YouTube Mashup DJ Joseph James has a history of doing megamixes of popular artists that span their entire careers. For his latest, he decided to combine all 231 songs recorded and released by Taylor Swift since 2006 into one single, massive song. "The Complete Eras Megamix" mostly moves in reverse chronological order, tracking Taylor's "Eras" (a la her current, ongoing mega-hit tour) across seven different color-themed movements.
It's a genuinely impressive feat. Sure, sometimes James just lifts a single lyric or hook here and there — but even those are still iconic moments, designed to hit, and ensure you know that your favorite song is being represented. The whole 13-minute epic flows together surprisingly well, moving in arcs so it never gets too boring or annoying. That also speaks to one of Taylor's under-appreciated talents as a songwriter: she knows how to keep it simple.
I sometimes play guitar in a Taylor Swift cover band, and that experience has really helped me to appreciate the way she keeps songs moving, and always includes at least one big, exciting drop or hit or other moment. She really is a master in the art of the pop song format. (Also I appreciate that she makes it easy to remember the songs, because the Bridge/Middle 8 section almost always just moves to the IV, or to the minor — two classic, standard pop song moves. 'Cause hey, if ain't broke, don't fix it.)
