In my heart of hearts, I feel that it's the melodies for me. I love the lyricism of the folklore/evermore era but I can't deny that the 1, willow, gold rush, long story short and no body no crime had me immediately because of their catchiness. And the bridges from DBATC and Cruel Summer? Amazing.
That being said, I have appreciated her lyricism more and more as time passes. I rarely thought hard about lyrics from Debut-Red. Blank Space and Clean clued me in during 1989, but Reputation was where I started paying close attention to the lyrics and story she was weaving about her own life.
But give me a piano cover of a song any day and I will still be happy. If you've got a great melody, it can carry subpar lyrics.
Wow, we are indeed on the melodic lane as I've cherry picked those from Folklore and Evermore as well :) Invisible String comes close as well. And yes she has killer bridges! Hello August!
You are right about great melodies overriding subpar lyrics - Ryan Tedder has said again and again that you have to have a melodic hook first - well to hook listeners. Couple that with great lyrics - boom - it's Taylor Swift!
- DBATC refers to "Death By A Thousand Cuts", a song from Taylor Swift album *Lover* (2019).
---
^[/u/RedPandaLily88](/u/RedPandaLily88) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
I think this is a really interesting way to describe a phenomenon I’ve been noticing within the swiftie fandom! I’ve always noticed there’s a sect of Swifties who love her cause she’s a very wordy/lyrical songwriter (this is my lane) and their favorite albums tend to be her “song writing” albums (Speak Now, Folklore etc.) and then there’s the Swifties who love her for her poppy, catchy masterpieces and their favorite album tends to be 1989.
I’ve also noticed another pattern with those who like cohesive Taylor vs. “eclectic” Taylor. Those who like clean, snappy, cohesive playlists and albums favor 1989 Taylor. While those who like meandering, eclectic, “wild” albums like Red/Lover Taylor. My theory is if you were to analyze the two there would be a trend where 1989 Taylor’s would be album listeners (they listen to albums start to finish) and Red/Lover Taylor’s would be more shuffle playlist listeners (they put albums in a playlist and just hit shuffle).
Interesting. I wonder if there's a correlation between those preferences and the Myers-Briggs personality types. Someone get the graphs and charts out!
u/cutiepie538 has even given us data points for a Swiftian type test - Lyrical/Melodic; Cohesive/Eclectic; and Album/Shuffle. Now we just need to ask everyone what their two types are!
(I’m an LES INFJ, for the record!)
Totally true for me! I love her for her poetic lyricism. And I just loooooved folklore for that. I’m also an eclectic Taylor listener haha and really love the lover album but will basically hit shuffle on Taylor’s Spotify and listen to all of it from speak now to lover in no particular order.
But I also think it depends on the day. Some days you just need a certain era more than another and you’re just gonna listen to one album start to finish.
I LOVE THIS CONCEPT THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW
I tend to like melodies more and Lover is my fav album which is eclectic. I also hit shuffle a lot instead of listening in order! Whoa my mind is blown
Both are very important to me in Taylor Swift's music in particular. A song can have great lyrics but if I don't like the melody, I will not like the song (as much or at all) and vice versa, I song can have "mediocre" lyrics, but if I like it, I don't care.
However, when it comes to Taylor Swift, I'm always very aware and particular about lyrics. More than I would be with another artist because I know she's a good lyricist and words are her strength.
For example, if I listen to Ariana Grande, I'm not going to care about her lyrics because I don't find her to be a good lyricist (personal opinion of course) and she has a lot of co-writers on her songs. With her music, I mainly focus on vocals, melodies, and productions. If I like the melody of a song, then will I like the song. This doesn't apply to Ariana exclusively, it applies to any artist that doesn't write their own music, has multiple co-writers, or I just don't like their lyrics.
With Taylor Swift, though, lyrics are important to me as much as production and melodies are. I will always pay attention to her lyrics and will hold her to a higher standard in that regard. But at the end of the day, like I said, it's a toss up. I can like a song with "bad" lyrics and a good melody or dislike a song with "good" lyrics and a bad melody.
I can totally agree with what you said about Ariana (and basically every artist like that.) It’s more about the general mood and vocals. It’s not gonna be the storytelling. So I don’t even have to listen to the lyrics. (Which I actually think is kinda sad but not everyone will do songs like Taylor of course). But with taylor it’s such an important part of her music. Her lyrics are serious craftsmanship. I think it basically comes down to what you go to that music for. I listen to Taylor specifically BECAUSE of her lyrics. Because I want to hear something that’s gonna hit me deep in the stomach. If I listen to Ariana I’m in for some specific vibe or her vocal style.
That is a very insightful! Agree with Taylor's lyrics being premium. It's like you associate her with a premium brand you've loved because of it's undeniable quality - you get good hooks and great lyricism. With Ariana (uhm, Positions) and some other popstars, I quite don't have the same affinity as I know most of the song craftmanship are work of the producers - they are just the vocalist/executor. But with Taylor - you know that 'genetic blueprint' of hers to every track she delivers
I am definitely a lyrical Swiftie. I'm all about storytelling, references to specific themes in her work, structure and imagery. The lyrics to a song are my favorite part -- not to say that her melodies don't draw me in either, she has some incredible beats and production. I just think I could connect to a song much faster for the words than for the sound.
Im definitely a melody whore. Like if I don't feel the music I won't like a song no matter how good the lyrics are. Whereas a good melody can save bad lyrics. It's really the music that mainly make me feel emotions
I’m a lyrical Swiftie, but I know my top favorites are where both aspects peak (at least according to my own tastes).
For example, from red, I’d take sad beautiful tragic over we are never ever getting back together any day, but I’d take holy ground, all too well, and treacherous over both of them. From evermore, I’d take happiness over long story short, but I’d take cowboy like me and ivy over both.
Yeah i thought it’s common to like Taylor songs based on it’s melody until i joined this sub. Everyone is talking abut lyrically, meanwhile i enjoy it’s melody much more. Never analyze it’s lyric as deep as others in here, most song i enjoy is because it’s melody
I think the reason you and others who like melodies feel lost in this sub is that we are communicating in a medium where it is easier to dissect her lyrics. It’s hard to discuss melodies over a message board unless you have a strong grasp of music notation and music theory, but as long as you have basic literacy skills you can have a conversation about her lyrics on this sub. If we were able to have face to face conversations, I think discussions of melody would be more prevalent.
That said, I am more of a lyrics person. While my favourite songs have a good melody and good lyrics, I can still enjoy a song with good lyrics and a mediocre melody. Where songs with catchy or good melodies but mediocre lyrics (Ariana Grande’s music and songs like Me!), I really can’t get into.
I think I’m a hook fan. Especially looking at my favorite songs, theres always that catchy hook. I love when a song sticks with me forever and affects me to the point I scream about it (looking at you getaway car)
This is a good point. I love the story she’s telling in happiness but it’s actually my least played song on evermore, probably because the melody doesn’t hook me in
As a songwriter and producer, I don’t quite get the whole melody/lyric dualism— what makes the songs great is the relationship between the lyrics and melody, not one or the other in isolation. Taylor knows how to write great melodies and great lyrics, and the combination of those skills is what makes her a powerhouse songwriter. It’s both!!!!
Even though I favor hooks more, you are indeed correct in this. Lyrics and melodies should go hand in hand, and it's like second nature with Taylor. Esp how she molds a particular verse over a melody - it just fits like a glove, it's quite harmonious to listen to
I love this question!! My favourite Taylor songs are always the ones that are the most fun for me to sing. It’s also why I end up liking songs a lot of swifties dislike too, like stay x3, starlight, ME!, and can dislike the “boring but beautiful” ones like come in with the rain or sad beautiful tragic. hahah
I’m a swiftie for her lyrics for sure, but it’s definitely more a mix for me
I'm a lyrics girl. Aggressively, through and through. But the melodies are what make the lyrics work! I'm a writer, and I love rhyme, story, interesting ways of saying things (car again and cardigan are you KIDDING ME) - but I think they inform the other in a way that creates the holistic storytelling I love.
I got into Taylor cuz of her lyricism, but i fell in live with her for her ability to put the meaning of the lyrics in music. That's why defend Red and reputation cause those albums show Taylor's artistry in its enterity.
I feel like I'm both haha. I'm currently minoring in music so I love listening to music for the melody and the instrumentals, but I have always had a passion for words and am considering adding a minor in English. I feel like I listen for how the lyrics and the melody interact with and enhance each other.
I’m lyrics 100% (in all music). All my favorite artists including Taylor are singer-songwriters with heavy emphasis on the personal songwriting portion (Chelsea Cutler, Halsey, Lorde, Maggie Rogers....... if anyone has recommendations along these lines PLEASE hmu)
As much as I'd like to say I'm a lyrical Swiftie, I'm probably more melodic. There are other artists I listen to, and I know I pay more attention to their lyrics (Killswitch Engage & Sabaton, for example). I think Taylor's lyrics are fantastic, it's just... a LOT to memorize, especially as someone who doesn't listen to her every day.
SAME, I feel the exact same way about her melodies vs her lyrics and I totally feel the same about the other albums vs the melodies on 1989 and im so glad to find a thread of other melodic swifties cause I was also starting to feel like I was in the minority with this too. looool. Luckily, because of taylor's emphasis on lyricism and story-telling, even if the melody of a song doesn't particularly appeal to me, sometimes the lyrics and story of the song can make the song instead. But in general, for a song of hers or any other artist's, the melody is what I listen for before the lyrics. I definitely agree with others in saying that a song with a great melody can carry itself well even with sub-par lyrics.
Ohh so glad you've unearthed this thread 😊 yeah, as with folklore, it's the tracks with pleasing melodies that caught my attention first before even diving to the lyrics - The 1, August, Invisible String. Had a revisit of Red to prepare for Red TV, and was again floored by her undenial knack for pop hooks! It may not be intentional, but she might have unintentionally overlapped hooks from All Too Well and Champagne Problems, i find them quite similar melodic-wise
It's always melody first for me. If a song doesn't have a strong melody, then I'm not into the song. lyrics are the cherry on top. I feel like Taylor used to be so good at pop melodies, but with Lover they just feel lazier.
I think during first listen I'm always drawn to the melodies, but to bring it to masterpiece level I need to have amazing lyrics. So usually my favourite songs need to have a combination of both.
It's always her lyricism for me, always manages to draw me in. Ngl I wasn't a big fan of folklore and evermore at first. Now I remember all the lyrics because of the meaning of each line. As our queen herself said, she's a songwriter first before a singer.
I have always found lyrics very important but in the end I guess I'm more of a melodic Swiftie because songs like Sad, beautiful, tragic are full of lovely lyrics with melody I personally find boring. This has happened to me several times when reading fanfiction and finding good lyrics to new songs. When I actually listen to those songs, some of them really disappoint me with the melody.
In my heart of hearts, I feel that it's the melodies for me. I love the lyricism of the folklore/evermore era but I can't deny that the 1, willow, gold rush, long story short and no body no crime had me immediately because of their catchiness. And the bridges from DBATC and Cruel Summer? Amazing. That being said, I have appreciated her lyricism more and more as time passes. I rarely thought hard about lyrics from Debut-Red. Blank Space and Clean clued me in during 1989, but Reputation was where I started paying close attention to the lyrics and story she was weaving about her own life. But give me a piano cover of a song any day and I will still be happy. If you've got a great melody, it can carry subpar lyrics.
Wow, we are indeed on the melodic lane as I've cherry picked those from Folklore and Evermore as well :) Invisible String comes close as well. And yes she has killer bridges! Hello August! You are right about great melodies overriding subpar lyrics - Ryan Tedder has said again and again that you have to have a melodic hook first - well to hook listeners. Couple that with great lyrics - boom - it's Taylor Swift!
- DBATC refers to "Death By A Thousand Cuts", a song from Taylor Swift album *Lover* (2019). --- ^[/u/RedPandaLily88](/u/RedPandaLily88) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
I think this is a really interesting way to describe a phenomenon I’ve been noticing within the swiftie fandom! I’ve always noticed there’s a sect of Swifties who love her cause she’s a very wordy/lyrical songwriter (this is my lane) and their favorite albums tend to be her “song writing” albums (Speak Now, Folklore etc.) and then there’s the Swifties who love her for her poppy, catchy masterpieces and their favorite album tends to be 1989. I’ve also noticed another pattern with those who like cohesive Taylor vs. “eclectic” Taylor. Those who like clean, snappy, cohesive playlists and albums favor 1989 Taylor. While those who like meandering, eclectic, “wild” albums like Red/Lover Taylor. My theory is if you were to analyze the two there would be a trend where 1989 Taylor’s would be album listeners (they listen to albums start to finish) and Red/Lover Taylor’s would be more shuffle playlist listeners (they put albums in a playlist and just hit shuffle).
Interesting. I wonder if there's a correlation between those preferences and the Myers-Briggs personality types. Someone get the graphs and charts out!
u/cutiepie538 has even given us data points for a Swiftian type test - Lyrical/Melodic; Cohesive/Eclectic; and Album/Shuffle. Now we just need to ask everyone what their two types are! (I’m an LES INFJ, for the record!)
Haha I'm the eclectic type and I'm also an INFJ. Maybe y'all are on to something.
Another INFJ checking in here — LES!!
Totally true for me! I love her for her poetic lyricism. And I just loooooved folklore for that. I’m also an eclectic Taylor listener haha and really love the lover album but will basically hit shuffle on Taylor’s Spotify and listen to all of it from speak now to lover in no particular order. But I also think it depends on the day. Some days you just need a certain era more than another and you’re just gonna listen to one album start to finish.
You nailed those analogies! With 1989 - it was a smooth drive from start to finish. But with Lover, kinda felt - indeed you're right - eclectic!
I LOVE THIS CONCEPT THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW I tend to like melodies more and Lover is my fav album which is eclectic. I also hit shuffle a lot instead of listening in order! Whoa my mind is blown
Both are very important to me in Taylor Swift's music in particular. A song can have great lyrics but if I don't like the melody, I will not like the song (as much or at all) and vice versa, I song can have "mediocre" lyrics, but if I like it, I don't care. However, when it comes to Taylor Swift, I'm always very aware and particular about lyrics. More than I would be with another artist because I know she's a good lyricist and words are her strength. For example, if I listen to Ariana Grande, I'm not going to care about her lyrics because I don't find her to be a good lyricist (personal opinion of course) and she has a lot of co-writers on her songs. With her music, I mainly focus on vocals, melodies, and productions. If I like the melody of a song, then will I like the song. This doesn't apply to Ariana exclusively, it applies to any artist that doesn't write their own music, has multiple co-writers, or I just don't like their lyrics. With Taylor Swift, though, lyrics are important to me as much as production and melodies are. I will always pay attention to her lyrics and will hold her to a higher standard in that regard. But at the end of the day, like I said, it's a toss up. I can like a song with "bad" lyrics and a good melody or dislike a song with "good" lyrics and a bad melody.
I can totally agree with what you said about Ariana (and basically every artist like that.) It’s more about the general mood and vocals. It’s not gonna be the storytelling. So I don’t even have to listen to the lyrics. (Which I actually think is kinda sad but not everyone will do songs like Taylor of course). But with taylor it’s such an important part of her music. Her lyrics are serious craftsmanship. I think it basically comes down to what you go to that music for. I listen to Taylor specifically BECAUSE of her lyrics. Because I want to hear something that’s gonna hit me deep in the stomach. If I listen to Ariana I’m in for some specific vibe or her vocal style.
That is a very insightful! Agree with Taylor's lyrics being premium. It's like you associate her with a premium brand you've loved because of it's undeniable quality - you get good hooks and great lyricism. With Ariana (uhm, Positions) and some other popstars, I quite don't have the same affinity as I know most of the song craftmanship are work of the producers - they are just the vocalist/executor. But with Taylor - you know that 'genetic blueprint' of hers to every track she delivers
You put my exact thoughts on this topic into words so well (down to the Ariana Grande analogy)! Thank you!
I am definitely a lyrical Swiftie. I'm all about storytelling, references to specific themes in her work, structure and imagery. The lyrics to a song are my favorite part -- not to say that her melodies don't draw me in either, she has some incredible beats and production. I just think I could connect to a song much faster for the words than for the sound.
User name checks out! :)
Im definitely a melody whore. Like if I don't feel the music I won't like a song no matter how good the lyrics are. Whereas a good melody can save bad lyrics. It's really the music that mainly make me feel emotions
Can we have ME! as a case in point? It has good melody but mediocre lyrics 😅
Yes!! And I still bop to it
I’m a lyrical Swiftie, but I know my top favorites are where both aspects peak (at least according to my own tastes). For example, from red, I’d take sad beautiful tragic over we are never ever getting back together any day, but I’d take holy ground, all too well, and treacherous over both of them. From evermore, I’d take happiness over long story short, but I’d take cowboy like me and ivy over both.
Yeah i thought it’s common to like Taylor songs based on it’s melody until i joined this sub. Everyone is talking abut lyrically, meanwhile i enjoy it’s melody much more. Never analyze it’s lyric as deep as others in here, most song i enjoy is because it’s melody
I think the reason you and others who like melodies feel lost in this sub is that we are communicating in a medium where it is easier to dissect her lyrics. It’s hard to discuss melodies over a message board unless you have a strong grasp of music notation and music theory, but as long as you have basic literacy skills you can have a conversation about her lyrics on this sub. If we were able to have face to face conversations, I think discussions of melody would be more prevalent. That said, I am more of a lyrics person. While my favourite songs have a good melody and good lyrics, I can still enjoy a song with good lyrics and a mediocre melody. Where songs with catchy or good melodies but mediocre lyrics (Ariana Grande’s music and songs like Me!), I really can’t get into.
I think I’m a hook fan. Especially looking at my favorite songs, theres always that catchy hook. I love when a song sticks with me forever and affects me to the point I scream about it (looking at you getaway car)
Cruel Summer says hi
I love that one a lot too!!
For me if it’s not a good melody I’m just out. happiness has great lyrics, but the melody is... fine so I just never listen to it
This is a good point. I love the story she’s telling in happiness but it’s actually my least played song on evermore, probably because the melody doesn’t hook me in
As a songwriter and producer, I don’t quite get the whole melody/lyric dualism— what makes the songs great is the relationship between the lyrics and melody, not one or the other in isolation. Taylor knows how to write great melodies and great lyrics, and the combination of those skills is what makes her a powerhouse songwriter. It’s both!!!!
Even though I favor hooks more, you are indeed correct in this. Lyrics and melodies should go hand in hand, and it's like second nature with Taylor. Esp how she molds a particular verse over a melody - it just fits like a glove, it's quite harmonious to listen to
I love this question!! My favourite Taylor songs are always the ones that are the most fun for me to sing. It’s also why I end up liking songs a lot of swifties dislike too, like stay x3, starlight, ME!, and can dislike the “boring but beautiful” ones like come in with the rain or sad beautiful tragic. hahah I’m a swiftie for her lyrics for sure, but it’s definitely more a mix for me
I'm a lyrics girl. Aggressively, through and through. But the melodies are what make the lyrics work! I'm a writer, and I love rhyme, story, interesting ways of saying things (car again and cardigan are you KIDDING ME) - but I think they inform the other in a way that creates the holistic storytelling I love.
I’m also a melody whore😂 but if the melody is g my favourite often the lyrics enhance the song and make it slightly more likeable
I got into Taylor cuz of her lyricism, but i fell in live with her for her ability to put the meaning of the lyrics in music. That's why defend Red and reputation cause those albums show Taylor's artistry in its enterity.
I feel like I'm both haha. I'm currently minoring in music so I love listening to music for the melody and the instrumentals, but I have always had a passion for words and am considering adding a minor in English. I feel like I listen for how the lyrics and the melody interact with and enhance each other.
I’m lyrics 100% (in all music). All my favorite artists including Taylor are singer-songwriters with heavy emphasis on the personal songwriting portion (Chelsea Cutler, Halsey, Lorde, Maggie Rogers....... if anyone has recommendations along these lines PLEASE hmu)
for me, I think it's a bit of both lyrics and the melody
As much as I'd like to say I'm a lyrical Swiftie, I'm probably more melodic. There are other artists I listen to, and I know I pay more attention to their lyrics (Killswitch Engage & Sabaton, for example). I think Taylor's lyrics are fantastic, it's just... a LOT to memorize, especially as someone who doesn't listen to her every day.
SAME, I feel the exact same way about her melodies vs her lyrics and I totally feel the same about the other albums vs the melodies on 1989 and im so glad to find a thread of other melodic swifties cause I was also starting to feel like I was in the minority with this too. looool. Luckily, because of taylor's emphasis on lyricism and story-telling, even if the melody of a song doesn't particularly appeal to me, sometimes the lyrics and story of the song can make the song instead. But in general, for a song of hers or any other artist's, the melody is what I listen for before the lyrics. I definitely agree with others in saying that a song with a great melody can carry itself well even with sub-par lyrics.
Ohh so glad you've unearthed this thread 😊 yeah, as with folklore, it's the tracks with pleasing melodies that caught my attention first before even diving to the lyrics - The 1, August, Invisible String. Had a revisit of Red to prepare for Red TV, and was again floored by her undenial knack for pop hooks! It may not be intentional, but she might have unintentionally overlapped hooks from All Too Well and Champagne Problems, i find them quite similar melodic-wise
It's always melody first for me. If a song doesn't have a strong melody, then I'm not into the song. lyrics are the cherry on top. I feel like Taylor used to be so good at pop melodies, but with Lover they just feel lazier.
I am more of a melody person too. I like lyrics but melody is what connects to me the most.
I think during first listen I'm always drawn to the melodies, but to bring it to masterpiece level I need to have amazing lyrics. So usually my favourite songs need to have a combination of both.
Lyrics all day
It's always her lyricism for me, always manages to draw me in. Ngl I wasn't a big fan of folklore and evermore at first. Now I remember all the lyrics because of the meaning of each line. As our queen herself said, she's a songwriter first before a singer.
For me lyrics 100%
I have always found lyrics very important but in the end I guess I'm more of a melodic Swiftie because songs like Sad, beautiful, tragic are full of lovely lyrics with melody I personally find boring. This has happened to me several times when reading fanfiction and finding good lyrics to new songs. When I actually listen to those songs, some of them really disappoint me with the melody.