reputation txt review
no capital letters allowed
in the spirit of reputation (taylor’s version) being announced, i give you my retrospective review of the original.
i’ve been sitting on this for MONTHS. enjoy.
i don’t get a lot right when it comes to taylor (we can’t all be lauren), but one point of pride is i have loved reputation since the beginning. she was always That Girl to me and it sorta helps everyone always categorizes rep as such a scorpio album. it’s basically perfect and i’m interested to see how the vault tracks add context to this time period.
without further ado, track-by-track review with my favorite lyrics.
…ready for it?
banger, obviously. i don’t like that she obviously wrote it to be the album opener because i think it should be more organic but it’s a great song so i can’t hate too much. the music video makes absolutely zero sense to me.
favorite lyric: he can be my jailer, burton to this taylor (her mind!)
end game
people clown but i’m going to say it. this song is good. i vividly remember texting a friend about a week after release saying this was my least favorite but it was constantly stuck in my head, so that clearly meant something (remember what i said about ear worms? i take them very seriously). i love this video as well.
favorite lyric: and i can’t let you go, your handprint’s on my soul, it’s like your eyes are liquor and your body is gold
i did something bad
i really liked this at the beginning but not so much anymore. i think it’s just a tad heavy handed. also when i first heard “receipts and reasons” i most definitely audibly groaned. the thing with taylor’s lyrics is that they’re very timeless “receipts” is just so obviously slang of the time period. but, i also think of all her albums, i’m most comfy with reputation being her most dated.
favorite lyric: i never trust a narcissist, but they love me
don’t blame me
my initial favorite. it’s still in top 3 for sure, and it’s the closest i’ll ever get to church. i love how much she loves this, given the reputation tour and eras tour performances. also the behind-the-scenes video of her singing this?? tayvocalist.
favorite lyric: my name is whatever you decide, and i’m just gonna call you mine
delicate
biggest grower on the album for me FOR SUREEEE. i did not like this very much at the beginning. going back to the timeless lyrics thing, i HATED her use of “chill” in the chorus and i thought it immediately dated the song. but i really really love this. also i like the video, i think it’s really cute. and i love the Eras performance with the stage and her stomping to break the ice and her little body shimmies.
favorite lyric (ironically): is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you’re in my head? ‘cause i know that it’s delicate
look what you made me do
if you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, you don’t. sometimes when i need a pick-me-up i just rewatch this music video. when i first heard this, i was like hmm. and then i watched the video and was like HMM. the orange birdcage look from the video is my favorite, and this video is her best use of “easter eggs” ever.
favorite lyric: and then the world moves on but one thing’s for sure, maybe i got mine but you’ll all get yours
so it goes…
if i could ask her a question, i’d ask how this relates to High Infidelity because of the counting and numbers theme. this song is so wintery to me.
favorite lyric: i’m yours to keep and i’m yours to lose
gorgeous
performance art. she’s so drunk so she can’t say anything to his face bc look at his face! words are escaping her. i hope inez is the rerecorded voice bc i think she’s the overlooked middle child.
favorite lyric: you should take it as a compliment that i got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
getaway car
poor tom hiddleston. idk there’s nothing really to say it’s a very good song. some of her best songwriting ever.
favorite lyric: i was dyin in a getaway car
king of my heart
a while ago someone asked to cut one song in the 4-song run of “getaway car,” “king of my heart,” “dancing with our hands tied,” and “dress” and i believe i said dwoht but i’d like to amend that right now. it’d probably be this one. i think at the time, i was putting everything on this bridge, which is top tier, but dwoht overall is better. i really like the behind-the-scenes video of her writing this on electric guitar.
favorite lyric: you say you fancy me not fancy stuff, baby all at once this is enough
dancing with our hands tied
very soft, very lovely. i would like to hear this live with full production before i’m dead, please. i think my favorite thing about the joe era albums is the evolution of her use of color.
favorite lyric: my love had been frozen deep blue but you painted me golden
dress
everything i love about this song just hinges on my favorite lyric. it’s one of my favorites in her entire discog for some reason. the anecdotes of scott swift leaving the room during the secret sessions makes me chuckle i can’t wait for the rerecording just bc i don’t like the way she sings “bleached.” sounds like a hard ‘k’ sound for some reason? so “bleaked?” every time.
favorite lyric: i’m spilling wine in the bathtub, you kiss my face and we’re both drunk
this is why we can’t have nice things
this song is fun and i enjoy it when i’m feeling angry and spiteful but i think it’s placement in the tracklist is weird.
favorite lyric: and therein lies the issue, friends don’t try to trick you, get you on the phone and mind twist you
call it what you want
my favorite favorite favorite absolute favorite on the album and rounds out my top 3 4 in her entire discography. love love loooove love love love loooooooooove this one so much. it’s just so soft, delicate, heartfelt, and sincere. i absolutely love the production, especially towards the end of the song with the echo effects and the harmonizing. i am worried if it can be replicated on the rerecord. i also love her use of “fit like a daydream” and “fly like a jetstream” to contrast british and american slang.
favorite lyric: starry eyes sparking up my darkest night (!!!)
new year’s day
this is okay. my biggest issue is you can tell which lines she saved and then tried to shove it into a song (see: nearly all of them). i would’ve preferred if the album ended with “call it what you want to.” but happy birthday, bestie!
favorite lyric: hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you
i’ll save my ranking to include vault tracks.
the thing with reputation is really, every variation of a ranking is correct. except maybe if “this is why we can’t have nice things” is your favorite.