Taylor Swift, 29, released her brand new album, Lover, on August 23 — it came out on Apple Music 15 minutes before the expect midnight release! — and it’s easily her most romantic album yet. It’s no secret that Taylor has found her true love in Joe Alwyn, and she’s singing about it more than ever on this record. Aside from that, though, Taylor also gets real about the state of America, her mom’s battle with cancer, losing friends and plenty more on the 18-song record. Follow along as we break down who all of the songs are about now that the full record is finally here:
1) “I Forgot That You Existed” – The opening track on Lover is the perfect transition from Taylor’s last album, Reputation, into this new one. She says goodbye to the era of people trying to ‘cancel’ her by admitting that she truly doesn’t even THINK about those who tried to ruin her reputation. While there are no SPECIFIC references to Kanye West, it’s no secret that Taylor’s 2016 feud with the rapper is what spurned a lot of the ideas on Reputation, so this seems to be a major dig towards him.
2) “Cruel Summer” – This one is about a summer romance, and it’s no secret that Taylor had a highly-publicized relationship with Tom Hiddleston in the summer of 2016. That same summer was during the time after she met Joe but before they started dating. She sings about wanting the relationship with Tom to work out, but coming to the realization that it wouldn’t….because she had feelings for someone else.
3) “Lover” – The title track off of Lover is like a love letter to Taylor’s longtime boyfriend, Joe. She sings about the home they’ve created together and puts into words the most intricate part of a serious relationship (i.e. going out with someone, but also coming home with them at the end of the night). The bridge on this one is top notch, and mimics WEDDING VOWS!
4) “The Man” – This is an incredibly powerful track, in which Taylor sings about how her life would be so much different if she were a man instead of a woman. She touches on how her relationships, career, lifestyle and more would be viewed in a more positive light if she were a man.
5) “The Archer”- Taylor is known for putting some of her most raw and emotional songs at track five on her albums, and this one is no different. “The Archer” has her singing about losing faith in herself over the years, and wondering if anyone — friend or lover — will ever want to stick around for her.
6) “I Think He Knows” – This one is super straightforward — Taylor sings about how badly she wants Joe, but knows she doesn’t have tell him…because he already knows.
7) “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” – This one seems to be a political message about Donald Trump, where Taylor sings about the current political state of the U.S. and the way Trump won the 2016 election. Since the election, Taylor has come out to say she supports the Democratic Party, It’s full of incredible metaphors — “my team is losing, battered and bruising” is a reference to the Democrats losing the 2016 election, as is “the high fives between the bad guys,” in reference to Trump and his party members.
8) “Paper Rings” – Another track about Taylor’s relationship with Joe, in which she sings about how she’s so committed to marrying him one day, that she’d do it even with a paper ring. She sings about wanting EVERY part of Joe and how she wants to give him EVERY part of her, because that’s how in love she is.
9) “Cornelia Street” – This song is about the very beginning of Taylor and Joe’s romance, and the first time she brought him back to a place she was renting on Cornelia Street in New York City. The lyrics tell a super specific story of the time in the pair’s romance when Taylor was convinced the relationship wouldn’t go anywhere, only for Joe to prove her wrong. The gist? She’ll “never walk Cornelia Street again” if things ended with Joe, because it will always remind her of him.
10) “Death By A Thousand Cuts” – “Death By A Thousand Cuts” appears to be a generalization about how hard it is to lose people who are important to you. Taylor has lost both lovers and friends over the years, and this is a nod to the pain of having to move on without those people who were once a critical part of her life. After the album came out, Taylor revealed that she was inspired to write the song after watching the Netflix movie, Someone Great, which is about a devastating breakup.
11) “London Boy” – The title makes it clear enough that “London Boy” is about Joe. She sings about his life in the U.K. and how she loves being part of it. Taylor’s fans LOVE when she gets specific, and she definitely does here!
12) “Soon You’ll Get Better” (ft. Dixie Chicks) –This is by far the most emotional song on the album, as Taylor sings about her mom’s battle with cancer and how scared she is to lose her. The harmonies from the Dixie Chicks make it even more powerful, too.
13) “False God” – This appears to be another track about Taylor’s relationship with Joe and how they’ve gotten through some hard times, even when others didn’t believe they would. It also explores the physical side of their romance with some sexy lyrics, as well.
14) “You Need To Calm Down” – This was the second track Taylor released off of Lover, and it makes a statement in a way Taylor never has before. She stands up to the critics and defends herself, her fellow pop stars, and her friends in the LGBTQ community, making it clear that the opinions of others no longer matter.
15) “Afterglow” – This is another song about Joe, but rather than being about how perfect their romance is and how in love she is with him, this shows the difficult side of a serious love. Taylor sings about a fight the two got in and takes blame for starting it, then begs Joe to come back to her, even if he’s mad now.
16) “ME!” (ft. Brendon Urie) – “ME!” was the debut single off of Lover, and it’s the typical, bubble gum pop song that was perfect to kick things off for this era. Taylor has fun with the lyrics, in which she sings about self love and knowing her worth.
17) “It’s Nice To Have A Friend” – Taylor sings about the importance of having a close friend throughout the different stages of life — from the playground, to breaking the rules during adolescence, and then finally, through a lifelong partner after marriage.
18) “Daylight” – The closing song of the album is Taylor realizing that she’s finally found true love after so many years of searching for it. She’s fully ready to let go of anything that broke her heart in the past and live in the daylight of the love she has found. Stunning.