Sam Lillianthal, Arts & Culture Intern

“The ‘folklore’ Taylor Swift era is undoubtedly the best one. It came at the perfect time in the middle of COVID-19 quarantine with a mix of country, folk and pop. Her music went back to her country roots, but everything is more mature lyrically and sonically. This era emphasized the music over everything else, which felt like the true Taylor showing herself to the world. There was no hype or rollout for this album, it just came out and shook the music world just like her albums always do. Songs like ‘august’ and ‘betty’ are already classics. Swift herself liked this era so much she expanded on it with ‘evermore,’ which also has some amazing songs. I got my mom who hated Taylor Swift for years to actually dig and appreciate ‘folklore.’ Other eras have the style and iconic moments, but this smaller, understated era ends up above the rest.”

Caroline Doherty, Arts & Culture Intern

“My favorite Taylor Swift era has to be the ‘Speak Now’ album. Every time I hear a song from that album, especially ‘Sparks Fly’ or ‘Mine’ it reminds me of being 10 years old and watching lyric videos on YouTube to memorize the words. I also remember blasting the songs with my friends during sleepovers and car rides. ‘Speak Now’ holds a special place in my heart and will always remind me of such fun and happy times.”

Isabella Cavallo, Arts & Culture

“My favorite Taylor Swift era is the ‘Red’ album. Miss Swift began to dip her toes into the pop realm a little bit with singles such as ‘I Knew You Were Trouble,’ ‘22’ and ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.’ While those songs are still great, nothing goes as hard as ‘All Too Well,’ which is basically five minutes of Jake Gyllenhaal slander. It is one of Taylor’s best breakup songs and is an amazing song to scream along to with your friends. I personally just love all of the songs on the album, and I believe it’s a no-skip album. ‘Everything Has Changed’ and ‘Begin Again’ are some of my favorites, but ‘Holy Ground’ is my all-time favorite Taylor Swift song. The lyrics and energy of the song just put me in a great mood, and I think it’s very underappreciated. While Taylor Swift’s lyricism, music videos, performances and songwriting have improved since 2012, ‘Red’ has always remained my favorite. I probably love it most because of nostalgia, as that’s the album that made me a Swiftie, but Red is the perfect autumn and breakup album that deserves much more hype than it’s given!”

Debra Perlmutter, Arts & Culture

“‘Red’ by Tayor Swift is my favorite. Listening to this album can have you jumping up and down screaming the lyrics to crying on your bathroom floor in less than half a second. This album teaches you anything you would need to know in life — how to have a good time with songs like ‘22,’ how to deal with heartbreak with ‘All Too Well’ and how it feels to fall in love with ‘Begin Again.’ In this era, Taylor started to slowly break away from her country roots and experiment more with different genres. Besides the music, Taylor also completely changed her style and aesthetic in this era. Ditching the flowy dresses and curly hair, Taylor opted for straight hair, bangs, tight-fitted outfits and fedoras. And the ringleader outfit she wore on tour is the definition of iconic! Taylor Swift really expressed an emotional and different side of herself with this era, which is why it will always be my favorite.”