We’re a couple months removed from the release of Taylor Swift’s pop culture atomic bomb of an album, and I’ve been looking back on what could’ve been done differently. She reaches for so many great themes on this record only to fall flat with sloppy writing and bland production. But I’m here to guide you through some of my favorite female songwriters that take Swift’s ideas and expand them into fully formed musical worlds.

This month was full of great builds, music across time, and the last days of summer.