A few months ago the trailer for Where The Crawdads Sing was released - a movie based on a novel of the same name written by Delia Owens - and so was the news that it would be accompanied by an original song written and sung by Taylor Swift. This song, called "Carolina", adds to the ever-growing list of originals the singer has written for movies.
Over the years she has collaborated with many songwriters and producers to create a catalog of genre-bending songs for a variety of movies, and every song so far has indicated where she's heading as an artist and has received critical praise. From writing an ominous number to fit the dystopian world of Hunger Games to the sultry soundtrack for the Fifty Shades franchise, each song has its own place in her discography.
"Today Was A Fairytale" From Valentine's Day
"Today Was A Fairytale" was initially written by Swift in 2008 but was released for the ensemble-cast movie, Valentine's Day, in 2010. While the song itself fits the movie well, it isn’t much of a departure for her in terms of lyrics or sound.
In and of itself, the song is pretty good, but it blends seamlessly into the sound and themes of Fearless. The song falls under the genre of country-pop and was re-recorded for Fearless (Taylor's Version) with a massive improvement in her vocals. Unlike "Crazier", a song written around the same time, "Today Was A Fairytale" falls short because of Swift’s own ability to pen better movie soundtracks.
"Beautiful Ghosts" From Cats
Yes, everyone unanimously agrees that the Cats movie - directed by Tom Hooper - wasn't the best idea for anyone involved in it, however, it did lead to a great soundtrack that Swift got to collaborate on with Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song delivers a great vocal performance that crescendos into a beautiful climax.
The song is also sung by Francesca Hayward in the movie, but Swift's emotionally overpowered version transcends her performance. "Beautiful Ghosts" went on to become the songwriter’s third Golden Globe nomination. Its haunting and chilling sound feels like an orchestral version of her recently released "Carolina", which has a more stripped sound.
"Sweeter Than Fiction" From One Chance
"Sweeter Than Fiction" has an almost anthem-like feel to it which is based in a very bubblegum pop sound with notes of rock seeping in through the edges. Its lyrics fit the story of One Chance, a movie that follows the story of Paul Potts' journey - played by James Corden - to becoming the first winner of Britain's Got Talent. Both the song and the movie were received positively by critics with the song giving Swift her second Golden Globe nomination.
This song is very much on the same lines as "Eyes Open" with lyrics referring to the hope that one day everything will be alright, and the struggles and bruises won’t be remembered. Swift's superpower has always come from her lyricism and ability to evoke every emotion in a very kaleidoscopic manner. The song was also a very clear genre shift that eventually led to the release of the pop bible that is 1989.
"Eyes Open" From The Hunger Games
Unlike "Safe & Sound" this song is rooted in the rock genre, a considerably surprising choice from a singer who was known for her country-pop at the time of release - though deep cuts like "Haunted" from Speak Now had already shown her ability to step into the shoes of that style. Released between Speak Now (2010) and Red (2012), the lyrics of the song seem to be inspired by her own life and the books equally.
The best part of this song, as in most of Swift's songs, is the bridge where the instrumentals drop slightly into the background as she earnestly delivers lyrics about staying focused on your goals while staying aware of your surroundings. The song evokes a feeling of hope and self-confidence in defiance of outside negativity, which is a theme present throughout Swift's career.
"Carolina" From Where The Crawdads Sing
With her eighth movie soundtrack, Swift has once again proven that her knack for intertwining beautiful lyrics with melodies that perfectly match the theme of the story is a skill undoubtedly worthy of recognition. Her vocal delivery enhances the overall haunting tone of the song with a focus on using her lower register, something that she seems to have started utilizing more ever since she took part in Cats.
The song itself is an extension of her indie sister albums, though it definitely has darker connotations, which makes sense as she collaborated on this song with Aaron Dessner and wrote it back in 2020 itself. What stands out the most in this song are the carefully constructed lyrics that personify a place, Carolina, where the story of Where The Crawdads Sing is set. This song is also stripped down to the bare minimum instrumentation, using instruments from the early 1950s i.e. the period in which the story takes place.
"Crazier" From Hannah Montana: The Movie
"Crazier" goes back to Swift's country roots, southern twang and all, and was her very first movie soundtrack. The song was released in 2009 after a very successful sophomore album - which ended up winning the singer-songwriter her first Grammy.
As a soundtrack, specifically for this movie, it is perfect. She then went on to make a cameo in the movie by performing the song herself, which is where she met Lucas Till who would go on to star in the "You Belong With Me" music video. This song, like "Today Was A Fairytale", might get re-recorded and added, either to Speak Now (TV) given its release date or to Taylor Swift (TV) given that it was written earlier.
"I Don’t Wanna Live Forever" From Fifty Shades Darker
Everyone was surprised by the lead single from Fifty Shades Darker, not just because it was a song that featured Taylor Swift, but also because it marked a very unexpected collaboration with Zayn Malik. The song itself showed a side of Swift that was a step away from her "good girl persona" - keep in mind that this song came out a full year before reputation (2017) was released.
The song was critically praised, especially because of the vocals of both artists. A music video was also released a month later - though it lacked the typical Taylor Swift Easter eggs - to further promote the sultry ballad. This one was also good foreshadowing of where Swift was headed with the seventh studio album, which had a mostly electropop and R&B sound built on the pop base that she made for herself in 2014.
"Safe & Sound" From The Hunger Games
"Safe & Sound" is not only the best song Swift has made for a movie, but one of the best songs from her entire catalog. Not only was this song a drastic shift from the Speak Now, which was a pop-country album, but it was very indicative of the path she would tread down nine years later when she released folklore and evermore.
The promotional single of The Hunger Games was delivered with great fragility by Swift who sang in very quiet, breathy tones that added an extra layer to the brutal lyrics written in collaboration with Joy Williams, John Paul White, and T-Bone Burnett. The Civil Wars add further depth to the song with their matching vocal tones following a melody that aptly matched the desperation present in the lyrics. Swift's contribution to the song is heavily based on the books, which she obviously read in preparation, and her style showed back then what everyone knows now - she knows how to tell a visceral story enriched with emotions within the four to five short minutes of a song.