Taylor Swift

[Stadler]

Yeah, My Tears Ricochet was the one I was most undecided about, I still like enough the original to keep it but the Long Pond version is obviously cool.

Cardigan and Betty (because of the harmonica) were the ones I was mostly confident about in their original versions, and the group from Mirrorball to August is the one that I think improved the most on Long Pond. Also the LP version of This is Me Trying makes it more poignant and highlights more the lyrics.

The rest was basically a toss, with no major difference to make me clearly say "yeah, this version is better because of this".

I was also paying attention to the beautiful lyrics of The Lakes:

I'm not cut out for all these cynical clones
These hunters with cell phones...

I've come too far to watch some namedropping sleaze
Tell me what are my words worth...

I want auroras and sad prose
I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet
'Cause I haven't moved in years
And I want you right here...

Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse...


Basically this is a very elegant, poetic and sweet way to say "Yeah, I had enough of you annoying fuckers and all your shit, I'm a gonna leave you all behind and fuck off into the nature where I can get some peace of mind, so long losers" 

This is just legendary:

Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse...

How beautiful.

The "I've come too far.......  words worth" line is about Scooter Braun, with whom she's in a dispute over her masters and the impetus for her re-recording her older material.  ("Words worth"... get it?)

[MirrorMask]

Wordsworth is one of the "lake poets" mentioned in the song, along with Coleridge and Southey.

Actually the Windermere lake is very pretty, it reminds a little bit of upstate NY where she filmed the Long Pond Sessions, so it doesn't surprise me that she's into that place.

[KevShmev]

This is just legendary:

Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse...

How beautiful.

The "I've come too far.......  words worth" line is about Scooter Braun, with whom she's in a dispute over her masters and the impetus for her re-recording her older material.  ("Words worth"... get it?)

The Long Pond session version is worth watching just for the glare she gives right at the camera when she sings the "namedropping sleaze" line.  She might as well have said "F You, Scooter!" right into the camera.   She's a nice lady, but if you do her wrong, look out, which is almost refreshing since nice people are often misjudged as also being pushovers.

[MirrorMask]

Willow as a medieval tune by Hildegard von Blingin' (Bardcore):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suxKt2wspg8

Yet another cool rendition from an amazing channel!

[KevShmev]

Willow as a medieval tune by Hildegard von Blingin' (Bardcore):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suxKt2wspg8

Yet another cool rendition from an amazing channel!

That was very well done!  The song already has kind of a witchy feel, so it was an easy transition to medieval. 

[KevShmev]

So I created my "Folklore ultimate edition" combining my favorite versions of the original album, and the Lake Pond versions. Here's what will ultimately end on my playlists and muuuuusic playyeeeeers:

The 1   (original)
Cardigan   (original)
The Last Great American Dynasty (original)
Exile   (original)
My Tears Ricochet (original)
Mirrorball   (Long Pond version)
Seven   (Long Pond version)
August   (Long Pond version)
This Is Me Trying   (Long Pond version)
Illicit Affairs   (original)
Invisible String   (Long Pond version)
Mad Woman   (original)
Epiphany   (Long Pond version)
Betty   (original)
Peace   (Long Pond version)
Hoax    (original)
The Lakes (original)

To touch on this again, I think I agree now about Mirrorball. I hadn't listened to the Long Pond version in a bit, but it popped up the other day and that is just glorious.  Some of the Long Pond versions benefit a lot by being just her one vocal throughout instead of the many vocal overdubs on the studio versions.  Don't get me wrong, those are all great on Folklore, but hearing the versions with just her one voice and no other overdubs is really nice.

On the flip side, I do not agree about Epiphany.  That was one of the first songs that sold me on her back in December, and I won't go so far as to say she struggles with it on the Long Pond sessions, just that her vocal performance isn't nearly as good there as on the Folklore version, IMO. 

[XeRocks81]

I know it's all about the music in this thread and that's as it should be but real quick our girl was just at an award show the UK and, well...








What a gorgeous woman

[NoseofNicko]

She’s definitely a looker.

[MirrorMask]

Not a fan of the bangs but yeah, she can definitively take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die.

[KevShmev]

It's a cliche, but her attitude, personality and the way she carriers herself makes her 10 times more attractive. She is a pretty lady already, not a head-turner, but her overall awesomeness just makes her gorgeous.  Those legs sure help as well.

That said, I am not wild about the red lipstick look.  I know that is her thing, but I think she looks far more attractive with less makeup and lighter touches.  Her performance of Lover on SNL back in 2019 was her at her most attractive, IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmipFjOtMA8

[Stadler]

It's a cliche, but her attitude, personality and the way she carriers herself makes her 10 times more attractive. She is a pretty lady already, not a head-turner, but her overall awesomeness just makes her gorgeous.  Those legs sure help as well.

That said, I am not wild about the red lipstick look.  I know that is her thing, but I think she looks far more attractive with less makeup and lighter touches.  Her performance of Lover on SNL back in 2019 was her at her most attractive, IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmipFjOtMA8

I'm not going to argue with that.  That whole SNL package - the look, the talent, the setting (just her and a piano), the song, the green - is pretty dag-gone sexy if you're asking me!   I do sort of like the red-lipstick thing generally, though (as long as it remains on the lips; I don't like it when the lipstick carves it's own territories). 

[KevShmev]

It's a cliche, but her attitude, personality and the way she carriers herself makes her 10 times more attractive. She is a pretty lady already, not a head-turner, but her overall awesomeness just makes her gorgeous.  Those legs sure help as well.

That said, I am not wild about the red lipstick look.  I know that is her thing, but I think she looks far more attractive with less makeup and lighter touches.  Her performance of Lover on SNL back in 2019 was her at her most attractive, IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmipFjOtMA8

I'm not going to argue with that.  That whole SNL package - the look, the talent, the setting (just her and a piano), the song, the green - is pretty dag-gone sexy if you're asking me!   I do sort of like the red-lipstick thing generally, though (as long as it remains on the lips; I don't like it when the lipstick carves it's own territories). 

  , exactly. And I agree about the green!  The combo of the green with her hair color there and the lighter makeup made her look radiant.

[MoraWintersoul]

This really isn't lighter makeup, it's just lighter colored, softer textured lipstick She is wearing full coverage foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter, false eyelashes, eyeliner (in a sliiiightly lighter application than her usual) and at least three different eyeshadow colors. The truly lighter makeup starts on Folklore.

I do agree this is her best lipstick color, and she does go a liiiiittle too dark and cool-undertoned with the red lipstick sometimes, but most of the time she gets it right and for selfish reasons I love seeing her in red anyway. I can't wear anything less than true red on the lips because of my coloring, and you really have to babysit those stronger colors, you can't just put them on and forget about it, so it's nice to see a peachy blonde who *can* wear all those easy colors in a strong red.

[nobloodyname]

This really isn't lighter makeup, it's just lighter colored, softer textured lipstick She is wearing full coverage foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter, false eyelashes, eyeliner (in a sliiiightly lighter application than her usual) and at least three different eyeshadow colors. The truly lighter makeup starts on Folklore.

I do agree this is her best lipstick color, and she does go a liiiiittle too dark and cool-undertoned with the red lipstick sometimes, but most of the time she gets it right and for selfish reasons I love seeing her in red anyway. I can't wear anything less than true red on the lips because of my coloring, and you really have to babysit those stronger colors, you can't just put them on and forget about it, so it's nice to see a peachy blonde who *can* wear all those easy colors in a strong red.

Yeah. This

[soupytwist]

It lasted 6 pages before this thread started to become creepy 

[XeRocks81]

I think the word you’re looking for is horny and on the internet that’s a constant  and I did say the thread is about the music, it was just a detour.   

[MirrorMask]

It's 5 pages of music and a post of a woman explaining makeup to men, it's not that bad   

[KevShmev]

Yeah, I think we've done a good job at keeping this thread mostly about the music.

Anyone else notice in her speech the other day that she said he had done three albums during this pandemic?  The natural assumption is that she meant Folklore, Evermore and then the re-recorded version of Fearless, but what if she was being sly and has a 3rd brand new album ready to go here soon?  Dare to dream...

[MoraWintersoul]

It's 5 pages of music and a post of a woman explaining makeup to men, it's not that bad   

And out of everyone here, I'm having the most trouble keeping this respectful and separate from my insane attraction to Taylor Swift anyway

[KevShmev]

It's 5 pages of music and a post of a woman explaining makeup to men, it's not that bad   

And out of everyone here, I'm having the most trouble keeping this respectful and separate from my insane attraction to Taylor Swift anyway

[Stadler]

If that was a gif that winked, it would have been one of the greatest posts I've ever seen on this forum.   

[KevShmev]

If that was a gif that winked, it would have been one of the greatest posts I've ever seen on this forum.   

[Stadler]

Haters gonna hate, since it's not a perfect vocal, but this is about as good as it gets for me:

https://youtu.be/XJwE8Lg2fZk

GREAT song (makes me cry, seriously), honest vocal, no frills, lights, dancing, or any of that and she's got 16,000 held captive.

[KevShmev]

That was very nice!

Anyone who thinks she cannot sing simply does not know what they are talking about. Is she a perfect singer with the most awesome range ever?  Nope, but neither was Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Madonna, Bono and a score of other legends.  Her (what many would call) vocal imperfections are part of the charm when it comes to her singing, and she has one of the best low registers I've ever heard, which is largely why Folklore and Evermore worked so well. 

[MoraWintersoul]

She started at 16, so we have a lot of albums and tours where she's simply singing with a voice that's not that mature. Pivoting to strengthening her lower range was the best move she could pull, her airy falsetto is pleasant enough for when she actually needs high notes in songs, and as much as her belting has improved over the years, she's never gonna get praised for that as much as she's getting praised for her low range now, so it makes sense to partially sacrifice one for the other.

[KevShmev]

Using some of the modern pop studio tricks, like that robotic voice at the beginning of Getaway Car that literally sounds like a computer singing, probably has convinced some that she needs help to sound good, but all you have to do is check out her many live performances of just her and her guitar (or piano) to see that she can sing.  Of course, these are probably the same people who would bitch about her using a backing track for help during live performances during a dance number, but I am pretty sure those people aren't her target audience.

[LudwigVan]

Using some of the modern pop studio tricks, like that robotic voice at the beginning of Getaway Car that literally sounds like a computer singing, probably has convinced some that she needs help to sound good, but all you have to do is check out her many live performances of just her and her guitar (or piano) to see that she can sing.  Of course, these are probably the same people who would bitch about her using a backing track for help during live performances during a dance number, but I am pretty sure those people aren't her target audience.

Well, I guess I’d be one of those people because I’d much rather hear her with just a guitar instead of watching dance numbers filled up  with backing tracks.

I feel the same way about another pop phenom in Mariah Carey. Love it when she does her ballads, where you can really feel the power of her voice and talent, but will take a hard pass on her hip hop / dance numbers.

[KevShmev]

Using some of the modern pop studio tricks, like that robotic voice at the beginning of Getaway Car that literally sounds like a computer singing, probably has convinced some that she needs help to sound good, but all you have to do is check out her many live performances of just her and her guitar (or piano) to see that she can sing.  Of course, these are probably the same people who would bitch about her using a backing track for help during live performances during a dance number, but I am pretty sure those people aren't her target audience.

Well, I guess I’d be one of those people because I’d much rather hear her with just a guitar instead of watching dance numbers filled up  with backing tracks.

I feel the same way about another pop phenom in Mariah Carey. Love it when she does her ballads, where you can really feel the power of her voice and talent, but will take a hard pass on her hip hop / dance numbers.

Well, it doesn't have to be one or the other.   Also, it looks like she always brings backup singers live as well, so they fill out the sound nicely during the choruses at times as well, and Taylor doesn't have to go all-out vocally in every part of every song (and all of her songs have a lot of singing).  Seems smart to me. Rather than blowing out her voice by the time she is 35, this strategy should preserve it for the long haul.

[XeRocks81]

watching Long Pond Sessions again. Perfect lazy sunday morning activity while drinking coffee.

I really hope she does more of this in the future

[KevShmev]

I am sure she has got a lot of ideas floating around her head for touring, but I'd love to see a theater tour in the winter where she take a Long Pond Sessions-type thing on the road, with a set list consisting of mostly Folklore and Evermore songs and then a few others from albums past.  She could easily do a quick tour of like 8-10 weeks, doing several nights in each city to give more fans a chance at tickets given how huge she is and how limited tickets would be for a theater show, and then take a bit of time off for the next big stadium tour.

Or she could just do a Long Pond Sessions for the Evermore album and make us all happy. 

[MirrorMask]

I am sure she has got a lot of ideas floating around her head for touring, but I'd love to see a theater tour in the winter where she take a Long Pond Sessions-type thing on the road, with a set list consisting of mostly Folklore and Evermore songs and then a few others from albums past.  She could easily do a quick tour of like 8-10 weeks, doing several nights in each city to give more fans a chance at tickets given how huge she is and how limited tickets would be for a theater show, and then take a bit of time off for the next big stadium tour.

I would be there in a heartbeat. If I know that at least 80-85% of the show is Folklore and Evermore and it's a laid back, theater production, I am so there.

Or she could just do a Long Pond Sessions for the Evermore album and make us all happy. 

YES!!!!

[KevShmev]

Tickets would sell out instantly, so securing one would be extremely difficult, but I'd be all over it.

In my head, I imagine a 20-22 set list every night, with around 10-12 that get played every night, and then the rest rotating to where she finds a way to play every Folklore and Evermore song at some point on the tour.  Playing the trilogy of Cardigan, August and Betty all in a row feels inevitable for whatever her next tour is, and I am sure Willow would be an every nighter, and I could see stuff like Mirrorball, Champagne Problems and No Body No Crime being constants as well.  And just think, how awesome would be if she got Justin Vernon to appear at a show or two, just so they could do Exile and Evermore those nights.  The possibilities are endless!

[Zook]

Several years back I was watching WWE Raw, and Seth Rollins was cutting a promo. During his promo he used the word caveat. After that, I noticed EVERYONE using that word.

This time around, Taylor Swift uses the word precipice in a song, and once again, I'm hearing it all the time. I doubt they are responsible for starting this trend of word use, but it's really weird.

[KevShmev]

Probably just makes you more aware of it, although I did see a blurb a while back about how sales of cardigans this past winter were much higher than normal.

[Stadler]

Several years back I was watching WWE Raw, and Seth Rollins was cutting a promo. During his promo he used the word caveat. After that, I noticed EVERYONE using that word.

This time around, Taylor Swift uses the word precipice in a song, and once again, I'm hearing it all the time. I doubt they are responsible for starting this trend of word use, but it's really weird.

That's a common thing; many here don't go into P/R territory, but I've noted that with the words "terrifying" and "gravitas" as well.

EDIT: "Unhinged" as well.