Analysing the evolution in Taylor’s melodies- what do you guys think?

I love how refreshingly open to different opinions this sub is and how critical analysis of Taylor isn’t seen as hate. So I would like to bring up a point and have a discussion about it. I am more than happy to have people with different opinions argue their opinion (I may not be seeing something you do and I am open to having my mind changed!). Just don’t be mean and attack me personally. Or call me names. I am not a hater.

Okay with that out of the way. What I would like to debate is that I feel when discussing Taylor swifts songwriting ability, lyrics are often used to make the case for her mastery but rarely is melody talked about.

It is MY OPINION that her melodic quality has declined in recent years. Perhaps it is a choice, who am I to say. But I feel that at the beginning of her career up until Red she had these complex intricate weaving melodies. Debut, Fearless, speak now and Red had melodies with notes that went up and down, moved around a lot and were very unique and discernible.

1989 was where things shifted a bit. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great body of work but it became less complex, more one- note melodies (Blank space verses, Style chorus etc) and I saw someone on this sub refer to them as ‘staccato’. Not that it’s bad necessarily, they worked for the purpose they were trying to achieve and the rhythm made them interesting but they became melodically less complex and more monotone than (say) enchanted, long live, mine, mean, love story, Red, iKYWT yada yada.

Compare for example ‘this night is sparking, don’t you let it go’ to ‘you got that James dean day dream look in your eye’. The first moves all over the place whereas style is mainly one note.

Folklore and evermore are hard to judge in this context so maybe someone can shed light on how they feel about their melodies?

But I felt midnights was really lacking in melody somehow. Not hating, but bejeweled for example is not as ‘tight’ as her work on (say) fearless. It’s meandering with no coherent melody. Like the chorus doesn’t deliver the same ‘tension’ and release as ILYWT or Enchanted etc. same with mastermind, glitch

What do you guys think? It feels like she focused on lyrics more in midnights (and maybe TTPD although I feel it’s more melodic than midnights- I may be wrong) at the expense of melody sometimes. Going back to enchanted/mine/IKYWT/fifteen etc etc, if you hum it the notes are so distinct from each other and it is a clear consice melody. Whereas the chorus of ICDIWABH (you know you’re good when you can do it with a broken heart), glitch, mastermind etc isn’t really that varied. Just my two cents.

In case anybody takes offence- I love her okay? It’s just a musical analysis, it isn’t meant as hate etc