Panorama ranks Taylor Swift’s eras

SWIFT RANKING CRITERIA 1. Music quality 2. Memorability of era 3. Effort put into tour & aesthetics STAGES STAGES GRACE HU editor in chief illustration by | GRACE HU Panorama ranks the different eras of popular musician Taylor Swift’s career

112020 FOLKLORE images courtesy of bbc

“folklore” is a gorgeous display of Taylor Swift’s musical skill. The album is a complete shift from Swift’s previous pop-heavy discography and is composed of folksy, indie songs that each highlight a unique narrative. “betty,” “august” and “cardigan” tell the story of a teenage romance, and “the last great american dynasty” relays the true history behind Swift’s Rhode Island home. Every song on the album is masterfully crafted and is a clear example of Swift at her songwriting best. Although Swift is unable to perform live shows and go on tour, she still delivers stunning music videos, merchandise and other visuals that create a distinct, cottagecore aesthetic marked by black and white, cardigans, and forest imagery for the “folklore” era. While “folklore” isn’t Swift’s flashiest era, the musical genius, memorability and aesthetics of “folklore” boosts this era to the top of the list.

22

1989

2014

image courtesy of insider.com

“1989” is the most memorable Taylor Swift era. With the release of “1989,” Swift transitioned from a country artist to a pop star with iconic tracks like “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood.” The “1989” era is even more memorable due to the star-studded music videos that racked up billions of views and a massive world tour with countless celebrity guests, massive media coverage and iconic outfits. Every song on the album is catchy and another display of Swift’s musical mastery, and this era’s unique aesthetic and impressive world tour land it right below “folklore.”

33 2010 SPEAK NOW image courtesy of insider.com “Speak Now” cemented Swift’s status as a talented young musician with a huge amount of potential. The album was an introduction to a more serious Swift, and takes on a mature, melancholy tone. The songs deal largely with heartbreak, guilt and anger in Swift’s personal life. Emotional and well-written tracks, including “Back to December,” “Dear John” and “Mean” move this era farther up on the list. Additionally, the critically acclaimed world tour boasted a number of beautiful outfits including the “Enchanted” flowy cream dress and also introduced Swift’s iconic red lip look.

44

LOVER

2019 image courtesy of people magazine

“Lover” is an album marked by unused potential. While the album boasts beautiful songs, such as “Paper Rings,” “London Boy” and “False God,” the heavily promoted records like “ME!” and “You Need To Calm Down” are by far the most boring and poorly composed on the album. However, a couple of redeeming factors edge the “Lover” era up on the list. First, the album was overall good and was a clear display of Swift’s songwriting talents. More importantly, “Lover” reveals a different side of Swift — one that celebrates her happiness, which was reflected in the bright colors in her tour outfits and visuals. Additionally, the music videos for the “Lover” era, especially for “ME!” and “The Man” were an amazing feat of visual effects, editing and celebrity cameos that stood out from Swift’s previous music videos. Although it may not be Swift’s most memorable or well publicized era, it certainly deserves respect. Although “Red” is another impressive album featuring tracks like “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Everything Has Changed” and “I Knew You Were Trouble,” the era felt like a transition period between Swift’s pop future and country past. Not only was the album a mix of country tracks and pop tracks, but the aesthetic and visuals of the music videos and tournaments felt like a build up to something bigger. So when “1989” was released shortly after the world tour for “Red” wrapped up, it largely overshadowed the “Red” era. However, this period of Swift should not be discredited, as it provided some truly catchy songs, Swift’s switch from long locks to a pixie cut and a seriously impressive world tour. 55TAYLOR SWIFT/ FEARLESS 2006-2008 images courtesy of insider.com

Swift’s debut country era, which includes albums “Taylor Swift” and “Fearless,” is an integral part of her career. Both albums include some of the most popular songs of the past two decades with “Love Story,” “Fifteen,” “You Belong With Me” and “Teardrops On My Guitar.” This era is made even more impressive because of Swift’s sharp rise to stardom, with her second album landing her a massive world tour at age 18. While Swift’s country era will always be iconic, later eras outshine Swift’s country roots as she continued to experiment with music styles and aesthetics. However, her start as a country artist gave her the recognition and set the foundation for her eventual transition into a variety of genres, so this era still deserves immense

66

RED

2012 image courtesy of insider.com

respect and credit.

77REPUTATION 2017 image courtesy of insider.com

Reputation is the closest thing to a bad era Swift has had. While the initial announcement of the album and the music video for lead single “Look What You Made Me Do” generated massive interest, the anticipation fizzled out because the era felt contrived and contradictory. Swift certainly made a statement about the twisted nature life in the spotlight with the edgy, snake-heavy aesthetic of the era, but she also sprinkled in sweet songs such as “Delicate” and “Call It What You Want” that hinted at the happier “Lover” era, which created inconsistency throughout the album. While “Reputation” may have delivered the iconic black bodysuit, everything else about the era felt slightly off.