5 Taylor Swift songs that prove her music is more than 'just exes': From The Last Time to Exile

In 2009, I heard Love Story. Taylor Swift’s sweet, saccharine song was the anthem of romantics, and hopefuls. We sang it in college, on buses, and in Karaoke. It became too treacly as the year progressed, but we kept hearing about Teardrops on my Guitar, and Slow Horses.

By 2012 and beyond, for anyone who wasn’t a Swiftie, Taylor Swift’s music showed an unusual range. Around that time, an ad called “I need a swiftamine” captured how addictive and catchy her songs had become. There was the raw angst of Trouble, the upbeat pop anthem 22—“I don’t know about you, but I’m turning 22”—which quickly became the unofficial motto for every 22-year-old. Gradually, darker tracks like Blank Space and the shocking Look What You Made Me Do emerged.

If you weren’t a die-hard fan, these shifts were sudden jolts, making you pause and wonder: 'What is Taylor Swift really about?'

But, in 2016, I heard The Last Time. Ironically, it was a 2012 release, with Gary Lightbody. It was the first time, there was something sweeping, melancholy, painful, and heavy about her song. For anyone who wasn’t a die-hard Swiftie back then—perhaps only familiar with the bubbly Shake It Off—The Last Time hit differently.

It’s a subdued track, yet it seeps with an infectious energy of heartbreak. The song is drenched in grief and resigned acceptance, making it one of Swift’s most searing works to date—arguably even more so than Maroon, Snow on the Beach, or You’re on Your Own, Kid. In those songs, Swift doesn’t just twist the knife—she digs it in, painfully. And somehow, the pain tolerance has gotten lower over the years with her songs.

Now, she’s back with a new album, Life of a Showgirl, and as always, excitement is reaching a fever pitch. Of course, the usual snarky comments have surfaced, claiming the new songs won’t be as heartbreaking because Swift is “with someone now.”

It’s an interesting critique. When a woman writes about heartbreak, she’s often reduced to clichés like “only writing about her exes.” But the truth is, Swift—whether you’re a fan or not—deserves far more credit. She often explores seething grief in subtle tones, slowly building to emotional crescendos. Sometimes she unleashes rage, as in Look What You Made Me Do. Other times, she delivers catchy, playful anthems perfect for a karaoke night, like Blank Space.

As fans speculate about the themes of Life of a Showgirl and debate whether it includes more “heartbreak club” songs, here’s a look at some of her tracks that deserve a second listen—and more appreciation.

‘I’ve seen this film before. And it didn’t like the ending’.

Exile, a collaboration with Bon Iver, is another example of Swift’s heartbreak songs. The song opens with a gentle piano melody that lays the foundation, paired with a subtle, steady drum rhythm that feels like a slow heartbeat—measured but heavy. As the track progresses, the beat remains restrained but powerful, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics and the contrasting vocals to take center stage. The percussion is minimalist, emphasising space and silence between the notes. You feel the themes of regret, distance, and unresolved tension. Rather than rushing, Exile lets its beats breathe, drawing listeners into the quiet unraveling of a fractured relationship.

 There are several interpretations to this song. Maroon, being abandonment, left alone. And, the more obvious one, is her usage of blood as a motif, to show the pain of emotional pain. ‘How did we lose sight of us again,’ are her lyrics, reflecting on a past, broken relationship. A relationship that was so bright when it started, but grew darker in time.

Either way, it’s a haunting song that stays.

One can only draw interpretations: A song about Swift’s own journey and life, and trying to find a place, amidst the jokes that have been hurled at her and relationships, as the lyrics seemed to reflect: ‘The jokes weren’t funny, but I took the money…’

Is it a fairytale romance? Or is it the ending? The song shows the feeling of falling in love unexpectedly. The beat is delicate, built around synths and soft, cascading percussion that mimic the gentle, almost surreal imagery of snow falling on a beach—something beautiful yet out of place.