Since the dawn of her debut single "Tim McGraw," Taylor Swift has kept a pretty consistent track record when it comes to releasing new music. For the past five albums, Swifties have learned to count on new music every other fall. This year, however, Taylor has decided to take a little post-1989 era break, meaning the expected sixth album probably won't be arriving any time soon.
For hardcore TSwift fans like myself, getting through the music drought is proving to be a difficult task, but luckily we have five whole albums to quench our thirst in the meantime. Aside from the overplayed radio singles turned number one hits, there are plenty of other songs that get tossed by the wayside when it comes to Taylor Swift. So, to help us all get through until TS6 arrives, here's a list of the most underrated songs from her debut album all the way to 1989.
Taylor Swift (2006)
Ah, the start of it all. Since this self-titled album was technically the birth of Taylor Swift it got a lot of hype and air play on country radio, but even this debut album contained a few untouched hidden gems. From the sad and melodramatic to the heartwarming and bright, Taylor Swift had plenty to offer everyone.
My picks:
1. "Invisible"
2. "Cold As You"
3. "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)"
Fearless (2008)
Continuing on her country journey, her sophomore album is really where Taylor truly blossomed into a superstar. With such big radio hits as "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," a lot of the truly great music on Fearless was wrongfully overshadowed, especially the tracks only included on the platinum edition.
My picks:
1. "The Way I Loved You"
2. "Change"
3. "Forever and Always (Piano Version)"
Speak Now (2010)
Perhaps the album that showcases the most artistic growth, Speak Now is where Taylor truly started to break away from her solely country roots with more upbeat pop-ish music. At only 19 years old, Taylor penned the entire record herself, so this album was truly impressive in its time. With so much lyrical depth in so many tracks, picking just a few proved to be quite the challenge.
My picks:
1. "Dear John"
2. "Enchanted"
3. "Haunted"
4. "Long Live"
Red (2012)
Ditching her signature curly locks and sparkly shift dresses, her fourth album is really where we see Taylor trying to branch completely away from country music. Personally, I think Red is Taylor's best record of all time, and the album truly pinpointed a real turning point in her personal life. Red showed so much emotional growth through some of her happiest music yet, but also a lot of the saddest songs you'll probably ever hear. It was unfortunately robbed of Record of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards, however it was still such a huge step in her career, and also such a treat to listen to.
My picks:
1. "Treacherous"
2. "All Too Well"
3. "I Almost Do"
4. "Holy Ground"
5. "Starlight"
6. "The Moment I Knew"
1989 (2014)
Being definitely the most widely loved album, 1989 was a landmark achievement for Taylor. She completely changed her sound, making the transition to full blown pop music, and reached an all time peak in her fame. However, some were not so welcoming of the newest era of Taylor Swift. Along with this album came a Taylor who was absolutely unapologetically her and was never ashamed to speak her mind. This album had so much meaning behind it, so every track is important in its own right, but despite being the most publicly known Taylor Swift record ever, some of the tracks still managed to fall by the wayside.
My picks:
1. "You Are in Love"
2. "I Know Places"
3. "Clean"
4. "Wonderland"
After over a decade of Taylor Swift, it's hard to not have her presence in our lives during the fall in the form of new singles, a new album, and the promise of the new TS era, but with so many albums under her belt, it's hard to say we don't have anything to keep us satisfied in the meantime. Sure Taylor's countless #1 hits were forces to be reckoned with, but sometimes you just can't beat a song that's never seen any radio play. So for anyone who's suffering through this impending Taylor-Swift-less autumn, keep calm, listen to these hidden gems, and be patient because #TS6ISCOMING!
