So, you’re falling in love.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there before, stuck in the enthralling, all-consuming brevity of early romance. Though it is too early to know if these feelings will end in a long-lasting love story destined by fate, or a devastating, earth-shattering heartbreak, there is no reason not to enjoy it while you’re experiencing it. This kind of thing doesn’t come around every day.
To help you get through these moments of early uncertainty, here is a list of my favourite Taylor Swift songs about early romance.
“Begin Again”
“Begin Again” is a classic Swift love song, released on the singer’s fourth studio album, Red. Although it is one of the album’s lesser-known tracks, the sweet and wistful nature of “Begin Again” beautifully encompasses the bittersweet feeling of falling in love with someone new whilst still trying to move on from a previous heartache.
While many of Red’s most popular songs are thought to represent Swift’s first steps toward the pop genre, the twangy, winsome essence of this track is nothing if not classically country. With beautiful narrative lyricism and string-based instrumentation, there is no question that “Begin Again” is a perfect fit for the country music lovers who have found themselves falling deeply in love.
“Delicate”
“Delicate,” which was released on Swift’s world-renowned album, Reputation, is a far departure from the sweet, innocent nature of “Begin Again.” One of the many love songs that make up the singer’s sixth studio album, “Delicate” shows a mature side of Swift who seems to have abandoned the naïvety that circumscribed her past romantic endeavours.
Although “Delicate” showcases Swift’s exploration of an increasingly grown-up version of love, lyrics like “Is it cool that I said all that? / Is it chill that you’re in my head?” make it clear that the singer is still just as unsure about blossoming romance as she’s always been. This makes “Delicate” the perfect track for those who have fallen head over heels fast but are still feeling hesitant about how to proceed.
“Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) [feat. Fall Out Boy]”
A newer release, “Electric Touch” is a vault track that made its first appearance on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Although this song was only released to the public in 2023, it was originally written for the 2010 version of the album and eventually scrapped for a different track.
“Electric Touch” falls into a category alongside earlier Swift songs that perfectly capture the innocence of the beginnings of young love. The first verse clearly highlights this sentiment:
Just breathe, just relax, it’ll be okay
Just an hour ‘til your car’s in the driveway
Just the first time ever hangin’ out with you tonight
I’ve got my money on things goin’ badly
Got a history of stories ending sadly
Still hoping that the fire won’t burn me
Just one time, just one time
“Electric Love” describes what it’s like to be a 17-year-old with an all-consuming crush. Even though, like Swift herself, we’ve all grown to expect a more mature beginning to the first days of love, many of us cannot deny that we still quietly share this same giddy, schoolgirl attitude. This perfectly captured feeling makes “Electric Touch” an easy playlist addition for anyone experiencing the early moments of a coveted relationship.
“Fearless”
There is no world in which one can successfully argue that “Fearless” is not the perfect song for someone experiencing the all-consuming throes of a deep-seated crush. Released on the singer’s second album, Fearless, this track is chock-full of the innocence associated with high school romance.
The beautiful fairytale-style romance that the song constructs would be hard to replicate by anyone much older than Swift, who was just 17 when she wrote the album. The last verse is a clear indication of this:
Well, you stood there with me in the doorway
My hands shake
I’m not usually this way, but
You pull me in, and I’m a little more brave
It’s the first kiss, it’s flawless, really something, it’s fearless
This final verse of the song replicates the anxiety-inducing feeling of a first kiss so authentically that it’s hard not to get caught up in the wind-swept romance Swift is spinning, making it enjoyable for people of all ages.
“Daylight”
While “Daylight,” released on Swift’s 2019 album Lover, explores the feelings associated with a longer-term romance, her easy, romantic realizations still easily fit those of an early relationship.
Through the lyricism of “Daylight,” Swift showcases to her listeners that she understands what it’s like to fall madly and deeply in love with another person. During the chorus, Swift sings “I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you / I don’t wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you,” pointing to the feelings many associate with having a desperate crush. The singer goes on to sing, “I once believed love would be burning red / But it’s golden / Like daylight,” showcasing the realizations associated with the first days of an intense emotional connection.
Even though “Daylight” is a track perfectly shaped for someone who is just settling into a long-term, loving relationship, it shouldn’t be ignored by those of us living through the lovely mayhem associated with the early days of love, either.
“You Are In Love”
When deciding how to wrap up this list, it was clear that I had to share my favourite of Taylor Swift’s love songs, “You Are In Love”.
Released on Swift’s fifth studio album, 1989, this track has an incredibly uncomplicated understanding of what it feels like to wake up one night at 2 a.m. and realize very simply that you are, in fact, in love. Riding the line between the youthful innocence of tracks like “Begin Again” and “Fearless” and the mature perceptions displayed in “Delicate” and “Daylight,” “You Are In Love” is the perfect song for the early days of love. In this track, Swift hasn’t yet abandoned the idea of fairytale romances, but older listeners can rest easy knowing they won’t get lost in the naïvety of first kisses and high school dates.
“You Are In Love” manages to impart the unavoidable feeling of giddiness that comes with realizing the breadth of one’s feelings while holding onto the deeply mature cognizance that comes with these discernments. This makes this track perfect for anyone who has been or currently is falling deeply, incandescently in love.