What I learnt from listening to Taylor Swift’s whole discography on Spotify

20 hours and 46 minutes later.

Internalised misogyny stole many years of music enjoyment from me. My experience is hardly unique, though. Many women in their twenties and thirties only allow themselves to taste the sweet nectar of pop music once they’re in adulthood. We banned ourselves from it in our teen years, fearing it would make us seem frivolous and tasteless.

Instead of the pop I wanted to be listening to, I was aurally on a strict bread and potatoes diet. The classics, if you will. Music had to be made before the 2000s, filed under the ‘rock’ genre and, preferably, performed by a group of dudes. I was taught this was ‘good’ music (not only by internet discourse but in my literal year nine classroom where we spent a whole period analysing Nirvana’s Nevermind album cover).

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A decade later, I wear Taylor Swift’s top spot in my Spotify Wrapped as a badge of honour. Even with the copious numbers of hours I’ve clocked listening to Blondie (as her fans affectionately call her) on repeat, I know I’ve only brushed the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her discography. 

So far, Taylor has 10 studio albums, two re-recorded studio albums, four extended plays, four live albums and 19 other miscellaneous works under her belt. The exact number of hits she’s been a part of is hard to nail down. In my mission to fully immerse myself in the world and wonder of Taylor Swift, I dived into the Spotify playlist ‘Taylor Swift Complete Collection’, where 20 hours and 46 minutes of listening time lay in wait. 

What followed was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions and genres. From acoustic live sets and remixes to her soundtrack additions to Cats and Hannah Montana, listening to her entire discography really felt like a journey through Taylor’s life. 

Since her first release at age 16, Taylor’s sound (and eras) have evolved significantly. Listening to her country-twang teenage voice morph into the confident, 12-time Grammy award-winning singer she is today was truly inspiring. 

I learnt that, though she is now considered a gifted storyteller, she had to put in the work to get there. Taylor was also once an angsty teen who poured her heart out in the shape of hyperbolic clichés (celebrities, they’re just like us).

But reading “Devils roll the dice / Angels roll their eyes” from ‘Cruel Summer’ on Spotify’s Lyrics feature sent shivers down my spine, as did “Barefoot in the kitchen / Sacred new beginnings / That became my religion, listen” in ‘Cornelia Street.’

I was also taken on a nostalgic voyage through my own memories. Flashback to when I was 13 and listening to Taylor’s ‘Fifteen’ thinking how grown-up I would be when I hit that age. Or hearing ‘Fearless’ and remembering how lovesick I was for my primary school crush. Singing along to the 1989 album transported me back to being in the car with my little sister and how we’d replay the CD over and over again. 

Revisiting these moments from my past (and discovering missed tracks for the first time) felt like I was making up for lost time and connecting with my inner teenager. As hundreds of Taylor’s tracks faded in and out of one another, I had a newfound appreciation for the breadth of her career. 

It allowed me to look back fondly on past versions of myself. Just as Taylor has her distinct Reputation, Lover and Folklore eras, I can look back at where I was at the time of these album releases. Reputation aptly came out the year after I graduated high school. Folklore dropped in the tumultuous year of 2020. But I’m not surprised. She did tell us she’s a mastermind, after all.

Try out Spotify’s Lyrics feature to fully immerse yourself in the world of Taylor Swift.