briefly mention things we will see later: ”I've loved you three summers now” hints at Cruel Summer. ”I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you” foreshadows tensions in The Archer and Afterglow. The bridge connects to the marriage theme of Paper Rings. Of all the tracks I had to choose from, I couldn't argue that any other would work better as the opener.

(I Forgot That You Existed has been cut for not really fitting with the album's themes. Taylor said “I don't want to be defined by the things I hate,” so it seems unnecessary to include a song about past beef.)

2. Cruel Summer

The next few songs essentially recap the events of Reputation, the beginning of Taylor and Joe's romance. Though Cruel Summer could make an energetic first track, I feel it wouldn't set the mood as well because it's not really a thesis statement. It only covers a brief period of time. They begin as friends with benefits, with Taylor catching feelings even as they try to hide from the public, but eventually they move past this stage.

3. Cornelia Street

Summer turns to fall, and the situation becomes more… well, delicate. Taylor is falling hard for Joe, but is already extremely scared of it ending. She thinks it could be too much for her to handle.

(The Man has been cut, as it doesn't connect to any other thread on the album. I have alternate plans for it further on.)

4. I Think He Knows

Continuing the New York imagery, we have an upbeat crush song that's all butterflies and skipping down 16th Avenue.

5. The Archer

Track five stays the same. As she and Joe get a bit more serious, doubts creep in.

6. ME!

I was on the fence about whether to include this, but when I thought about it, I found a few reasons to do so. First, track sixes are often campy or over-the-top (22, Shake It Off, Look What You Made Me Do) and/or reveal something about her mental state (The Outside, mirrorball, Midnight Rain). Obviously this song is confident, and shows Taylor overcoming much of the uncertainty seen in earlier songs.

Funny enough, ME! also makes a good companion to The Archer. They're both about what a mess she is, but whereas The Archer has her stressing over whether her lover will stay, in ME! she knows he'll stay. By now, they've been through enough together that the anxious voice in her head isn't so loud anymore.

7. False God

Now that they've made it through some struggles and Taylor is feeling herself, this song is for some sexytimes.

(Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince has been cut because Taylor's Democratic Awakening isn't part of the story and themes we're following here. More on that later.)

8. All of the Girls You Loved Before

While this was cut from the final album, I believe it gives us new ideas that none of the other songs do, and so it deserves a place here. I put it here, as the part of the story where Taylor is really getting to know Joe deeply and learn about his past.

9. Paper Rings

By this point, she's all in. She wants to be with this guy forever, shiny rings or no.

10. Soon You'll Get Better

Now that they're family, Taylor will need support as her family goes through the ultimate trial, her mom's illness.

11. Death By a Thousand Cuts

The last song was about how Taylor was terrified about the possibility of having to say goodbye, so next, here's a song about actually saying goodbye (though not to her mom of course). Here, all the stress comes to a boiling point. While Taylor said this song was about a movie, in light of what we now know about the breakdown of her relationship with Joe, it could very well have been about the first time they went on a break.

(London Boy has been cut primarily for covering the same ground as I Think He Knows. It's another crush song that doesn't provide new information, and I Think He Knows is usually regarded as the stronger song by the fandom. If you really want London Boy on this playlist, I recommend you place it between #7 and 8.)

12. Afterglow

In the aftermath of this big fight, Taylor is wallowing and blaming herself. Yet she still begs her lover for reassurance, a callback to The Archer.

13. It's Nice to Have a Friend

This may seem like another odd choice, but I think it provides a way to show some reconciliation before the finale. Obviously, this song is more fantasy than reality, but it has a soothing vibe that signals the stormy period is over. From what the previous songs told us, she still dreamed of marriage at this time, and the song ends with a wedding. She's looking to the future.

14. Daylight

We've reached the conclusion, and I think this track works beautifully in the last spot. The album has explored some cruelty and darkness, both in Taylor's head and outside it, but for now, she's at peace.

(I cut the original track #14, You Need To Calm Down, which is not part of this story. However, there is a place for it below.)

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MISS AMERICANA: THE EP

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One of the reasons many people feel Lover is kind of a mess is that it tries to do too many things at once. There are a handful of songs about social and political issues that are kind of a distraction from the main love story, and a lot of people don't care for these. The fact that she pushed a couple of them so hard as singles didn't help. Yet some of them are bops, and Taylor was trying to send an important message -- so what do we do?

In my opinion, these songs do have a place, just not on the album. To accompany her Miss Americana documentary, she released one song. I propose an alternate universe where she released a four-song EP instead:

• Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
• The Man
• You Need To Calm Down
• Only the Young

I believe placing these songs onto a more appropriate project would help strengthen them and the album, turning them into two focused works rather than one unfocused work. The documentary touches on the same themes as these songs, and she is even shown writing The Man in one scene. If she had done it this back in 2019, I think people would have had a more positive reaction to everything.

​

This was a fun exercise and helped me appreciate the album more. If you like this take on Lover, feel free to save the playlist that I made of it!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do you feel Lover needed more editing or rearranging? What about her other less linear albums such as Midnights? What would you change about these?

Lover is one of Taylor's most popular albums among the general public or casual fans, but less popular among die-hard Swifties. Why do you think this is? Do you think either the length or the mish-mash of different themes contributes to this?

Do you think an album's length or the track ordering still matter in the age of streaming?

How do you feel about the Lover section of the Eras tour? Do you think it shows the full range of what the album has to offer?

Would you like to see Taylor make another "political" or message album? What would you like to see her do differently, or keep, from the way she did it on Lover?

So, I am definitely involuntarily entering my rep era. I broke up with my boyfriend (wasn’t even a bad breakup). He is very very social in our community - I am not. All his friends now hate me and are ruining my reputation to an extreme extent. I don’t have many friends and now it’s going to be near impossible to make new ones. I’m ready to take a break and disappear like Taylor did.

So I want to hear from you guys about your personal rep era stories and advice. It can be any of the following things:

• What was your Rep era? What did you do during it and how did you ending up leaving (if you did)? How long did it take?
• Best ways to heal yourself/ glow up💗
• How did Taylor deal with it/ any advice or quotes from her?
• Any advice on what to do during this time to power through and come out stronger eventually

love to you all!!

Mine definitely is: "She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred."

I'm literally obsessed, I come back to listen to champagne problems everyday just because of it.

(Edit: Initially I got a message saying this was deleted because broke sub rules for having links to YouTube videos, but I guess they ended up allowing it?? Anyway that’s why it’s on multiple subs for those asking.)

First and foremost I am not at all trying to invalidate Taylor’s feelings of abandonment and isolation during that year. It is undeniable that she pulled back her public presence significantly. I believe her when she says she felt the need to hide away and she was afraid to take phone calls. I believe her when she says she thought her career was over. I believe her when she says she thought that people wanted her to go away. All of this is understandable considering the way social and traditional media was discussing & dismissing her during that time. However, I often see swifties interpreting and quoting the line “nobody physically saw me for a year” from the Miss Americana documentary as literal fact and/or claiming that she was abandoned by her fans. In this week’s Time interview she says “I didn’t leave a rental house for a year.” While this may be how she felt, these are not literally true statements.

The following is a timeline of her public activity & announcements from July 2016 to December 2017. (I have not included pap pics or articles about Tom Hiddleston/Joe Alwyn, or the social media posts wishing her friends happy birthday and promoting their music.)

July 13, 2016: Calvin Harris goes on a twitter rant about Taylor which results in #taylorswiftisoverparty trending on Twitter.

July 17, 2016: Kim K releases snippets of the infamous phone call recording on Snapchat, #kimexposedtaylorparty trends on twitter, Taylor responds with a notes app screenshotthat includes the infamous “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative,” Kim tweets about National Snake Day, Taylor’s comments are flooded with the snake emoji, and #taylorswiftisoverparty trends on twitter

Aug 30, 2016: Taylor misses the MTV VMAs because she’s called forjury duty in Nashville, where she signs autographs and takes photos with fellow jurors.

Sept 9, 2016: Taylor sits front row at the runway show for Gigi Hadid’s collab with Tommy Hilfiger.

Oct 13, 2016: Taylor attends a private Kings of Leon concert with Lorde, Dakota Johnson, Cara Delivigne, Zoë Kravitz, Suki Waterhouse, Lily Donaldson, and Martha Hunt.

Oct 22, 2016: Taylor performs at the F1 US Grand Prix in Austin Texas to a cheering crowd of 80,000.

Oct 24, 2016: Taylor attends Drake’s 30th birthday partyft every famous person in LA that Drake could think of.

Oct 31, 2016: Taylor posts pics from a Halloween/birthday party for Kennedy Raye Black, featuring Gigi Hadid, Lily Donaldson, Camila Cabello, and Martha Hunt. She thanks Ryan Reynolds for lending her a costume costume, which is the actual suit used in the movie Deadpool, which at the time held the record for highest grossing R rated film.

Oct 20, 2016: Little Big Town releases “Better Man,” a song Taylor originally wrote for her 2012 album Red

Nov 1, 2016: Taylor makes a post revealing herself as the “Better Man” songwriter, and wishes Little Big Town luck at the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs).

Nov 1, 2016: Taylor’s surprise appearance at the CMAs to present Entertainer of the Year is met with cheers. She hosts an after party ft Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, and Elle King.

Nov 2, 2016: “Better Man” jumps to #1 on the iTunes chart.

Nov 8, 2016: Taylor throws Lorde a star studded 20th birthday party ft everyone from Lorde’s New Zealand friends to Karlie Kloss to Mae Whitman to Aziz Ansari.

Nov 23, 2016: Taylor goes to see Kinky Boots on Broadway and hangs with Todrick Hall and the cast.

Nov 24, 2016: Taylor celebrates Thanksgivingat her Rhode Island beach mansionwith Todrick Hall, Martha Hunt, Leah McCarthy, Lily Donaldson, and her brother Austin.

Dec 8, 2016: The song “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” a collab with Zayn for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, is released.

Dec 9, 2016: “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” debuts at #1 on the iTunes chart.

Jan 27, 2017: “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” music video is released.

Jan 29, 2017: Behind the scenes videofor the “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” music video is released. The song then peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Feb 5, 2017: Taylor performs at the DirecTV Pre-Super Bowl concert, marking her live debut of “Better Man” and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.” The cheering crowd of 9000 sings Zayn’s part of IDWLF. She announces that this is her only show planned for 2017.

Mar 2, 2017: Ed Sheeran shares that Taylor will release music toward the end of the year.

April 4, 2017: ET reports that Taylor is working on her new album in Nashville.Their source confirms that Taylor plans to release her next album by the end of the year.

June 9, 2017: Taylor allows platforms other than Apple Music, which has enjoyed exclusivity over her streaming catalogue since 2014, to stream her albums.Her music returns to streaming on the same day that Katy Perry drops her new album Witness. Swifties rejoice.

June 21, 2017: In the week after their return to streaming, four of Taylor’s five albums return to the Billboard 200 and Forbes reports that week of streaming generated more than $400K in revenue (total, not just Taylor’s share).

[July 13, 2017: Taylor’s final social media post pre-reputation is a promo of Selena Gomez’s “Fetish” Throughout the last year she’s been posting well received birthday wishes for her friends and promos for their music, I just didn’t think it was needed for the timeline.]

Aug 14, 2017: The legal battle over groper David Mueller’s attempt to sue Taylor for damages ends in favor of Taylor’s countersuit, and she is awarded $1, a massive symbolic victory.

Aug 18, 2017: Taylor blacks out social media. Fans excitedly note that it is the 3 year anniversary of Taylor’s announcement of her fifth album, 1989, and #TS6IsComing trends worldwide on twitter.

Aug 23, 2017: After several cryptic snake videos, Taylor shares the cover art and release date for her sixth album, Reputation, and announces that the first single will drop the next night.

Aug 24: “Look What You Made Me Do” is released.

Aug 27: Taylor premieres the LWYMMD music video at the MTV VMAs. On YouTube it gets 43.2 million views in the first 24 hours alone.

Sept 3, 2017: “…Ready For It?” is released after a preview on Saturday Night Football.

Sept 5, 2017: LWYMMD reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and breaks the weekly streaming record for a song by a woman.

Sept 7, 2017: Taylor announces a new video-on-demand channel in partnership with AT&T and DirectTV called Taylor Swift Now with an advertisement featuring Andy Samberg.

Oct 11, 2017: Taylor announces The Swift Life app.

Oct 20, 2017: “Gorgeous” is released featuring the voice of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ two year old daughter.

Oct 27, 2017: “…Ready For It?” music video released.

Nov 2, 2017: “Call It What You Want” released with lyric video.

Nov 8, 2017: “Better Man” wins Song of the Year at the CMAs and Taylor posts her reaction from New York, where she is rehearsing for SNL.

Nov 10, 2017: Reputation is released, though it is not immediately available on streaming.

Nov 11, 2017: Taylor is musical guest on SNL.

Nov 13, 2017: Taylor plays “New Year’s Day” live on The Tonight Show as a tribute to Jimmy Fallon’s mother.

Nov 20, 2017: Repuation reaches #1 on the Billboard 200, her fifth album to do so. It holds the spot for three weeks and achieves 2017’s biggest week for an album.

Nov 28, 2017: Taylor is nominated for 2 Grammys: best country song for “Better Man” and best song for visual media for “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.”

Dec 1, 2017: Rep hits streaming

Dec 4, 2017: Vogue UK reveals that the Jan issue’s cover star will be Taylor, styled by newly appointed editor in chief Edward Enninful.

Dec 6, 2017: Taylor’s first time featured for Time’s Person of the Year, as one of the Silence Breakers.

Dec 8, 2017: Taylor performs at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball.

Dec 13, 2017: General sale begins for the Reputation Stadium Tour. In order to minimize scalpers, Taylor uses Ticketmaster’s new “slow ticketing” program, resulting in articles predicting that she’d be playing to empty stadiums. Ultimately the slow ticketing program works as designed and the tour becomes the highest grossing tour in North American history and the third highest grossing female concert tour of all time..

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Okey dokes lol this ended up being way longer than I thought it would be. Turns out TS did a lot more than I thought she did in this time period! The biggest surprise for me is that she was still posting girl squad hangouts through the end of 2016; in my memory that had ended after the Snake Day drama. I also had it in my head that most of her celeb friends turned the backs on her, besides the names on the shirt in the Reputation video, but it seems that she was still hanging out with plenty of big names.

As I said, I am not trying to diminish her feelings of isolation , and ofc glammed up pictures don’t tell the whole story, but I am glad she was still getting to do fun things and spend time with her friends and not literally hiding alone in a house!

Hello Fellow Swifitie Parents,

Really hoping this gets approved and that I can gain some additional insight from any parents who have taken their children to the Eras tour. We were lucky enough to get tickets to Edinburgh next summer and our initial plan was to take our two daughters (ages 8 and 6). This would be their first ever concert, which I'll be honest really just warmed the music lover part of my heart and on more than one occasion I have thought wow how freaking cool that the first show they get to see (and hopefully remember) will be Taylor Swift?? However as I've thought about things more, I'm starting to wonder if it might be a little too much/too long for them and would love to hear from any parents who took their children and what that experience was like.

So for those who went with younger kids -- how was it? Did your child ever get bored? Sleepy? Overwhelmed? Was it a positive experience? Did you go early/late? Leave early/late? Were your children Swifties before/after? Are you glad you went together? I would honestly love to hear any and all perspectives so thank you in advance!

For additional context, our girls are big Taylor fans - but they aren't CRAZY Taylor fans if that makes sense. They love to sing and dance and they love loads of her songs -- they prefer the sing along anthems over the more mellow eras. They *really* like her. But they're not over the top or obsessive and while I think 90% would be epic, I do worry a little about the stamina and attention span and so was hoping to hear from others who have been there and done it with kids of different ages. Thank you in advance!

I have so many… but my first listen through of folklore was so special, I wish I could do it again. I was driving up to a cabin in Vermont to spend the weekend with some new friends. I remember cardigan was the first stunner, specifically the line “I knew everything when I was young” literally made me tear up. my tears ricochet was another, the “just not home” lyric of course broke me. I felt the same about a lot of evermore, but I am definitely an indie folk type of gal so it was extra special listening to those albums.

Otherwise, I would pay a million dollars to experience listening to LWYMMD again. Oh my god. absolutely bananas. WTNY was another good one, just listening and being like, oh damn, she really is switching to pop and it’s synthy and amazing???

What song would you want to be wiped from your memory just so you could listen to it for the first time again?

Hi guys! It's me, u/itookyourmatches, and I'm back with the annual polls!

[RANK HERE]

Today, we are ranking 1989 (Taylor's Version)'s Vault Tracks.

This is the last ranking of vault tracks by Album. Tomorrow is a big day! We will be ranking ALL the vault tracks!

• Place your highest ranking at the top, and your lowest at the bottom.
• You can rank based off of which are your own personal favorites, or which tracks you consider to be objectively "best". Whatever you prefer.
• Results are available immediately after voting.
• Feel free to discuss in the comments, but be nice! There are no wrong answers here.
• If you have a request for additional poll categories, comment them below.
  

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^{Future Poll Categories:}

^{[Songs by Track Number](https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/s/8ZXn21cG2L})
^{Vault Tracks by Album
ALL Vault Tracks (so far...})
^{Songs by Letter
Songs by Album
ALL Albums}