Taylor Swift has undoubtedly changed the music industry. Her heartfelt and emotional lyrics mixed with her catchy tunes have had fans following her loyally since the very beginning, so it’s no surprise she’s broken some major records!
Each of Tay Tay’s albums have their own era, as you know, and each of them have their own distinct vibe. From her country roots with her debut album to her pop masterpiece 1989, we’ve got a list of each of her current most-streamed songs from each album. We’re also breaking down the meaning of each of these ballads, with facts she herself has stated plus some fun fan theories!
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Taylor Swift
Our Song is the biggest hit from Tay’s debut album, Taylor Swift. It kickstarted her career with a bang — and it immediately got people talking because she said she wrote it in just 20 minutes! It his #1 on US country charts after its release back in 2007. In an interview with Great American Country from the time, she confessed it was written about a guy she was dating in high school. She said at the time she hadn’t written a song for him, which is where the name came from! It’s speculated by fans her beau back then was Drew Dunlap, though she’s never confirmed it.
Fearless
Love Story was a cultural moment! Even if you’re not a Swiftie, you’ve probably heard this song — it might even be on your playlist. It charted #1 on the US country charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song and video were obviously inspired by Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet, but Taylor confessed to The New York Times earlier this year it had a deeper meaning! She said back when she was 17, her parents Scott and Andrea Swift disapproved of a guy who was “unpopular” with her friends and fam and wouldn’t let her go on a date with him. And a teenage angst anthem was born!
Speak Now
A fan favorite from Speak Now is Tay’s adorably romantic song Enchanted. In the Swiftie world, this song is seen as one of her most iconic ones, despite only reaching #75 on the Billboard Hot 100. It ended up re-peaking amid Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) at #19, but this non-single song stands for itself by holding the most-streamed award from this album! At just 21, Taylor confessed this song was written about Owl City‘s Adam Young. She told Yahoo! Music in 2011 meeting the singer was “overwhelming” in the best way. He was super flattered, too! Aww!
Red
One of the deepest pieces of Swiftie lore was the long-talked-about 10 minute version of her smash hit All Too Well from Red. She’d stated back in the mid-00s she had penned a 10 minute long song but shortened it for the album. Well, by the time her re-recordings rolled around and she dropped Red (Taylor’s Version), she released the song as a vault track to her eager fans! It ended up peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though she’s never confirmed nor denied who this song is about, Swifties have long believed it was about her short-lived relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. When asked about the release of the 10-minute-version so many years after their breakup, Jake told Esquire:
“It has nothing to do with me. It’s about her relationship with her fans.”
Some interpreted that as an outright denial the song was ever about him. Others thought he was only saying that in regards to her decision to release it. Either way, top notch PR response. 10/10 no notes.
1989
Shake It Off was a turning point for T-Swizzle! As she fully dipped her toes into pop, 1989 came with a bang, and her super upbeat dance-y song peaked at #1 with RECORD-BREAKING sales. This diamond-certified smash hit was written about Tay’s critics and haters as a whole, not one specific person. She confessed this to Annie Zeleski in her book Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind The Songs, adding it’s about “ignoring” the noise and “living your best life”. Cheers to that!
Reputation
Reputation was one of the most iconic eras for Taylor. Completely erasing her Instagram and posting those three snake videos will go down in social media HISTORY! But you might be surprised to hear the most-streamed song on the album is actually fan favorite Don’t Blame Me. Despite this song not even charting, Swifties have claimed it as a sleeper hit. Tay has never commented on what this song is about, but fans believe it could be about her ex, Joe Alwyn, as many of the songs from Reputation are. Some fans think it could be about the media’s perception of her — which is also a big theme in the album.
Lover
The title track Lover is the most-streamed song from this 2019 album. It went #1 on the Billboard 200, and it’s one of her most romantic songs to date. Of course, it’s pretty obvious this song is about an all-encompassing love, but if you ask most Swifties, they agree it’s about Joe. Not to mention, this song was the birth of the iconic Lover house that would later be a staple in The Eras Tour!
Folklore
In her COVID double album era, Taylor dropped the sweet, genre-shifting song Cardigan. In a big change from her previous music styles, the somber song debuted at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Rolling Stone Top 100. If you know anything about Folklore, you’ll know all the songs are said by Tay to have been written about characters she made up. This particular song is said to have been from the character Betty’s perspective — but some Swifties think it also took some inspiration from her romance with Joe.
Evermore
Much like Folklore, Evermore is a total fairytale album, but the character names aren’t straightforward like the previous album. Evermore focuses on themes and short, one-off stories more than a storyline. The song Willow became the biggest hit from the album, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Some fans will tell you this song could be about Joe, but the more popular opinion is that it’s about intrigue, desire, and the complexities of wanting someone romantically.
Midnights
Midnights was a big switch-up from the last two folksy, indie albums! Going back to her synth-pop sound, Taylor is said to have penned Anti-Hero about herself. The major hit on this album centers around themes of fear of losing someone, insecurity, self-loathing, and perceived flaws. It’s an extremely vulnerable song — and while Taylor is always vulnerable when writing, this felt like a new level! It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Tortured Poets Department
The Tortured Poets Department is widely speculated to be Tay Tay’s “crash out” album. Following her breakup from her former longtime boyfriend, Joe, she had a short fling with Matty Healy. The album is rumored to be mainly focused on The 1975 frontman, with the music video even sharing themes with Matty’s longtime aesthetic. The song Fortnight became the biggest hit from this album, going #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The ballad is rumored to be about her breakup with Joe and short-term relationship with Matty, but she’s never confirmed nor denied that. The song explores themes of longing, fatalism, and lost dreams.
The Life of A Showgirl
The Fate of Ophelia became a smash hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1. This song was a huge change from her last few hits, with this one being more of a classic bubblegum pop record. It explores themes of being saved by love, while reimagining Shakespeare’s Hamlet tale, changing the ending of his character Ophelia’s story. It’s widely believed Tay penned this song about her hubby Travis Kelce, as a love song for saving her heart from a bitter fall.
What do U think about these songs and meanings, Perezcious readers? Do U have different theories? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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