Taylor Swift
sings "If I was a man, I'd be The Man" on a song that arrives just as
Lover
, her seventh studio album, starts to get underway. It's not bragging if it's true. Perhaps 2017's
Reputation
didn't dominate the popular consciousness the way her 2014 pop breakthrough
1989
did, but that was partially by design. Hard and steely,
announced the arrival of an adult
Taylor
-- a conscious maturation that didn't bother disguising its seams.
, in contrast, is a bit messier, almost defiantly so.
Swift
retains
Jack Antonoff
-- the former
fun.
captain who has been at her side since 2014's
-- as her chief collaborator, and while the duo remains besotted by the chillier aspects of late '80s synth pop, not everything here plays like a sleek, sexy update on
T'Pau
. Certainly, "The Archer" basks within the glow of its retro analog synths, dredging up memories of both "Out of the Woods" and "Heart and Soul," yet its iciness isn't the primary color on
.
does return to this glassiness on occasion, warming its chill on the mini-epic "Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince," but
is bright, lively, and openhearted, encompassing a full range of human emotion. Happily, this includes a hefty dose of silliness: never mind the effervescence of "Paper Rings," the closest thing to pure bubblegum
has ever recorded, the inclusion of a spoken introduction from
Idris Elba
on "London Boy" is giddily goofy.
smartly balances these pieces of pure pop with songs that tap into a deep reservoir of complex feelings. Listen closely to "The Man," and it becomes clear the song is neither a boast nor a manifesto but rather a bit of clear-eyed anger at institutional sexism. "The Man" isn't the only place where
tackles political issues. On "You Need to Calm Down," she offers an anthem for allies, writing a manifesto that is perhaps a bit too on the nose, but that directness can be an asset. Witness "Soon You'll Get Better," a quivering and candid prayer for healing where she's assisted by the
Dixie Chicks
; her pleas for her ailing loved one to get better are all the more affecting by being affectless. Swiftian scholars could argue "Soon You'll Get Better" is written for her mother, just like "I Forgot That You Existed" is a riposte against some unnamed online critic, but decoding the inspirations behind
diminishes an album so generous and colorful. More than either
or
,
seems fully realized and mature:
is embracing all aspects of her personality, from the hopeful dreamer to the coolly controlled craftsman, resulting in a record that's simultaneously familiar and surprising. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine