Dear John is a lyrical scathing masterpiece

 

She went IN - the bridge alone 

 

All the girls that you've run dry have tired lifeless eyes because you BURNED THEM OUT

But I took your matches before fire could catch me so don't look now
I'm shining like fireworks OVER YOUR SAD EMPTY TOWN

Dear Grammy > Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve (Warmed Up My Voice and Mixed This Song Properly)

Dear John is better, I don't listen to it a ton but it's honestly her best song. I remember Jon Caramanica (hate his recent Taylor opinions but he was on the money here) called it Taylor at her most wounded but also most powerful, with the perfect mix of victim and assassin. The aping of the guitar licks from Gravity is her most genius musical move ever.

 

I really like WCS but I don't like this idea from some people that it's far and away the best thing on Midnights. I can understand why she didn't put it on the standard, it doesn't fit the vibe. The lyricism is really strong.

WCS isn't even top 20 on Midnights ...

1 minute ago, touchofmyhand said:

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve (Warmed Up My Voice and Mixed This Song Properly)

Yeah something about the mixing is a bit off, moreso in the chorus than the verses. I wonder what a harder rock producer like Dan Auerbach would've brought to the track. The vocal thing is also true, it's weird because it sounds like her Fearless/Speak Now vocals (which was nice in a way for nostalgia's sake given the theme of the song) and she sounds a tad offkey on "it was mine fiiiiirst", which is odd because with her current vocal power ever she has been able to hit more difficult notes than that with ease (State of Grace TV comes to mind).

Dear John wins

 

but I love the thought of her writing WCS after re-recording Dear John. She was not over beating his a-s-s

Dear John alone >> other girls’ entire discography so that one 

 

WCS is cute but i find the girlhood lyric kinda cringy

 

still, like I said before, it was a really genius move to set up John Mayer on Midnights so he gets destroyed when Speak Now TV drops

I absolutely love both, but Dear John. WCS is top three on Midnights, but Dear John is top ten in her entire discography. 

Dear John by far.

 

No shade but WCS acclaim gives forced. I would compare it to how people treated ghostin by Ariana upon release. Because it is the "deep, emotional, vulnerable" song, you feel required to acclaim it, while in actuality, it's pretty middle of the road.

People saying WCS, I just know they haven’t listened to Dear John cuz

Let me keep my mouth shut about some of the takes in here 

Both are too excellent to compare I'm afraid

Dear Talent >>>  Would've(flopped) Could've(flopped) Should've(flopped)

Dear John by miles in circles

Every single thing about Dear John is better. Melody, lyrics, instrumentation, production...

WCS just becuz DJ is too lengthy for my taste

DJ incredible. She just can't top it, nor can she top Enchanted or ATW

 

The recency bias is real

 

WCS is incredible and one of the few Midnights songs that come close to her "best of all time" lists, but I think the verses are a bit weak and fail to match the punch of the bridge and outro. That's why I don't see it sitting on the same table as Dear John or All Too Well or Enchanted.