Taylor Swift songs that belong on other albums - Episode 89
In this episode of Create & Consume, I asked a dangerous but delightful question: what if Taylor Swift’s songs lived on the albums they felt like they belonged to, not the ones they were officially released on?
Instead of tracking strict eras, this episode explores emotional continuity, sonic through‑lines, and lyrical evolution—especially across albums that blur together in memory.
Create and consume:
What Austen’s creating this week: a new podcasting setup in the home office! My chair is from Wayfair, and my mic is the same brand as the other one.
What Austen’s consuming this week: The Traitors, The Pitt
In this episode:
For me, the first three albums—Taylor Swift (Debut), Fearless, and Speak Now—exist in a shared universe.
They’re deeply intertwined in sound and storytelling, with Speak Now acting as the bridge into pop.
From Red onward, though, the swaps get more interesting, more emotional, and a lot more unhinged (in the best way).
Taylor Swift (debut)
Should’ve Said No → Speak Now
At its core, this song is about finding your voice and standing up for yourself.
That emotional clarity and confrontation align perfectly with Speak Now, an album built on saying the things you were never brave enough to say out loud.
Fearless
The Best Day → Taylor Swift (Debut)
This song is rooted in family, childhood, and where you come from—making it feel right at home on Debut, where Taylor’s sense of identity is still forming.
The Other Side of the Door → Taylor Swift (Debut)
Sonically, this track leans much deeper into country than most of Fearless.
It carries that raw, youthful energy that defines her earliest work.
Speak Now
Back to December → Red
In my mind, Back to December and All Too Well are siblings.
They’re both about reflection, regret, and emotional maturity—key themes that dominate Red.
Ours → Taylor Swift (Debut)
Sweet, understated, and unmistakably country, this song feels like it belongs with Taylor’s earliest love stories.
Red
Stay Stay Stay → Fearless
The bubbly tempo and cutesy lyrics feel much closer to Fearless than the emotional devastation we associate with Red.
Girl at Home → 1989
Red is mourning the breakup. 1989 is the rebound.
This song fits perfectly into that transition.
Forever Winter → Fearless
Believed to be about a high school crush who passed away, this track carries the tenderness and emotional innocence of Fearless.
“Too young to know it gets better… I’ll be summer sun for you forever.”
I Bet You Think About Me → Speak Now
This feels like an alternate universe where the guy in Speak Now didn’t actually speak.
Same defiance, same unresolved tension.
“I bet you think about me.”
Nothing New → evermore
This song is existential, reflective, and painfully self‑aware—perfectly aligned with evermore’s quiet devastation.
“How can a person know everything at eighteen, but nothing at twenty‑two?”
1989
Bad Blood → reputation
A song about vengeance, feuds, and public fallout belongs firmly in the reputation era.
Little did she know Katy Perry would be the least of her problems.
I Know Places → reputation
Sonically and thematically, this track mirrors the paranoia and retreat from the spotlight that defines reputation.
“Baby, I know places we won’t be found.”
reputation
Delicate → 1989
This song screams summer 2014.
Light, nervous, flirty—pure 1989 energy.
“We can’t make any promises now, can we, babe?”
Gorgeous → 1989
It’s playful, self‑aware, and reminiscent of Blank Space in both tone and structure.
King of My Heart → Lover
Even the title feels like Lover.
This song leans into romantic optimism rather than guarded chaos.
New Year’s Day → Midnights
This should have been the closing track on Midnights.
It’s intimate, quiet, and reflective—about staying when the party’s over.
“I want your midnights.”
Lover
Soon You’ll Get Better → Fearless
A country‑leaning song about illness and vulnerability fits naturally within Fearless.
The Archer → evermore
I usually skip this song, and I think it’s because it never fit Lover’s vibe.
On evermore, though, it makes perfect emotional sense.
“I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost.”
False God → 1989
Between the NYC imagery and the slick production, this track feels like it belongs in 1989’s world.
“Religion’s in your lips, the altar is my hips.”
folklore
betty → Fearless
A high school love triangle told from the perspective of a 17‑year‑old boy?
That’s Fearless through and through. Major Fifteen vibes.
mad woman → The tortured poet’s department
This song’s rage, bitterness, and gendered fury feel like a clear precursor to TTPD.
“Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy.”
evermore
coney island → Red
Sonically, this would fit seamlessly on Red. Between the NYC setting and the birthday cake imagery, it echoes All Too Well and The Moment I Knew.
“We were like the mall before the internet.”
The Tortured Poet’s Department
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart → The life of a showgirl
I could write an entire thesis on this one. This song is TLOAS.
Performance, pain, and survival all wrapped in glitter.
“Lights, camera, bitch smile.”
I Hate It Here → folklore
This song and the lakes feel spiritually connected—both about retreating into inner worlds when reality becomes unbearable.
Midnights
Vigilante Shit → reputation
This track shares the same DNA as I Did Something Bad. Revenge never sleeps.
“Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man.”
You’re On Your Own, Kid → Red
A young adult looking back on childhood and heartbreak? That emotional arc belongs on Red.
Bejeweled → 1989
This and Style are sister songs in my head—glamorous, self‑assured, and magnetic.
“By the way, I’m going out tonight.”
Bigger Than the Whole Sky → evermore
Quiet grief, unanswered questions, and emotional aftermath place this squarely in evermore’s world.
“Did some force take you because I didn’t pray?”
The Life of a Showgirl
Opalite → Lover
Bright, hopeful, and euphoric—this song thrives in Lover’s warmth.
Ruin the Friendship → Fearless
Specifically a vault track. Timeline‑wise it’s messy, but emotionally it belongs in Taylor’s earliest era of loss and longing.
Father Figure → reputation
A sharp critique of the music industry that fits perfectly alongside reputation’s power struggles and disillusionment.
Final thoughts
Top 3 songs I would move:
Ruin the Friendship: TLOAS → Fearless
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: TTPD → The Life of a Showgirl
Bad Blood: 1989 → reputation
Top 3 albums I wouldn’t touch:
evermore (moved one track)
Debut (moved one track)
Speak Now (moved two tracks)
This exercise isn’t about rewriting history—it’s about understanding why Taylor’s music resonates so deeply across eras.
When you strip away the release dates and focus on emotion, the connections become impossible to ignore.
Summary:
In this episode of Create & Consume, I reimagine Taylor Swift’s discography by placing songs on the albums they emotionally and sonically belong to, revealing deeper through‑lines in her storytelling and artistic evolution.
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