So… you’ve heard a Taylor Swift song or two. Maybe “Cruel Summer”, a summer song that is guaranteed to get you in the right mood, or a class “You Belong With Me” that is your number one karaoke song on a night out. Or maybe you’ve seen Eras Tour clips around social media and are just blown away by how many songs she sings in one show. Now you’re curious and maybe even want to become a Swiftie! But you’re in luck because I’m a hugeeeeee Swiftie and can teach you all the things you need to know about Miss Swift and being a fan.

Step 1: The Music – Duh

Obviously, the first step is actually listening to Taylor Swift. But where do you start when she’s got 11 studio albums, re-recordings, bonus tracks, and vault songs? If I had to give you a run down on every single Taylor Swift album and song ever we’d be here for years so to save you the time and to not overwhelm the new Swiftie’s, here’s just a quick run down on her stunning albums. Keep in mind almost all of these albums have been re-released, TV, “Taylors version”. 

• Taylor Swift (Debut) – Country roots, teenage diary vibes. Think cowboy boots teenage love. 
• Fearless – Coming-of-age sparkle. You’ve heard “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” These are the classics. 
• Red – A heartbreak album with a side of scarf. Fall vibes.
• 1989 – Her full pop pivot. Glossy, bright, catchy, and fun. 
• Reputation – Snake era. Dark, edgy, misunderstood. She’s mad, and it’s art. 
• Lover – Pastel and glitter, summer, slow, and up-beat, the perfect album. 
• Folklore & Evermore – Sister albums. Emotional devastation via piano. Masterpieces. Arguably my favourite albums ever by Taylor Swift, they are literally on repeat for me, I don’t think a single day has gone by that I haven’t listened to a song from Folklore or Evermore.
• Midnights – Midnights is fun and interesting. In my opinion I think the lyrics are the real start of the show. 
• The Tortured Poets Department – Poetry, chills, heartbreak, and literary chaos. This album is horrifyingly beautiful. 

Step 2: Understand “The Eras”

No, I’m not talking about historical periods like the Renaissance or the Industrial Revolution. I’m talking about Taylor Swift’s Eras, which are basically phases of her career, complete with their own looks, colors, sounds, and feelings. Just like different eras you have had in your life, maybe relationships wise, school wise, or even just you wise. Each era you have had is probably really different from others and that’s just like Taylor Swift’s albums. So there comes in the “Eras Tour” one concert, every album. Yup. Every. Single. Album. Of course not every single song, Taylor picked the ones she wanted to include but let’s just say it was enough to make it a 3.5 hour concert of non-stop music. So the Eras Tour literally celebrates each one like its own mini concert. 

Step 3: Taylor’s Version

You’ve probably seen “Taylor’s Version” in the title of some of her songs or albums. At the heart of it, Taylor’s re-recordings are her way of reclaiming control. Making her music hers. Back in the day, when she first signed her record deal as a teenager (Debut era), she didn’t own her master recordings. That means the original versions of her early albums weren’t technically hers,  they belonged to her old label, Big Machine Records. So where it all went south when Scooter Braun came into the mix. He bought Big Machine and with that, the masters to Swift’s first six albums. Taylor wasn’t exactly thrilled about this. She actually made it very public that she had tried to buy her masters back, but was shut out of the deal. Rather than just sit back and forget it (or probably write a killer song about it) she took control and re-recorded everything. Every single song. And on the journey with this even released some new songs and added some new songs to the old (but newly released) albums and these are called “Vault Tracks”. 

Basically, by re-recording her old songs and releasing them as “Taylor’s Version,” she creates a new master that she does own. And since she has a pretty devoted fanbase (me and a million other Swifties) we all just collectively agreed to boycott everything non Taylor’s Version and switch out the songs on our playlists to Taylor approved songs. 

The re-releasing of older albums was also kinda a genius way to re-engage old fans. Fans that were into her in the “Love Story” days kinda jumped back on to listening to her stuff and now get to experience the beauty of her new recordings. Now there are only two albums left to be re-recorded and released to the Swifties, “Taylor Swift” (debut) and “Reputation”. I can’t even stress the amount of times I’ve been tricked into thinking that that day Taylor was going to release Reputation, she’s really tricked us all. I was convinced that she was going to announce Reputation Taylor’s Version on the final night of the Eras Tour but I was fooled. Now the Swifites are all patiently awaiting the day that all her music will be hers. I can’t wait. 

Being Swiftie isn’t about being crazy obsessed and weird – it’s about finding joy in her music, the storytelling, and honestly just the whole Swiftie community itself. Whether you’re a casual listener or a knee-deep in easter egg theory videos trying to figure out when you can expect Reputation Taylor’s Version, you’re in the right place. So congratulations and welcome to the club if you’re a new Swiftie! And maybe the next time you are belting out “You Belong With Me” on karaoke night, you’ll have a little background info to share with the group to create even more new Swifties!