Taylor Swift: Lover REVIEW by Aaron B.

Certified as the second-most successful artist of the last decade (thank you, Mr. Graham) is some triumph with the pressure to match, but for the most part she lives up to it here. Coming into her seventh album with help from Jack Antonoff and Joel Little, this ‘love letter to love itself’ strikes me hard as it’s engaging for every unlucky sweetheart to find themselves snared by the dumb yet pleasurable treats love brings. 

So what if it’s over an hour long, a little sappy, a ploy to ‘reassert her commercial dominance’? More than any contemporary imaginable she’s earned the right to write this letter. At a stretch of 75 minutes she covers all bases, and while there are lulls, there’s a lightness here she’s only ever come close to achieving on record before. I love a few quotes: “But then something happened one magical night/I forgot that you existed”, “what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more”, “combat/I’m ready for combat”. The first five cuts are the best, but Swift sustains interest through ‘til the end. Highlights: “Paper Rings” and definitely, definitely “You Need To Calm Down”. 

Might be some time before she’s as good as this again.


Taylor Swift: Lover, 4/5


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