I would like to thank Dey Street Books and Net Galley for the chance to read this as an ARC. This is a quirky kind of book to review. It is written as as series of short takes on different albums and ideas in Taylor Swift's musical life. The chapters are short and do not always follow a chronological order. The author is a writer for Rolling Stone and many of the chapters feel like a short article, rather than part of a continuing story. There is a lot of information, it just doesn't all hang together all that well. I consider myself a fan, but I think you need to be a bit more devoted to Taylor Swift to get all the references. All in all, it was well written and enjoyable to read.

Full disclaimer, I am a barely-Swiftie and have enjoyed Folklore, Evermore & Midnight. The reason I was so interested in this book was for the author. Love is a Mixtape is one of my all-time favorites.
I really enjoyed this look into Taylor. I know she’s talented, but exploring her talent at this level really showed me how brilliant she is. For example, her purchasing her catalogue which everyone thought she was silly for but she ended up flourishing. It’s also interesting how with Taylor’s version we see her older self show in the lessons she’s learned over the year.
Now, I am going to analyze some T Swift.
Must read for the Swifties, but very interesting to music lovers.

This is such a thorough and fun look at Taylor Swift over the years. I appreciated Rob's perspective and details that he included. Anyone interested in an informative look at Swift's career will enjoy this.

I was really excited about this book when I heard about it. Rob Sheffield is one of the most consistent interviewers that Taylor has had during her career. What makes this book special though is the combination of his experience as a journalist with her combined with the fact that he himself is a fan. It is very clear in this book that Rob is a fan who has the utmost respect for both Taylor and for her art.

The first half of the book was great for me. I thought it was interesting, well written, and addressed some of the things that I have always felt are important - that Taylor often writes in a way to make her music feel relatable and important to others. She writes so that lots of people can identify with her music and can interpret it how they feel fit, but that at the end of the day these songs are about her or versions of her and not about some guy she dated. I really appreciated this view and the way he explained all of it. The book held up for me until around the chapter on 1989. After that, something changed and it felt like the second half was rushed through, quickly written and the once thoughtful analysis gone. It gave me the same feelings of me in school when I was bullshitting my way through the end of a paper just so I could turn it in on time. It was frustrating that the once thoughtful analysis that loudly wanted everyone to know these were songs about Taylor and characters of Taylor that she created turned into a very quick chapter that resolved that TTPD is about a combo of Joe Alwyn, Travis Kelcie and Matty Healy. I have always understood TTPD to use romantic muses as a basic red herring that if you ignore pronouns and mentions of romantic love the album is mostly about Taylor, her relationship with her fans, relationship with fame, mental health, etc. so to see such thoughtful analysis turn to basic paternity testing was disappointing.

That said, if you’re a fan of Taylor Swift and her music, I still think this book is worth reading, the first half was great, even if the second felt thrown together, disorganized and basic. 3/5 stars

This is so perfect for a swiftie fan. All the taylor swift 's popular songs are used as the chapters' name and numerous facts and information are included in this book that are so thoughtful and well penned that reading those was an amazing experience. It's so perfect for a swiftie like me. I absolutely love this.

Really passionate overview of the Taylor Swift phenomenon. Although some of the points may be a bit overstated, it's an interesting glimpse at a significant cultural moment.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

There is no doubt that Taylor Swift is currently the biggest pop star in the world.
But what sets her apart from other artists? What makes her so unique? In "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music", Rob Sheffield takes us on a journey through Taylor's outstanding career and gives great insight into both her music and her cultural impact. I enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it not only to Swifties, but to music enthusiasts in general.

To be honest, I don't even remember ever requesting this book. I don't read Memoirs or non fiction anything. I feel as though I can not rate this book fairly due to that.

My thanks to NetGalley and Dey Street Books for an advance copy of this book that looks at the impact that one singer has had on the music industry, the tourist industry, home crafters, and legions of fans who sing a long and more importantly feel that someone, somewhere cares about them.

Years ago I worked at a magazine where I became good friends with a young lady, ten years younger than I was was, just getting out of college and with her whole life in front of her. Drama, however was her reality. Nothing was ever minor, it was all major, heartaches family problems, everything was a Wagner opera, never Gilbert and Sullivan. I was her trusted advisor. I never sighed, around her, just let her vent about everything, gave her peanut butter filled pretzels and chocolate, while listening. Going to lunch one day she played a new album, Fearless by a singer I had never heard of. I was out of music at the time, film soundtracks, soundscapes, electronica that was my jam, with jazz tossed in. What struck me in the short ride was that the two songs I heard going, and the one longer song back seemed to be about my friend. She felt this too, singing along with an abandon that I only saw when complaining about boys and throwing rocks at them.This album, this artist knew what my friend was thinking, for she had done the same. Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with, a musician, who never takes the easy route, in songs, in life nor love. Living her life has changed the industry, making fans loyal to a degree unseen in music, making women want to become musicians, and making people want to stay alive. Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music is written by long time music writer at Rolling Stone magazine Rob Sheffield, and is a look at the power the majesty the performance, and the heart that makes Taylor Swift what she is.

Rob Sheffield is 6'5, has been critiquing music for magazines for over 30 years, has written books about David Bowie, Duran Duran, and dealing with loss with songs, and is an unabashed Taylor Swift fan. Honestly at the end of this book, one would be hardpressed not to be. Sheffield looks at all facets of the Taylor Swift phenomena from her songs, her tours, her look, her cats, boyfriends, and even feuds. Sheffield travels through time, talking about how he first became interested in Swift's music, before exploring how Swift past and how Swift became interested in music. Sheffield discusses the numerous shows that he has gone to, personal interactions with the star, and even his family's interactions telling about how Swift stopped to talk to his nieces before going on stage. Sheffield looks at influences, and about Swift's song writing process, touching on what was happening in Swift's life that might have lead to this song, or that song. This is not a hagiography, as Sheffield is quick to point out things that Swift has done wrong, feuds, not discussing elections, feuds, more feuds. Also a bit about cats.

What I liked most about this book is the fact that Rob Sheffield does not care what you think about Taylor Swift. Sheffield is a fan, and he explains why. Not many books can look at songs, and give detailed experiences listening to them. Going to superfund sites in Brooklyn to listen to songs on repeat. Even sitting in Swift's apartment to hear a pre-release to be sure it didn't get out early. Sheffield is not just a fan of the music, but of the person. The mistakes she makes are balanced by the love she has for her fans. Putting message in songs, codes to figure out things for people who like that stuff. And her lack of fear of trying new things. Some would be content to sail on with a successful formula, Swift like Bowie, like Prince, wants to be ahead. Unlike the others though Swift has not reached that Tin Machine level like Bowie, or symbol name of Prince. After reading this I doubt she ever will.

I really enjoyed this book. I can now appreciate the person behind the songs, and even like songs. I must admit Coney Island is a song that I listen too. And Cardigan. So maybe I am a Swift, not yet a Swiftie. This is a great book for fans, and even for people who like to read about music. I wish I knew how my friend was doing. Part of her finding herself was moving west and not looking back. I hope she still has Taylor Swift to help her get through things.

Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.

While I am certainly familiar with Swift's albums over the years (I was intrigued right from her debut), I would in no way consider myself a Swiftie. As for Sheffield's work, I have read a number of his books over the years so I consider him an entertaining author. The combination was enough for me to check this one out.

From the book it is clear that Sheffield is a huge fan as well as someone who has interacted with Swift many times over her career. He demonstrates his knowledge of her work as he walks readers through each of her albums with extra focus on several of his favorite tracks. We also get the biographical information, for those of us readers who are not up on all the details.

In the end, this book gave me a very strong urge to revisit her catalog myself with a much sharper ear.

I've been a fan of Rob Sheffield's writing for years, since his first memoir. What I appreciated most is his approach to his subjects as a fan first and a journalist second - he doesn't forget why he loves the art as he's stripping it down and explaining it. I'm not a huge fan of Taylor Swift but I'm definitely more interested in her back catalog now after reading Sheffield. I plan to purchase this title for my library.

A very sad DNF. I am a HUGE Swiftie, have been since I was 12, and I was so excited to read this! Unfortunately, it’s really disjointed and unorganized. It’s a collection of thoughts- not a cohesive story or book.

This book was written by Rob Sheffield, a reporter for Rolling Stone, who has been reporting on Taylor since her early years. The book was interesting, learning about the background of certain albums, and songs. It covered some of the highs and lows in Taylor's career, such as her infamous feud with Kanye, and Kim, including the night at the 2009 VMA's.

The book did have quite a bit of the author's opinion in it, and many references comparing Taylor to other music artists, such as Paul McCartney, and The Beatles. It was an enjoyable quick read for a Taylor fan, but I personally wish there was a bit more cohesiveness and less opinion.

I am a Rob Sheffield fan. It has been quite a few years since I read "Love is a Mixed Tape, but I still find myself thinking about it sometimes. I am only willing to try signing karaoke in front of a group because I read his book "Turn Around Bright Eyes".
You can imagine excited I was to find that he had written a book about Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift is my personal project for 2024. I listen to the radio and I enjoy music but I have never invested the time needed to really get to know her work. As a sometimes country music listener, I remember when she broke through in 2006 and I have followed her ever since, but I am still not what you would call a Swiftie.

I was delighted by this book. I am delighted by Rob and his enthusiasm for Taylor Swift. Reading this book has made my September better in every way. He taught me about Taylor Swift. Thorough him, I am learning about her music and her personal tells. He has taught me that Taylor is savvy and swift. She was raised to have a good business sense. Taylor does nothing my accident, except when she takes that bait. She is human and often she goes overboard.
He has helped guide me toward the "must listen" songs and the ones I can skip. He has been a guide to help me get over my fear of her "more indie" albums. He has helped me see that Taylor is more than the Madonna of her time. He has shown me that she is influencing an entire generation of young women who are independent and in touch with their emotions and abilities. He can't wait to see what these young women do when they grow up.
I feel that every library will benefit by adding this to its collection as he is ostensibly the Taylor Swift scholar/ writer/ super fan of his time.

This one is a bit difficult to review. As a Swiftie and pop music nerd, I was really excited for this book but it missed the mark on a few things.

- What is this book trying to be? It covers early life and a summary of her career and music, but isn't detailed enough to be a biography. It has a lot of personal anecdotes from the author, and I do enjoy pop culture/memoir crossovers, but that's not how this was marketed.

- Intended audience: the author is a huge Taylor fan and includes many references and lyrics throughout, and it feels like it's written for an audience of Swifties. For readers who aren't necessarily into Taylor but are interested in the music industry, this writing style will be a turn-off and I don't think it does enough to convince a neutral reader of her impact or situate her within the larger pop industry context more objectively or with any critical analysis. Swifties would enjoy this more, but will already know the overview of the eras/her life and some of the opinionated statements about certain songs or incidents might get a rise out of some fans.

- Organization: not very logical, with chapters about some eras but not all in order, some chapters focusing on specific songs with personal anecdotes, and then some miscellaneous chapters throughout (guitar? "nice"?) and an abrupt ending. I'm guessing TTPD came out when this was mostly finished so it was late to having its own chapter, but it is referenced throughout so that feels inconsistent.

- Thesis: I was going into this really hoping this would explore the subtitle - how Taylor Swift reinvented pop music. The overviews of eras were more surface level but necessary context. I wouldn't want to read a book that was just a list of her awards and records her music/tours broke, but there was no mention of them at all and it seems relevant to her impact on pop music. Then I feel like we got closer to the analysis I wanted with some of the sections about fan interaction, use of Easter eggs and puzzles, the rerecordings, and connection to other musicians, but it didn't go deep enough. I really wanted to see a stronger thesis of how/why she became such a phenomenon and to persuade readers that she did in fact reinvent pop music.

Overall I just think the way this was titled and described created expectations that didn't align with what the actual book was. I enjoyed the chapters about specific songs, even when they were relating to the author's personal experiences - if this was presented as a series of essays about Taylor's music and the author's life I would be more satisfied!

It was a pretty easy and quick read so for anyone who's interested in the book I would still say to go ahead and read it, but I'll be interested to read more reviews when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to Dey Street books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a huge Swiftie and have read so many different books on her, but I really loved and enjoyed this one. Rather than being a boring retelling of facts, this was told almost in an upbeat story share. There were lots of fun facts sprinkled through the chapters with things I didn’t even know about her (and I seriously thought I knew it all). I also adored the chapter titles being mixed with song titles.

If you’re a Swiftie you have to pick up this fun new book for your collection!

Heartbreak is the National Anthem is a collection of brief music / cultural criticism essays on the music, artistry, and phenomenon of Taylor Swift. The collection spans her career, from her country origins to dizzying heights of pop superstardom, with essays dedicated to each album, with additional sections on her pivots from country to pop, the evolution of her branding / celebrity persona, the Taylor's Version re-recording project, and the Swiftie fandom.

I do think that this collection will resonate the most with readers who have more than passing familiarity with Swift, her catalogue, and her lore. The essays are sprinkled with allusions and quotations from deep cut lyrics, and the discussion of her public mythology assumes the reader has a firm understanding of the basics. Swifties will especially enjoy this collection. The writing is thoughtful and nuanced, with such respect for Swift's work and the palpable enthusiasm of communicating with a fellow fan. Rob Sheffield is so tangibly One of Us, and he captures the magic of Swift's music among her fans so well. I was delighted to notice that my favorite Swift song, folklore's "mirrorball," was one of several songs to receive their own chapters.

I've already recommended it to several of my Swiftie friends.

Rob Sheffield has followed Taylor Swift since the beginning of her career - literally. The Rolling Stone journalist has been a Swiftie since nearly day one, and has followed her on tour, in the studio, and everywhere in between. "Heartbreak is the National Anthem" charts Swift's rise to fame as a young Nashville songwriter to how she became one of the most powerful women in the world. His analysis goes deep on Taylor's work and, like Swift herself, includes many easter eggs (via turns of phrase) for diehard fans to notice along the way. While certainly not a tell-all or detailed biography (and it doesn't purport to be), Sheffield's book provides a very thorough breakdown of each of Taylor Swift's "eras" and will definitely be loved by the true fans, and probably enjoyed by the fair-weather ones as well.

~Thank you to Netgalley and Dey Street Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.~

I’m not a Swiftie, but I understand why Taylor Swift is such a massive phenomenon Rob Sheffield’s "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem" feels like getting a VIP pass to watch her rise from country star to pop icon. Sheffield, in his full “superfan era”, shares lots of fun details and behind-the-scenes stories that make you feel close to her journey. Taylor Swift is an inspiring role model, handling doubts and challenges with grace. This book is a must-read for Swifties who will love it, and even casual listeners might find themselves hooked. Like Beyoncé, Taylor has a special quality that deeply connects with her fans. Sheffield’s enthusiasm for Swift is contagious, and his book makes a strong case for her huge impact on pop culture. Not a fan yet? Get ready—this book might make you one!

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

as a big swiftie, i have to say that this book was a big let down.
the organization is absurd.. going from debut era Taylor to All Too Well’s release, no actual chapter about TTPD despite the album and its songs being referenced several times throughout, too many chapters focusing on Folklore songs without explaining WHY they changed or reinvented pop music. SO many tie ins and aspects of lore were overlooked completely or just outshined by the ENDLESS personal stories Rob just had to throw in about meeting Duran Duran or attending a secret session… AS IF WE CARE?
in fact, most of the chapters just felt like Rob trying to insert himself into the TSwift narrative with whatever celebrity name drops or personal anecdotes he could share.
the book is short, less than 300 pages total, but still couldn’t manage to truly convey the message in the title.
as a swiftie, I know damn well how Taylor reinvented the wheel, but I’m not sure Rob does, and I know he is a well-known music reporter, but I’m left glad that I haven’t read his other works. Oops!