Since 2006, Taylor Swift has reigned supreme on the Billboard music charts. Her music resonates with fans who believe in love, female empowerment, and a “happily ever after.”
Swift’s music has changed a lot over the past 14 years. The musician released her first studio album when she was just 17 years old. Her earlier music is more playful, innocent, and wholesome — whereas her newer music is bold, mature, and, what some people would consider “naughty.” Swift isn’t afraid to be completely herself. Take a look at her albums, ranked from most wholesome and innocent to her mature, “naughty” records.
Taylor Swift (2006)
Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album is her ultimate country album. Most of the songs were written during the singer’s freshman year of high school, so they are innocent, playful, and romantic.
Standout songs include her breakout song “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Picture to Burn,” “Our Song,” “Cold as You,” and “Tim McGraw.” The songs are relatable (with a hint of sassiness), lyrical, and a sneak peek of what other music Swift could create. Listeners had to wait a little while longer to hear to her famous “revenge” songs.
Fearless (2008)
Swift’s next album, Fearless, has some of her most famous, classic songs, including “Love Story,” “You Belong with Me,” “You’re Not Sorry,” “Fifteen,” “Forever and Always” (written about Joe Jonas), “The Way I Loved You,” and many others. The half-country, half-pop music album established Swift as an international star.
The songs are lyrical, heartfelt, and still innocent and fun. They’re intimate and beautifully crafted, although, a few are her iconic break-up songs, including “You’re Not Sorry” and “White Horse.” But even though they’re break-up songs, Swift still played it safe, as opposed to her later music.
Speak Now (2010)
Swift proved she can write beautiful love songs with her third studio album, Speak Now. The album contains blatantly honest songs, like “Dear John” (about her intense romance with her connection with Kanye West).
The album still has elements of Swift’s youth, but the songs are more mature than her previous albums. Swift experimented with her music and she demonstrated that she was growing up. Speak Now was an important musical era for Swift, and fans still acknowledge the album as some of her best songs.
Red (2012)
Swift’s fourth album, Red, was her departure from country to pop music. The album solidified her confidence and identity, and it still featured her signature lyrical music, tragic storytelling, and upbeat, catchy tunes.
This includes standout songs like “22,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” (written about Jake Gyllenhaal), “All Too Well,” and others. The album is reflective, sophisticated, and it signaled Swift’s transition to a mature singer, who was no longer afraid to write about darker, more dramatic subjects.
Folklore (2020)
Swift surprised her fans with a new album, folklore, less than a year after she released her 2019 album, Lover. Most of the songs were written while quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic, and critics expressed that the album features some of her most well-written, mature songs yet.
This includes “The Last Great American Dynasty,” “The 1,” “Exile,” “Betty,” and others. For many, folklore is reminiscent of Swift’s early career. The album is laidback, vocal, and it relies on the lyrics to tell beautiful stories about love, heartbreak, and self-reflection. Swift returned to her roots in a fresh, exciting way.
Lover (2019)
Once again, Lover recalls elements of Swift’s past work, featuring her impressive storytelling lyrics while also including dramatic songs about frustration, especially in “The Man.” The album is deeply personal to Swift, including a song about her mother’s breast cancer battle in “Soon You’ll Get Better.”
The album has its moments of joy (“The Archer,” “Cornelia Street,” and “Death By a Thousand Cuts”), and also musical theatre-style songs that fans didn’t particularly enjoy (“Me” and “You Need to Calm Down”). However, for the most part, it’s an album that serves as a love letter to the audiences who have stood by Swift’s side during her entire career.
1989 (2014)
With 1989, Swift left her country roots behind and emerged as an official pop musician. The album has plenty of catchy songs with synthetic 80s beats, including “Welcome to New York,” “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Style,” and many others.
The album is fun and lighthearted. It’s an album you want to dance to over and over again. However, it also takes aim at people, especially in the song “Bad Blood.” The songs are sharp, sometimes haunted, and they forced listeners to embrace the new pop-infused Taylor Swift.
Reputation (2017)
Reputation told audiences that the old Taylor Swift is dead. She is no longer an innocent teenager who writes airy fairytale love songs. Instead, she’s a mature adult, and it was time for her to finally write the stone-cold songs she had been holding in for years. The album features plenty of dark, sassy, sexual, and nail-biting songs, including “Look What You Made Me Do,” “…Ready For It?” and others.
The bold album portrays Swift as a vengeful, bitter woman, as well as someone who shouldn’t be messed with. Some fans were not impressed with the album, but Swift didn’t care. She always writes about feelings that she needs to express, and with Reputation, she felt the most evocative and confident of her career.