Between the snakes, the lovers, and the bedazzled outfits, there is much to discuss about Taylor Swift. Over the many years of her expansive career, fans have watched as the mega artist has been up, down, picked apart, shunned, celebrated—you name it, she’s been through it. But the one thing that remains at the core of Taylor Swift is her music. Her songs and the fantasy worlds they create are always evolving, and they are more impressive than any real-life drama that unfolds around her.
In Taylor Swift: Album by Album, esteemed authors and journalists Kase Wickman, Joanna Weiss, and Moira McAvoy examine Taylor Swift’s (up until last week) eleven studio albums, along with the Taylor’s Version recordings. They dissect the lyrics, the liner notes, the Easter eggs, and more, providing an immersive look at the artistry that goes into each project. In the end, Swifties learn more about the goings-on in the record industry, the influence of each album, and the overall impact that the music has had on fans.
Wickman, Weiss, and McAvoy present the albums to readers in chronological order, so fans get re-introduced to Taylor’s country roots first. They touch on Taylor Swift, Fearless, and Speak Now while highlighting each album’s significance in Swift’s career. Each chapter starts with a formal breakdown of the album, including the track listing, release date, recording location, personnel involved, sales, and honors awarded. From there, the authors rotate chapters, providing their own research and familiarity with songs, key moments, and special facts about the albums. For instance, readers will find which aspects of the self-titled era clicked with fans and the infamy of Swift’s Christmas EP, also released during this time. There’s also the Kanye moment at the MTV VMAs, the weight of “Love Story” and “Mean,” and the way the lyrics started to center more on lived experiences than small town fantasies.
The middle of the book traces Swift’s evolution from country princess to pop icon. Here, we become acquainted with collaborators like Jack Antonoff, Shellback, and Max Martin, who have played—and continue to play—pivotal roles in Swift’s career. We also observe Taylor’s coming-of-age on Red, the way she embraced her untapped potential on 1989, and how she went from behind the scenes to controlling her own narrative on reputation. Of course, fans cannot overlook the lore of “All Too Well.” Side note, did you know that the performance time of “All Too Well” on the Eras Tour equals 1,490 minutes, which equals 24.8 hours?!
Further in, we learn how Swift has thrived as both an adult and business woman. It started with the classic relationship-based songs on Lover, before moving from that pastel-colored world into the woods with the surprise-drops of folklore and evermore. The authors describe the evolution of these songs, noting that these songs were seemingly made more for Swift herself than for her fans. Meanwhile, the impromptu release of the albums was a bold move, but one that proved that Swift is in charge—of her music, of her story, and of her identity. Oh, and folklore is the first of Swift’s albums to feature the “f-bomb,” if you didn’t know.
If you ever wondered exactly what went down with Swift’s master recordings, Wickman, Weiss, and McAvoy are on it. They give us a ‘Bridge’ section in the book, which explains the appeal of the masters, how Swift lost them, and the key people involved in her attempt to get them back—including Kelly Clarkson. They also track each event that brought us to Swift regaining them, even though news of the gain wasn’t announced until after the book was created. This is a nice touch that helps us to better understand some of the goings-on in the music business and how even someone as successful as Swift can have her losses.
We then slide into the last part of the book, with the Taylor’s Version albums she has released thus far, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department. For the Taylor’s Version chapters, a discussion is featured between the authors, where they discuss everything from the new covers, the feelings the songs bring back, the vault tracks, and the expectations regarding the albums. They speak candidly and with a respect for these albums, which comes across in the other chapters but is more so in these T.V. chapters. Fans will also dive into the darkness of Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department as the authors point out Swift’s relentless drive, her schemes, her rage, and her power. At the end of the day, Swift has gone through a lot, and the only way she is able to process it all is to create more work for herself in the form of songs, albums, and the tour of all tours.
All in all, if you are a newbie to the Swift world or are well-versed on all things Taylor, Taylor Swift: Album by Album is super engaging and interesting. Wickman, Weiss, and McAvoy show that they’re not just fans of Swift, but are also well-informed and aware of Swift’s work and career. There is an enjoyable balance between the fun facts and the information regarding each album’s composition, so readers get a well-rounded look at each era. The authors also shine individually with their own chapters, but their overall expertise also works as a whole. The book is carefully and smartly executed, from the different colored lines on the cover to the inclusion of certain images and statements. Just try to read through Taylor Swift: Album by Album without her albums playing in the background!
Taylor Swift: Album by Album by Kase Wickman, Joanna Weiss, and Moira McAvoy, is out now via Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quarto Group. You can purchase a copy here.
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