In honor of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) being released, I thought it would be extremely fitting and appropriate to explore Taylor Swift’s impact on party music on this edition of “Getting Fraternal.” “The boys” might be rolling their eyes at this one, but let’s be real, her impact is immeasurable. She’s also dating Travis Kelce now, so the football boys HAVE to love her, come on. In the seventeen years since her first album was released, she has released many bops that are party staples. While personally I am more of a fan of her heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, sad girl anthems, I found myself adding a few of her songs to the party playlist I was developing! 

Here are the additions I found myself making:

“Cruel Summer” off of Lover was a must-have, and was my first Taylor addition to the playlist. While it was originally a fan-favorite song and did not see much mainstream success, the song recently reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, over 4 years after its initial release. It isn’t even summer anymore! This song is undeniably a bop, with the bridge causing me to ascend into the heavens quite literally every single time I listen to it. And let’s be real, the bridge containing the lyrics, “I’m drunk in the back of the car,” reflects most of the experiences of our fellow party-goers on their trek back from the event. It’s relatable, catchy, and now a mainstream hit that everyone can enjoy.

“…Ready For It?” off of reputation was another addition I was proud to have on the playlist. The opener for her iconic reputation Stadium Tour (which I have watched millions of times on Netflix) and the opening song for the reputation section of her Eras Tour is remarkable in the way its initial synthesizer can captivate the crowd. While not as mainstream of a song as “Cruel Summer,” this song has nearly six hundred thousand streams on Spotify, marking the relative popularity of the song. I find that when I am introducing many of my male family members or friends to Taylor Swift’s music, they tend to enjoy reputation for its synthesizer and bass heavy production, and the occasional rap/hip-hop influence. This hit can and will get everyone going at the party. If you were wondering, it is also a great alarm clock song that I have used for the past year. 

“Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” off of Fearless (Taylor’s Version) are some of her most recognizable and popular hits that have become frat party staples. I guarantee you if you ask a non-Swiftie frat boy what his favorite Taylor Swift song is, he will likely say one of these two. These songs not only play into the nostalgia experience I described in my previous edition of “Getting Fraternal,” but are just amazing sing-along songs that can get everyone at the party hyped up. Even avid Swift haters (gross) know all of the lyrics!

“Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar),” off of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), are some of the last Taylor songs I added to the playlist. Don’t worry, as soon as the album was re-released, I changed the songs over to Taylor’s Version, because we like to turn up ethically over here. “Shake It Off” marks Swift’s transition from country to pop music, and is an insane dance hit. You’ll find yourself quite literally shaking it, and there is a fun little bridge to scream mean things about your ex to! Win-wins all around. As for “Bad Blood,” I HAD to include the version featuring Kendrick. Not only because it is so much better than the original, but the addition of Kendrick allows the song to appeal to wider audiences. This luckily also ties in with the various other songs I have by Kendrick Lamar on the playlist (“family ties,” “HUMBLE.,” and “N95″). Screaming “you forgive, you forget, but you never let it go,” is also an extremely cathartic experience that I think everyone should be experiencing at a party anyway.

Taylor knows how to party for sure, and it is extremely clear by the amount of drunk Taylor memes that circle around every so often. And we love that for her! She releases major hits that everyone will jam out to at any given time, and her range of music makes it so she can appeal to large audiences, not even just for parties. 

Check out “getting fraternal fr” by Jimmy Grebenstein on Spotify for a closer look at the playlist I’m talking about 🙂