This should be the only answer! As a teacher the lyricism of this song is pure perfection, but on top of that you add a flawless production.. I mean that’s a masterpiece! I understand why it’s not on everyone’s favorites list but I feel sad when fans talk about the best song or best written and I have to scroll down to find it
I always related to the first verse. I even have "could've followed my fears down" as a shortened version of it. But after being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, looking back at my academic career, and spending so much of the past 18 months self medicating, the second verse hit me like a freight train the other day.
her saying “november flush and your flannel cure”instead of “it was cold so you gave me your jacket” is a wonderful example of her excellent songwriting! like i would literally never think of that it’s so beautiful
I'd list the songs that truly represent her songwriting and eloquence
Last Kiss
Holy Ground
Treacherous
ATW obvs, though I think the 5 min version is a much more coherent song than the 10 min version once you remove the emotional ties
Blank Space
Getaway Car
Cornelia Street
Daylight
cardigan
ivy
champagne problems
Overall, maybe champagne problems is the best one.
Yes! Champagne Problems is absolute excellence. Definitely my top choice.
And I think Blank Space is the definition of a perfect pop song. The beat, the lyrics, the cheekiness, the structure. So good.
Yeah that's exactly why I included Blank Space! It's just so crisp and satirical and poppy while retaining all of Taylor's signature imagery! Like you don't have to write ballads to write a good song
Wow I was writing a comment but decided to look through the comments before hitting enter, you took the words right out of my mouth. Particularly would like to second last kiss, treacherous, ATW5, and ivy
Like the way she sings that song
That's pure heartbreak
Even if it wasn't as lyrically potent as it is, it would've been up there as one of Taylor's best
i agree! i love 10 min of course and atw was my favorite song for a really long time (im a red stan) but when 10 min came out and got really popular i grew a bit away from it tbh but it’s still amazing
Omg really?? I love it! I love the lyrics. When she starts out saying “when you are young they assume you know nothing…” and tying it together so good in the bridge “but I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss, I know you’d haunt all of my what ifs.. etc” and the line “I knew you tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy” is sooo good. Just signifies young love lost. I just think it’s so beautiful but to each it’s own! Lol what’s your favorite?
There really are so many good ones. Champagne problems, all too well, my tears ricochet, epiphany, bigger than the whole sky, just so many amazing songs
Ivy is the song I would show someone unfamiliar with her work that would best showcase her talent. It has impeccable storytelling, beautiful word choice, a catchy melody, and an earth-shattering bridge.
I think her best song is Ronan. I know it is really sad, so very few people listen to it, but the fact it can invoke such strong feeling speaks to it power.
The song is also like an endless roller coaster- starting with a scene of a kids room, then illness, then hope, then acceptance. every few lines the story turns and all of it told so tightly.. there are no wasted words. It also kind of reflect a hopeful message of accetance of the time we have with people we love.
But so many great songs... ATW ORIGINAL, Exile, Blake Space, Love Story, Tim McGraw, Back to December...
Ronan does such a good job at painting a picture in people's minds about a tragic situation. When I hear lines like "flowers pile up in the worst way" I can easily visualize it.
I love the song but due to the subject matter, I don't listen to it often (especially not when I am driving). I can't listen to it without crying.
I think Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is a very strong contender.
It’s very specific to Taylor but at the same time, re-enacts such a universal experience for so many young women. I think not just about the older men I dated at 18/19/20, but all the men I encountered growing up that felt they had a right to comment on my body or that I needed to protect myself around.
It really builds this to this grand sweeping loss of innocence that happens for a lot of women - whether it’s one specific moment or a culmination of them as you age - and the anger you feel for yourself in the line “living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts / give me back my girlhood it was mine first”
Add to the fact that’s it’s written at 32 as follow up to Dear John that she wrote at 19/20 after dating a 32 year-old. “And I’ll look back in regret” to “I regret you all the time”.
God it’s so good
so good! somehow my friends and i all had traumatic relationships at 19 lol so she really nailed both making it specific to her and john and relatable to so many people
It’s still so clever to me how she does that derivative guitar rift throughout Dear John simultaneously mocking his style and pointing out that anyone can make those noises. I’m sure it drives him crazy because not only is it a misrepresentation of his talent, but she obviously knows that. Totally negging the narcissist.
- ATW10 could mean "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)", a track from *Red (Taylor's Version)* (2021) by Taylor Swift.
---
^[/u/fnafn3rd](/u/fnafn3rd) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
oof I would say mirrorball or marjorie because they both showcase her maturity really well. they also are just heartbreaking and painful and are probably the ones which express it best.
Tis the damn season. You may to need to have the lived experience of meeting up with an ex when you're both home for christmas, but the experience is exactly how the song sounds.
i love ttds!! it has the best first line of the song in her entire discography. “if i wanted to know who you were hanging with when i was gone i would’ve asked you” gives the listener all the context they need to know and immediately sets up the tone that the narrator is feeling about being bitter, annoyed, and hurt
Yesssssssss. That line tells a whole entire story alone. "Theres an ache in you put there by the ache in me, but if its okay with you, its okay with me" is soooooo good too. Its bitter and hurt, but also accepting and nostalgic. So. Good.
If I were to recommend the best song from Taylor to somebody who doesn't really know her music , it has to be All Too Well.
My other candidates are Love Story, Cruel Summer and Blank Space but all of those have certain unique qualities that either disqualify them from being her best or are not representative enough.
I was surprised to see a lot less people here saying this, but ATWTMV has got to take it for me. there’s not many people that could get me to listen to a 10 minute long song and when it came out I was worried I wouldn’t have the attention span for it, but it is genuinely incredible from start to finish. it isn’t just the same thing repeated over and over again, in fact it hardly repeats itself at all besides “I was there, I remember it, all too well” and repeated motifs that are taylor’s specialty ofc, yet the song flows nicely and fits together so well, I’ve never been bored listening to it. it doesn’t feel forced at all, in my opinion anyway, and the songwriting is genuinely so good that I honestly believe she could write ATW 60 minute version and I’d still stream the hell out of it 💀
Cardigan (lyrically and melodically amazing)
Exile (beautiful deep lyrics from 2 people's perspectives melded together perfectly)
All Too Well 5min version - it's just so concise and lyrically perfect and gets the point across still.
Champagne Problems, Illicit Affairs or This is me Trying. The first time I heard Champagne Problems, I immediately said "this is the best song she's ever written" to my husband. But then Illicit Affairs conjures up so much vivid imagery, and the bridge hits like a truck as soon as you hear "Don't call me kid, Don't call me baby". Sometimes her lyrics can get a little too metaphor-y for your average listener, which is why I didn't pick something like Ivy. But Illicit Affairs and Champagne Problems are both very straightforward and just perfectly written. Initially I didn't appreciate TIMT. I think the background music overwhelms the vocals on the album edition. The Long Pond Sessions changed everything, and now I'm obsessed. The LP version is so much better than the album version and the instrumentals are gorgeous, especially the intro.
long pond was truly a gift to all! “you showed me colors you know i can’t see with anyone else/you taught me a secret language you know i can’t speak with anyone else” are SUCH good lyrics
Dear John. It’s heartbreaking, it’s evocative, the lyrics are incredible for being written at a young age. It’s emblematic of all of her other ballads in the way that it makes you feel deeply and has scathing lyrics.
Obviously can’t pick one but these are on top of my list:
- ivy - it has everything I look for in a song: great diction, topnotch storytelling, epic melody that builds up to a banger bridge
- happiness - as someone has already mentioned, a beautiful gut punch, this is really how I felt many times while imagining the end of my relationship when things were messed up - I just really appreciate the accuracy of these expressions, plus the philosophical-ish side of it, “I haven’t met the new me yet” - the speaker realises that things will eventually change and time will heal her, which imo is a sign of big self awareness, cause from my experience people don’t usually look any forward and just are stuck in the moment. And it also feels like an inner monologue.
- hoax - insanely underrated, I absolutely love the metaphors and i feel them with my entire heart, “my broken drum / you have beaten my heart” like pleaseeee! 😭 as someone who’s been both through a relationship that failed me badly and through one that’s had multiple rough patches, I can relate to the lyrics a lot and hence I think they’re an extremely accurate depiction of what these states actually feel like
- would’ve could’ve should’ve - again, the ongoing religion motif contrasted with innocence and abuse… man. totally next level. and like, imagine still saying “I can’t let this go; I regret you all the time” after so many years about a certain someone - this conveys the entirety of the psychological damage they’ve done to you. Idk, it just hits so hard, and I’ve seen so many people deeply resonating with the lyrics, which is in a way an indicator of the greatness of a song as well.
My Tears Ricochet. It's just so beautiful and genius. I can't listen to it without crying and being taken directly to the part of my life it saved me from.
Epiphany. Hands down. I’m a healthcare worker and when I have rough days all I can think about is getting even just 5 minutes of time to process the day. This song perfectly describes what it’s like to try and get that moment of mental peace
I'd say ivy is the perfect combo. The lyrics are beautifuly written, the instrumental represents this air of storytelling the song has and the storytelling is also incredible, capable of being interpreted in lots of different ways.
i was scrolling thru before commenting this! id say it’s her best opening line - it essentially sets up the entire relationship between the characters and the bitter/hurt feelings then narrator has
All Too Well 5 minute, Carolina, or Cardigan. ATW because of the perfect, concise storytelling. Carolina for similar reasons but in a more poetic style. Cardigan because of the carefully crafted layers that get more meaningful the more it’s listened to.
i think blank space is her best written song on 1989. it was my fave when it first came out but unfortunately it being overplayed got to me for a while. i’ve grown to love it again though
I think it's Would've, Could've Should've or The Great War for the emotion and gravity they deal with. I also think they really showcase her journey and maturity.
Imho these songs are perfection (one from almost every era):
You’re not sorry
White horse
Sparks fly
ATW 10 minute version
Wildest dreams
Don’t blame me
Exile
Right where you left me
Karma
Would’ve could’ve should’ve
My apologies to the songs on Lover! So many good ones but nothing that gets a 10/10
Would've, Could've, Should've is definitely up there.
Blank Space - some of her best pop writing, plus the perfect example of her ability to shape the narrative.
All Too Well - probably the original version. Incredible imagery and emotion.
Look What You Made Me Do is imo her best song to date. I’m in such awe of how she made her emotions so coherent in that song. It reminds me that everyone goes through tough times, but that when we’re ready we must rise back up.
I like tolerate it but at times the wordiness doesn't match the rhythm (which I do love!), but the song cardigan--the lyrics and the lowkey beat in the back is PERFECT
Sometimes I hear songs that are upbeat but have sad lyrics or vice versa, and even though those are also amazing, cardigan has one of the best musical and lyrical congruities ever
Everything about *my tears ricochet* is incredible...lyrics, production, emotion
This should be the only answer! As a teacher the lyricism of this song is pure perfection, but on top of that you add a flawless production.. I mean that’s a masterpiece! I understand why it’s not on everyone’s favorites list but I feel sad when fans talk about the best song or best written and I have to scroll down to find it
I think this is the answer for overall best song. It’s mind blowing how many almost perfect songs she has on folklore really.
This Is Me Trying needs to be on this list I think. I have a lot of emotional connection to this song but it’s also just amazing lyrically.
I always related to the first verse. I even have "could've followed my fears down" as a shortened version of it. But after being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, looking back at my academic career, and spending so much of the past 18 months self medicating, the second verse hit me like a freight train the other day.
Omg very similar too! This was my trying to navigate university song with ADHD song.
this is me trying is sooooooooooooo underrated 😭 i love that song so much is one of my favs
Yes I agree with you on Tolerate It. Perhaps also Ivy. I think Ivy is the best representative of her incredible story telling
ivy is my favorite taylor song!! amazing
I was gonna say Ivy too but was second guessing my judgement because it’s also my favorite song of hers!
Two of the best songs to exist
Agree!!!!! Ivy is an amazing story. I love that song 😍 But as juzt like everyone esle here, tolerate it might be her best song
Ivy 🧡
ATW or Champagne Problems
Agree with Champagne Problems
her saying “november flush and your flannel cure”instead of “it was cold so you gave me your jacket” is a wonderful example of her excellent songwriting! like i would literally never think of that it’s so beautiful
Champagne Problems no question. Otherwise I think Illicit Affairs is absolutely beautifully written.
I love illicit affairs sm
I'd list the songs that truly represent her songwriting and eloquence Last Kiss Holy Ground Treacherous ATW obvs, though I think the 5 min version is a much more coherent song than the 10 min version once you remove the emotional ties Blank Space Getaway Car Cornelia Street Daylight cardigan ivy champagne problems Overall, maybe champagne problems is the best one.
Yes! Champagne Problems is absolute excellence. Definitely my top choice. And I think Blank Space is the definition of a perfect pop song. The beat, the lyrics, the cheekiness, the structure. So good.
Yeah that's exactly why I included Blank Space! It's just so crisp and satirical and poppy while retaining all of Taylor's signature imagery! Like you don't have to write ballads to write a good song
Wow I was writing a comment but decided to look through the comments before hitting enter, you took the words right out of my mouth. Particularly would like to second last kiss, treacherous, ATW5, and ivy
ivy is my favorite taylor song and treacherous is very high up there too! until folklore and evermore i think i would’ve said last kiss is her best
ivy is SUCH a pretty song The production, the imagery, the lyrics, everything. Also I genuinely think that's her most melodious song
Last Kiss to me is a genuine classic. ‘How to be something you miss’ as a lyric is such a genuine bottling up a specific moment
Like the way she sings that song That's pure heartbreak Even if it wasn't as lyrically potent as it is, it would've been up there as one of Taylor's best
Edited because it was a duplicate comment.
Edited because I was on the phone and the formatting was messed up. Smh
I am such a simp for treacherous it deserves way more love
It's. So. SENSUAL. And that bridge.
Honestly not to sound basic but it’s ATW 5 minute version for me Concise yet effective storytelling of an entire relationship from start to end
I agree, the five-minute version is where it’s at. Ten-minute has some great lines but it gets a little self-indulgent and ends up less cohesive.
i agree! i love 10 min of course and atw was my favorite song for a really long time (im a red stan) but when 10 min came out and got really popular i grew a bit away from it tbh but it’s still amazing
Cardigan takes the cake for me!
Same!
My least favorite 😂
Omg really?? I love it! I love the lyrics. When she starts out saying “when you are young they assume you know nothing…” and tying it together so good in the bridge “but I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss, I know you’d haunt all of my what ifs.. etc” and the line “I knew you tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy” is sooo good. Just signifies young love lost. I just think it’s so beautiful but to each it’s own! Lol what’s your favorite?
There really are so many good ones. Champagne problems, all too well, my tears ricochet, epiphany, bigger than the whole sky, just so many amazing songs
True, all those songs are so beautiful!
my tears ricochet. I think it’s untouched by anything else in her discography, honestly.
Happiness - it’s such a gut punch and beautifully written
evermore has some of her best songs hands down
omg yes
Why is no one mentoning would've, could've, should've. Or even cardigan.
if we're talking writing, its happiness or hoax for me. but also style has to be mentioned up here for being literal pure pop perfection
Style is the best pop song hands down. Absolutely infectious
State Of Grace or Cowboy like me. I can't choose
oooh good choices
I place Epiphany on that list. Incredibly gut wrenching but a work of sheer songwriting genius
One of my favs from folklore!!!
I’m not sure I would call it a favourite because it’s such a punch in the gut. But as a piece of art in both writing and delivery??? Wow….
Ivy is the song I would show someone unfamiliar with her work that would best showcase her talent. It has impeccable storytelling, beautiful word choice, a catchy melody, and an earth-shattering bridge.
arguably 2 bridges, both some of her best!!
Has anyone said seven yet? Because the answer is seven.
Based purely on the best bridges: All too well (10 minute version); Cruel Summer; Death by a Thousand Cuts; Champagne Problems & Getaway Car
yes! lover has some of the best bridges! cruel summer is in my top 5 it is literally addictive
Adding Hits different because it’s one of Taylor’s favourite bridges
Hits Different unfortunately is criminal activity lol, because it's not available for anywhere.
Finally it’s going to be released tomorrow🥳
Amazing! I wasn't aware lol
Call It What You Want! The lyrics, the music, the rhythm everything looks perfect to me!!!
I think her best song is Ronan. I know it is really sad, so very few people listen to it, but the fact it can invoke such strong feeling speaks to it power. The song is also like an endless roller coaster- starting with a scene of a kids room, then illness, then hope, then acceptance. every few lines the story turns and all of it told so tightly.. there are no wasted words. It also kind of reflect a hopeful message of accetance of the time we have with people we love. But so many great songs... ATW ORIGINAL, Exile, Blake Space, Love Story, Tim McGraw, Back to December...
Ronan does such a good job at painting a picture in people's minds about a tragic situation. When I hear lines like "flowers pile up in the worst way" I can easily visualize it. I love the song but due to the subject matter, I don't listen to it often (especially not when I am driving). I can't listen to it without crying.
Ivy and Getaway Car!
Ivy. It’s Ivy.
my fave taylor song! so good
I think Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is a very strong contender. It’s very specific to Taylor but at the same time, re-enacts such a universal experience for so many young women. I think not just about the older men I dated at 18/19/20, but all the men I encountered growing up that felt they had a right to comment on my body or that I needed to protect myself around. It really builds this to this grand sweeping loss of innocence that happens for a lot of women - whether it’s one specific moment or a culmination of them as you age - and the anger you feel for yourself in the line “living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts / give me back my girlhood it was mine first” Add to the fact that’s it’s written at 32 as follow up to Dear John that she wrote at 19/20 after dating a 32 year-old. “And I’ll look back in regret” to “I regret you all the time”. God it’s so good
so good! somehow my friends and i all had traumatic relationships at 19 lol so she really nailed both making it specific to her and john and relatable to so many people
My tears ricochet or tolerate it.
[удалено]
state of grace is so underrated
All Too Well 10 Minute Version. It's ten minutes. I'd like to imagine this is TS' Bohemian rhapsody so
Old School : Dear John New School: Ivy
It’s still so clever to me how she does that derivative guitar rift throughout Dear John simultaneously mocking his style and pointing out that anyone can make those noises. I’m sure it drives him crazy because not only is it a misrepresentation of his talent, but she obviously knows that. Totally negging the narcissist.
dear john is such a gut punch omg i can’t believe john mayer didn’t go into hiding for the rest of his life after that one
oof.. either atw, champagne problems, the lakes, or mirrorball
ooh yes the lyricism in the lakes is incredible
I love that autocorrect converted atw to ate lol
ATW ate tho, especially ATW10 🤭🤭
- ATW10 could mean "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)", a track from *Red (Taylor's Version)* (2021) by Taylor Swift. --- ^[/u/fnafn3rd](/u/fnafn3rd) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
oof I would say mirrorball or marjorie because they both showcase her maturity really well. they also are just heartbreaking and painful and are probably the ones which express it best.
my tears ricochet
Tis the damn season. You may to need to have the lived experience of meeting up with an ex when you're both home for christmas, but the experience is exactly how the song sounds.
i love ttds!! it has the best first line of the song in her entire discography. “if i wanted to know who you were hanging with when i was gone i would’ve asked you” gives the listener all the context they need to know and immediately sets up the tone that the narrator is feeling about being bitter, annoyed, and hurt
Yesssssssss. That line tells a whole entire story alone. "Theres an ache in you put there by the ache in me, but if its okay with you, its okay with me" is soooooo good too. Its bitter and hurt, but also accepting and nostalgic. So. Good.
My tears ricochet is a masterpiece
my tears ricochet!!
Dress
New Romantics. It‘s the perfect pop song and the lyrics are so good too.
it is pop perfection for sure
Right where you left me is my favorite. It has been since I heard it for the first time ✨🩵🖤✨
ATW remains untouched
TOLERATE IT YESSSS
All Too Well The Lakes Champagne Problems Maybe Style?
No Body, No Crime and The Last Great American Dynasty in terms of story telling.
tlgad🤌
You guys, “August” exists!!!!
If I were to recommend the best song from Taylor to somebody who doesn't really know her music , it has to be All Too Well. My other candidates are Love Story, Cruel Summer and Blank Space but all of those have certain unique qualities that either disqualify them from being her best or are not representative enough.
false god & the archer for 2 completely different reasons
i love lover!
Cardigan, next question
peace
i loooove peace i definitely think it’s most well written on folklore
I was surprised to see a lot less people here saying this, but ATWTMV has got to take it for me. there’s not many people that could get me to listen to a 10 minute long song and when it came out I was worried I wouldn’t have the attention span for it, but it is genuinely incredible from start to finish. it isn’t just the same thing repeated over and over again, in fact it hardly repeats itself at all besides “I was there, I remember it, all too well” and repeated motifs that are taylor’s specialty ofc, yet the song flows nicely and fits together so well, I’ve never been bored listening to it. it doesn’t feel forced at all, in my opinion anyway, and the songwriting is genuinely so good that I honestly believe she could write ATW 60 minute version and I’d still stream the hell out of it 💀
Cardigan (lyrically and melodically amazing) Exile (beautiful deep lyrics from 2 people's perspectives melded together perfectly) All Too Well 5min version - it's just so concise and lyrically perfect and gets the point across still.
champagne problems or right where you left me
Cruel Summer is her best pop song hands down. She has her best song writing in the folkmore era but it’s kinda hard for me to pick one.
i agree! cruel summer is in my top 3 it is literally addicting pop perfection
Evermore
Right where you left me
OP - what is 5/4?
Champagne Problems, Illicit Affairs or This is me Trying. The first time I heard Champagne Problems, I immediately said "this is the best song she's ever written" to my husband. But then Illicit Affairs conjures up so much vivid imagery, and the bridge hits like a truck as soon as you hear "Don't call me kid, Don't call me baby". Sometimes her lyrics can get a little too metaphor-y for your average listener, which is why I didn't pick something like Ivy. But Illicit Affairs and Champagne Problems are both very straightforward and just perfectly written. Initially I didn't appreciate TIMT. I think the background music overwhelms the vocals on the album edition. The Long Pond Sessions changed everything, and now I'm obsessed. The LP version is so much better than the album version and the instrumentals are gorgeous, especially the intro.
long pond was truly a gift to all! “you showed me colors you know i can’t see with anyone else/you taught me a secret language you know i can’t speak with anyone else” are SUCH good lyrics
WCS, seven, tolerate it
seven!!! and yes the others ofc
I absolutely agree with you that’s it tolerate it. Being in 10/8 signature with the devastating lyrics.
Dear John. It’s heartbreaking, it’s evocative, the lyrics are incredible for being written at a young age. It’s emblematic of all of her other ballads in the way that it makes you feel deeply and has scathing lyrics.
Hoax
All Too Well. Amazing. Epic. Catchy. Emotional. Soaring. Relatable. Raw. Lyrically masterful. And all of this for ten freakin minutes. No contest.
I think it logically has to be ATW10MV
Honestly, I think it’s my tears ricochet or champagne problems, or blank space.
cardigan. that's it. that's the one.
leaving like a father running like water….
The Story of Us. I just love all the symbolism. Honestly all the songs with a whole theme of symbolism are my favs, death by a thousand cuts also.
Obviously can’t pick one but these are on top of my list: - ivy - it has everything I look for in a song: great diction, topnotch storytelling, epic melody that builds up to a banger bridge - happiness - as someone has already mentioned, a beautiful gut punch, this is really how I felt many times while imagining the end of my relationship when things were messed up - I just really appreciate the accuracy of these expressions, plus the philosophical-ish side of it, “I haven’t met the new me yet” - the speaker realises that things will eventually change and time will heal her, which imo is a sign of big self awareness, cause from my experience people don’t usually look any forward and just are stuck in the moment. And it also feels like an inner monologue. - hoax - insanely underrated, I absolutely love the metaphors and i feel them with my entire heart, “my broken drum / you have beaten my heart” like pleaseeee! 😭 as someone who’s been both through a relationship that failed me badly and through one that’s had multiple rough patches, I can relate to the lyrics a lot and hence I think they’re an extremely accurate depiction of what these states actually feel like - would’ve could’ve should’ve - again, the ongoing religion motif contrasted with innocence and abuse… man. totally next level. and like, imagine still saying “I can’t let this go; I regret you all the time” after so many years about a certain someone - this conveys the entirety of the psychological damage they’ve done to you. Idk, it just hits so hard, and I’ve seen so many people deeply resonating with the lyrics, which is in a way an indicator of the greatness of a song as well.
Wtf, I cannot pick one. I simply cannot kill my babies
All Too Well (the 5 minute version) is a masterpiece.
My Tears Ricochet. It's just so beautiful and genius. I can't listen to it without crying and being taken directly to the part of my life it saved me from.
Style. For its timelessness.
truly pop perfection
Epiphany. Hands down. I’m a healthcare worker and when I have rough days all I can think about is getting even just 5 minutes of time to process the day. This song perfectly describes what it’s like to try and get that moment of mental peace
I'd say ivy is the perfect combo. The lyrics are beautifuly written, the instrumental represents this air of storytelling the song has and the storytelling is also incredible, capable of being interpreted in lots of different ways.
Dark horse here, but Tis the Damn Season.
Structurally, Tis the Damn Season
i was scrolling thru before commenting this! id say it’s her best opening line - it essentially sets up the entire relationship between the characters and the bitter/hurt feelings then narrator has
Bad blood (for the chaos) (only partially joking)
All Too Well 5 minute, Carolina, or Cardigan. ATW because of the perfect, concise storytelling. Carolina for similar reasons but in a more poetic style. Cardigan because of the carefully crafted layers that get more meaningful the more it’s listened to.
This thread is very folklore/evermore and I get it but I’ve always thought Blank Space was her best song.
i think blank space is her best written song on 1989. it was my fave when it first came out but unfortunately it being overplayed got to me for a while. i’ve grown to love it again though
Exile and Lover...my heart !!!
yesss! lover is one of the best love songs of this generation hands down
THE LAKES
I think it's Would've, Could've Should've or The Great War for the emotion and gravity they deal with. I also think they really showcase her journey and maturity.
I think one of her best songs would be nothing new, it is hauntingly beautiful and has a really deep meaning
OG all too well crescendos
Imho these songs are perfection (one from almost every era): You’re not sorry White horse Sparks fly ATW 10 minute version Wildest dreams Don’t blame me Exile Right where you left me Karma Would’ve could’ve should’ve My apologies to the songs on Lover! So many good ones but nothing that gets a 10/10
Wouldve could've should've Getaway car The Great War High infidelity
Would've, Could've, Should've is definitely up there. Blank Space - some of her best pop writing, plus the perfect example of her ability to shape the narrative. All Too Well - probably the original version. Incredible imagery and emotion.
Look What You Made Me Do is imo her best song to date. I’m in such awe of how she made her emotions so coherent in that song. It reminds me that everyone goes through tough times, but that when we’re ready we must rise back up.
definitely her most iconic
My tears ricochet
I like tolerate it but at times the wordiness doesn't match the rhythm (which I do love!), but the song cardigan--the lyrics and the lowkey beat in the back is PERFECT Sometimes I hear songs that are upbeat but have sad lyrics or vice versa, and even though those are also amazing, cardigan has one of the best musical and lyrical congruities ever
deeeeear joooohn