Whether you like her or not, you’ve listened to a Taylor Swift song. No matter who you are, you heard “Love Story” at least once, or maybe you’re a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” and have listened to all her albums over and over again. Regardless of any of this, we need to give the woman credit. 

She knows how to write songs, and that is what makes “Lover,” her newest album, better than I was expecting. I wouldn’t say that it is my favorite album, but there are songs that get stuck in your head and you want to listen to them over and over again. One of them is “Cruel Summer.” The chorus is well-written; Swift knows how to tell a story well. Her lyrics can be cheesy, like in “You Need to Calm Down,” but they are also really fun to sing, and you know the story behind them. If you’ve ever watched the David Letterman interview with Jay-Z, you know most artists aren’t necessarily telling their own stories. That might not be true for Swift. Whether she acknowledges it or not, her songs are most likely about her relationships. 

Taking that into consideration, for those of us that like a little celebrity drama, “Lover,” as most of her albums are, is full of songs written for or about another celebrity. “Cruel Summer” is supposedly about her short relationship with Tom Hiddleston. “I Forgot That You Existed” could be about Calvin Harris. And of course, “London Boy” is about her current lover, Joe Alwyn. This is just one interpretation, and I am a sucker for this type of interpretation, so this is what I choose to believe. 

Of course, what is a Taylor Swift album without some slow love songs? These were not my favorite, and I often found myself skipping them to get to the next bop. One of those bops is “I Forgot that You Existed,” an excellent breakup anthem, and another Swift classic. 

Overall, this was very on-brand for Swift. There was no new style to any of the music and it honestly felt like a continuation of “Reputation,” her last album. I would recommend this album to those that enjoy pop music and don’t hate Taylor Swift. It has a good variety of songs for everyone, but remember, Taylor Swift is not for everyone.