The latest piece in the surprisingly swift rollout of Taylor Swift’s Reputation is the album’s opening track, “…Ready for It?” The release comes just one week after the music video for lead single “Look What You Made Me Do,” which dropped just days after the song’s premiere and broke Adele’s record the most views on YouTube in 24 hours.
Co-written by Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami, “…Ready for It?” is further evidence that Swift is taking a harder, more in-your-face, hip-hip-oriented approach for her sixth album. The track opens with a heavy beat and grinding synth, over which Swift sing-raps about her latest romantic target: “Some boys are tryin’ too hard/He don’t try at all though/Younger than my exes/But he act like such a man so…” The verses are followed by a more melodic b-section before the beat drops out for an even catchier pop hook.
Swift’s shift in sound accompanies a move toward more adult-themed content—“In the middle of the night, in my dreams/You should the things we do, baby,” she sings—while the song’s recurring island imagery is complemented by a subtle reggae rhythm and even a hint of a patois in the singer’s delivery.
Listen below:
Reputation drops November 10th on Big Machine Records.
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