My first ever favorite song was Love Story by Taylor Swift. From the moment I heard it on the radio, I was entranced. Soon enough, I knew every word by heart and would sing idly around my house all the time. Fortunately for me, Taylor’s musical style changed almost exactly as my tastes did, so I’m still a huge fan. I considered rating her albums for this blog, but I couldn’t bring myself to rate any of them anything less than a 10/10! Though all of her music is genius, an album does not consist only of the songs on it. Today I will be rating Taylor Swift’s albums by the creativity and aesthetic of their cover art.

Fearless (2008)

Rate: 4/10

Creativity: Honestly, most of the points docked from this album are for lack of creativity. This photograph is really only one step above a simple headshot, and the font is not very stylistic. Though not a bad photo, the creativity is lackluster.

Aesthetic: The redeeming quality of this album cover is that it is fairly aesthetically pleasing. The muted colors of the background and Taylor’s dress draw attention to the artist herself. The cover looks put together, and all the colors match very intentionally. There is really nothing special going on here, so I don’t have much to say positively or negatively about this album cover. Like the actual music of the album, this cover is a good starting point, but pales in comparison to her later works.

Speak Now (2010)

Rate: 5/10

Creativity: This cover is only a bit more creative than the last, still with lots of room for improvement. The concept is nearly the same: Taylor, in the middle of a spin, against a white background. However, this picture includes half of her body, and the flowy dress provides more interest than her hair does on the Fearless cover. The font on this cover is more stylistic and interesting as well.

Aesthetic: Much like the Fearless cover, the colors of this cover are well coordinated. Taylor looks more self confident, which matches the evolution in her songs between Fearless and Speak Now. Her image on this cover is beautiful but realistic.

Red (2012)

Rate: 8/10

Creativity: The difference in creativity between Speak Now and Red is significant. This is the first cover where the photograph is shot with a real background, rather than a white sheet in a photo studio. The use of lighting to obscure half of Taylor’s face is less conventional than her previous cover photos, and it is well worth the risk because the photograph is more interesting than the others. Taylor looks thoughtful and mysterious, which again matches the shift in music between her previous album and this one.

Aesthetic: This album cover is VERY 2012 Tumblr-esque. However, while this album cover would be slightly cringey for an album released today, it works well considering when the album was released. Additionally, the coordination between Taylor’s red lipstick and the album title is satisfying. The same font being used for the album title and the artist’s name looks much more coordinated than previous covers.

1989 (2014)

Rate: 7/10

Creativity: The style of this cover is completely unlike any of the others, before or since. Styled to look like an old polaroid photo rather than an album cover, this cover is very unconventional and very creative. Additionally, the camera is centered away from Taylor’s face, a choice that she avoided on all of her previous albums. In fact, only half of her face is even in the frame. This, combined with her initials next to the album title, indicates Taylor’s stardom at the time that this album was released. She had reached a point of fame where she could confidently release an album knowing that people would recognize her from only half of her face and her initials.

Aesthetic: To be honest, I do not find this cover aesthetically pleasing. The blue sky on Taylor’s shirt contrasts with her red lipstick, and both contrast with the yellowing background. This contrast makes the cover look less put together. Additionally, I do not think that the mood indicated by an old, yellowing polaroid matches the mood of her music on this album.

reputation (2017)

Rate: 8/10

Creativity: The actual photograph on this album is not particularly creative. It reminds me more of the Fearless album than any of the others. However, the choice to use black and white rather than color, along with the overlay of text over her face on the right side, makes this cover similar to Red in terms of creativity. 

Aesthetic: This cover perfectly portrays the mood of the album, as well as Taylor’s mood when it came out. At this time, Taylor was the center of negative media attention. She was receiving hate after her feud with Kanye West, and many criticized her transition to pop music. The newspaper-like font covering Taylor on the right conveys how overwhelmed and scrutinized she felt, while the blank background on the left represents the new beginning that she wished she could have. The blank and white color scheme pulls the cover together, so that it does not look too cluttered and busy.

Lover (2019)

Rate: 9/10

Creativity: This album cover is an evolved version of the simple headshots Taylor used at the beginning of her music career. Instead of a straight-on, simple shot, Taylor adds interest using a low camera angle, slight motion in her hair, intriguing but not distracting background, and statement makeup. All of these carefully curated details elevate this cover album from boring to unique.

Aesthetic: The colors on this album are relaxing and pretty, which matches the mood of her songs. This album is a new beginning, in which she is happier and more comfortable with herself. Overall, the gorgeous cover art matches Taylor’s beautiful music and positive outlook in this album.

folklore (2020)

Rate: 10/10

Creativity: This album cover is the most bold and creative out of all of Taylor’s albums. Taylor herself is barely in the focus of the photo, and the emphasis is instead placed on the surrounding forest. Notably, this album cover lacks the album title and name of the artist. In contrast with 1989, in which the shortening of Taylor’s name indicated her confidence that she would be recognized regardless, this cover indicates personal growth for Taylor. She is not concerned with whether she will be recognized, but instead making music that she enjoys and not worrying about popularity.

Aesthetic: The black and white filter, foggy air, and small human figure give this album cover an ethereal quality. This cover, along with the album’s music, is much more abstract and artistic than her previous work. The stark contrast between this cover and previous album covers perfectly portrays the vast shift between Taylor’s previous music and this album.