13 Taylor Swift Songs That Are Better Than "Me!"

And I know it's long gone, and that magic's not here no more. And I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all...

On April 26, Taylor Swift dropped the first single, "Me!", and accompanying music video from her new album.

Taylor Swift / Via rollingstone.com

Swift began promotion with countdowns on her social media accounts and website, in addition to clues placed in her 2019 calendar. The buzz created for this video, as well as carefully dropped hints on Swift's social media about "clues" about the upcoming album, let the video to break both the Vevo and YouTube records for most views in the first 24 hours for a video with a lead female.

Taylor Swift @taylorswift13

So... the new album title is actually revealed somewhere in the video AND so is the title of the second single, but I haven’t seen people finding them yet... 🕵️‍♂️🕵️‍♀️ #MEmusicvideo https://t.co/cdxQ6dFiar

11:16 PM - 26 Apr 2019

The buzz created for this single and video was impeccable--after years with a limited social media presence, Swift jumped back in with the same focus and dedication she had when using her social media accounts to promote 1989 back in 2014. She held a livestream on YouTube during the release of the video, made posts about adopting the kitten from the video, and went live with Brandon Urie on Instagram where they drove around on a golf cart and talked about the video. To Swift stans everywhere this was exhilerating, and I think it would have made them love anything she created.

What's the problem with "Me!"?

Taylor Swift / Via teenvogue.com

I was also swept up in the fun of the countdown. I wrote about it, stalked Swift's social media pages, and had a minor breakdown because I couldn't watch the livestream release of the video (hello 6 am professional development). I love Taylor Swift as an artist, and I was excited about the #TS7 era. When I woke up at 4 am on April 26 and realized that the single was a duet with Brandon Urie from Panic! At the Disco I was beside myself with excitement.

And then I watched the video.

To be fair, I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with the song, but it...fell flat. I didn't feel like I was listening to the creative, artistic, introspective Taylor Swift that I loved. "Me!" felt...commerical. Stereotypical. "Grocery store pop," as my husband calls it. I wanted to love it so much, but even Brandon Urie couldn't save it. I wasn't the only one to feel this way either, as critical reception was mixed at best.

Critical reception

Taylor Swift / Via tubefilter.com

"'Me!' is a cloyingly goofy Disney-pop confection with an earworm chorus and a certain try-hard insidiousness to it". --Rob Harvilla, The Ringer

"[The song is] a showcase for the worst and weakest aspects of Swift’s work" and "it is not hard to write a better song than this". --Anna Gaca, Pitchfork

"[The lyrics] are just surface messaging about self-love and acceptance, the kind of hollow #positivity that is slapped on greetings cards and slogan t-shirts and sold as empowering". --Rhian Daly, NME.

"[The song is] so blandly uncontroversial that there is literally nothing to say about it" and it "has proven something of a damp squib". --Alexandra Pollard, The Independent

"Me!" is beneath Swift's songwriting abilities

Taylor Swift / Via giphy.com

To prove that point, here are 13 songs that are better than "Me!" according to...well, me. These songs are in no specific order, other than "All Too Well" because we all know it's the best song Swift has ever written.

"The Last Time ft Gary Lightbody" - Red

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Tim McGraw" - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"New Year's Day" - Reputation

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Don't Blame Me" - Reputation

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Treacherous" - Red

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

("Treacherous" starts @ 5:49)

"Out of the Woods" - 1989

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Our Song" - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Mean" - Speak Now

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Red" - Red

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Blank Space" - 1989

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"You Belong With Me" - Fearless

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"Safe and Sound" ft The Civil Wars - The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

"All Too Well" - Red

Taylor Swift / Via youtube.com

Honorable mention: Sugarland's "Babe" (ft. Taylor Swift) - Bigger

Sugarland / Via youtube.com

Originally written by Taylor Swift & Patrick Monahan for Red, it was instead recorded by Sugarland.

In conclusion Red is the best album, don't @ me I wil fight you.

Taylor Swift/Sugarland / Via giphy.com