The Eras Tour is a direct retrospective of the eras spanning Taylor Swift’s humble beginnings to her audacious rise to superstardom. Each of these eras marked a milestone in its own right, but their lasting power over the years shows that, while they started as hers, they have become a part of the Swifties too. One such era standing the test of time is Swift’s ‘Reputation’ album, whose re-recorded version’s release is still a reason for the fans’ sleepless nights.

Though there are many reasons to dub it a classic, here is a more detailed exploration of why ‘Reputation’ maintains an eternal reputation even on its 7th anniversary.

‘Reputation’ (2017) was the sixth and the last studio album Taylor Swift released with Big Machine Records. Seen as a response to the relentless media scrutiny of her private life and global image after ‘1989’ catapulted her to the international spotlight, ‘Reputation’ was an artistic rebirth for the American singer-songwriter in terms of her departure from the tropes of country music. This album opened the floodgates to the edgier and darker twists Swift brought with her music with a fusion of pop, hip-hop, and experimental elements.

Many assume ‘Reputation’ to be Swift’s declaration of musical independence, having dubbed one of the most iconic comebacks of all time with #1 Billboard 200 debut. Reputed as the crown holder of the largest album debut in the US, ‘Reputation’ was the only album to do it without any streaming releases to fasten its success. While Swifties call it a game-changer for good reason, credit must go to the player who actually changed the game with a musical response like no other.

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Though the records broken by Swift’s ‘Reputation’ speak volumes about its reception, the album’s symphonic commentary on her actual reputation was the reason why fans still crown it as the most defiant. 

Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ is symbolic and even more literal than metaphorical. Famous for the difference this era marked as opposed to her previous musical efforts before breaking from the shackles of Big Machine Records, Swifties also remember this sixth studio album as a witness to Swift’s path to self-empowerment when she learned and taught to change the discourse on her public vs. personal reputation. 

Swift explored the themes of identity, power dynamics, and resilience in a personal context, but its universal relevance catapulted her to the ‘Reputation’ she holds today. More than an artistic statement, ‘Reputation’ was Swift’s declaration of taking scrutiny head-on and pushing the boundaries simultaneously, seen in the visual storytelling in music videos like ‘Look What You Made Me Do,’ and ‘Ready for It?’ Hence, to call ‘Reputation’ timeless is only poetic justice because it justified the Taylor Swift effect way before it was a thing.

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What do you think of Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' 7 years after its release? Let us know in the comments below!