Welcome to my Eras Tour

I always have my AirPods in, and I am always blasting music. There is always a good bet to make about what I am listening to — either Taylor Swift, The 1975, Noah Kahan or Phoebe Bridgers. Lately, Taylor Swift has been taking over my listening history, and I’ve been thinking a lot about her eras and how they all influence my own life and thoughts. This list is a combination of songs I find relatable or could listen to for the rest of my life. My name is Christina. I was born in 2002.

Welcome to my Eras Tour:

Debut: “Our Song”

If we have hung out more than one time, I guarantee that I have a song that I have associated with you. Ask me about it if you think I am lying. This song also was the first Taylor Swift song that I ever heard, and so it is always going to hold a special place in my heart.

Fearless: “Hey Stephen”

When I hear this song, I’m going to dance. Plain and simple. “I can’t help it if you look like an angel,” if I am being honest. This song reminds me of the beginnings of a heart sparkle — the sweetest parts about meeting someone cute. Every time I start to have a crush on someone, this song plays in the back of my mind on a loop.

Speak Now: “Never Grow Up”

I love my parents. I love my older brother. I love my family. Why do I have to grow up and graduate college? In a few months, I will be in my new apartment in a big city and my parents would have just dropped me off. When I hear this song, I think about my sweet little cousins and how I want them to stay little forever. This song hurts in the most bittersweet kind of way, especially when I listen to it driving away from my grandparents’ house. 

Red: “Begin Again”

“Red” as an album was a pivotal moment in my life. This was the first era that I really felt attached to, and it was the first time that I saw Taylor Swift in concert. I have always loved this song, but recently it has made its way through all of my playlists. Maybe it is the cool breeze and smell of autumn air, but I’m glad to listen to it most mornings. 

1989: “You Are In Love”

The sweetest part of love is being best friends with your significant other. Or at least that is what I think. I love the beauty that is found in simple love, the kind of love that you can feel in silence, feel on the way home and see with the lights out. All I want is for someone to pause and tell me that I am their best friend. Forever grateful for the re-release of 1989.

Reputation: “Call It What You Want”

“Reputation” is a love album, and I will not take any criticism for my take. This song is just simply a bop. There is no other way for me to describe it. It emphasizes the importance of knowing yourself and your relationships, and not paying attention to what anyone might have to say. As someone who loves other peoples’ opinions, “Call It What You Want” is a great reminder that people can say whatever they want, but it doesn’t matter.

Lover: “Cornelia Street (Live from Paris)”

This is an office classic. The live from Paris version is the best version of this song. Hands down. I can’t wait for Isa to come home, because I will definitely be making him listen to it every shift. This song will always remind me of the many memories I have in the basement of South Dining Hall, and the endless late nights that I have shared with people who mean the most.

Folklore: “seven”

“Love you to the moon and to Saturn.” This is my favorite line that I have ever heard — one of the most beautiful reminders to me. As I’ve grown up, I realized that people are not always meant to be in your life for the long run. Sometimes you are only close for a short time, but that does not mean that the love needs to go away. I often think about people I used to be friends with in elementary school, and I still would love them just as much as I did 10 years ago.

Evermore: “gold rush”

This song was immediately one of my favorites off of “Evermore.” It feels like sprinting and twirling through a field with wind blowing through my hair. I listen to this song so often when I go on runs because it just has a little something-something in the beat that makes me go wild. It kicks off my runs, but then I try to play it again later to get myself through the final push.

Midnights: “Bejeweled”

This is my song. No one understands “Bejeweled” the way that I understand “Bejeweled.” If I had to pick a song that would hype me up at any hour of any day, it would be this one. Even when I ask my friends what Taylor Swift song I am, most of them say this one. 

Coincidentally, most of these are love songs. Go read my other column on love if you are curious about my status as a lover girl. I love love. I love the way that Taylor Swift writes about love, and what about it? Her songs have shaped my life and probably will continue to do so. I could probably explain every song from every album and how it relates to my life, so picking one from each era was tough.