2010-26 - texture, tension and release
My love for Taylor Swift's music.
Favorite Tracks
Long Live (Taylor's Version) - Speak Now (Taylor's Version) [2010 / 2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Taylor Swift and Nathan Chapman).
I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) - Speak Now (Taylor's Version) [2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner.
State Of Grace (Taylor's Version) - Red (Taylor's Version) [2012 / 2021]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift).
Red (Taylor's Version) - Red (Taylor's Version) [2012 / 2021]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Nathan Chapman, Taylor Swift, and Dann Huff).
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) - Red (Taylor's Version) [2021]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Liz Rose. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Style (Taylor's Version) - 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2014 / 2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami).
Out Of The Woods (Taylor's Version) - 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2014 / 2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
All You Had To Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version) - 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2014 / 2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Max Martin. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Max Martin and Shellback).
Bad Blood (Taylor's Version) - 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2014 / 2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. Produced by Taylor Swift and Christopher Rowe (Original: Max Martin and Shellback).
Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version) - 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2014 / 2021]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. Produced by Taylor Swift, Christopher Rowe, and Shellback (Original: Max Martin and Shellback).
Delicate - reputation [2017]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. Produced by Max Martin and Shellback.
Call It What You Want - reputation [2017]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift.
I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) - Fifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [2016]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Sam Dew. Produced by Jack Antonoff.
Cruel Summer - Lover [2019]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Lover - Lover [2019]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
False God - Lover [2019]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
the 1 - folklore [2020]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. Produced by Aaron Dessner.
august - folklore [2020]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
willow - evermore [2020]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. Produced by Aaron Dessner.
no body, no crime (feat. HAIM) - evermore [2020]
- Written by Taylor Swift. Produced by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner.
Lavender Haze - Midnights [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Zoë Kravitz, Mark Spears, Jahaan Sweet, and Sam Dew. Produced by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, and Braxton Cook.
Maroon - Midnights [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Midnight Rain - Midnights [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
The Great War - Midnights (3am Edition) [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. Produced by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner.
Paris - Midnights (3am Edition) [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Hits Different - Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) [2022]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Aaron Dessner. Produced by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Aaron Dessner.
You're Losing Me (From The Vault) - Midnights (Late Night Edition) [2023]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
The Tortured Poets Department - The Tortured Poets Department [2024]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Down Bad - The Tortured Poets Department [2024]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
But Daddy I Love Him - The Tortured Poets Department [2024]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. Produced by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Aaron Dessner.
Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine) - The Tortured Poets Department [2024]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Florence Welch. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Guilty as Sin? - The Tortured Poets Department [2024]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
The Fate of Ophelia - The Life of a Showgirl [2025]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. Produced by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback.
Opalite - The Life of a Showgirl [2025 / 2026]
- Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. Produced by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback.
I Knew It, I Knew You (From "Toy Story 5") - Toy Story 5 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [2026]
- Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff.
Album Musings
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
- My Picks: "Long Live", "I Can See You"
- The Dive: When it comes to this era, I find myself gravitating toward its conceptual extremes. On one hand, I love "Long Live," which serves as a triumphant, anthemic tribute to the fans and the band, relying heavily on soaring, sweeping storytelling. On the other hand, my love for the Vault track "I Can See You"highlights my appreciation for sharp, bass-heavy, indie-rock grooves. It proves that even when I’m looking back at Taylor's country-pop roots, I still prefer tracks that carry a bit of a sonic edge.
Red (Taylor’s Version)
- My Picks: "State Of Grace", "Red", "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)"
- The Dive: My selections here reflect exactly how I view Red: a glorious, chaotic mosaic of emotional extremes. "State of Grace" stands out to me as an arena-rock masterpiece driven by pounding drums, while "Red" is an absolute masterclass in vivid color metaphors. Crowned by "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)," this cluster really highlights my profound love for Taylor's peak lyrical architecture—long-form storytelling, devastating bridges, and sprawling narrative builds.
1989 (Taylor’s Version)
- My Picks: "Style", "Out Of The Woods", "All You Had To Do Was Stay", "Bad Blood", "Wildest Dreams"
- The Dive: The heavy footprint of 1989 on my list shows just how much I love immaculate, driving pop melodies. What I notice about my favorite tracks here—specifically "Style", "Out Of The Woods", and "Wildest Dreams"—is that they represent the most atmospheric, echo-heavy, and cinematic moments on the record. I lean into tracks that create an immediate, visual "vibe," whether that's the late-night driving rhythm of Style or the frantic, pulsing anxiety of Out Of The Woods.
reputation
- My Picks: "Delicate", "Call It What You Want"
- The Dive: Instead of focusing on the aggressive, stadium-shaking trap-pop of this album's lead singles, I completely bypassed the angst. By selecting "Delicate" and "Call It What You Want," I went straight for the soft, pulsing heart of the album. I love the sheer vulnerability of these vocoder-heavy, stripped-down love songs—they feel like intimate secrets shared in the dark.
Lover
- My Picks: "Cruel Summer", "Lover", "False God"
- The Dive: This trio perfectly demonstrates my taste for rich, textured pop. "Cruel Summer" gives me that classic, high-intensity synth-pop rush, while "Lover" satisfies a classic, retro-romantic songwriting craving. The real standout indicator for me here is "False God"—a sultry, saxophone-laden, R&B-infused track. Choosing this deep cut shows how much I appreciate Taylor when she steps out of her comfort zone to experiment with more sophisticated, mature, and unconventional rhythms.
folklore & evermore
- My Picks: "the 1", "august", "willow", "no body, no crime"
- The Dive: My choices from the "sister albums" reveal that I love a good character study. Rather than sticking strictly to the purely autobiographical tracks, I find myself drawn into the fictional, cinematic worlds of "august" and the folk-murder-mystery thriller "no body, no crime." Sonically, these choices demonstrate that Aaron Dessner’s intricate acoustic work and muted piano notes resonate deeply with me when I want to step away from high-energy pop.
Midnights
- My Picks: "Lavender Haze", "Maroon", "Midnight Rain", "The Great War", "Paris", "Hits Different", "You’re Losing Me"
- The Dive: This is one of the most heavily represented albums on my list, making it clear that the moody, insomniac pop of Midnights is my ultimate comfort zone. I am incredibly drawn to the dark, bass-driven synth textures of tracks like "Maroon" and "Midnight Rain," but I also have a major appreciation for the exclusive deluxe and Vault editions like "Hits Different" and "You're Losing Me." For me, this era perfectly bridges Jack Antonoff's modern synth beats with Taylor's deeply insular, reflective lyricism.
The Tortured Poets Department
- My Picks: "The Tortured Poets Department", "Down Bad", "But Daddy I Love Him", "Florida!!!", "Guilty as Sin?"
- The Dive: My selections from TTPD show that I am heavily drawn to the album's most dramatic, unhinged, and sonically vast moments. From the alien-abduction synth-metaphor of "Down Bad" to the stadium-sized catharsis of "But Daddy I Love Him" and the thumping, Florence Welch-assisted gothic madness of "Florida!!!," my taste here leans heavily toward high-stakes, theatrical art-pop.
The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
- My Picks: "The Fate of Ophelia", "Opalite"
- The Dive: Including these twelfth studio album tracks highlights my massive appreciation for her triumphant, post-Eras Tour era. Both "The Fate of Ophelia" and "Opalite" brought back her legendary partnership with Max Martin and Shellback, delivering a bright, rhythmic fusion of synth-pop and pop-rock. Embracing these tracks shows I love her current state of joyful, self-directed healing paired with shimmering, up-tempo instrumentation.
Soundtrack & Standalone Singles
- My Picks: "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (2016), "I Knew It, I Knew You" (2026)
- The Dive: My soundtrack choices show that I love when Taylor adjusts her perspective for external projects. Her contribution to Fifty Shades Darker, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," leans beautifully into dark, sultry R&B-pop. Meanwhile, her massive country-pop ballad "I Knew It, I Knew You" from Toy Story 5 shows that I still carry a deep affection for her storytelling roots—especially when she channels her classic narrative style to bring a character like Jessie to life.
Closing Thoughts
When I look at this playlist as a whole, it tells a very specific story about what I value in music: texture, tension, and release. I’ve come to realize that I’m apparently an "album closer" type of listener. I’m not just hunting for a quick pop hook; I’m listening for the structural art of the song. I want to hear a track simmer in a moody electronic landscape before it completely explodes into a brilliant, lyric-heavy bridge. It’s why I gravitate toward the masterclass architecture of the ten-minute "All Too Well," or the sweeping narrative closure of "Long Live (Taylor's Version)." It’s also why I love the immersive, visual worlds of newer tracks like "The Fate of Ophelia" and the dark, insular, late-night atmosphere of "Maroon," where the music is given the space to breathe into a beautiful, echo-heavy finish.
