‘The Best Covers Ever’ series counts down our favorite covers of great artists.
A few weeks ago, a mysterious countdown appeared on Taylor Swift’s website. It got fans all aflutter, as tends to happen whenever Taylor Swift does anything. But then it disappeared, and nothing happened. A rare error, apparently. Whoops. How excited everyone got for those brief few hours, though, shows just how omnipresent Swift remains, twenty-plus years into her career (has it really been that long?).
A while ago, we at Cover Me were thinking of what current pop star have we not yet done a list for. Swift was the blindingly obvious answer. I was going to say we’ve done most of her peers already, but, after completing the biggest tour in history, does she even have any peers?
So, below, 25 covers of her some of greatest songs. By the time this list comes out, she’ll probably have more songs, and there will certainly more be more covers of them. Maybe we’ll have to go back and revisit it. The Best Taylor Swift Covers Ever (Taylor’s Version).
Photo by Paolo V
25. Sondre Lerche — Anti-Hero
The biggest hit from 2022’s Midnights, Swift’s sort-of return to more mainstream pop after her dalliances with folk, “Anti-Hero” had Swifties all over social media quoting the chorus lyrics as a meme. Norwegian musician Sondre Lerche decided to take it on for his annual Christmas cover. He begins the song with nearly horror-movie-esque strings, before the beat comes in. Lerche mostly speaks the lyrics, rather than sings them. To start, though, the backing is just electronic percussion and strings, which are behaving themselves a little more. But when it comes to meme-able chorus, initially he omits most of the oft-quoted lyrics, just repeating “It’s me.” (He also plays with the order of the verses.) Lerche goofs around with his string section, getting really avant-garde in the middle, and setting us up for a drop. When he finally does the full chorus, there’s almost an orchestra backing him, though he omits all of those instruments out at the end of the last verse, once again masterfully playing with dynamics are our expectations.
It’s an extremely creative arrangement that threatens to deprive fans of the most famous part of the song, but adds tension and a whole lot of punch when it finally arrives. — Riley Haas
24. The Maine — cruel summer
This dream-pop cover with just a touch of emo gives us the appropriate level of nostalgic yearning to take us back to Summer 2019. It’s unhurried and laid-back with its syncopated percussion and echoey vocals. However, the pace escalates enough to deliver the “he looks up grinning like the devil” line with the crucial little bit of snarl. — Sara Stoudt
23. black midi — Love Story
Taylor Swift was an odd choice for experimental rock-post-punk-free-jazz band Black Midi, which I’m sure was entirely the point. They surprise-dropped it on a vinyl-only (at first) covers EP, Cavalcovers. As you might guess from those genre tags, it sounds different from the original—but, more surprisingly, not as different as you’d expect. They give it a somewhat yacht-y rock gleam, with added distortion and a whole lotta sexy saxophone. — Ray Padgett
22. MUNA — August
Famously, Folklore brought about a change in Swift’s writing and sound, due to the isolation of the pandemic. “August” very much captures that new sound, with acoustic instruments mixed in with subtle electronic production, but still with an extremely hooky chorus. The album has been called “cinematic” because of its sound and the focus on characters, including the mini song cycle of which “August” is a part. Indie poppers MUNA lean into both the folk feel and the cinematic vibe. Though the cover is live, they create a massive wall-of-sound, widescreen feel on the chorus and the bridge that contrasts really effectively with the more folky verses. The result is appropriately epic for the middle third of Swift’s love triangle song cycle. — Riley Haas
21. Old Dirty Brasstards — Shake It Off
A pivot to pop might disappoint some country purists, but it does leave an artist’s catalogue open to inventive covers which can convey the meaning of the originals without losing as much of the meaning. Old Dirty Brasstards take the energy of New Orleans with some of the sensibility of UK Symphonic Wind Band tradition (you can have a tuba, which is more difficult to march with, and full drum kit) and have fun with it. They find foot tappers in unusual places were necessary but give them an already danceable pop hit and watch them go, go, go! — Mike Tobyn
