“Let the games begin,” Swift bodaciously sings in the opening track off of her second pop effort and sixth studio album, Reputation.

The games have most certainly begun, and Swift came to play. With a whopping 800k sales in the first day, Reputation becomes the quickest album to debut at number one on US iTunes Charts in just six minutes and also became number one in over 100 countries in its debut.

It is now the best selling female album of 2017 just after two days of its release. The preeminent power of Taylor Swift only grows stronger, and with this record it shows no signs of stopping.

The bold second track “End Game” (the only collaboration on the record), which includes Ed Sheeran and  Future, complements all three artists voices.

“You and me we got big reputations, and you heard about me, I got some big enemies,” Swift sings delivering a frivolous tone with the line.

We all know the well drawn out drama between the Wests and Swift. This was one of the many references laced throughout the record.

Along with “I Did Something Bad” and “Don’t Blame Me,” Swift takes us on an unexpected roller coaster in the beginning of this record. As she claimed, the Old Taylor is dead so expecting anything less would’ve been a mistake.

Although I admire how adventurous the songs sound, some of the lyrics are nothing but a simple walk in the park.

“Lord save me my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life” is very cliche, which you’ll hear in “Don’t Blame Me”. The song has a quite simple meaning about the struggle of having a strong love motivate all of your decisions.

Swift explains how she doesn’t want to have blame put on her due to her lover’s influence. We expect a lot from Swift as she’s known for being a superb lyricist, so using this type of metaphor seems a bit weak.

As we dive deeper into the album, we arrive at a lighter production to the tracks, that focus on Swift’s intricate background vocals and harmonies. “Delicate” is absolutely… delicate! From start to finish we are captivated with synth like sounds that are traced with her whispery vocals singing, “Is it too soon to do this yet, cuz I know that it’s delicate.” Similar tracks include, “Gorgeous”, “Dress”, and “Call It What You Want” which deliver the same wispy effect and light hearted attitude.

Focusing on the lead single from the record, “Look What You Made Me Do” was a rather dark start to the era. “I’m sorry the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now” has become one of the most iconic phrases of the year so far. The track takes multiple stabs at her so called enemies. One in particular Swift sings, “Don’t like your tilted stage”. This we can assume is shade to Kanye West. The track is a fresh new sound for Swift. “It’s different, I think she’s trying to break away from her old style of music,” a listener of the track stated. This impression most certainly was left on many others which was Swift’s intent. The track was clearly perfect to kick off the new era.

Swift turns to a more erotic track as we move forward called, “So It Goes…” which captivates the listener with a pounding bass and tantalizing lyrics like, “I got your heart skipping when I’m gone” and “Scratches down your back.” The next two tracks, “King of My Heart” and “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” stay within the same theme but focus on the more love aspect of a relationship.

The last hurrah for Swift’s shady comments, is a track called, “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” Swift sings, “Friends don’t try to trick you, Get you on the phone and mind twist you.” which is a completely direct hit to Kanye and Kim who released a video of Swift on the phone which was the spark of the copious remarks of snake towards Swift and the drama.

To conclude the record, Swift ends us with a warm hearted piano ballad called, “New Year’s Day” This is the closest of the Old Taylor you’ll be seeing throughout the album if anything. It’s a hopeful love song about not being worried about the future and appreciating the now and leaves the listener on a positive note.

Whether you enjoy this record or not, this was a redefining moment in Swift’s career and it’s hard to deny. It’s a powerful record that takes a stab at the haters and heightens Swift on her pedestal in this deranged industry.