Four Favorites (Taylor’s Version)

If you know me, you know how much I love Taylor Swift. And if you know Taylor Swift, you know how exciting this week is. On Friday, Oct. 3, Taylor’s 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” will finally be released. As I anxiously await the new album, I’ve decided to share my four favorite Taylor Swift albums, along with my four favorite songs from each one (subject to change). 

Here are my Four Favorites:

“Red (Taylor’s Version)”

I was a sophomore in high school when this album came out, and I have vivid memories of riding with the windows down in my friend’s car, blaring “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” I’m not sure if it’s because the leaves are falling and the temperature is finally dropping, but every fall I find myself coming back to this album. The original version is a classic, for sure, but the vault tracks on this re-recording have some of the best lyrics in her discography. 

My four favorites from “Red (Taylor’s Version)” are: 

1. Run (feat. Ed Sheeran) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)
2. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) 
3. Come Back…Be Here (Taylor’s Version)
4. Treacherous (Taylor’s Version)

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“evermore”

I remember quite literally jumping for joy when I found this album on vinyl at a local record store a few months ago. As much as I love evermore’s sister album, “folklore,” there is something about the collection of songs and songwriting on this album in particular that has earned a place in my heart. For me, this album really reflects the feelings we were all feeling during the pandemic when Taylor wrote these songs: loneliness, fear for the future, reluctant hope, and, for some of us, love. 

My four favorites from “evermore” are:  

1. tis the damn season
2. champagne problems
3. tolerate it
4. cowboy like me

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“folklore”

I have vivid memories of spring break during my junior year of high school, sitting on the dock at Smith Mountain Lake, in a rough relationship, and listening to “the lakes,” feeling less lonely. As evermore’s older sister, “folklore” is one of Taylor Swift’s most brilliantly written and thought-out albums. Rather than writing autobiographically, as she usually does, this album follows three characters in a love triangle: Betty, James, and Augustine. What really stands out to me about this album is that the story of the three of them is woven into every song without making it evident that there is a storyline we are supposed to follow.

My four favorites from “folklore” are: 

1. my tears ricochet
2. betty 
3. the 1
4. illicit affairs

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“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”

When I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to choose “Fearless” or “Speak Now” as my final favorite, I decided to go with the album I’ve found myself reaching for more recently, which is “Speak Now.” This album has definitely grown on me, especially the vault tracks, which I previously always skipped. What stands out to me about this album, specifically the rerecording, is how seamlessly it combines vulnerability and fun, representing the entirety of what it feels like to be in your late teens and early twenties. 

My four favorites from “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” are: 

1. Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)
2. The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)
3. Long Live (Taylor’s Version)
4. Innocent (Taylor’s Version)

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I hope you enjoyed this edition of Four Favorites. Keep up with what I’m watching on Letterboxd, what I’m listening to on Spotify, and what I’m reading on Goodreads.