The media erupted when Taylor Swift released her “Look What You Made Me Do” music video at the Video Music Awards Aug. 25. Mixed reviews and opinions flooded in as a response to the edgy video, clearly deviating from the Taylor that the world is used to. However, her new album “reputation” isn’t consistent with the image shown in that video. It is, rather, an album of reality and Swift’s return to the charts. Though her evolution through the years has been drastic, the new sound she’s producing is impossible to ignore.

The album begins with “…Ready For It?” questioning if indeed listeners are ready for the perfection about to ensue. This is the best introductory track that could have been chosen. Not only are the lyrics catchy, but it’s a fun, upbeat song that is sure to get stuck in the head of anyone who listens to it. It’s followed by “End Game,” the only song on the album that features other artists. Ed Sheeran and Future team up with Swift to add an extra element to the record. Here, Swift displays a collaboration that speaks to anyone who has a significant other they want to end up with when it’s all said and done.

Following the trends of her preceding albums, a majority of the songs on “reputation” are about love and relationships, portraying heartfelt, intimate moments. Tracks like “Delicate” and “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” tell their own stories about Swift and her significant other. She creates an experience for her fans, one in which they are immersed in her honest feelings, no matter how vulnerable she must make herself. On the contrary, “Look What You Made Me Do” and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” veer toward critiques of society. Swift does not hold back on throwing shade and calling people out, nor does she deem herself without guilt. This is another facet that makes her music that much more believable; she’s real, genuine and transparent.

Overall, the vibe of this album is much more pop-esque than her earlier ones, similar to “1989.” Swift’s newest release is carefully balanced between slow-paced and upbeat songs. It’s obvious that she has invested countless hours of work into this album. There was quite a bit of time between “1989” and “Reputation,” but it’s worth the wait to hear her artfully crafted new album. Every one of these songs has an intriguing, attention-grabbing first few seconds that makes it nearly impossible to ignore the next three minutes. Though they’re all different, there’s a cohesive sound for the album as a whole.

“reputation” is not currently available on streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. It’s speculated that the album will be released on those services eventually, but a date has not been named yet. “reputation” is going for $13.99 in the iTunes store, $15.00 in her official online store and $16.99 for the standard version from Target.

The “Look What You Made Me Do” video was not the best indication of the entirety of “reputation,” but it was a fantastic marketing strategy to get people talking about the album. It is definitely worth talking about, too. Swift has done it again.