MUSIC REVIEW: Taylor Swift's 'Lover' Finds Her at Peak Creativity in a State of Romantic Bliss [Preview]

Taylor Swift albums usually drop in the autumn (see: every previous Taylor Swift LP). Taylor Swift's Lover has floated down to us on a summer breeze, dusted in glitter and drenched in color, less than two years after the moody, volatile Reputation. On Reputation, Swift embraced and reveled in every dig and petty fight that's taken up space in her brain, co-opting the snake motif from an insult to a defiant badge of pride. While Reputation's posturing came across as contrived in parts, it was clear that Swift knew and acknowledged what people were saying about her, both good and bad, and was happy to confirm even the most tawdry rumor in the name of owning her notoriety.

On Lover, however, Swift does a 180, largely choosing to focus once more on romantic affairs. The main difference, then, among Lover and 1989, Red, and Speak Now, for example, is that the songs on Lover largely come from a place of contentment and satisfaction in the middle of a strong relationship, rather than chronicling its downfall. But most significantly, on Lover, Swift looks back on her youth as both mood and metaphor, marking a significant shift from the storytelling in Red, 1989, and Reputation...

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