Look what you made me do! Here’s my first impression of Taylor Swift’s Reputation.

I am so far out of the demo, this feels maybe like an Abrictosaurus reviewing an opera, but for the six of you who have asked me if I’ve listened to the new Taylor Swift record, Reputation, (because I’m such a big dumb fan of 1989), here are my first impressions.

I just finished the first playthrough, and I like it. I haven’t paid super close to the lyrics, because I’ve literally listened to it one time, so this is just based on the general musical tone and pacing of the album.

Thoughts on the rest of the record:

…Ready For It? kicks off with a punch that winds me up for the rest of the record. I’m generally not a big fan of that dubstep wuuuubbbbvvvvsszzzzzzsound, but it works for me in this context.

End Game is a collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Future that left me cold. It feels out of place on this album, but especially after …Ready For It? got me so pumped up to hear what comes next. The vocals are so overproduced, the whole thing is a little much for me, but I suspect that the legion of Taylor fans who love Ed Sheeran will eat it up. (See above about how I’m not in the demo for the album.)

I Did Something Bad is glorious, lyrically and musically. I love that Taylor Swift is just dropping a huge DEAL WITH IT to everyone. This is probably my favorite song on the album.

Don’t Blame Me feels like a Lorde song, which sort of made me go “Buh? Wha? Fluh? Huh?” because I listened to Melodrama right before I listened to Reputation.

Delicate didn’t do much for me.

Look What You Made Me Do didn’t floor me when it was a single, but I feel like it works so much better in the context of the album, which isn’t what I expect from a pop album that is usually designed to have a bunch of singles (notable exception is Tove Lo’s Queen of the Clouds, which is a pop concept album and damn near perfect. Also, her new record, Blue Lips, is great).

So It Goes… feels like a song that could have been on 1989, and I mean that in the very best way.

Gorgeous is another one that could have been on 1989, the emotional B-side to Blank Space. I expect it to come back around in summer.

Getaway Car feels like a song that didn’t quite make the cut for 1989. I wasn’t crazy about it.

King of My Heart has this particular beat that’s common in pop right now that isn’t my favorite thing, and the vocals are way over processed, but for some reason those two things come together to make this track the exception that proves the rule.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied feels sort of like if Imogen Heap collaborated with Everything But The Girl in like 2002. It’s lush in a way that I haven’t heard Taylor Swift before, and I really liked that.

I’m not crazy about the falsetto in Dress, but maybe that’ll change.

This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is a lot of fun, and feels like it would be right at home in a modern Broadway musical. (And honestly, I just don’t care who – if anyone – that song is about. Music critics just need to get over the tired trope that Taylor Swift writes songs about everyone she has dated or known or whatever. Maybe this song is about someone in particular, but why does that even matter? Maybe it’s about you, stupid music critic, you big dummy.)

New Year’s Day is a great album closer. The stripped down vocals, simple harmony, and solo piano are such a great counterpoint to the production of the rest of the album. I can feel the brief moment of darkness at the end of it, before the house lights come up, as the lights go out on the stage. I think this song is going to be in a lot of graduation videos this year.

So, overall, 4 out of 5. One track I just don’t like at all, two tracks that I can take or leave, and 12 songs I really liked. Reputation didn’t grab me on its first listen the way 1989 did, but I feel like I’m going to get into it more upon subsequent plays.

But not grabbing me right away and compelling me to restart the album right away doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a great record; it just means that it wants me to do a little work to find my way into it. It’s like, The Bends grabbed me right away and I played it to death. OK Computer took me several listens to appreciate and love, and all these years later, I never play The Bends, and will put OK Computer on pretty much always.

Did I just compare Taylor Swift to Radiohead? You bet your face I did. Don’t @ me. I contain multitudes.

26 thoughts on “Look what you made me do! Here’s my first impression of Taylor Swift’s Reputation.”

  3. A true legend of rock, Malcolm Young of AC/DC, who wrote some of the most iconic riffs EVER, died over the weekend, and yet you choose to review (and sadly honor) an album by a bland blonde who’s the epitome of “she was born on third base but thinks she hit a triple.” And you compare her to Radiohead. I don’t like Radiohead but I will defend to the death their right to say ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? DO YOU EVEN MUSIC AT ALL BRO?

    1. Considering that I don’t like AC/DC at all, not even a little bit, I’m sorry for his friends and family, but that’s all I have to say about his passing.

      I happen to enjoy Taylor Swift’s music, and I don’t care where she was born.

      2. You do like AC/DC. Its music permeates EVERYTHING. You’re a gamer. You’ve heard the main riffs of “Back in Black” and “For Those About to Rock” too many times to count if you’re a gamer. And I can GUARANTEE you headbanged along. Stop trying to appeal to the kids. Take away the tall blondness and you’re left with a super-generic female singer with the latest hot songwriting team. It’s fine to say “wow, I really like Taylor Swift’s new album” and leave it at that. People will snicker because anyone over twenty with any taste thinks she sucks, but hey, everyone’s got bad taste in something. But to go into a super-detailed LIST smacks of “I’m still young and cool!”

        Come to the Old Side, Wil Wheaton. We have cookies and catchy music that you would never admit to publicly liking. 😀

        1. You tell Wil to that his write up “smacks of I’m still young and cool!” and then tell him to “Come to the Old Side”. But you’re the one behaving like you’re still in Jr. high school. I believe Wil when he says he doesn’t like AC/DC “at all, not even a little bit” because like him I also don’t like AC/DC at all, not even a little bit. Have I heard it? Yes. Would I go out of my way to listen to it? No. Would I ever buy it? Hard no. And no, it does not “permeate EVERYTHING”. If you like AC/DC that’s fine. If you don’t like Taylor Swift, that’s fine too. But those two things don’t mean that you know how to “music” (who’s trying to be young now?) any better than Wil. You say “It’s fine to say “wow, I really like Taylor Swift’s new album” and leave it at that. People will snicker because anyone over twenty with any taste thinks she sucks, but hey, everyone’s got bad taste in something.” That’s the mindset of someone who isn’t yet comfortable with their own identity and choices. That’s how teens think. Maybe you should try not to worry so much about what other people will think about the things you like and stop chastising people for liking the things that they like. Come down off your high horse. You’ll have more fun.

      3. No like, not even a little, for AC/DC?! You need to zap your PRAM, homeboy.

        Have you tried turning yourself off and then on again?

    2. Just curious, but how does one music? I didn’t realize that music is a verb. Since I have a degree in music, you’d think I would have know that.

        1. Then the failure may have been mine. No one has ever accused me of being trendy (like I said, degree in music). Thank you for the explanation.

          1. I totally agree. The good news is that being trendy never has nor ever will be an issue I lose sleep over.

          2. I was more talking about the trendiness of pretension — making a big show of disliking anything that’s supposed to be popular? Maybe a bit too meta for you.

    4. This comment was really rude. I just thought you should know. You’ve tried to ‘justify’ it in subsequent comments but you haven’t made any attempt to actually apologise. Someone made a thing that didn’t exist before and you’ve tried to trash it simply because it doesn’t align with your own sense of ‘value’. That’s your problem, not the creator’s.

    5. A lot of people have different tastes in music. Everyone (Wil included) is allowed also to express their opinions, and choose when to express them. Why should Malcolm Young’s death change when Wil decided to talk about the album?

      It’s fine to disagree with his opinion, but I think you did it in pretty much the wrongest way possible.

  5. You might have just convinced me to give the full album a try. I wasn’t wowed by the couple of singles I heard, but I did really enjoy 1989 also.

  6. I am neither fan nor dissenter of T-Swift. I really enjoyed this review! I’m sure I’ll hear a lot of these songs as singles in my retail job, even if I never get around to listening to the album in a single (or multiple) setting(s).

    I’ve always known you contain multitudes, Wil. Keep on Rockin’! 🙂

  7. Another just curious, but this one is for Wil. I’m just curious if Taylor Swift is your new Debbie Gibson? Or will Debbie Gibson always be your Debbie Gibson? I know I still get lost in her eyes.

    See what I did there?

  8. Getaway Car really grew on me. I didn’t notice it in particular my first time through the album, but it’s the one that I keep finding myself humming. But I totally agree on This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things — both that it’s fun and that it doesn’t matter who it’s about. Also loved New Year’s Day, beautiful song, beautiful lyrics. Thanks for sharing your impressions — this was fun to read!

  9. Hey Wheaton — nisteriki.blogspot.com features the “Treatise on the Failures of Prayer.” It’s mine; I’m a renounced Bishop Apostolate who wised up to religion, but not to partnering with God

  10. I heard a review of this album last night and thought a couple of songs sounded Lorde-ish too. The reviewer mentioned that one of the producers also produced Lorde’s new album so maybe that could be a reason?

  11. Thanks for the review of the album, I also fall in the to Abrictosaurus demo for this one, and 1989 for that matter. I haven’t heard the whole album, just the singles. I have to agree with you on …Ready For It? . I think that would’ve been a better first single since it feels like it’s setting up something good to come. Though the video makes me feel like she and the director had just binged watched the GitS movie and wanted to steal the aesthetic. Anyways, nice to know I’m not the only Abirctosaurus listening.

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