This is the stuff of real intimacy, of partnership, of creating a language and a life together. “Lover” features a classically swooning, Swiftian bridge-one designed to soundtrack wedding vows in renovated barns until the end of time-but its most penetrating lines depict the unglamorous stuff: telling dirty jokes, saving seats, deciding whether or not to drag out the air mattress for your college friends. How can you make sure a good thing lasts forever? Both songs are tributes to the dirty work that goes into keeping a relationship healthy, and they’re spiked with the fear and doubt people feel even when that work is paying off.

With its rustic arrangement and domestic imagery, it sounds like a spiritual sequel to “New Year’s Day,” the acoustic cleansing that closes 2017’s divisive Reputation. “Lover,” the title track from her most recent blockbuster LP, is a reminder of how effortlessly she can translate specific gestures and moments into universal expressions of romance. There’s room in Taylor Swift’s galaxy for celebrity warfare, veiled political commentary, and enthusiastic allyship, but her work is finest when it’s laser-focused on flawed, hopeful people making a connection.