reputation

by Taylor 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/10/2017
Label:	Big Machine Records / Virgin Emi
UPC:	0843930033102

Tracks

1. ...Ready for It?
2. End Game
3. I Did Something Bad
4. Don't Blame Me
5. Delicate
6. Look What You Made Me Do
7. So It Goes...
8. Gorgeous
9. Getaway Car
10. King of My Heart
11. Dancing With Our Hands Tied
12. Dress
13. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
14. Call It What You Want
15. New Year's Day

Album Credits

Performance Credits

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

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Michael Ilbert   Engineer
Sean Flora   Assistant
Max Martin   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Taylor Swift   Composer,Producer,Package Direction,Executive Producer
Jack Antonoff   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Shellback   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Ali Payami   Composer,Producer,Programming
Rob Manzoli   Composer
Fred Fairbrass   Composer
Mat Maitland   Creative Design
Mert Alas   Photography
Richard Fairbrass   Composer
Josh Newman   Package Direction
Sam Holland   Engineer
Noah Passovoy   Engineer
Daniel Watson   Assistant
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Peter Karlsson   Assistant
Bethany Newman   Package Direction
Marcus Piggott   Photography
Oscar Goerres   Composer,Producer,Programming
Austin Hale   Package Design
Cory Bice   Assistant
Laura Sisk   Engineer
Oscar Holter   Composer,Producer,Programming
Ed Sheeran   Composer
Jon Sher   Assistant
Nayvadius Wilburn   Composer
Jeremy Lertola   Assistant
Ben Fieker   Package Design
Parker Foote   Package Design
Seth Ferkins   Engineer
Mike Symphony   Assistant
Becca Walls   Interviewer

Editorial Reviews

Get 2017’s hottest album of the year on vinyl picture disc.
Features hit singles like “Look What You Made Me Do” and “…Ready for It?” on a double picture disc vinyl in a gatefold jacket and printed sleeves.