reputation

reputation

by Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift

Overview

Taylor Swift never hesitated to place a veiled version of herself at the center of her songs, but reputation is her first record specifically about "Taylor Swift Superstar," not the singer/songwriter who grew up in public. reputation dispenses with the notion that Swift is a babe in the woods, swapping naivete for calculation, leaning hard into the idea that she plots her every move. In that light, it's difficult not to read reputation as Swift's first self-consciously "adult" record, one preoccupied with sex, betrayal, and the scars they leave behind. Appropriately, she dresses reputation in dark, moody sounds, dwelling on drum loops and synthesizers. Working with Jack Antonoff, Max Martin, and Shellback -- all veterans of 2014's 1989 -- her official pop makeover -- Swift achieves a steely, nocturnal sound, one that appears to exist on a gray scale: Apart from the delicate closer "New Year's Day," every song on reputation has a cool, gleaming patina that's designed to put an alluring distance between Swift and the listener. That sense of remove can highlight how clumsy Swift can be in regard to carnality -- whenever she writes about sex, she tends to be a bit on the nose -- and occasionally her attempts at villainy veer toward the absurd ("This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"), an awkwardness that's distracting upon first listen but less so on revisits. Upon repeated plays, these lyrics fade, as does the monochromatic production, and what's left is a coming of age album anchored by some strong Swift songs, most of which are bunched at the end of the record. "Getaway Car," "Delicate," "Dress," and especially "New Year's Day" carry Swift's trademark blend of vulnerability, melody, and confidence, but they are deeply felt and complex, signs that all of the heavy-handed persona plays of reputation were a necessary exercise for her to mature as a singer/songwriter.

Product Details

Release Date: 11/10/2017
Label: Big Machine Records
UPC: 0843930033102
catalogNumber: 600
Rank: 1523

Tracks

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Taylor Swift   Primary Artist,Background Vocals
Sean Hutchinson   Drums
Max Martin   Piano,Keyboards,Background Vocals
Jack Antonoff   Synthesizer,Bass,Guitar,Piano,Background Vocals
Victoria Parker   Violin,Viola
Ali Payami   Keyboards
Shellback   Bass,Guitar,Drums,Keyboards
Phillip A. Peterson   Cello
Evan Smith   Saxophone
Oscar Görres   Piano,Keyboards
Oscar Holter   Keyboards
James Reynolds   Voices

Technical Credits

Fred Fairbrass   Composer
Richard Fairbrass   Composer
Rob Manzoli   Composer
Max Martin   Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer
Michael Ilbert   Engineer
John Hanes   Engineer
Jack Antonoff   Composer,Programming,Producer,Instrumentation
Mat Maitland   Creative Design
Taylor Swift   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Ali Payami   Composer,Programming,Producer
Shellback   Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer
Noah Passovoy   Engineer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Oscar Görres   Composer,Programming,Producer
Laura Sisk   Engineer
Oscar Holter   Composer,Programming,Producer
Ed Sheeran   Composer
Nayvadius Wilburn   Composer
Seth Ferkins   Engineer

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