Following the release of Midnight and the end of 2022, WSUM's Music Journalism Club wrote a bit about their favorite Taylor Swift tracks and what these classics mean to them:

“You Belong With Me,” Fearless

An impactful song that crossed generational lines, “You Belong With Me” perfectly describes a emotionally and hormonally charged high school relationship.  In the prime of her “singer/songwriter” era, Taylor deeply connected with her audience of teens, causing them lust strongly over class crushes and celebrity hotties alike.  Taylor was in a relationship with teenage heartthrob Joe Jonas during the time the album was released, making this album even more intensely teeny-boppy.  

—Claire Finger

“State of Grace”, Red

I don't think that any song starts an album as flawlessly as “State of Grace” starts Red. This was the album where Taylor became the cool girl, with the red lip and the questionable Harry Styles “bad boy” era, Taylor was starting to move past her country roots and experimenting with more genres, and everybody was loving it. In “State of Grace”, she channels her rockstar alter ego and it hits so hard, well done Taylor, we're all proud of you <3

—Lily Busher

“Mirrorball” Folklore

This song definitely changed my brain chemistry when I heard it the night of its release on July 23, 2022. This song beautifully encapsulates the feeling of trying so desperately to be noticed. She describes herself as a mirrorball, shining for those to watch her. She mentions that the circus was called off in the bridge, alluding to her world tour, Loverfest, which was called off due to the pandemic. This song shined when the rest of the word was on pause. 

–Frankie Reuter

“We Are Never Getting Back Together,” Red

Taylor Swift is nothing short of a pop culture icon and this song helped define the early 2010s. Her quick, catchy, and rhythmic sound created a prominent subculture in America – the Swifties. This song is still recognized as one of the greatest throwback songs because Taylor's music will never be antiquated. She touches on themes of failed relationships and moving on. This was relevant in 2012 and it still remains true today, proving that Taylor's music can stand the test of time. 

—Abbey Handel

“Enchanted,” Speak Now

Taylor Swift truly proved her songwriting capabilities and lyrical mastery in her 2010 album, Speak Now. The 14 tracks were written entirely by Taylor herself, allowing the emotional vulnerability and honesty to shine through in every song. “Enchanted,” is a power ballad that describes an infatuation with a person after their first interaction, and in my opinion is one of her greatest songs ever written. In fact, it was originally supposed to be the title track of the album, rather than Speak Now, but was changed last minute prior to the release. Swift is a renowned storyteller, and with this song she displays her unique ability to recount a personal experience and captivate her listeners with impressive lyricism. This will always be a top 5 Taylor Swift song in my book. She was at a time in her life where she needed to prove herself to the music industry, and this album, and the song “Enchanted” in particular, did exactly what it needed to for her career to explode. 

—Claire Zimmerman

“Long Live,” Speak Now

“Long Live” is one of Taylor's songs that will forever be impactful. As a song dedicated to her band and her fans, it becomes more meaningful as each year passes and she releases new music. This song dropped in 2010, and was written far ahead of its time, with lyrics reading, “it was the end of a decade, but the start of an age.” Truly, this was the beginning of the age of Taylor Swift. Since 2010 she has become the largest, most successful female artist of our time. “Love Live” is a tribute song to everyone who has helped her become the musician she is today, and will forever be remembered as a defining moment in her career. 

—Claire Zimmerman

“Fearless,” Fearless

While I'm often fearless to say “I don't listen to much Taylor Swift” nowadays, there was a time where I indulged in her earlier releases. In fact, one song that's outlived my “Swiftie era” is “Fearless,” the first song off Swift's 2008 album with the same namesake. “Fearless,” with its catchy guitar riff, tells the story of two teens on a romantic drive to the end of the road that leads to a first kiss. Nine year old me could only hope for the song to someday speak to my own lived experience as I looped the song on my 2nd generation blue iPod shuffle. 

—Emma Hamilton

“Lover,” Lover

Having someone you're in love with tell you to listen to Lover is an experience like no other, that will also leave you devastated when it's all over. This song feels like a cold winter night getting warmed by the love you feel for the person in the car next to you. Now all this song does is make me sob my eyes out, but there is no song that means more to me out of Taylor Swift's massive body of work than this one. The slow rising chorus with crazy high notes will always leave me looking like an idiot with no concept of pitch or tune trying to sing along. The song is also just so beautiful outside of the memories I have attached to it, and I think it's one of if not her best showings in both songwriting and singing. Just a lovely song in general 🙂

—Kian Murphey

“Bad Blood,” 1989

Before I tragically broke my iPod Touch, “Bad Blood” was one of my most-played songs. The song itself, along with the drama behind its lyrics, was a masterpiece to 10-year-old me. A memory with this song that has stuck with me to this day is due to my mom being cursed with a major inability to remember song lyrics. Even after listening to something hundreds of times, she cannot remember more than one or two lyrics. Like me, “Bad Blood” was one of her favorites. Unfortunately, she could not remember any of the lyrics besides “Bandaids don't fix bullet holes”, so she would only sing that lyric, over and over. For weeks. Even seven years later, that single lyric has not left my memory. The fact that I cannot get the song out of my mind, no matter how hard I've tried, has definitely made “Bad Blood” the most impactful Taylor Swift song in my life. 

—Erica Kallas