Republic
Pop, 2019

With a new label, an allegedly new beau, and a newfound determination to virtue signal like only a skinny white chick wanting to be center of other people’s issues will do, Taylor Swift releases a sunny, saccharine, fluffy album mostly about falling and being in love. Of course, there is the usual “I really don’t care about the haters, and to show them I don’t care, this is my third song about how I don’t care” nonsense from her, this time with her forcing herself to be the straight white chick center of attention-hogging in LGBT issues as bonus (You Need to Calm Down) and the “I’m Taylor Swift bitch, and you dare to break off with me, so here’s my song about you, bitch!” anthem (I Forgot That You Existed), but on the whole, it’s all about wanting to be with that guy until forever and ever… or until a break-up is mandatory for the next big song, I guess.

I know, it’s very easy to hate this skinny, snotty, disingenuous little tart who is now playing the virtue signaling card to get herself more acting gigs in Hollywood, but Lover is actually a collection of really, really solid songs. I thought she’d be boring again once she ditched her melodramatic pretensions in reputation, but if anything, she is now even more melodramatic as ever in the opposite direction. The title track is like a tidal wave of fatal-stage diabetes as she coos and purrs about how her new love is going to be most perfect ever, and the sentiment continues in tracks like Daylight and Afterglow. She still retains her synth-pop sensibilities in tracks like I Think He Knows, Cornelia Street, and the meme-worthy You Need to Calm Down, so don’t worry, things aren’t all treacly ballads here.

Here’s the thing: aside from the way-too-corny You Need to Calm Down, every other track here is a very catchy, very infectious song that sinks into the brain too easily, and to be honest, I don’t mind at all. Even when she once again channels her inner Lana Del Rey in Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, it’s still obviously Taylor Swift in charge.

Frankly, despite how often I roll up my eyes at her real life antics, I have to admire a lady who is doing her best to be in charge of her own music as well as her public image. We still don’t have many of them around, especially now that Madonna has fallen off the rails and is now claiming to be a victim of the patriarchy to stay relevant, thus undoing decades of established image as an inspirational woman in charge of her music and life. Hmm, is Ms Swift the Madonna of this generation?

Who knows, and really, who cares. Let me just listen Lover and sort of love-hate myself for loving every second of it. Okay, I kid. So long as she keeps this up, I’m happy to be a fan, no matter how embarrassing that may be to other people!