It's that time of year again... Taylor Swift takeover time. To truly kick off my annual Taylor Swift blog series – see the archive here – it’s got to be a round-up of the old school tracks that you need to revisit or be introduced to for the very first time, eh?
I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan. My adoration for her goes all the way back to when I was in secondary school and, I mean, I’m 24 now. One time I was so excited to go to her first ever UK gig that my friend Amelia sent me home from college because she couldn’t handle me anymore. I’m that crusader that spent an unknown amount of time blocking out the haters and spreading the Tay-love. Ahem.
Without further ado…
Fearless (2008)
One from a thousand years ago in the Fearless era, Fearless is forever one of my favourites. It feels like the idyllic late summer, post-first date song, and in every single way, it is. Whenever I hear this song, I’m immediately transported back to late summer evening walks through fields near home, going for first drives and feeling like I was on Cloud Nine. In fact, it epitomises my own 2008 and when it was released, it almost exactly matched my own train of thought. It’s a happy-go-lucky kinda track, no heartbreak, no problems, the perfect guitar solo towards the end bridge. Grant Mickelson for life, tho.
New Romantics (2014)
While this isn’t an old song by any means, I often feel like it’s overlooked on 1989. You. Need. To. Listen. To. This. New Romantics is pure retro pop, it feels 80’s-esque and is an ultimate girl power track. ‘Heartbreak is the national anthem’ and ‘scarlet letters’? Yep, this is a song from a sassy gal who just don’t care. Taylor truly wears her heart on her sleeve here but in a new and raw way that I adore. In short, New Romantics is the smooth pop song you’ll find yourself adding to your rotation, turning it all the way up and dancing on your bed every Friday night to. It’s sophisticated, sassy and carefree in all the best ways.
“I’m about to play my ace.”
Sparks Fly (2010)
If you catch me on a chatty day, it is quite likely that I’ll talk your right ear off about this one. First performed in 2006 before she was signed, Sparks Fly is one of Taylor’s greatest moments. It’s romantic and evocative of the teenage love stories we all dreamt about or went through. Who doesn’t want to be kissed in the pouring rain? (I mean, you’ll most certainly both catch a cold that lasts for three weeks, but the movie scene thought was there, eh?) I particularly love the original version with its outright guitar accompaniment but the Fearless Tour edition gives me literal goosebumps every time.
All Too Well (2012)
When this was released many moons ago, Victoria and I used to have epic cries together and go on separate but equally dramatic drives. This is THAT song for me that reaches deep into my sometimes-blackened-but-mostly-rose-tinted soul and reminds me that love and all that good stuff comes with raw and intense emotion. I think this song is one of the reasons I enjoy a Firecracker date, actually. The whole notion that love and romance should encompass the good, the bad, the ugly. The idea of it all burning red. Deep.
Invisible (2007)
I’m still besotted with this one after all this time. A track from the deluxe edition of Taylor’s debut album, this is a sad ballad (my favourites!) that explores the idea of harbouring a crush and feeling completely invisible to them. Of watching on as someone you adore falls for another. You can truly see how far my gal has come from her tentative, voyeur ways to the sassy, don’t need no man but got Calvin Harris lady that she is now. If you didn’t know, Tay was often bullied and shunned by her classmates when she wrote this album, and I can certainly relate to feeling invisible (:
Breathe (2008)
A semi-controversial song but honestly one of my all-time favourites is Breathe, sung in collaboration with the ever-amazing Colbie Caillat. This one is relaxed, acoustic and ephemerally attached to the summer for me too. It’s kinda like the song that closes doors on chapters and feels very absolute and infinite. I can confirm it’s the ultimate solo drive song and the totes emosh vocals paired with a gentle guitar mesh just do it for me. Fun fact: I once listened to this on repeat for 9 entire days before moving on to White Horse.
Which is your favorite Taylor Swift song-that-isn’t-Blank-Space?
