Taylor Swift's Lover Made Us Fall Head Over Heels in Love With Her Music All Over Again

"I was intrigued to see how Swift's album would go from dark snakes to butterflies and pastels, and this song perfectly captures that transition. While she's acknowledging that the feuds and drama from her Reputation album were a part of her life, she's also turning the chapter and creating a new narrative for herself." — Kelsie Gibson, associate celebrity and entertainment editor

"'I Forgot That You Existed' put a smile on my face instantly. It was so catchy, and I loved the idea behind the song because we've all had a person like that in our lives. I immediately wanted to listen to it another 20 times." — Amanda McKelvey, social media strategist

"This is the perfect way to bring us into the Lover-era from out-for-blood Taylor Swift in Reputation. It's at once shady and a sort of rebirth for all of us. We're done with the drama — welcome to Swift 3.0." — Charisandra Perez, social media & partnerships coordinator

"Whew. Is there a more perfect track to kick off Lover with? Is there anything more brutal than the act of indifference? It's those days, months, or maybe even years after a breakup or betrayal when one day you wake up and suddenly everything that was weighing you down has finally just floated away. The ultimate feeling of freedom? Forgetting their damn existence. And to that I say: hell yes, girl." — Kristin Harris, head of talent relations and celebrity editor

"I'm honestly mad Swift didn't release this as a single just for the fact that I only have one month left to blare this song from my car speakers before Summer officially ends. It's the Summer jam we needed but didn't deserve!" — KG

"'Said I'm fine, but it wasn't true
I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you' and 'I love you,' ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?' are some of my favorite lyrics on the album, and if AIM away messages were still a thing, you KNOW they would be all over mine!" — AM

"WHAT. A. BOP. I will be practicing my 'He looks up grinning like a devil' scream for the concert. Am I a little salty that she held out on us with this one? A little, but once the first chorus hits, I'm over it." — CP

"Excuse me, I'm sorry — why was this not the lead single of Lover?! I'm gonna need a serious in-depth explanation — and while I wait for that to come, I'll be endlessly yelling 'Alexa play 'Cruel Summer' by Taylor Swift' in my living room for the next 17 hours or perhaps the remainder of my life. 'I'm drunk in the back of the car, and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar. Said I'm fine, but it wasn't true. I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you.' — honestly @ me next time, Swift!" — KH

"From the moment I heard those first few guitar chords, I knew without a doubt that the old Taylor Swift was officially back. This poetic track truly captures what Swift does best: swoon-worthy melodies and bridges to end all bridges." — KG

"'Lover' makes me want to climb under a blanket and light all the cozy candles." — AM

"Now on my 10,000th listen, I think I can say with absolute certainty: this is Swift's greatest masterpiece. The production is dreamy and almost sounds like it was recorded live, if we were in her living room with a full band. A beautiful love song that understands every nuance she's earned in her past 13 years." — CP

"As someone who, uh, doesn't have a wedding on the horizon, is it too much to admit that I've already started choreographing my first dance to this song? I'd like to write a love letter to 'Lover' for transporting me into this whimsical, romantic swirl of a world. When she sings 'I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all,' it makes me want to both sob happy tears and text my boyfriend a lot of embarrassing heart emojis." — KH

"I have to admit, when Swift first teased this track in her Vogue interview, I was a bit skeptical. But after hearing the track in full, I can confirm that is a total bop! Swift stuck it to the man with this one, and I am living." — KG

"'The Man' is literally every thought a woman has all day long. It's all these conversations we have to have and things we need to do and think of that men never have to worry about." — AM

"YES! Swift is 100 percent right when she says if she was a man, she'd be THE man. The song starts strong right off the bat, and it doesn't let up for a full three minutes. This one is going to be stuck in my head, and I can't wait." — CP

"I clapped the entire three minutes and 10 seconds of this double standard-shaming song. 'The Man' should be required listening for all humans across the globe. And that Leo burn? Iconic." — KH

"It took me a few listens to fully comprehend Swift's lyrics, but once I did, I broke down in tears. After wrestling with the idea of love for so many years, Swift is finally read to put her armor down and fight for it. Track five certainly didn't disappoint!" — KG

"'I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you' is another one of those lyrics that I was just like, YES!" — AM

"This is the fifth track, and so it has a lot of expectations placed on it. There's a lot of build-up in this one that never quite gets the moment I want, but it's a nice lullaby."— CP

"As someone who is a queen of self-sabotage and trying to find things to be angry about when they don't exist because it's too scary to be vulnerable . . . I high-key relate to this song. 'The Archer' really brings you through all the complicated, beautiful, terrifying, life-affirming feelings that love provides — and that constant battle between knowing your worth yet somehow still feeling unlovable, sometimes at the exact same time. Damn, she's good." — KH

"If you combined 'Gorgeous' with 'Dress,' I'm pretty sure you'd get 'I Think He Knows.'" This one is supercatchy and will 100 percent get stuck in my head after a few more listens." — KG

"This song is just a fun and easy listen, and sometimes, that's exactly what you need." — AM

"I've gotta say it — this sounds so much like Canadian pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen in the best way. Her falsetto is in full force in this chorus, and I can see Swift strutting down the catwalk at her concerts already." — CP

"Not gonna lie: all the band and cheerleading references in this one gave me major flashbacks to Swift's 'You Belong With Me' and 'Shake It Off' days. Not only is the America imagery incredibly smart as Swift sings about her dreams crumbling down (the "death" of her reputation following the Kim Kardashian and Kanye West drama), but I definitely sensed some political undertones with this one." — KG

"The picture Swift draws together of a school is so interesting and imaginative. The way her mind works is just fascinating to me." — AM

"This is one of the heavy hitters for me. Thematically, I am still trying to figure it out as it uses a lot of metaphors, but her recent political commentary makes me think the lede isn't as buried as many could think it is. A gorgeous song with a melancholic sound reminiscent of Lana Del Rey. *Hits repeat*" — CP

"This song is as if I bottled up every feeling in my bones from 2016-2017, and also if I had an attractive British boyfriend that I could escape to London with during said tumultuous year. I ask myself this often, but do you think Taylor Swift knows how genius she is?" — KH

"You guys, this song is so, so catchy! Something about the beat makes me want to tease my hair, wear shoulder pads, and dance obnoxiously. Definitely one my favorite songs on the album, for sure." — KG

"'Paper Rings' first sounded to me like 'Walking on Sunshine' mixed with Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend' in the best possible way. This was one of my favorite songs on the album, and I never want to stop listening to it!" — AM

"Well, if you were feeling down, this song really puts a pep in your step! I may or may not have jumped around my room singing this into a microphone hairbrush. A friend aptly described that as the much hotter, older sister of 'Our Song.'" — CP

"This song feels like sugar being injected into my veins, in like, a really cute way. I'm going to need someone to write a 'Paper Rings'-themed rom-com starring Taylor Swift immediately. Thanks!" — KH

"Can I just say how freaking happy I am that Taylor Swift is happy? Also, bless her for gifting us with another song about NYC." — KG

"'Cornelia Street' stirs up images of a new relationship and the scary feeling you get when you know you're more in love than you thought, but you're unsure if they feel the same. Plus, who doesn't love the cute nods to NYC?" — AM

"This song took me on a journey. It's the kind of love song that has a tinge of fear and anxiety but ultimately comfort that can be so rarely sung about. Sometimes, it's not all perfect love or heartbreaking endings. This is a love song, but one that doesn't glaze over the complexities." — CP

"It's been 11 hours and I still haven't been able to narrow down my favorite song on Lover, but this track is battling for first place. I think we all have a 'Cornelia Street' in our world — if I replaced her words with '28th Street,' it's as if I wrote the nearly five minutes of perfection from my own heart, and for that, I truly cannot stop hitting replay." — KH

"Oh my gosh, 'I look through the windows of this love, Even though we boarded them up' is such an incredible line!" — KG

"'DBATC' is the breakup song I needed from this album." — AM

"This is such a fun song. I can't wait to hear it in concert. It's very bright, but the lyrics are a little more somber. This is the kind of breakup song you need after you're over listening to breakup songs." — CP

"Who doesn't appreciate a good breakup song? This track delivers. 10/10 would've blasted while eating pints of salted caramel Talenti underneath a weighted blanket in my bed in 2017." — KH

"OK, I am obsessed with this one! And that Idris Elba sample in the beginning? Genius." — KG

"I love that this painted such a detailed picture of Swift and Joe Alwyn's love. Since it's a very private relationship, I love hearing the little moments they have." — AM

"Oh, hi, Idris Elba. Swift's love letter to a boy is actually a love letter to a city. If I hadn't watched so many British YouTubers as a teenager, I would not understand half of the song; Swift is becoming an honorary Brit." — CP

"As someone who also identifies as an Anglophile, this song makes me wanna book a flight to London and hop on a double-decker bus while downing scones and pretending I'm Meghan Markle. So, yes, I love it." — KH

"I didn't think Taylor Swift could write a song sadder than 'Ronan,' but I was wrong. My mom went through breast cancer a few years ago, so needless to say, this heartbreaking song about Swift's mom's battle with cancer had me in a puddle of tears. That last line in the chorus completely broke me." — KG

"This song had me bawling like a baby almost immediately." — AM

"I am honored that Swift and her family felt comfortable enough to share this with us. It's a heartbreaking song that many will find solace in. It's the perfect example of how in her seemingly personal specificities, she creates something so deeply universal." — CP

"I really, truly, don't know where to begin. For starters, I fully sobbed the entire first four times I listened to this song. The deep breath she takes halfway through? Yeah, that felt like my heart being smashed into 500 tiny pieces. When she sings 'Who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do, if there's no you?' I've never felt a line so deep in my core in my entire existence. It made me want to book a flight home to my mom ASAP and spend the rest of the day grateful for coming through the other side in year's past. This song is perfection." — KH

"Swift is really dipping her toes into every genre with this album. This R&B-inspired track might be Swift's chillest song to date." — KG

"This took me down to New Orleans for a second, but then I learned this is very much New York City. This sexy little number is officially added to my getting ready playlist." — CP

"'I know heaven's a thing, I go there when you touch me, honey. Hell is when I fight with you.' I'm sweating, and I need a glass of whiskey — and I don't even drink whiskey." — KH

"I can't tell you how many times I've quoted this song in my every day life since the music video first dropped. I just can't calm down, OK?!" — KG

"'YNTCD' is the perfect response to those annoying internet trolls (and sometimes family members) who just can't get out of their own way." — AM

"In an album about all sorts of love, there HAS to be a song about love for everyone! This is the concert closer or opener. It's a jam is what I am trying to say." — CP

"Still a bop, still 100 percent dancing around to it in my living room on a Saturday night after 2.5 glasses of wine." — KH

"From 'Stay, Stay, Stay' to this, Swift has certainly come a long way in the love department." — KG

"I love the vulnerability in this song. I think all of Swift's listeners can relate to self-sabotaging and overthinking (just me?!). I love the anthem-y feel to it, too." — AM

"'Why is it weird to hear Swift apologizing?' A friend commented to me. Because she never has, and it shows incredible growth on her part. This is such a mature move for her, and I am here for her self-awareness and vulnerability." — CP

"Not to expose myself here, but the first time I listened to this, my best friend looked at me and said, 'Damn, did you write this?' So anyways, 'Afterglow' is now my religion." — KH

"This music video will forever go down as Swift's biggest Easter egg hunt to date, and for that I am incredibly grateful. It didn't take long for this one to get stuck in my head, and I can't wait to scream the lyrics at the top of my lungs on tour." — KG

"Being the first single, this song is just punchy and fun. I like how Swift admits to her faults, but that's what makes her, her, and she's not afraid to say it." — AM

"The first single off the album and the bubblegum pop antithesis to 'LWYMMD.' I understand why she did it, but personally I will be skipping unless I am watching a live performance with all the fanfare." — CP

"Listen, I live for anything that includes the phrase 'feat. Brendon Urie.' And that's that on that." — KH

"Let's be real: this song is basically the wiser, older sister of 'Mary's Song.' Swift has really come full circle, and I'm completely in my feelings about it." — KG

"Such a sweet little tune. It's going to be looked over often, but in this moment, I want to appreciate it." — CP

"As soon as this track started, my first thought was, 'Did I get transported into Big Little Lies?' But on another note, this song is like the feeling of being wrapped up in a warm blanket come to life." — KH

"When Swift sang, 'I once believed love would be burning red, but it's golden like daylight,' I completely lost it. And her voiceover at the end? What a beautiful note to end the album on." — KG

"'Daylight' is Swift's song of rebirth. There are even references to her songs 'Red' and 'Out of the Woods.' It's clear that Swift has finally found peace and happiness, and all of those other chapters that felt so differently were just leading her to this." — AM

"Swift said the album was originally going to be named after this song, and I can understand why. It calls back to her old albums such as Reputation and Red, and shows how she's grown into herself completely. She has arrived, and is in her truest, golden form." — CP

"OK, ask me again in five days, but I think I'm ready to officially announce that 'Daylight' is my favorite track on Lover and possibly the only song I'll be listening to for the remainder of 2019. 'I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you. I don't wanna think of anything else now that I've thought of you' — that's exactly how I feel about this song. It's the perfect culmination to this album and this era of Taylor Swift, one in which she finally found the love that wasn't burning red but was like a golden, illuminating daylight — and it doesn't get anymore perfect than that." — KH