Today I will listen to all of Taylor Swifts albums for the first time, in order of release. I have never listened to a Taylor Swift album. Before nightfall, I will hear them all

This is a thread of my livetweet reactions. Time to find out what the fuss is about

Let's begin

Who is Tim McGraw and where is he now and why is he a liar

The first ever scene Taylor sung was about a man lying?

Fair

So Taylor Swift (2006), I did NOT realise she started THIS country. There have been as many boys as pickup trucks so far, and the last song had a banjo, an electric guitar, and an acoustic guitar

Strong lyric storytelling

SHE'S SIXTEEN WHAT THE F

Wow this suddenly very impressive

Did she write ALL of these lyrics?

This is some serious quality. She's expressing fundamental themes and tropes of country and pop and just love and self music so well

Also lots of *interesting* boys at her high school definitely helped

Sidenote: does there need to be this many acoustic guitar twangs in country music. Yes we know you're sad

Corey seems nice. I hope it works out

I don't think it worked out (re Cory)

Dope first album though. Still amazed that this is the work of someone just 16 years old. Big future

1 of 9 albums down

Tied Together With A Smile was tight. Cute tie-in (sorry) lyric with coming undone

Mary's Song was also good. Sidenote, somebody saying they'll beat you up and then they don't isn't as great a sign of love as the song thinks it is

Two songs into Fearless and I can think of many artists who have had good careers but not got close to a record like Untouchable

Alright Fearless is already such a good album. It's so coherent, so accomplished and mature. From this MINOR, this NON ADULT

Man I love outstanding pop music. Love Story

I'll be honest, Love Story into Hey Stephen was not amazing. From a pop classic into an ode to a man so uninspiring that even Taylor Swift had to resort to humming, so unremarkable are Stephen's qualities? Be better Stephen

Fearless done. Excellent sophomore. My favourite song by far is Fifteen. What a fantastic way to capture all the significant golden messiness of mid-teenagerhood. And redhead representation is always to be cherished. Go Abigail

Next up, Speak Now

I do think the cover art is getting worse

You can really hear Taylors growth as an artist from her first album through to Speak Now when she doesn't put any banjo on Back To December. Taylor 2006? *I'm sad here's a banjo instrumental*

I'm really glad she didn't ruin somebody's wedding

DID SHE? Speak now please I need to know

I know Dear John is about John Mayer but I am enjoying it much more by imagining its about John Cena

The banjo is back

Thats why the song is called Mean

SHE'S BETTER KNOWN FOR THINGS THAT SHE DOES ON THE MATTRESS

Speak Up finished. Started particularly strong. Less good than Fearless for me. Enjoying that Taylor seems able to sound younger or older at will. Really flexible vocal presence

Time for Red

Oh my go-

She's a rockstar now

This album is already such an outrageous leap forward and she is pulling it off

WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT ALL TOO WELL AND HOW CAN SHE FORCE US FROM ALL TOO WELL STRAIGHT INTO 22 WHAT IS THIS EMOTIONAL GEARSHIFT MADNESS

No Taylor you've gone too far, this transition is impossible

Ugh, OK, I recognise the appeal of Stay, Stay, Stay. But like, after an immense opening, huge pop hits, outstanding rock gravitas, this just doesn't sound... As earth-shattering. Not a tempest in an album that had been a tempest

Red finished. She's flourishing. One record that exhibits a top tier popstar, rockstar, and even that same big sound country sensibility superpower in the second half. Full of bangers

My favourite was actually Holy Ground. Energy, beat, story. Certified banger

Next up, 1989

The cover art is improving!

Soft reminder that Blank Space changed the world

Sidenote: I happened to be one of the first few thousand people in the world to see the Blank Space music video. I remember watching it on campus, turning to a friend and saying "this is going to be the biggest song in the world" and I was right

Blank Space into Style into Out Of The Woods is one of the biggest flexes in the history of pop music

1989 done. Masterpiece. Undeniably. Eternal album. So good that Bad Blood may well be the least memorable track on the record. Out Of The Woods is my best song, pinnacle of an absolutely outrageous three-in-a-row

Five out of Nine. Reputation time

Taylors Huge Power Maverick Explosion Devil May Care opening salvos on reputation make for such a beautiful reflection on Don't Blame Me, and then after that Delicate is just a perfect softening flip

I don't know what to do with Look What You Made Me Do. I get why it happened. It's just. Weak for her. Fine, we move

GETAWAY CAR. Thank you story queen

New Years Day is a deeply smart way to end reputation. Cleaning up the bottles, the mess, holding onto the memories after the utter uproarious anarchic eruption of this album. The quiet after the storm

Reputation complete. Six of nine albums done for today. Tight album. Hard to follow 1989 but a totally different energy to everything before and did it well. Getaway Car was the headline

Lover time

Cruel Summer into Lover into The Man is serious range. And all the same lyricist AND performer. She's so good

Wow. The Archer. Fantastic. How haven't I heard this before

It's mindblowing that I'm deep into album seven of an artist who has been making quality records for well over a decade and is still basically IN HER 20s and there are still no bad bad bad songs. And the quality of Lover is H. I. G. H.

Soft Taylor is a real suckerpunch. Soon You'll Get Better is pristine

I don't really get ME!

Lover is over. Strong album. Greater sense of peace and inner tranquility than reputation. It feels like the end of an era for Taylor. It feels like the edge of something. Top of a mountain without any further to climb. Time for a new mountain

Two albums left

Cover art is now very good. Well done Taylor

Oh no. This is exactly my shit and it's not just because Taylor is now saying the word shit more often. The 1

All I have to say about folklore after twelve minutes is Taylor Swift how could you do this to me

NOT BON IVER. NONONONO I DON'T WANT THIS. ITS TOO MUCH. I don't feel like crying on boxing day please stop

WHY DIDN'T SHE START WITH THIS

OK I know I'm glad she took the road to get here see the above thread it's been appreciated but this is really really good

This Is Me Trying

How did I know a harmonica was coming

Folklore is done. So brilliant. So beautiful. So exactly gorgeous indie folky feelsy poetic magic. So many songs, the 1, this is me trying, mad woman, PEACE, and of course the last great american dynasty (best of the lot)

Eight from nine. All that's left is evermore

Agh god, she's doing it again.

Tracks 2, 3, 4, again. This time champagne problems, gold rush, 'tis the damn season

How could one person do all this. I'm shattered

Had to stop after tolerate it. Not sure for how long, but I need a second

Oh God its The National. Its Matt. Oh god I'm not going to get out of this alive. This is more serious than Bon Iver

Evermore finished. Exceptional. That four song run from champagne problems through gold rush, 'tis the damn season, and finally tolerate it, is one of the best sequences I've ever heard. What album building

And tolerate it is really one of the most moving records I've heard

Now I've listened to all nine Taylor Swift albums today, all for the first time, I can say without doubt that she an icon, a master, once in a generation. My only criticism is for me, who took so long to find out. We are lucky to be around to witness this. Swiftie? Yes of course