Josh Spicer
Platinum Member
What the fuck is up with that? And good for you, it's like you never even met me...
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Post by Josh Spicer on Dec 30, 2018 11:59:29 GMT -5
I would also like a tag, if you wouldn't mind please?
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nick64
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2011
Posts: 14,418
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Post by nick64 on Dec 30, 2018 12:34:40 GMT -5
I love, love, love, the Red album, but there's a couple clunkers there that can leave now too. Your wish might just be granted in the next update ;)
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Leo ✔
Diamond Member
Julia Michaels Stan
Happy happy happy ♪
Joined: June 2016
Posts: 72,297
My Charts
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Post by Leo ✔ on Dec 30, 2018 12:44:02 GMT -5
I found Irrespectful that I wasn't tagged :sip2:
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nick64
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2011
Posts: 14,418
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Post by nick64 on Dec 30, 2018 12:58:19 GMT -5
I found Irrespectful that I wasn't tagged :sip2: Oops thought you were 😬 Will be corrected in the future
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nick64
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2011
Posts: 14,418
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Post by nick64 on Jan 14, 2019 8:54:47 GMT -5
100. Today Was a Fairytale
Co-writers: none Album: Valentine’s Day - Soundtrack, Track 1 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: unknown Best Line: “You took me by the hand and you picked me up at six”“Today Was a Fairytale” is a song Taylor released to promote her first ever acting role in the 2010 film Valentine’s Day (if you haven’t seen it, good). Amazingly, it was tied for her highest peaking single until “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” went to #1, but it had very little staying power, and I can understand why. The song is pretty empty. She describes a date as a fairytale and compares the nice, simple gestures the guy makes to the heroics of a prince. It’s pretty cute, but it’s not particularly clever, subtle, or even memorable. She’s tackled the fairytale metaphor so much better in other songs, and this pales in comparison. The worst offense of the song, though, is the use of the title. She says the title 16 times, and it feels like more. It’s used lazily throughout the verses, and it gets quite annoying to be honest. I also find the chorus to be one of her weakest melodically. Overall, the negatives here outweigh the simple positives, and it’s a not a song you’ll find yourself going back to. 99. Two Is Better Than One (with Boys Like Girls)
Co-writers: Martin Johnson Album: Love Drunk (Boys Like Girls), Track 4 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: each other Best Line: “And you’ve already got me coming undone”One of the few times Taylor has featured on another artist’s song, “Two Is Better Than One” was a single from Boys Like Girls’ second album and it became a nice sized hit for the band. It’s not hard to see why, because this is a very soothing and pleasant listen. The melody is very straightforward, but memorable, and it’s sung beautifully by the two songwriters. However, the simplicity of the song is a negative when it comes to a list like this. The lyrics describe the feelings of falling in love and appreciating being in a relationship. It’s all very cute, but there’s nothing that really stands out or differentiates it from the thousands of similar songs over the years. The weaknesses aren’t a problem here. The problem is the lack of real strengths. It’s a nice, easy listen that won’t actually impact you in any notable way. Between this and “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home”, I really wish we could have had a collaboration between the two that showed a little more depth. 98. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (with ZAYN)
Co-writers: Sam Dew, Jack Antonoff Album: Fifty Shades Darker - Soundtrack, Track 1 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Ana Steele & Christian Grey Best Line: “Wondering if I dodged a bullet or just lost the love of my life”The fifth and most recent soundtrack that Taylor contributed to is the one for the second Fifty Shades film (she’s not exactly great at picking movies to help). As bad as the film may be, the soundtrack provides an opportunity for Taylor to possibly get a little sexy, especially when you have a male-female duet. Unfortunately, that’s not the path she and Zayn took here, and even more unfortunately, it’s a bit of a dud for both of them. The lyrics find both singers post-breakup, longing for the other to make a move to get back together, and it’s eating at them. Most of the lines are pretty run-of-the-mill, but there are a few notable exceptions that really help it: the differing perspectives of “Give me something, oh but you say nothing” and “Gave you something, but you gave me nothing”, which essentially sum up the relationship in just two lines; the introspection of my best line pick; and the desperation in “What is happening to me?”. But aside from these lines, we have a pretty bland “I wanna get back together” song that she has done much better in the past, with a much less grating chorus as well. 97. Crazier
Co-writers: none Album: Hannah Montana: The Movie, Track 12 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: unknown Best Line: “Every sky was your own kind of blue”“Crazier” is the second song Taylor contributed to the soundtrack of the Hannah Montana movie, but unlike “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home”, she sings this one herself. It was a wise decision, as this one feels much more like a Taylor song and less like a Disney Channel song. However, it’s still no masterpiece. “Crazier” describes the feelings of falling in love with someone. The song is essentially a more polished version of “Beautiful Eyes”, finding more focus, better imagery, and stronger phrasing. That said, it’s still filled to the brim with cliches and isn’t particularly clever or able to add anything new to her discography. She wrote it when she was just thirteen years old, and for that age, this is really impressive. But at that age, the only picture you have of love is a fantasy, and the experience she would gain would help her paint a much better and more personal image in the future. But this is still a cute soundtrack ballad with a nice, soft melody. It’s completely inoffensive, but entirely skippable. 96. Come in with the Rain
Co-writers: Liz Rose Album: Fearless (Platinum Edition), Track 4 Hidden Message: I won’t admit that I wish you’d come back Likely Subject: unknown Best Line: “And don’t wait for the sky to clear”“Come in with the Rain” is another example of a song that was just a little too basic to make the standard edition of an album. The title comes from an old expression meaning “to come to one’s senses”, and the chorus very cleverly portrays it in a literal way. That chorus, however, is the only strong part of the song. The verses are rather short and mostly just state in different ways that she’s tired of waiting for him to realize she wants him. The pre-chorus simply fills space by offering things that he can “talk to” to help figure it out. It’s an okay song, not exactly helped by one of her more boring melodies, but it’s very textbook Taylor lyrically, and it’s unfortunate that the chorus has to more-or-less stand on its own. 95. Better Than Revenge
Co-writers: none Album: Speak Now, Track 10 Hidden Message: You thought I would forget Likely Subject: Camilla Belle Best Line: “And she thinks I’m psycho ‘cause I like to rhyme her name with things”Don’t do Taylor Swift dirty. Camilla Belle learned this lesson the hard way when she supposedly stole Joe Jonas from her. “Better Than Revenge” is Taylor’s idea of getting revenge on her, and it’s...pretty mean. As an actual composition, this really isn’t that bad at all. The lyrical flow and melody of the verses is very strong, and the second verse is quite clever throughout (it stops beyond that, however). But subject-wise, this is pure 18-year-old pettiness. She controversially slut shames (“She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”) and patronizes (“Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did”). It’s a little too biting. This is less revenge than it is bullying. Even Taylor has come to admit in later years that this was harsh and immature. It can be a fun listen, especially with the pop-rock production and huge chorus, but it will rub you the wrong way lyrically. If you think I’m being a little too harsh, fine, but on other songs on the album (“Dear John”, “Mean”, “Innocent”), she shows that she can confront these matters with vulnerability, strength, and understanding, and I feel that those take a lot more talent than what is essentially the musical equivalent of a Twitter rant. 94. Girl at Home
Co-writers: none Album: Red (Deluxe Edition), Track 19 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: some asshole trying to cheat Best Line: “And it would be a fine proposition if I was a stupid girl”Taylor has written MANY songs about cheaters, but “Girl at Home” uses a perspective that is completely unique within her discography: she’s the other girl. Now, of course, Taylor didn’t do it, and this song slams the guy for trying. She sticks up for the “girl at home”, and it amounts to possibly the most female-empowering song she’s ever written. While that’s commendable, it’s still probably the weakest offering of the album, even with a nice sing-along chorus. Her digs at this guy are pretty surface level, and there are a few lines that sound clunky or overly juvenile (“This I have previously learned”, “You’re the kind of man who makes me sad”). The biggest strength of the song is the pre-chorus, in which she gets honest: she might’ve said yes if she wasn’t on the other end of it before. It’s a great moment of openness, honesty, and self-understanding that allows her to take a hard stance and instruct this jerk on his next move. It needs a little cleaning up, but it’s still good enough for the Top 100. 93. Sweeter Than Fiction
Co-writers: Jack Antonoff Album: One Chance - Soundtrack, Track 15 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Paul Potts Best Line: “Proved me right when you proved them wrong”For the soundtrack of a movie no one’s heard of called One Chance, Taylor wrote her only inspirational song outside of “Change”. On the bright side, it’s a massive step up from that cloyfest. On the down side, it’s really hard to not make these things cheesy. She certainly tries, adding her own Taylor touch to it by taking the perspective of the main character’s wife, supporting him through his journey. But aside from this new perspective, the lyrics are still another mostly by-the-numbers overcoming the obstacles story. It’s certainly listenable, though. As the last song she released before 1989 and her first collab with Jack Antonoff, this feels like a test for pure pop Taylor, and it passed. The chorus is infectious, and you won’t really care about the lyrics while singing along to it. But this one fell pretty much under the raider upon release (a #34 debut for a new Taylor song? Yikes), and that’s probably because there’s not much to make it stand out among the other early 2010s inspirational pop songs. 92. Stay Stay Stay
Co-writers: none Album: Red, Track 9 Hidden Message: Daydreaming about real love Likely Subject: just a fantasy Best Line: “I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life”“Stay Stay Stay” is, by a significant margin, the most juvenile song on Red, and that’s fully by intention. Assisted by a cheery production and a simple, sing-along jingle of a chorus, “Stay 3x” is meant to describe Taylor’s perfect fantasy relationship after overcoming the heartbreak of the album’s first half. It’s a very happy and cute little song, but by its nature, it’s no masterpiece. Rather than really delve into all the little things that can make a relationship great, Taylor’s content to let the simple and catchy melody take center stage here. There’s a few humorous lines, one in each verse, that can definitely put a smile on your face and really helped this one’s placement. But overall, I compare this song to a comic relief character: a bright note found in the middle of something much heavier to lighten the mood a bit, without adding too much weight to the plot. And it works at that. 91. I Heart ?
Co-writers: none Album: Beautiful Eyes (EP), Track 6 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: unknown Best Line: “Wake up and smell the breakup”It kind of kills me to put “I Heart ?” this low. It’s a pretty empowering post-breakup jam that’s pretty unique for her subject-wise. Instead of reflecting on the relationship, she reflects on what the breakup itself did to her and scolds her ex for what he put her through. This gives us a few solid lines and a nice flip in the last chorus where she hopes he’ll have to experience the same once he realizes he won’t be able to get her back. It also has a very nice melody, with specific enunciations in the chorus creating some catchy hooks. So why does it just miss the Top 90? We’re at the point where I consider everything left to be at least “good” (including this one), but this is still too much a product of her age to compete in the big leagues. It lacks the level of introspection and storytelling of the remaining songs from her early days or the pure songwriting talent of her more recent material. It’s just a small step above the more generic Taylor songs. Album Tallies: Taylor Swift - 11/14 remaining (78.6%) Fearless - 14/18 remaining (77.8%) Speak Now - 15/17 remaining (88.2%) Red - 17/19 remaining (89.5%) 1989 - 14/16 remaining (87.5%) Reputation - 13/15 remaining (86.7%) Others - 6/18 remaining (33.3%) We’re just burning through the non-album songs! Next update will be a lot more album-heavy though. Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Keelzit @mirza Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk @steveic Au$tin Hurricane Lee tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness
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born
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Post by born on Jan 14, 2019 10:56:13 GMT -5
This is the official soundtrack bloodbath. Nothing really shocked me in this set. I was surprised to see “I Heart?” above let’s say “Girl At Home” but I’m okay with that.
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nick64
Diamond Member
Joined: November 2011
Posts: 14,418
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Post by nick64 on Jan 31, 2019 22:19:14 GMT -5
90. Mean
Co-writers: none Album: Speak Now, Track 6 Hidden Message: I thought you got me Likely Subject: Bob Lefsetz Best Line: “You have pointed out my flaws again, as if I don’t already see them”Controversial pick time: I’m really not a fan of “Mean”. I’ve tried, I really have. I can admit that the country instrumentation is very good, and I miss that side of her, but I’m flabbergasted at this being a Grammy winner for Best Country Song. The lyrics just aren’t there, and I’m so confused by all of the positive reception towards them. She attempts to lash out at her critics and confidently states that they won’t bring her down, but completely fails at showing real strength or growth. The inspiration for the song was a somewhat harsh review about her live vocals, a review that overdramatically (and falsely) stated she was ruining her career. There’s a lot of ideas here that could have really worked. She sounds like she’s trying to be cheeky at times, which could have been a clever comeback to a lousy review, but there’s enough self-seriousness throughout the rest of the song that this concept fails. Taylor has always been her best when she shows her vulnerability, and that holds true here. When she calls out his criticisms in the verses, the wordplay is mostly pretty good, and these lines actually work. But then she tries to claim that she’ll grow stronger and overcome the criticism, and it all falls apart into cliches and empty threats. It seems the main goal with this song is to be something universal that can be embraced by anyone feeling bullied. That would’ve been fine, but she gets too specific with the “how I can’t sing” line, and then the rest of the bridge is just...wow. At one point she states that she “won’t go down that road” (of bullying), and then she literally does one minute later. You can’t make a universal, uplifting song about overcoming bullies that calls someone “a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life”. That’s just hypocritical. If you’re gonna make a song about growing from criticism or about vulnerability, do that. If you’re gonna do a tongue-in-cheek song with an intentionally whiny persona, do that. And own it. But when you take vulnerability and add nastiness masked as strength, you sound petty and unable to come to terms with your own weaknesses. It’s immature and brings out the worst of Taylor’s persona, but at least the attempts at showing a real person are enough to make it better than “Better Than Revenge” in the catty song department. 89. SuperStar
Co-writers: Liz Rose Album: Fearless (Platinum Edition), Track 5 Hidden Message: I’ll never tell... (shared with “The Other Side of the Door”) Likely Subject: Jake Owen Best Line: “Good morning loneliness comes around when I’m not thinking about you”“SuperStar” is actually hilarious in retrospect. In the song, Taylor sings her praises of a famous singer that she has a crush on, but she’s just another girl in the crowd that he’ll never notice. Imagine a song like this on TS7… But back to business. Taylor does a pretty good job here of recounting the feelings of your average teenage Directioner, Belieber, etc. Her feelings in the lyrics come across a little intense, which feels slightly creepy, but… that’s honestly how some of these young girls feel about these celebrities. There’s a genuinity to her lyrics and vocals that offset some of the cliche lines and general lack of substance. Her ideas are repetitive. She wakes up thinking about him, sees him in concert, won’t get noticed, and goes back to sleep dreaming again. Repeat. This also isn’t served well by one of her weakest melodies. It’s clunky and not very memorable. The tone works well for the sincerity, but some of the execution is just off. Too bad she’ll never try this subject again. 88. A Place in This World
Co-writers: Robert Ellis Orrall, Angelo Petraglia Album: Taylor Swift, Track 4 Hidden Message: I found this Likely Subject: herself Best Line: “I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me, ‘cause I’m still trying to figure it out”“A Place in This World” is one of the first songs Taylor wrote upon moving to Nashville. At the bright young age of thirteen, a move like that means not only hope and possibilities, but a fear of the unknown. This is what Taylor attempts to tackle with this song, in which she reflects on her own expectations of herself and her nerves about her situation. She shows a lot of maturity in her introspection, accepting that she’ll make mistakes and that it’s okay for her to not have a clear picture of her future yet. However, she doesn’t yet have the songwriting maturity to not make this feel like Disney Channel cheese. There are some great ideas here, but they’re shrouded in cliched lines about rain and sunshine, wearing her heart on her sleeve, and being ready to fly. Regardless, this is a good song for young girls (and even boys) to hear and learn that it’s fine to not know yet. There’s a whole life ahead of you, and even Taylor couldn’t have seen where she would be sixteen years later. In addition, a simple chorus melody centered around three syllable couplets makes the song accessible and easy to memorize, which is exactly what this type of song requires. 87. Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Co-writers: Ed Sheeran Album: Red, Track 14 Hidden Message: Hyannis Port Likely Subject: Conor Kennedy Best Line: “And all my walls stood tall, painted blue / And I’ll take them down, take them down, and open up the door for you”Ed Sheeran is actually the only artist that Taylor has collaborated with more than once. While it might not be a huge bright spot in her discography, “Everything Has Changed” is definitely a better collaboration than “End Game”. The two singer-songwriters trade lines about the feelings of meeting someone great and instantly being ready to open yourself up to the possibilities that person presents. It’s a very sweet song with a very sweet melody and very sweet harmonies. It cleverly takes a few metaphors involving tall walls and stomach butterflies and turns them on their heads. The main problem with the song, however, is that it just doesn’t say that much. There’s a lot of repetition, specifically in the pre-chorus, and most of the other lines just say the same thing in different ways. After an album filled with deep and personal songs about a love gone wrong (or “red”), this song begins a string of three songs about finding love again and starting something new and fresh. It would have been a perfectly fine way to end the album, but “Begin Again” exists. It takes this topic and handles it with more maturity and personal attachment, and it will leave an impression on you that makes this song feel more forgettable in the end. 86. Invisible
Co-writers: Robert Ellis Orrall Album: Taylor Swift (Deluxe Edition), Track 13 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Drew Hardwick Best Line: “Like shadows in a faded light”At #86, we’ve already reached the last of the debut album bonus tracks. Much like “I’m Only Me when I’m with You” and “A Perfectly Good Heart”, “Invisible”’s main issue is inexperienced songwriting. The song is another one in the vein of “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Stay Beautiful” about a crush you wish could notice you, and like the latter, there’s a lot of cliche here. She also pulls the amateur move of rhyming words with themselves, words as simple and rhymable as “me” and “you”. But this song has a few saving graces with its melody and some very clever wordplay. The chorus is one of her easiest melodies to memorize and sing along to, and she somehow manages to pull off rhyming “beautiful, miracle, unbelievable” and “invisible”. “Like shadows in a faded light” is a very strong simile that sums of the essence of the whole song in just six words. “Invisible” is, in the end, a messy compilation of strong moments. It could’ve be a very strong song if written later in her career. 85. Breathe (feat. Colbie Caillat)
Co-writers: Colbie Caillat Album: Fearless, Track 7 Hidden Message: I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry Likely Subject: Emily Poe Best Line: “Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve”“Breathe”, the first Swift song to feature a guest vocalist, is by no means an unpleasant listen. It has a soft production with some of the most restrained vocals of her career and gorgeous background vocals by fellow singer-songstress Colbie Caillat. Some of the lyrics are actually pretty clever as well. The main issue, however, is a cloyingly manipulative intent. On the surface, this appears as a song about Taylor losing a friend and the pain that comes with that. However, with a deeper listen, you start to realize that this is Taylor trying to take the blame off of herself. There are lines in which she explains that she tried to save it (my best line pick for example, well written, but scheming under the surface), but none that stick up for the other person. The closest we get is “People are people and sometimes we change our minds”, which reeks of backhandedness. To make matters worse, she plays the victim. There is at least one line in every verse, plus most of the chorus, that attempts to make us feel for Swift, but never for the other person. For what it is, this is a fairly well-written and beautifully performed song with one or two cliches that hold it back a bit. But this could really benefit from some more perspective, because as is, she ends up looking like the villain. 84. Starlight
Co-writers: none Album: Red, Track 15 Hidden Message: For Ethel Likely Subject: Ethel & Bobby Kennedy Best Line: “Don’t you dream impossible dreams?”Taylor loves writing fantasies. She flipped Romeo & Juliet on its head in “Love Story”, envisioned a life with someone in “Mine”, and created wedding crasher porn with “Speak Now”. With “Starlight”, she took an old photo of the Kennedys and described what she imagined happened that night. It’s a cute song about a sweet little fling that amounted to so much, but in the end, it’s fluff. Red is Taylor’s strongest album lyrically, and this song doesn’t fail to reflect that in its pure attention to detail. It may seem hard enough to make a whole song about a photo you weren’t even present for, but Taylor not only succeeds at that, but manages to fill it out with vivid details that make you feel as if you were there, even though they probably never happened. But there’s not enough of it. This song is built around its chorus, which isn’t necessarily an issue, because it’s one of the catchiest on the album. The verses are somewhat brief though, and while the picture she paints is a clear one, it’s not a big one. Rather than detailing a whole night, she details maybe thirty minutes of that night. Much like “Stay Stay Stay”, this is Taylor just having a bit of fun and levity in the midst of a lot of personal confession. It does its job well, but fails to hit the highs of everything around it. 83. King of My Heart
Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback Album: Reputation, Track 10 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn Best Line: “Is this the end of all the endings?”A huge portion of Reputation (over ⅔) deals with Taylor’s relationship with Joe Alwyn. For the most part, it’s pretty inspired. She clearly loves this guy and generally finds new approaches to describing the relationship and her feelings towards it. But it can’t all be a home run, and the album filler track “King of My Heart” is the result of that. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like here. The song tells a story, progressing from her being content with being alone to having a school girl crush while drinking beers up on a roof. As that last sentence implies, there’s a few instances of good imagery here too. She discusses luxury here, moving on from road trips in Range Rovers and Jaguars to appreciating the small things like the taste of lips and just being called “Baby”. That’s her new luxury, and she’s happy with it. It’s a cute concept with a few great moments, but it’s padded out with fluff. The chorus is a generic one, and it fails to say anything that wasn’t expressed better in other songs on the album. At times it seems like Taylor is just playing around with her new sound here. It’s got a trap pre-chorus and a drop, and this is one of the few instances on the album where the lyrics seem to be playing second-fiddle to the production, rather than a peaceful coexistence. 82. The Last Time (feat. Gary Lightbody)
Co-writers: Gary Lightbody, Jacknife Lee Album: Red, Track 10 Hidden Message: LA on your break Likely Subject: Jake Gyllenhaal Best Line: “This is the last time, I won’t hurt you anymore”As strong as Red is, there are a handful of songs in the back half that many find boring. “The Last Time” is one of those songs, and while it’s probably the worst offender, I think there’s a lot more to appreciate than people give it credit for. This is one of the only times in a Swift song where we are treated to both perspectives. She trades off vocals with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, and the result is some beautiful harmonies and a soaring orchestra that drown out a very light melody. The song tells the story of a guy that keeps coming back and a girl who is tired of being hurt. He’s at her door begging for another chance, and she isn’t sure if she wants to go through it again. It’s better in concept than execution, but there’s a few glimmers of greatness. The verses describe the same moment from different perspectives, but they’re plodding and fail to add any substance that isn’t touched on in the chorus. However, the vulnerability from both sides in the pre-chorus and the magnificent bridge, in which the whole song climaxes with traded lines between Swift and Lightbody, are enough to make the song just a little bit better than the filler it would otherwise be. 81. If This Was a Movie
Co-writers: Martin Johnson Album: Speak Now (Deluxe Edition), Track 16 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: unknown Best Line: “Six months gone and I’m still reaching”Speak Now is noted for being an album entirely written by Taylor, but if you picked up the Target deluxe edition, “If This Was a Movie” ruined that achievement by being co-written by Boys Like Girls frontman Martin Johnson. The song impressively debuted in the Top 10 when the deluxe tracks were digitally released, but it has a bit of a soured reputation, somewhat undeserved. “If This Was a Movie” is basically a better version of “The Other Side of the Door”. The verses here are far and away the best part of the song. Taylor packs a lot into them, and they flow seamlessly through one of her strongest verse melodies. This past relationship and the breakup it resulted in are depicted in very vivid detail, creating a strong picture of what she lost. Then the chorus kicks in and you’re left underwhelmed. She wants him back, and apparently the only way she knows how to say this is to describe her “standing outside the door” fantasy from “The Other Side of the Door”, but she comes to the “this is real life” realization of “White Horse”. The melody in the chorus is lifted straight out of “Innocent”, so even that doesn’t feel fresh. The verses are so strong that it’s a real shame the chorus is just a bland compilation of other songs. Album Tallies: Taylor Swift - 9/14 remaining (64.3%) Fearless - 12/18 remaining (66.7%) Speak Now - 13/17 remaining (76.5%) Red - 14/19 remaining (73.6%) 1989 - 14/16 remaining (87.5%) Reputation - 12/15 remaining (80.0%) Others - 6/18 remaining (33.3%) If the 90s were a bloodbath of soundtrack songs, the 80s are a bloodbath of duets. Red took a big hit this update, leaving 1989 with a nice percentage lead. And sorry to any “Mean” fans. I tried. Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Keelzit @mirza Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk @steveic Au$tin Hurricane Lee tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness
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Hurricane Lee
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Post by Hurricane Lee on Feb 1, 2019 1:52:14 GMT -5
Please untag, thanks!
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born
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Post by born on Feb 1, 2019 3:18:45 GMT -5
“If This Was A Movie” is one of my favorites. Also sad to see “Breathe” and “The Last Time” leave but her catalog is just excellent.
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austin
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Post by austin on Feb 1, 2019 7:34:32 GMT -5
I have really enjoyed this but think Starlight is far too low. I know you’re ranking purely the lyrics but I actually think those lyrics are strong.
Keep me tagged.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Feb 1, 2019 13:29:36 GMT -5
“If This Was A Movie” is one of my favorites. Also sad to see “Breathe” and “The Last Time” leave but her catalog is just excellent. I have really enjoyed this but think Starlight is far too low. I know you’re ranking purely the lyrics but I actually think those lyrics are strong. Keep me tagged. Haha yeah I figured this would be the point where people start to mourn favorites. There’s just too many good songs and even I’ve been second guessing and rearranging placements as I write. I genuinely do think everything from here on out is good so don’t take the placements too seriously. And if you wanna make a case for some favorites that are still remaining, PM me. I’ll happily take your thoughts into account and will share comments. Thanks for following guys! :)
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gabe
3x Platinum Member
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Post by gabe on Feb 1, 2019 13:50:19 GMT -5
id love a tag :)
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nickd
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Post by nickd on Feb 1, 2019 14:56:42 GMT -5
Can't say that I agree with ranking King of My Heart and Mean this low. Looks like you're mostly focusing on lyrics rather than the melody side of songwriting?
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Josh Spicer
Platinum Member
What the fuck is up with that? And good for you, it's like you never even met me...
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Post by Josh Spicer on Feb 1, 2019 17:11:43 GMT -5
I mean (heh), I feel like "Mean" would've never placed too high anyway based off its own pettiness and its themes being condemned while being executed by its preacher.
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gabe
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Post by gabe on Feb 1, 2019 17:12:36 GMT -5
Can't say that I agree with ranking King of My Heart and Mean this low. Looks like you're mostly focusing on lyrics rather than the melody side of songwriting? Not to be rude but maybe you should read the first 10 words of this thread before commenting
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Josh Spicer
Platinum Member
What the fuck is up with that? And good for you, it's like you never even met me...
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Post by Josh Spicer on Feb 1, 2019 17:20:01 GMT -5
When doing so, I will be focusing specifically on lyrics, taking into account specific lines, imagery, and overall story. My personal love for the song will not be taken into account, and other aspects such as melody, vocals, and production will only be potentially mentioned in the write ups, with no bearing on placement unless something about them specifically enhances the lyrics. Huh. Well yeah how about that.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Feb 1, 2019 19:15:49 GMT -5
I mean (heh), I feel like "Mean" would've never placed too high anyway based off its own pettiness and its themes being condemned while being executed by its preacher. Bingo
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Feb 1, 2019 19:20:44 GMT -5
And yeah, using this as an opportunity to get a little more objectively critical. Specifically lyrics makes that easier but trying to work on melodies in the writeups as I go along, but it’s a lot more subjective.
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nickd
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Post by nickd on Feb 2, 2019 17:23:23 GMT -5
Can't say that I agree with ranking King of My Heart and Mean this low. Looks like you're mostly focusing on lyrics rather than the melody side of songwriting? Not to be rude but maybe you should read the first 10 words of this thread before commenting I did read that a few months ago but I guess I forgot so no worries. I suppose whether you think Mean is well written depends whether you require a well written song to represent good morals. Personally I don't have a problem with her being a little petty at times. As for the "cycle ends right now" I agree that that does seem inconsistent with the lyrics of the bridge, but maybe she just meant that she wouldn't bully any innocents as a result of him bullying her and propagating the cycle of mean-ness in that way. (although Better Than Revenge does exist and I'm pretty sure it was undeserved)
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Choco
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Post by Choco on Feb 2, 2019 21:22:49 GMT -5
"King of My Heart" was very meh for me until I saw the Netflix concert thing. That performance is great.
"Mean" and "Everything Has Changed" are both nice but neither is a fave tbh.
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insen_13
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Gave you too much but it wasn't enough
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Post by insen_13 on Feb 8, 2019 18:54:36 GMT -5
I never really connected to the lyrics of KOMH.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Mar 17, 2019 22:15:16 GMT -5
Hey guys, just wanted to say really sorry about the huge break. Life has really come and kicked me in the ass lately, but the next set is almost complete and should be up tonight. Not to be rude but maybe you should read the first 10 words of this thread before commenting I did read that a few months ago but I guess I forgot so no worries. I suppose whether you think Mean is well written depends whether you require a well written song to represent good morals. Personally I don't have a problem with her being a little petty at times. As for the "cycle ends right now" I agree that that does seem inconsistent with the lyrics of the bridge, but maybe she just meant that she wouldn't bully any innocents as a result of him bullying her and propagating the cycle of mean-ness in that way. (although Better Than Revenge does exist and I'm pretty sure it was undeserved) And never actually replied to this oops. I don't really care all that much about the morals of a song (I love a nice, fun trashy song, and you'll actually find one of her "villain" songs in the Top 10). But with "Mean", my main issue is her masking of it. I find the preaching of respect and kindness to come across ingenuine when matched with some of the lyrics, and I just don't personally think she gets the message across all that well. I don't think it's a bad song, but it just never sat all too well with me. My write-up comes across harsher because of my attempt to explain my issues with the song, but a #90 ranking certainly isn't atrocious by any means. In the end though, it's all subjective. I can see why some like it and I appreciate that. I'm glad to see some discussion being sparked in this thread, with all of these different opinions coming across.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Mar 17, 2019 23:34:28 GMT -5
80. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
Co-writers: Jack Antonoff Album: Reputation, Track 13 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Kanye West, media Best Line: “And so I took an axe to a mended fence”There are three songs on reputation that specifically focus on the people that have wronged Taylor in the last few years. “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is the third of these songs, and rather than make another angry banger like “I Did Something Bad” and “Look What You Made Do”, Taylor gets a little condescendingly clever. The main issue, however, is that it isn’t quite as clever as she thinks it is. Easily the best parts of the song are the second verse, which calls out Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for their “Famous” (pun intended) phone antics, and the bridge, which has Taylor shouting out those who have stayed close to her. There’s a very funny line at the end where she literally laughs about the idea of more forgiveness. She’s been there, done that, and she’s over it. The chorus features some of the child scolding found in “Better Than Revenge”, which never works quite as well as it should, and the first verse fails to capture why she’s shutting the media out. She paints a very vivid picture of the lavish parties she used to throw, but never gets to why she stopped. In the end, “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is a loud and obnoxious, but fun, song that only sometimes manages to succeed at its goals. 79. The Outside
Co-writers: none Album: Taylor Swift, Track 6 Hidden Message: You are not alone Likely Subject: high school cliques Best Line: “I’ve been a lot of lonely places, I’ve never been on the outside”“The Outside” is one of the very first songs Taylor ever wrote, doing so at the ripe young age of just 12 years old. In the context of a middle schooler, this is an absolute masterpiece. But in the context of one of the biggest and brightest songwriters of our generation, it’s just an early look at the greatness to come. Taylor was never a popular girl in school when she was younger and has admitted to being bullied. With this song, a young Taylor does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of loneliness and wanting to be a part of something. You feel for her and you can easily relate if you’ve been in that position before (I know I have). However, the song still falls victim to the cliches that plagued a lot of her early work. The first verse is full of them, and it’s hard to even figure out what the song is about from that verse, almost as if she came up with the topic halfway into the writing process. The chorus is a mixed bag as well. For the most part, it’s one of the catchiest in her discography, with a simple rhyming melody and a great upbeat flavor. The last two lines, however, despite well written (they’re my best line pick), are delivered in a very clunky way, failing to stick the landing. Again, for a 12 year old, this is definitely the work of someone to pay attention to, but she still had a lot of work to get where she is today. 78. So It Goes...
Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback, Oscar Gorres Album: Reputation, Track 7 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn Best Line: “You did a number on me, but honestly baby who’s counting? (1, 2, 3)”Poor “So It Goes…”. It’s frequently the most overlooked track on reputation, even being the only one to not be featured in the main tour setlist, but there’s actually quite a bit to like here. A sensual, autotuned vocal over a pounding bass production and a hard-hitting chorus make this one of the best produced tracks on the album, as well as one of the sexiest. Taylor uses magician/illusionist metaphors in the verses to describe the feelings of being alone with her boyfriend before getting a little more intimate in the chorus. Unfortunately, “a little” is the key phrase there. For as well produced as this is, there’s something lacking in the lyrics. It’s filled with little details like lipstick on his face and scratches down his back, but by the end, it feels like something’s missing, almost as if the track didn’t actually say anything. While I personally love the song, I can see why some might overlook it. She does intimate better on “Dress” and describes her feelings with him better on many other tracks. Unfortunately, when your album largely tackles the same subject, it leaves a lot of room for filler. So it goes... 77. Ours
Co-writers: none Album: Speak Now (Deluxe Edition), Track 15 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: John Mayer Best Line: “People throw rocks at things that shine”“Ours” is cute. That’s pretty much it. This deluxe edition single from her third album is a statement of reassurement to the one you love that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You have each other. Set to one of the happiest productions and cheeriest melodies in her entire discography (think a more serious “Stay Stay Stay”), it’s almost guaranteed that your spirits will be lifted at least a little bit while listening to this song. But it’s almost too simple. There’s a lot of great imagery and details, especially early in the first verse detailing the scenery of a dull office job, but I wish there was a little more to it. Even the chorus ends earlier than you think it would. As is, this is a perfectly fine, sweet song with no major flaws. But the lack of major strengths make it harder to stand out. 76. Eyes Open
Co-writers: none Album: The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond (Soundtrack), Track 14 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Katniss Everdeen, adulthood Best Line: “So here you are, two steps ahead and staying on guard”Taylor hasn’t exactly had the best track record with soundtrack singles. Almost all of them have already appeared on this list. However, she really struck gold with her two inclusions to the first Hunger Games soundtrack, both of which were moderately successful singles. With “Eyes Open”, Taylor cleverly tells a coming-of-age story masked as the story of Katniss Everdeen getting thrust into the Hunger Games. She perfectly captures the heart of the film through this song (and its even better counterpart). Every person can relate to those feelings of playing pretend as a kid to getting thrust into the harsh realities of the real world, where the swords aren’t fake anymore. It’s a brilliant concept executed very well. It’s certainly not her best though. There aren’t really any true lyrical standouts and the melody feels rather underdeveloped. While the overall message will stick with you, very few parts of the actual song will. Still, this is a fun listen that fits perfectly with the film it accompanies. 75. The Lucky One
Co-writers: none Album: Red, Track 13 Hidden Message: Wouldn’t you like to know Likely Subject: Joni Mitchell, Kim Wilde, herself Best Line: “Cause now my name is up in lights, but I think you got it right”I gotta give Taylor some props for this one. Red is her magnum opus lyrically, but it still features songs almost exclusively about relationships, just like most of her discography. While there’s nothing wrong with sticking to your strengths, it does box you in a bit, and it’s nice to hear something new every once in a while. That’s what we get with “The Lucky One”. For this track, Taylor describes the journey of an old starlet from the new girl in town with big dreams to a huge star who was overwhelmed by the fame. At the end, she ties it back into her own situation, agreeing that a life of fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s a very interesting concept. The chorus cleverly sums this up with the turn of phrase from “Yeah they’ll tell you now you’re the lucky one” to “But can you tell me now you’re the lucky one?”. And as with all of Red, the lyrics are very detailed and vivid. However, the song is better in concept than execution. Lyrical detail aside, she tells the story in a very by-the-numbers way, and the melody is one of her dullest to date. When you put this as the 13th song in an album filled with highlights, it becomes one that many find themselves skipping. I would absolutely love to hear more daring stuff from Taylor in the future, but this song takes an interesting concept and plays it just a little too safe. 74. How You Get the Girl
Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback Album: 1989, Track 10 Hidden Message: Then one day he came back Likely Subject: Harry Styles, possibly Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber Best Line: “Don’t you dream impossible dreams?”While reviewing every song for this ranking, I was a little surprised at how let down I was with “How You Get the Girl”. It’s one of her catchiest songs with an absolute banger of a chorus, and the concept of a get-the-girl-back instruction manual is a great setup. Unfortunately, she doesn’t actually do much with it. The title of the song is repeated quite a bit for a filler effect, and everything in between comes down to the typical Taylor Swift image of standing outside the door in the pouring rain and begging on your knees. The details aren’t even as vivid as we’ve come to expect. On the brightside, this is a melodic powerhouse. As previously stated, the chorus is a massive earworm that will easily stick with you, and the verses have a nice, breezy flow to them that perfectly complements the production. “How You Get the Girl” is a very easy and quite fun listen. But it’s unlikely that it will actually help you get the girl. 73. Picture to Burn
Co-writers: Liz Rose Album: Taylor Swift, Track 2 Hidden Message: Date nice boys Likely Subject: Jordan Alford Best Line: “So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time”One of Taylor’s first singles, “Picture to Burn” is basically the ultimate bad breakup anthem for teenagers. It’s wonderfully scathing, with lots of humorous touches like calling out that stupid truck and threatening to unleash Dad. If you’ve been through a rough breakup, you can relate to this song. It’s also arguably her twangiest vocal performance, adding a fun energy to the song. There’s quite a lot to like here and really not much to hate (unless you’re listening to the original version, with a very unfortunate and incredibly dated gay comment). #73 might seem fairly low, but the only reason is because her age at the time still shows. It’s got a lot of great lines, but isn’t exactly cohesive and never quite reaches the levels of cleverness of her later light-hearted work. It also doesn’t have a very strong melody, coming across as a shouted rant more than a song at times. 72. Long Live
Co-writers: none Album: Speak Now, Track 14 Hidden Message: For you Likely Subject: Her fans and band Best Line: “It was the end of a decade but the start of an age”The last song on Taylor’s fully self-penned album Speak Now took a moment to thank everyone that helped the singer achieve everything that came before. It’s certainly a well-deserved moment, released at peak Swiftdom, and it comes across as quite sincere and genuine. While it may outshine similar songs “Change” (not an accomplishment) and “Sweeter Than Fiction” (which was a bit more corporate and less sincere), it still can’t escape the problem that plagues almost all songs of this theme: they’re just so corny. It’s not really a bad thing, because it’s meant to be a little over the top in its praises, but it’s also not really a showcase for what she’s capable of. There’s some well written lines, but there’s even more cliches about kings and queens and the like, and tons of syruppy sentiment throughout. Again, there’s nothing wrong with releasing a song like this, one that’s a perfect concert closer to just say “Thank you!”, but it doesn’t make it a standout. Melodically, it’s also rather bland and not particularly memorable, but it’s easy to get into it in the moment. A perfectly fine middle-of-the-road song. 71. Don’t Blame Me
Co-writers: Max Martin, Shellback Album: Reputation, Track 4 Hidden Message: n/a Likely Subject: Joe Alwyn Best Line: “My name is whatever you decide”“Don’t Blame Me” is another fan favorite that I just never really bought into the hype for. The chorus is certainly a strong one, with a huge chant along melody and booming production, and the rest of the song is also very strong melodically, but I find that the lyrics simply skim the surface of its concept. In the song, Taylor compares her love for Joe to the feelings of being hooked on a drug. For what’s here, there really isn’t much to complain about. The metaphors and descriptions are on point, but there also aren’t many standout lyrics. It’s actually a problem I have with a lot of songs on the reputation album. The songwriting is complex and mature, a byproduct of her age and experience, and the melodies and production are mostly on point, but with such a singular concept throughout, she runs out of things to say, simply fitting the bare bones into various concepts and frameworks. While the previous two songs on the list were compilations of moments that lacked cohesion, this one is more cohesive, but with less moments. Again, not bad by any means and certainly listenable (although the vocal on “daisy” is pretty rough), just not a song I find myself going back to frequently. Album Tallies: Taylor Swift - 7/14 remaining (50.0%) Fearless - 12/18 remaining (66.7%) Speak Now - 11/17 remaining (64.7%) Red - 13/19 remaining (68.4%) 1989 - 13/16 remaining (81.3%) Reputation - 9/15 remaining (60.0%) Others - 5/18 remaining (27.8%) As you can probably tell with some of the writeups, we’re in the middle of the pack range. Any flaws I described aren’t major, but they lack enough strong points to really shoot up the list. 1989 is establishing a nice lead for itself. Let me know if you want to be added to or removed from this list franklin Taylor. austin 14887fan Hefty Hanna Bwol Choco Unhinged deepston KeepDeanWeird Glove Slap Duca Dylan :) Exclusive gabe Troublemaker ry4n ificanthaveyou .indulgecountry insen_13 @ioshirai Leo ✔ Zeebz born Josh Spicer Keelzit @mirza Mylo13 💜 nickd Okay pnobelysk @steveic Au$tin tryexp Wave. Eloqueen™ Janhova's Witness
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Choco
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Post by Choco on Mar 17, 2019 23:49:48 GMT -5
Which album goes down first? I have a feeling a certain beloved single will allow reputation to outlive her debut.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Mar 18, 2019 0:02:39 GMT -5
Which album goes down first? I have a feeling a certain beloved single will allow reputation to outlive her debut.
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Hefty Hanna
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Mar 18, 2019 2:02:38 GMT -5
Agree with so many of these. However...
'So It Goes' is definitely so underrated. Probably my fave off of rep.
But what I will not tolerate is 'Ours' being so low. Absolute TRASH Nick and I will not take it!!!!!! It's simplicity makes it great.
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Mar 18, 2019 2:13:36 GMT -5
Agree with so many of these. However...'So It Goes' is definitely so underrated. Probably my fave off of rep. But what I will not tolerate is 'Ours' being so low. Absolute TRASH Nick and I will not take it!!!!!! It's simplicity makes it great. Fair enough lol. But eh I want more than that :kii: Yay at another SIG fan though! I love the chorus and production and it’s my most listened to reputation album track.
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Hefty Hanna
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a prettier jesus
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Mar 18, 2019 2:15:47 GMT -5
Agree with so many of these. However...'So It Goes' is definitely so underrated. Probably my fave off of rep. But what I will not tolerate is 'Ours' being so low. Absolute TRASH Nick and I will not take it!!!!!! It's simplicity makes it great. Fair enough lol. But eh I want more than that :kii: Yay at another SIG fan though! I love the chorus and production and it’s my most listened to reputation album track. YES it is mine too. It's the only rep song I have downloaded into my phone <3
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 2:57:42 GMT -5
Nick, why don't you post your thread in the "personal review" section?
This is personal chart section.
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born
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can't come to the phone right now
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Post by born on Mar 18, 2019 3:23:57 GMT -5
I love your writing style, it’s half professional critic half talking to a friend Decent set, not shocked about anything but lowkey surprised that “Picture To Burn” made it this far. Also this is a great time for “Don’t Blame Me” to leave!
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