Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ Album: Ranking and Analyzing All 18 Songs

Six years after its release, Taylor Swift's seventh album, Lover, still holds a special place in the megastar's discography. Coming out hot on the heels of her brooding, defiant Reputation album, Lover shows Swift at her most content. Her strong relationships with a partner and with herself helped her create a timeless, feel-good pop album. Here's the definitive ranking of all 18 Taylor Swift Lover songs.

“ME!” broke records for its staggering 65.2 million VEVO video views in the 24 hours after its release and its incredible leap from number 100 to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fans loved its catchy chorus and guest vocals from Brendon Urie. However, the simplistic lyrics of Lover's lead single received mixed reviews.

Lover's breezy opener sets the tone with lyrics about moving on from past drama. We'll never know whether the Twitter beef with her ex Calvin Harris inspired this one, but we do know the post-tropical house production from Frank Dukes and Louis Bell always puts us in a good mood. However, just like its title suggests, this lightweight song is easy to forget.

Inspired by a conversation with her pal Todrick Hall that made Swift realize she needed to be a more vocal LGBTQ+ ally, she wrote the anti-bullying anthem “You Need to Calm Down.” The community loved the song's catchy production and its cameo-filled music video featuring TV show stars from RuPaul's Drag Race, Queer Eye, and more. While it sends a message of love, its lyrics and sound don't quite gel with the rest of the album.

Swift tears down double standards in the music industry and wider society with “The Man.” The feminist opus features a fabulous synth-pop sound and inspired lyrics that outline the privileges Swift might enjoy if she were a man. Its strong message falls a little flat, though, in light of Swift's considerable success.

Inspired by Swift's relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn, “London Boy” is a light-hearted bop referencing their romance and the way Alwyn's hometown contrasts with the United States. Its layered synths and beats are catchy, but its lyrics show a fairly superficial understanding of the U.K.'s capital.

“Soon You'll Get Better” sees Swift joining forces with The Chicks to create a breathtaking country ballad. The stripped-back production of classic country instruments, such as banjo and fiddle, lets the vulnerable lyrics about her mother's cancer battle shine.

Five years after the release of the unapologetically volatile “Blank Space,” Swift shows her personal growth with “Afterglow.” We love the slow-burning melody and effortless falsetto, and the lyrics about taking responsibility in relationships stay with us long after the last synth notes.

From its jazzy saxophone opening, it's clear “False God” is a very different song from most of Swift's music. Its sultry neo-soul sound recalls artists such as Prince and Sade. This is Swift at her most creative and experimental, and we're here for it.

While she was happily loved up during the creative process for Lover, Swift couldn't release an album without including a breakup anthem. Given her own joy, she found inspiration for “Death By A Thousand Cuts” in indie rom-com Someone Great. Its upbeat sound contrasts with its melancholy lyrics to show how complex heartbreak can be.

Playful finger snaps and flirty lyrics helped Swift capture the fun of a new romance in “I Think He Knows.” Its electropop feel is classic Taylor Swift. Lover wouldn't be the same without these lyrics exploring the excitement and uncertainty of early attraction.

‘80s new wave meets ‘00s pop-punk in “Paper Rings,” an upbeat, retro banger that has us punching our fists in the air. It's a total bop with mature lyrics about valuing love more than material possessions.

As the opener for the Eras Tour setlist, this is a big one as America's sweetheart takes aim at the country's leadership with “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince.” Using high school metaphors to critique the country's political climate, Variety said, it “feels like the great protest song this generation has needed.”

Lover's closing track is a stripped-back synth number that puts Swift's mature lyrics about the value of “golden” love front and center. It's a vital bookend to “Red,” the title track of her 2012 album, because it shows her new appreciation of a different, steady love. The song is so important that Swift considered naming the album “Daylight.”

“The Archer” shows Swift at her most vulnerable. Powerful in its stillness, this dreamy synth-pop track saw Swift candidly sharing her feelings of self-doubt and anxiety about sustaining meaningful relationships.

As Lover's only number one hit, although it wasn't an official single, “Cruel Summer” is a firm fan favorite. In this song, Swift and co-writer St. Vincent vividly brought a tumultuous summer romance to life in all its messy glory. St. Vincent's influence gives an edge to the lyrics that balances Swift's trademark sweetness.

Lover's title track is a dreamy country-folk waltz that reminds us of slow dances with someone special. Swift and producer Jack Antonoff decided to feature instruments invented before the 1970s, including the piano and acoustic guitar, for an organic, retro feel.

Swift experimented with new sounds to great effect on “It's Nice to Have a Friend.” The sound of steelpans and harps immediately drew us all in. By the time the trumpet solo kicked in, we had already decided this quirky tune was one of the best songs on Lover by Taylor Swift.

This track faced stiff competition, but ultimately, we had to hand “Cornelia Street” the crown. As one of only a handful of songs that Swift wrote independently, it reflects her most honest and vulnerable self. The bittersweet lyrics reveal her fear of losing her partner if she repeats her past mistakes. Coupled with an ultra-catchy melody, this song is hard to resist.

After the darkness that pervaded Reputation, Lover showcased Swift's softer side. Its songs explore love in all forms — new romances, long-term relationships, and even connections with family and friends — and effortlessly blend pop with rock, electronica, country, and other genres. More than simply a commercial and critical success, Lover demonstrates Swift's continued growth as an artist.