The day finally came, Swifties.
, dropped on Friday (August 23), and it's everything fans could've hoped for. The 18-track LP, which spans roughly one hour begin right to the finish line, completely encapsulates love in all its blazing and heart-wrenching glory.
, Swift took the possibility to briefly explain the album and how she's so delighted of what she's created. "This album is very much a celebration of love, in all its complexity, coziness, and chaos," she wrote. "It's the initial album of mine that I've ever owned, and I couldn't be more overjoyed
While each song is very much on-theme, no two tracks explore love from the exact same lens. And whether you're crying over a love lost or you're correctly smitten also it feels like nothing else exists around you, there's so much variety — a song for every mood. So if you're wondering which track you have got to listen to based on how you're feeling at this very moment — especially as you wait for
on Monday (August 26) — we broke it all down for you. You could thank us later.
"I Didn't remember That You Existed"
Listen to it any time you’re feeling: finally over the person who hurt you.
Key lyric: "I did not remember that you existed / And I thought that it would kill me, yet it didn't"
We've all wasted also much time and energy on someone who broke us. Although "I Did not remember That You Existed" feels like freedom. Gone are the grudges contained against ex-boyfriends, fellow pop stars, and rappers (and their wives). Here, Swift creates a blank slate — one that replaces contempt with indifference.
"Cruel Summer"
Listen to it any time you’re feeling: in the midst of a chaotic summer romance.
Key lyric: "Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes / And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know"
if you have ever thrown wariness to the wind because of a undeniable attraction without regard to the repercussions it might have on your heart, this song is for you. It's a reminder that whirlwind romances — with all their steamy moments and drunken words of adoration — are usually doomed from the start.
"Lover"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: head-over-heels in love.
Key lyric: "My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue / All's well that ends well to just be with you"
Lover's title track puts into words a specific kind of love that can be hard to articulate: one that makes it feel like everything else has disappeared. For others, it's a reminder of what we deserve — a love so deep that it makes every past heartbreak and betrayal worth it. And while several of us may have never experienced feelings this intense, the track still has a way of making you aspire to dance around an empty bar as it plays on a dusty old jukebox.
"The Man"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: like a total boss.
Key lyric: "If I was out flashing my dollars I'd be a bitch not a baller / They'd paint me out to be bad / So it's OK that I'm mad"
Swift has never shied away from
speaking openly about sexism in the music industry and all of the double standards she's faced. "The Man" finds her contemplating how her life — by means of the good decisions and the bad — would've been different if she was a gentleman. This one's for any woman who's seen males get praised for decisions they'd likely get crucified for.
"The Archer"
Listen to it as soon as you're feeling: vulnerable.
Key lyric: "They visualize right through me / I visualize right through me"
"The Archer" shows several signs of maturity. With lines like "I never grew up / It's getting so old" and "I've been the archer / I have been the prey," this song is for anyone who's able to look back on their past decisions and own up to the fact that perhaps they weren't routinely the correct ones.
"I Think He Knows"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: flirty.
Key lyric:: "I think he is aware / He better lock it down / Or I won't stick around / 'Cause good ones never wait"
Like on Reputation's "Dress," the sexual tension of "I Think He Is aware is palpable. It speaks to a specific relationship status where a couple know they're into each other however haven't quite made any big moves. It straddles a fine line of sexiness and aggravation. Who can't relate?
"Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: frustrated with the world.
Key lyric: "The whole school is rolling fake dice / You play dumb games, you win silly prizes."
On the surface, this track brings up several of Swift's earliest songwriting themes, from homecoming queens and marching bands to prom dresses and rose thorns. However more deeply, the track could also be a statement about our country's current political climate. "American stories burning before me," she sings in reference to the families torn apart at the U.S./Mexico border. Although Swift has one question, perhaps one we've all wondered lately: "Where are the educated men?"
"Paper Rings"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: unadulterated relationship bliss.
Key lyric: "Went residence and attempted to stalk you on The world wide web / Right now I've read all the books beside your bed"
"Lover" isn't the only album cut about all-consuming love. However while the title track will probably become a first-dance staple at weddings, "Paper Rings" is a straight-up bop that we'll all be banging our heads to at the reception. This fast-paced, often abrupt track will beg you to shout along at the best of your lungs.
"Cornelia Street"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: scared of losing the one you love.
Key lyrics: "I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends / I'd never walk Cornelia Street again"
Unlike the rose-colored tinge of "Lover" and "Paper Rings," "Cornelia Street" takes a more trustworthy, realistic look at love. This one, also, describes a love deeper than most. Nevertheless it also addresses the fear that this wonderful love might someday fall apart. For those who just can't help nevertheless fear a unbearable heartbreak, this song is aware you.
"Death By a Thousand Cuts"
Listen to it once you’re feeling: like you can't get over a breakup.
Key lyric: "You mentioned it was a fantastic love, one for the ages / However if the story's over, why am I still writing pages?"
Goodbyes are hard, and few (if any) walk away from meaningful relationships emotionally unscathed. No song sheds light on that better than this one, as Taylor evokes the harshness of picking up the pieces and reclaiming the components of herself that matter.
"London Boy"
Listen to it any time you’re feeling: like taking a romantic little trip to London.
Key lyric: "Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates / So I guess all of the rumors are true / You know I love a London boy"
Swift has made it very clear that she loves her boyfriend,
Joe Alwyn,
and his hometown. However underneath her ever-present love for London and a few of the city's hotspots, "London Boy" is about creating a house out of a person rather than a place. Sure, she shows love for her stateside spots from Tennessee to SoCal. Nevertheless once she's with her lover, it doesn't really matter where they are; it all feels like home.
"Soon You'll Get Better"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: helpless and scared for a loved one.
Key lyric: "I'll paint the kitchen neon, I'll lighten liven up the sky / I know I'll do not get it, there's not a day that I won't try"
Swift bares it all here on this heartbreaking ballad detailing her mother's battle with cancer. The exceedingly visual track takes us to doctor's offices and shows us images of prescription pill bottles. Nevertheless maybe the most gut-wrenching segment of it all is in the bridge, as soon as Swift contemplates the possibility of having to live without one of the most crucial people in her life. It's a nice reminder that we're never alone in our pain, helplessness, and confusion.
"False God"
Listen to it any time you’re feeling: desperate to save a crumbling relationship.
Key lyric: "And I can't converse with you as soon as you're like this / Staring out the window like I'm not your preference town / I'm New York City."
"False God" speaks to a very specific turning point in a relationship: a point where you have got to determine if you're going to give up or continue to have "blind faith" that things will work out. Littered with religious references, the song is relatable anyone attempting to save a forlorn relationship that they've previously placed on a pedestal.
"You Need To Calm Down"
Listen to it once you’re feeling: like calling out haters and homophobes.
Key lyric: "'Cause shade never made anybody much less gay"
With the release of "You Need to Calm Down," Swift
made it clear that she has a zero-tolerance policy for those who feel the need to spew homophobic hate. In the event you, also, are fed up with homophobes and their "urges to scream" about the LGBTQ+ community, feel free to blast this song and join Swift in telling these people to "take a few seats." It feels good.
"Afterglow"
Listen to it as soon as you’re feeling: like you overthought the entire thing.
Key lyric: "Hey, it's all me, in my head / I'm the one who burned us down / Yet it's not what I meant / Sorry that I hurt you"
Where "The Archer" showed a more grown-up Swift owning up to some bad decisions, "Afterglow" is her taking responsibility for a relationship gone awry. And in case you also find yourself constantly overthinking relationships to the point of self-destruction, let "Afterglow" be the apology you wish you could've come up with on your own.
"ME!"
Listen to it whenever you’re feeling: confident.
Key lyric: "Baby doll, as soon as it comes to a lover / I promise that you'll never find another like me."
Whether you loved "ME!" Any time it came out or not, there's a good chance it's been stuck in your head several times since. And while it's nearly impossible to be in vibrant and cheery mood at all times, "ME!" Is an instant mood-booster that's brilliant for reminding those who've wronged you that they are going to never find anyone better. Let's be real: It's what they deserve.
"It's Nice To Have a Friend"
Listen to it once you’re feeling: a friendship progress into something more.
Key lyric: "Something gave you the nerve / To touch my hand"
At first, this ballad seems pretty straightforward: Yes, it is nice to have a friend. Yet because the song evolves, the lyrics propose that a relationship would be nice, also. By the end, the lines blur any time Swift sings about calling this person "babe" and feeling at house with them. Friendships often make excellent foundations for serious relationships.
"Daylight"
Listen to it any you’re feeling: like it is about time to forgive yourself for past mistakes.
Key lyric: "You gotta step into the daylight and let it go"
Swift closes the album with "Daylight," a ballad that feels like not just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, yet living in it. Right after admitting that she's "wounded the good" and "trusted the wicked," Swift's willing to leave her mistakes in back of and move on. In case you visualize yourself in her words, let this song be a sign that it's OK to release that heavy burden. Just let it go!