Undiscovered: Five Underrated Songs in Taylor Swift's Discography

Taylor Swift was born on this day in 1989, and to celebrate the country star turned pop icon's special day, we've conjured a list of some of our favorite underrated tracks by unstoppable the singer-songwriter.

1. "Tied Together with a Smile" from Taylor Swift (2006)

Although very early on in Swift's career, her thoughtful lyricism was on full display with this empathetic track. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she shared that "Tied Together with a Smile" was written about one of her friends who struggled with an eating disorder. Although the lyricism leans on the simpler side, the idea shared is relatable and meaningful as she sings, "Hold on, baby; you're losing it / The water's high, you're jumping into it / And letting go, and no one knows / That you cry, but you don't tell anyone / That you might not be the golden one."

2. "The Other Side Of The Door" from Fearless (2008)

Swift's sophomore record Fearless is still one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling country LPs of all time. It's hard to believe there's an underrated track on their project; however, "The Other Side Of The Door," a bonus track on the deluxe version of the album, deserves its flowers. The outro specifically is one of the highlights of the whole thing as Swift exclaims passionately, "With your face and the beautiful eyes / And the conversation with the little white lies / And the faded picture of a beautiful night / You carried me from your car up the stairs / And I broke down crying, was she worth this mess? / After everything and that little black dress / After everything I must confess, I need you."

3. "Innocent" from Speak Now (2010)

This soft-spoken yet punching Speak Now ballad was inspired by Kanye West's interruption of Swift's VMA Awards acceptance speech in 2009. Nothing like a diss track, this forgiving anthem is bittersweet and filled with mature, thoughtful lyricism as she sings, "Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days? / Always a bigger bed to crawl into / Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything / And everybody believed in you?"

4. "Sad Beautiful Tragic" from Red (2013)

Oftentimes, many songs on Swift's fan-favorite Red record get overlooked due to the powerful ballad that is "All Too Well," which is arguably one of the best-written songs of this generation; however, many other sad songs on Red deserve their moment too. "Sad Beautiful Tragic" is exactly what the title suggests: a heartwrenching, slow-moving ache of a song. The opening verse is like a scene out of a movie as she exclaims, "Long handwritten note / Deep in your pocket / Words, how little they mean / When you're a little too late / I stood right by the tracks / Your face in a locket / Good girls, hopeful they'll be and long they will wait."

5. "The Moment I Knew" from Red (2013)

Another overlooked tragic moment in Red comes on the bonus track "The Moment I Knew." This tune has Swift retelling the night of her 21st birthday. The lyrics effortlessly capture a specific moment in time and her vocal performance is stunning; the pain is unmissable. In the bridge, she yells out, "What do you say when tears are streaming down your face / In front of everyone you know / And what do you do when the one who means the most to you / Is the one who didn't show?"

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