The Vogue Editors On Their Favourite Taylor Swift Tracks

Taylor Swift first landed in the charts 13 years ago, and she’s been a pretty permanent fixture ever since. As the pop sensation covers the January 2020 issue of British Vogue, the team share their favourite Taylor tracks – and why they love them.

Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief
“The LGBTQI+ anthem ‘You Need To Calm Down’ is my favourite Taylor song. It’s so inclusive, but it’s also so fun

and happy.”

Giles Hattersley, features director
“There’s a significant section of Taylor’s army of Swifties who believe her underrated 2017 album Reputation is actually her finest – a view that I am in wholehearted agreement with. ‘So It Goes…’, track seven, is my absolute favourite Taylor song of all time. Verging on dark pop, she is at her catchiest but least candy floss, and most Sєxually confident, describing perfectly the all-consuming reality of early attraction. Dynamite.”

Ellie Pithers, fashion features editor & senior ᴀssociate digital editor
“During a particularly testing period in my early twenties, my morning routine was enlivened with a plank. Fresh from the shower, I would drop to the bedroom floor, balancing on my toes and forearms for several minutes. I flirted with Keri Hilson and Britney Spears, streaming YouTube videos on my phone as sweat beads collected across my hairline. But I never found a better planking song than Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’. Watching all those spotty teenagers hopping around and waving pom-poms felt oddly meditative as I held my body horizontal. Swift helped me hit four minutes twenty seconds – the duration of her dance-off, and my PB. Don’t believe me? Haters gon’ hate.”

Hannah Coates, digital beauty editor
“There is no time like a break up to enjoy a slice of one of Taylor Swift’s expertly-crafted love songs. A favourite of mine is ‘All You Had To Do Was Stay’, a tune I may have gone a bit too far with in my early twenties (thanks, boys) because it offers just the right balance between indulgent self-pity and low-key rage; all packaged in a fun pop song that has seen me through a commute or two. A lesser-known Swift wonder.

Naomi Pike, Miss Vogue editor
“‘Love Story’ belongs to us – the OG Swifties. No one can claim to be more of an original fan than my sister, who dragged me to Taylor’s 2008 Fearless tour where we sang our hearts out in Wembley Arena (not stadium, yet) to ‘Fifteen’, ‘You Belong With Me’ and – the absolute classic – ‘Love Story’. A boy-meets-girl tale with a Romeo and Juliet-inspired music video that my sister and I quickly learned the words to upon its 2008 release, and which fast became our sing-it-everywhere anthem. All together now: ‘We were both young…’”

Kerry McDermott, executive digital editor
“Taylor’s habit of mining her personal life for her lyrics means every record is dissected for references to her (admittedly, pretty A-list) past boyfriends. But one of the advantages of being a gifted songwriter is that you always get to have the last word. She did it best on ‘Blank Space’, by taking the tabloid portrayal of her as a boy-obsessed nightmare ex and running with it. Along with killer lines like, ‘Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane’, the video sees her go full Fatal Attraction on a hapless beau. Nailed it.”

Susan Devaney, staff writer
“Red may be Swift’s best album to date, but its opening track ‘State Of Grace’ has gone unsung. From the upbeat, drum-banging intro to its sweet, drawn out melodic movement, it’s both frantic and fragile – like any new romantic relationship. With lyrics like “We are alone / just you and me / up in your room and our slates are clean / just twin fire signs / four blue eyes,” Swift cements her status as a songwriter fully in control of her craft, seamlessly navigating the break-up narrative in this under-appreciated track.”

Emily Hallie, communications director
“My favourite Taylor Swift song is ‘Back to December’. It reminds me of growing up in Minnesota, and how every December I would go home and revisit all the memories and the same people, in the same local bar!”