I really enjoyed this more than I thought o would have.
It was unexpectedly good and I really like Taylor anyway so it wasn’t too much of a stretch.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Really cool look at Taylor Swift's career through a different context than what one would expect. The title is what interested me in giving this book a try and was worth it. Swift is obviously a cultural figure now in mainstream pop culture but this book helped me understand her appeal on a different level. Any topic that is discussed this often like Swift's career requires a fresh approach and this one certainly accomplished its goal.

I think people should recognize what this is before they start. This book isn't like other Swift books I've read (yes, I've read more than one) in that it's more like a study of her work, and it relates her lyrics to her life. The author really takes a deep dive, going through her catalog and discussing her lyrics, music, and style. It definitely feels scholarly. I think that fans who really get into her lyrics will enjoy this a lot. Taylor Swift doesn't just write pop music -- her lyrics are thoughtful and full of allusion. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I will say I grabbed this book for the cover and because I'm a new Swiftie looking to catch up on the craze and hopefully glance into her past. While this DID do that I do not think a Swiftie will like this book. Not that Swiftie's are not "adults" but this seems like it was written for Gen X or Boomer's with the history with pop culture. Taylor didn't seem to be very central to the book at first and lots of discussion of the music industry. I unfortunately DNFed because I didn't get what I wanted from the book as compared to other Taylor Swift related books.

This is a good book for someone who is just getting into the TS genre. A good look at her lyrics but not for the hardcore Swiftie. Would recommend for someone just putting on their Taylor Swift training wheels.

This book is for the casual Taylor Swift fan, or someone just getting into her music. It was very well written and the author’s take was very interesting. But to the more advanced Swiftie this might be a little lacking.

I love this one. It was def for the Swiftie super fan who was looking to deep dive in to the lyrics and not so much the personal life of it all but it was so good!

really good book. I´ve been looking something like this for so long. Taylor is an inspiration for so much people, and reading about her life is so fun. I will have copies of this 100%.

As a massive Swift, this book was a HUGE letdown.

The entire book is just the author's one=sided opinions. It honestly felt like a reddit thread where someone is saying which songs they like the best. Very juvenile for a book. The author is also condensing and makes some offside remarks about women.

Thank you Pen & Sword | White Owl and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a Swiftie, but I do like Taylor Swift (I couldn't name 3 songs of hers). However, Kev Nickells has done a very thorough examination of Taylor's music for me and I enjoyed this very much.

I absolutely loved this! I originally thought this book would be about Taylor Swift, but instead, it was about her lyrics. I have never read something like this before, and it was an absolute delight! I will be reading this again and again!

If you’re looking for gossip… This book is not for you. In here you will find an analysis of Taylor’s lyrics from a poetic point of view, analysing their structure and the most common stylistic resources that she uses in her songs.
This is for poetry lovers and I’m so grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read it.
My only critical comment would be that the kindle archive is not so good. The first letter of some paragraphs is moved to the end of it, making it difficult to read sometimes.

informative and interesting. Taylor is good for any age and one can become a swiftie at any point in time throughout her musical journey. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC and chance to review.

Ehh not my favorite but maybe I’ve just read too many about Taylor Swift. If you are a Swiftie you probably know a lot of this stuff. But this is a good read for someone just starting their love of TS.

This book was amateur and it very biased as far as its opinions. For the author to presume which Swift songs are the best and which are so-so does not make Nickells look too bright. Also going through her songbook and analyzing each song based in his own thought gave me a sour taste while reading this. Who the heck is this guy to say how fans feel about Taylor's song-writing? Who is he to say which songs are enjoyed more?

This is not what I expected when reading this. Cannot recommend. I would not read anything from this author because of one-sided opinions (obviously author's own). DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS.

THanks to Netgalley, the author and Pen & Sword White Owl for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

4 ⭐️

This is definitely not a book to read when you’ve never heard of Taylor Swift. As in, it won’t tell you all about the number 13, Eras Tour or her cats.

I, as a hardcore years-long Swiftie, however, loved this book so much. There’s so much depth to this, there’s such a wonderfully done linguistic analysis and as a language junkie, I loved reading this. I love Taylor Swift’s lyrics, they speak to me on a whole other level, and to see the way this book analysed them, was something I really appreciated.

This book definitely feels like a study book sometimes, so don’t go in expecting a fluffy and cute story about Taylor Swift. For me, however, the way this was done made it so interesting. With a history in language studies, this felt like the studybook I never knew I really needed.

Definitely a book for adults, definitely something worth reading. For me it was even better, because I read it leading up to going to my last Eras Tour show 🫶🏼

I give this book 3.5 stars. have always liked Taylor Swift. I am gen X so I am too old to be a Swiftie. I have always liked and admired her. I got a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. I got this book from a "wish" on Netgalley.

I really like non fiction. I was excited to read this book. It took me so long to read this book. The book is about analyzing Taylor Swift's lyrics. That is something difficult to make interesting.

I don't like to DNF books. I trudged along with this book. I could usually only read a few pages at a time. It's hard to keep reading the book when page after page is about lyrics. The last chapter was better because it was about the future of Taylor ( and not lyrics).

The book felt like something you might read in a college class. At times, I did want to sing the lyrics that were quoted. Analyzing every line in her songs took out the fun for me.

The chapters were long. The chapters were separated into lyrics or topics on her songs. Luckily, these subsections were only a page ( and sometimes less).

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book. Yes, I will always be a Taylor Swift fan.

My daughter is a huge Swiftie and often explains the lyrics to me and any references in them that aren’t always obvious. I saw this book and decided I had to read it and then I could discuss some of the things in it with her.


I found this book to be very interesting and engaging. The author clearly admires Taylor Swifts talent as both a lyricist and songwriter and as a business woman.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a HUGE Swiftie this was a fun read. I loved getting more in depth about her and her career. Enjoyable.

Good book! Enjoyable read! As a swifitie, it’s always fun to learn more about the Queen herself! Highly recommend!