Lover

Lover

by Taylor Swift
Lover

Lover

by Taylor Swift

CD

$17.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

Taylor Swift sings "If I was a man, I'd be The Man" on a song that arrives just as Lover, her seventh studio album, starts to get underway. It's not bragging if it's true. Perhaps 2017's Reputation didn't dominate the popular consciousness the way her 2014 pop breakthrough 1989 did, but that was partially by design. Hard and steely, Reputation announced the arrival of an adult Taylor -- a conscious maturation that didn't bother disguising its seams. Lover, in contrast, is a bit messier, almost defiantly so. Swift retains Jack Antonoff -- the former fun. captain who has been at her side since 2014's 1989 -- as her chief collaborator, and while the duo remains besotted by the chillier aspects of late '80s synth pop, not everything here plays like a sleek, sexy update on T'Pau. Certainly, "The Archer" basks within the glow of its retro analog synths, dredging up memories of both "Out of the Woods" and "Heart and Soul," yet its iciness isn't the primary color on Lover. Swift does return to this glassiness on occasion, warming its chill on the mini-epic "Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince," but Lover is bright, lively, and openhearted, encompassing a full range of human emotion. Happily, this includes a hefty dose of silliness: never mind the effervescence of "Paper Rings," the closest thing to pure bubblegum Taylor has ever recorded, the inclusion of a spoken introduction from Idris Elba on "London Boy" is giddily goofy. Swift smartly balances these pieces of pure pop with songs that tap into a deep reservoir of complex feelings. Listen closely to "The Man," and it becomes clear the song is neither a boast nor a manifesto but rather a bit of clear-eyed anger at institutional sexism. "The Man" isn't the only place where Swift tackles political issues. On "You Need to Calm Down," she offers an anthem for allies, writing a manifesto that is perhaps a bit too on the nose, but that directness can be an asset. Witness "Soon You'll Get Better," a quivering and candid prayer for healing where she's assisted by the Dixie Chicks; her pleas for her ailing loved one to get better are all the more affecting by being affectless. Swiftian scholars could argue "Soon You'll Get Better" is written for her mother, just like "I Forgot That You Existed" is a riposte against some unnamed online critic, but decoding the inspirations behind Lover diminishes an album so generous and colorful. More than either 1989 or Reputation, Lover seems fully realized and mature: Swift is embracing all aspects of her personality, from the hopeful dreamer to the coolly controlled craftsman, resulting in a record that's simultaneously familiar and surprising. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 08/23/2019
Label: Republic / Virgin Emi
UPC: 0602577928680
Rank: 231

Tracks

  1. I Forgot That You Existed
  2. Cruel Summer
  3. Lover
  4. The Man
  5. The Archer
  6. I Think He Knows
  7. Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince
  8. Paper Rings
  9. Cornelia Street
  10. Death by a Thousand Cuts
  11. London Boy
  12. Soon You'll Get Better
  13. False God
  14. You Need to Calm Down
  15. Afterglow
  16. Me!
  17. It's Nice to Have a Friend
  18. Daylight

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Taylor Swift   Primary Artist,Vocals,Percussion
Brendon Urie   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Panic! At the Disco   Primary Artist
Michael Riddleberger   Drums
Adam Feeney   Guitar
David Urquidi   Saxophone
Mikey Freedom Hart   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Matthew Tavares   Guitar
Steve Hughes   Trombone
Brandon Bost   Vocals (Background)
Serafin Aguilar   Trumpet
The Chicks   Featured Artist
Joel Little   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ken Lewis   Vocals (Background)
Louis Bell   Keyboards
Emily Strayer   Banjo
Martie Maguire   Fiddle
Jack Antonoff   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Vocoder,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Joe Harrison   Guitar
Cassidy Ladden   Vocals (Background)
Sean Hutchinson   Drums
Evan Smith   Keyboards,Saxophone
Laura Sisk   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Adam Feeney   Composer,Programming
Mark Spears   Composer
Ryon Nishimori   Package Design
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Taylor Swift   Composer,Producer,Photography,Executive Producer,Creative Packaging Direction
Joel Little   Drum Programming,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Annie Clark   Composer
Nick Mills   Assistant Engineer
Josh Newman   Art Direction
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Bethany Newman   Art Direction
Brent Kolatalo   Engineer
Cautious Clay   Composer
Parker Foote   Package Design
Abby Murdock   Package Design
John Rooney   Assistant Engineer
Louis Bell   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Grant Strumwasser   Assistant Engineer
Valheria Rocha   Cover Photo
Frank Dukes   Producer
Jack Antonoff   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Brendon Urie   Composer
Idris Elba   Introduction
James Corden   Introduction
Laura Sisk   Engineer
Sounwave   Producer
Jin Kim   Package Design
Scott Swift   Photography
Andrea Swift   Photography
Jon Sher   Assistant Engineer
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews