What Your Favorite Taylor Swift Era Says About You

Since each album is an era, and each era has its own aesthetics and themes, it only makes sense that your favorite era says a lot about your personality. 

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006, and it was more country than country-pop. She performed most songs with an acoustic guitar while wearing cute sundresses and cowboy boots with her blonde hair in perfectly messy spiral curls. The teenage country girl vibes are immaculate. Some of her best songs of the era include “Tim McGraw,” “Teardrops On My Guitar,” “Should’ve Said No,” and “Our Song.”

Debut girlies are country girls at heart. If this era is your favorite, you’ve likely been a Swiftie since the beginning and believe that her country songs are better than her pop songs (but you still love all her music). You own at least three pairs of cowboy boots, and you’re proud of them. The rest of your playlist is full of country artists like Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, and Megan Moroney.

Fearless

Taylor kicked off this era with her mega-hit “Love Story” in 2008. Much of this album’s imagery embraces the romantic optimism of her teenage years (she was 18 when it was released), and her wardrobe mainly consisted of sparkly dresses. However, she kept her signature blonde curls and still wore cowboy boots every once in a while. This era also helped her reach mainstream fame, with many of her songs appearing on both pop radio and country radio. Other than “Love Story,” some of the most popular songs from this era include “Fearless,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Fifteen.”

It’s safe to say that most Fearless girls grew up with Taylor. You’re likely in your mid to late twenties or thirties and lost your mind when Fearless was re-released in 2021. You’re a sucker for anything nostalgic and follow at least five different Instagram accounts dedicated to 2000s fashion and pop culture. You’re a sweet and loyal friend, but you should be careful not to let others walk over you.

Speak Now 

Released in 2010, this was the first album that Taylor wrote entirely by herself. This era consisted of romantic lyrics, fairytale imagery, ballgowns, and lots of purple. It was more mature than Fearless but still embodied the girl-next-door persona she had at the time. This was also the era that welcomed her signature red lips and included iconic songs like “Enchanted,” “Mine,” “Back To December,” and “Mean.”

If you play Speak Now on repeat, you’re a hopeless romantic and tend to think with your emotions, but you’re also emotionally intelligent. You believe in true love and that a fairytale ending is possible if you put the work into it and learn from your mistakes. You’re also a sweetheart, and it’s important not to let that go because the world needs more people as kind as you.

Red

This was her first album that was more pop than country pop, and Taylor signaled the change by straightening her curly hair. Red is famously a heartbreak album and an emotional rollercoaster, and she masterfully shows her growth as an artist with a more mature take on topics related to love and heartbreak. Some of the most famous songs from this era include “Red,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “All Too Well,” and “22.”

If Red is your favorite, it’s safe to say that fall is your season and you’re obsessed with autumnal vibes. You’re the girl who can’t wait for fall to start once August hits, as you prefer sweater weather over humidity and heat. Like the Speak Now girl, you’re also a hopeless romantic, but it means more to you because you’ve been burned in the past but still believe in true love. When you’re not drinking pumpkin spice lattes during the fall, you’re trying every hot herbal tea that you can find on the shelves of Trader Joe's.

1989

Her first entirely pop album celebrates Taylor’s transition from country pop star to worldwide pop sensation. It’s symbolized in everything from her move from Nashville to New York to her chopping her hair short. Many would argue that it’s her most fun and carefree album, but it also shows how she’s matured through her career in songs with more complex lyrics. It’s also the era of her girl squad, where she famously walked around New York and Los Angeles with A-list celebs like Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, and Gigi Hadid. Some of the most famous songs from the era include “Shake It Off,” “Style,” “Blank Space,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Out Of The Woods,” and “Bad Blood.”

If 1989 is your jam, then you’re a sweet girl, but you’re also a hardcore people pleaser and care a little too much about what others think of you. You’re working on learning to let that go because you’re tired of people taking advantage of your kindness. You’re also the most fun girl at every party and thrive in the city more than in the country.

Reputation

After her public feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Taylor went into hiding before reinventing herself for the Reputation era. She switched to a darker sound and explored more mature themes relating to sexuality, and her wardrobe reflected this change in darker colors. She reclaimed the narrative from the Kimye feud with snake imagery, which was absolutely iconic. Some of the top songs from this era include “Look What You Made Me Do,” “Call It What You Want,” “End Game,” “Getaway Car,” and “Dress.”

If your favorite songs are from Reputation, you’re the girl who doesn’t care what others think of her, and everyone knows it. You have controversial opinions that you’re not afraid to share with the world because you’re confident in yourself and your beliefs. Though you can come across as harsh to others, you care deeply for your family and friends.

Lover

In the first album that Taylor entirely owned herself (before the rerecordings) after Scooter Braun bought her masters, Lover is essentially the opposite of Reputation. It’s light, fun, colorful, and romantic, and the snake imagery is replaced with butterflies. Her love songs are deeper and more mature due to her relationship with Joe Alwyn (RIP), hence the title, Lover. Some of the most popular songs from this era include “Cruel Summer,” “The Archer,” “The Man,” “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” and “You Need To Calm Down.”

If you love Lover, you’re the epitome of sweet but a little psycho. You’re the nicest person in the world until someone crosses you, and then you make them wish they not only never crossed you but had never met you. You do this because you’re protective of those you love. You’re also in a healthy relationship (likely married or engaged) and love nothing more than to tap into your creative side.

Folklore

Folklore was her first surprise album, recorded in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Taylor took a break from her biographical songs to tell fictional stories through her songs on Folklore, including “Cardigan,” “August,” and “Betty,” which tell the story of a teenage love triangle. Other songs like “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “Exile” explore themes like escapism, nostalgia, and romanticism.

If Folklore is your favorite album, you grew up with every adult telling you that you had an old soul, which is fitting now because you’re obsessed with the coastal grandmother aesthetic. You also love anything related to cottagecore and Halloween, and it’s your dream to be a mysterious old lady who lives in an old mansion (that may or may not be haunted) in an East Coast beach town.

Evermore

As the sister album to Folklore, Evermore explores similar themes and tells fictional stories. The vibes are lighter (think of Folklore as fall and Evermore as spring) and have plenty of literary references in songs like “Happiness,” “Tolerate It,” and “Evermore.” Other popular songs of the era are “No Body, No Crime” and “Willow.”

Like the Folklore girl, you grew up with every adult telling you that you had an old soul, and it makes sense because you’re a classic literature girlie to your core. You’ve read The Great Gatsby multiple times and have several conspiracy theories about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life that you don’t have enough evidence to prove. You’re also obsessed with true crime and dream of moving to a quaint little town that looks like it came straight from a thriller novel.

Midnights

Returning to her biographical roots, Midnights features songs that Taylor wrote in the middle of the night. It’s her most mature and self-aware album, is full of 1970s vibes, and both the songs and music videos are as extra as Taylor herself. It’s tough to point out some of the most popular songs since the album is less than a year old, but some hits include “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Lavender Haze,” “Karma,” and “Midnight Rain.”

If you’re a Midnights girlie, you’re extremely self-aware and emotionally intelligent, but you’re not annoying about it. You’ve let your life experiences shape you into the person you are, allowing you to be both mature and rational. Though you don’t like to be involved in drama, you love to watch it from the sidelines and watch every Real Housewives show for this exact reason.

Closing Thoughts

Each Taylor Swift album has its own aesthetic and themes in its music and imagery. From the country girl who loves Taylor’s debut album to the pop girlie who has 1989 on repeat, each era is different, and your favorite can say a lot about you.

Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.