Taylor Swift. Just the name turns heads, causes discussions and ignites media frenzies when mentioned in any context. Her lengthy discography consists of nine studio albums and hundreds of songs, from her early success as a young country singer to becoming one of music’s household names. Her discography displays heartbreaks, triumphs and tribulations alongside excellent production and vocals. After polling over 150 students across the school, Taylor Swift was selected to be the first music artist I chose my top five songs for. Prior to listening, I was not close to being a fan of Swift (or being a Swiftie as they say) and after my listening here are my top five Taylor Swift songs: 

Five: The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) – from Red (Taylor’s Version)

From the opening lyrics, “I wish I could fly, I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time,” I was hooked on The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version). Swift’s spectacular vocals made me feel as if I was walking down a road in the fall as the bright colored leaves float to the ground around me. I absolutely loved hearing the drums and strings on this song and it complimented Swift’s lyrics so well. In her lyrics, the singer displays vulnerability and appreciation for her past relationship as she expresses how much she misses him. Despite this song being at the number five spot, The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) is not my favorite song from Red (Taylor’s Version). 

Four: Back to December – from Speak Now

There’s something about Speak Now that, for lack of a better word, speaks to me. Similar to the song at the number one spot, I have a very fond memory with this song. I remember riding around with some friends one night last summer, they turned this song on and started singing the lyrics as we passed by people walking. When it comes to production of any song, I’m a sucker for drums and in Back to December’s case the drums are great. I really enjoyed the intensity of the drums at certain moments of the song especially when it’s accompanied by the strings in the background. Also I can’t help but sing along to the last bit of the chorus when Swift sings, “I go back to December all the time.” The sentimental value that Back to December has pushed it ahead of The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) for the fourth spot.

Three: The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version) – from Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

The guitar combined with the drums, and alongside Swift’s vocals is absolutely breathtaking. Plain and simple. Prior to my dive into Swift’s discography I hadn’t known about Fearless let alone Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and I was blown away, especially by The Way I Loved You. The way she describes the relationship she had with this person in her lyrics, paired with her emotional vocals left me shocked. Where this song really stands out is in its production. I absolutely love that guitar and drum combination that intensifies and weakens at certain points of the song and it compliments Swift’s vocals perfectly. 

Two: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – from Red (Taylor’s Version)

I know, I know, most people would want to see this song at the number one spot but All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) cannot top what I have above it. Even though it is not at the number one spot, I am not discrediting it and saying it is an awful song because that is far from the truth. Upon my first listen, the length of All Too Well prevented me from enjoying the full song because my attention-span wasn’t ready for everything this song unpacks. After my original listen of All Too Well, it clicked, and I gained so much appreciation for Swift’s vocals, lyrics, production choice and chorus. The chorus makes this song so memorable for me, and alongside the bridge of the song, I have no idea what was wrong with me when I found this song boring. 

One: Mine – from Speak Now

It may be argued that my second place choice should be in the coveted number one spot, but this song has an incredible amount of sentimental value and memories attached to it. I remember listening to this song right after watching the Fourth of July fireworks, riding in a car with the windows down going to get ice cream– no other Taylor Swift song could match those memories and sentimentality. Everything about Mine screams perfect to me: the chorus, the verses, the vocals and the guitar-based production mixed with those drums (*chefs kiss*)– everything is amazing. I now associate Mine as the song that got me invested in Taylor Swift’s music.

Simply put, I was extremely surprised by how much I enjoyed Taylor Swift’s music and these five songs. Although I do not consider myself a Swiftie yet, I now consider myself a fan of Taylor Swift’s music and I am excited to continue listening to her music to see if any of my opinions change. I look forward to listening to other artists and trying to narrow down their top five songs in the future.