In Defense of My Fave

About In Defense of My Fave

In Defense Of My Fave is where music lovers plead their case. Each episode, a guest passionately defends an album or artist they’d go to bat for—flaws, skips, and all. Expect strong opinions, deep nostalgia, and spirited debate, all in good fun. If you’ve ever said “no, you don’t get this album,” this podcast is for you.

Publisher

Morgan Cottrill

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Jul 2026

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's the Life of a Showgirl

   Morgan hosts In Defense of My Fave, a music commentary podcast where guests defend albums, and wraps Season One’s 12-album Taylor Swift run with Life of a Showgirl alongside returning guests Stef and Sara, noting the episode was recorded before the deluxe bonus tracks. They recap their Swiftie histories, speculate about a new single (“Patient Zero”), possible deluxe/VMAs announcements, and discuss the album’s cultural context: post-Eras Tour, The Tortured Poets Department’s success, Swift buying back her masters, and her engagement to Travis Kelce. They outline the showgirl-maximalist aesthetic, Max Martin/Shellback producing all 12 tracks, fan backlash and lore, and commercial performance. The group then tier-ranks tracks with major disagreements (e.g., “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Wood,” title track), and Morgan shares overall album ranking scores and teases a final bonus episode building perfect 13-track Taylor albums. Spotify playlist for every Taylor Swift God Tier: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lUwq292MomaBpKiCXoAVg?si=0b6a29b6dd6c4ef1 (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lUwq292MomaBpKiCXoAVg?si=0b6a29b6dd6c4ef1)

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department (Part 2)

   Morgan continues her In Defense of My Fave conversation with Ronni and Steph on the back half of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (the Anthology), debating whether Taylor should slow down on new music, what Taylor Swift 13 could be, and how fans read into hair, marriage, and country-root hints. They track-by-track rank songs like “The Black Dog,” “imgonnagetyouback,” “So High School,” “How Did It End?,” “I Look in People’s Windows,” “The Prophecy,” and “The Manuscript,” discussing lore ties to The 1975, grief stages, and personal breakup parallels, while criticizing several Dessner-produced tracks and revisiting Kim/Kanye with “thanK you aIMee.” They choose best bridges/songs and reveal the tier-ranking scores. As she does every week, Morgan uses math to get a final score for The Tortured Poets Department.

3. 

   25 Sept 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department (Part 1)

   In Defense of My Fave: The Tortured Poets Department (Part 1) — Swiftie History, Lore, and Track RankingsMorgan introduces In Defense of My Fave and explains this Tortured Poets Department episode’s altered format. They share their Swiftie histories and Morgan’s Spotify Wrapped highlights before revisiting their initial reactions to TTPD. In cultural context, they discuss Taylor Swift’s 2024 commercial peak, the 31-track surprise double drop, polarizing critical response, massive sales and streaming records, variant controversy, and Jack Antonoff vs. Aaron Dessner’s production roles. They outline key relationship lore around Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy, then begin ranking Part 1 tracks through “Clara Bow,” debating favorites like “Down Bad,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” “Guilty as Sin,” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.”

4. 

   18 Sept 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's Midnights Album

   In Defense of My Fave: Taylor Swift’s Midnights (feat. Zack + Stef) Morgan hosts an episode of In Defense of My Fave centered on defending Taylor Swift’s Midnights with guests Zack and Stef, discussing their Swiftie origins, first listens, and the album’s cultural context, rollout, and Jack Antonoff-led production. They explore lore around Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy, and John Mayer, debate whether context enriches the songs, and react to marketing strategies like Midnights Mayhem, vinyl variants, and the 3 a.m. edition. In a track-by-track tier ranking, they praise songs like “Anti-Hero,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” “Mastermind,” and “You’re Losing Me,” critique others including “Vigilante Shit” and “Snow on the Beach,” and discuss themes of introspection, vulnerability, and relationships. Morgan uses math to confirm how these albums stack up against each other.

5. 

   11 Sept 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's Evermore Album

   Evermore Deep Dive (with Stef & Bev) | Spotify Wrapped, Pandemic Era Context & Track Rankings Host Morgan welcomes returning guests Stef and Bev to discuss Taylor Swift’s Evermore in Season 1 of In Defense of My Fave, after a detour through 2020 Spotify Wrapped and a breakdown of how folklore and evermore arrived as surprise pandemic-era sister albums. They cover cultural context, producers and collaborators (including Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, and Joe Alwyn/“William Bowery”), chart performance, and fandom lore about Evermore as the “forgotten middle child.” The trio then goes track-by-track with tier rankings and lyric analysis, debating standouts like “willow,” “champagne problems,” “’tis the damn season,” “tolerate it,” “ivy,” “marjorie,” and “right where you left me,” while disagreeing on songs like “coney island.” Morgan reveals her math-based album ranking, and teases next week’s Midnights episode with Zack.

6. 

   4 Sept 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's Folklore Album

   Host Morgan introduces In Defense of My Fave and welcomes first-time couple guests Nicole and Michelle (met at Taylor Swift karaoke) alongside recurring guest Stef to defend Taylor Swift’s Folklore. They share their Swiftie backgrounds, where they were during the album’s surprise 2020 release, and discuss the pandemic-era pivot from Lover Fest into a surprise rollout, critical acclaim, Grammy history, collaborators (Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, and “William Bowery”/Joe Alwyn), and the Long Pond Studio Sessions. Morgan presents cultural context, industry details, and theories about song inspirations, then leads a track-by-track tier ranking with lyrical analysis, personal stories, and debate over storytelling songs and production styles. The group picks favorite bridges and songs, and Morgan reveals her math-based album scoring to see which Taylor Swift album takes the top spot. Follow the show! ⁠https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/)

7. 

   28 Aug 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's Lover Album

   In Defense of Lover: Hot Takes, Medium Talk, and the “Flop Era” Debate Morgan introduces In Defense of My Fave, a music commentary podcast where rotating guests defend albums, noting season one covers 12 Taylor Swift albums. In this episode, Morgan and guests discuss Taylor Swift’s Lover (released Aug. 23, 2019), its context as her first album post–Big Machine amid the Scooter Braun masters sale, and how it competed in a stacked 2019. They review critical and commercial notes (Metacritic 79, best-selling album of 2019, sixth straight No. 1 debut), key collaborators (Jack Antonoff, Joel Little, Louis Bell, Frank Dukes, Soundwave), and Joe Alwyn song associations, then go track-by-track with tier rankings, praising songs like “Cruel Summer,” “Lover,” “The Archer,” “False God,” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” while debating “You Need to Calm Down” and especially “ME!,” before tallying album scores to see where Lover ranks on Morgan's definitive album ranking list.

8. 

   21 Aug 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's Reputation Album

   In Defense of My Fave is a podcast where guests defend albums through track-by-track tier rankings, hot takes, context, lore, and personal stories, with Season 1 focused on Taylor Swift. For this episode, Bev and the host Morgan defend Taylor Swift’s Reputation to Raina, a country-era Swift fan. The discussion covers 2017’s darker pop landscape, Taylor’s media backlash after 1989 and the Kanye/Kim controversy, and how Reputation functions as a bait-and-switch concept album mixing public-image songs with Joe Alwyn love songs. They debate production choices, fandom culture, and favorite tracks. Morgan reveals how the albums stack up against each other in her personal preference, backed by math, of course!

9. 

   14 Aug 2026

   In Defense of Taylor Swift's 1989 Album

   In Defense of My Fave: Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — God Tier Pop, Vault Track Chaos, and Track 5 DramaMorgan hosts In Defense of My Fave, a music commentary podcast where guests defend albums they can’t stop thinking about, and this episode covers Taylor Swift’s 1989. Guests Danielle and Stefanie call it their favorite Swift album, while Morgan brings more reluctant-Swiftie skepticism, especially around the album’s lighter, less diaristic writing. They discuss 1989’s 2014 release, Taylor’s New York reinvention, pop pivot, Big Machine conflicts, marketing rollout, girl-squad era, controversies, and massive sales and awards. Track-by-track, they debate hits like “Welcome to New York,” “Blank Space,” “Style,” and “Shake It Off,” clash over “All You Had to Do Was Stay” as a weak Track 5, praise “Clean” and vault highlights like “Now That We Don’t Talk,” and end by previewing upcoming Reputation and Lover episodes. Visual companion to see our tier rankings: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcBYB_XjcjT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Follow the show: HTTPS://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave

10. 

    7 Aug 2026

    In Defense of Taylor Swift's Red Album

    Morgan hosts In Defense of My Fave, a music commentary podcast where guests defend albums, with season one covering all 12 Taylor Swift albums. Stef returns to evaluate Red (2012) while Danielle defends it, alongside discussion of Taylor’s recent wedding and the Matty Healy timeline. They cover Red’s context: Taylor’s shift from country toward pop, new collaborators and producers, tabloid focus on her dating life, Big Machine conflicts, sales and Grammy history, and fan lore like the All Too Well scarf. In a track-by-track debate, they rank songs using tiers, argue over original vs 10-minute All Too Well, highlight favorites and discuss a problematic-aging track, and Morgan reveals where Red falls in her overall ranking. Follow the show:https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/ (https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/) Visual companion to see our tier rankings: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbvWNTEFrOM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (https://www.instagram.com/p/DbvWNTEFrOM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) The Youtube video I reference regarding Taylor and the Kennedys: https://youtu.be/qNt74b3Sr9Y?si=RUnLnZHFt-PhKolv (https://youtu.be/qNt74b3Sr9Y?si=RUnLnZHFt-PhKolv) 00:00 Show Premise Setup 00:33 Guests and Red Debate 01:07 Wedding Talk and Matty Timeline 04:44 Red Release and Swiftie Origins 12:17 Cultural Context and Genre Shift 26:42 Breakup Lore and Jake Era 36:44 Fan Lore and Grammy Snub 39:34 Track One State of Grace 44:53 State of Grace Rankings 46:35 Red Title Track Debate 50:39 Treacherous Gets Spicy 53:35 Trouble and Re Record 58:59 All Too Well Showdown 01:04:25 22 Guilty Pleasure Pop 01:12:20 Almost Do Reactions 01:14:29 Never Getting Back Together Lore 01:19:29 Stay Stay Stay 01:22:53 The Last Time Feature 01:26:14 Holy Ground Mid Album Boost 01:28:10 Sad Beautiful Tragic Intro 01:28:17 Sleepy Song Debate 01:29:16 The Lucky One Breakdown 01:32:06 Everything Has Changed Praise 01:35:39 Starlight Story Song Roast 01:40:37 Begin Again Single Choice 01:46:14 First Last Line Theory 01:50:24 Deluxe Tracks Sad Night Drive 01:57:24 Vault Tracks Explained 01:59:00 Better Man Heartbreak Talk 02:03:14 Nothing New Phoebe Clash 02:05:29 Phoebe Collab Praise 02:06:27 Nothing New Deep Dive 02:14:26 Babe and Message Bottle 02:17:02 Stapleton Twang Debate 02:21:54 Ed Returns with Run 02:24:40 All Too Well 10 Debate 02:32:16 Problematic Queen Picks 02:34:45 Album Rankings Math 02:38:19 Friendship Origin 02:41:57 Final Wrap and Next Week

11. 

    31 Jul 2026

    In Defense of Taylor Swift's Speak Now Album

    Host Morgan introduces the podcast format and its five-tier song ranking system, plus a weighted spreadsheet score that compares albums by factoring in tiers and play/skip habits; Season 1 covers the 12 Taylor Swift albums. In this episode, returning guest Sara defends Speak Now while Stef listens front-to-back for the first time, and Morgan places it among their least-favorite early Taylor albums. They discuss the album’s 2010 context, Taylor writing it solo amid criticism, its original working title Enchanted, and ongoing debates about country vs pop-punk influences, storytelling songs, misogyny in criticism, and underused collaborators. Track-by-track, they argue over highlights like Enchanted, Last Kiss, Long Live, and I Can See You, critique songs like Better Than Revenge, and note lyric changes on Taylor’s Version. Morgan reveals her final score, based on math of course! Follow the show:⁠https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/indefenseofmyfave/)Visual companion to see our rankings: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbgq3NsgeDr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbgq3NsgeDr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:07 How Tier Rankings Work 03:26 The Math Scoring System 05:58 Meet the Guests 08:12 Swiftie Origin Stories 11:29 Speak Now First Impressions 18:55 Country vs Pop Punk Debate 24:06 Cultural Context 2010 30:11 Critics and Misogyny 34:24 Dear John and Double Standards 39:06 Stats and Track by Track Begins 40:31 Catchy Country Pop Debate 41:18 Album Bookends Theory 42:37 Bubblegum Country Critique 44:15 Uncredited Male Vocals 48:09 Sparks Fly Stadium Talk 52:00 Tier Rankings Explained 55:13 Back To December Apology 01:01:46 Speak Now Storytelling Backlash 01:08:29 Never Grow Up Emotions 01:12:03 Enchanted Owl City Lore 01:15:25 Swiftie Starter Song 01:16:34 Enchanted Breakdown 01:18:31 Better Than Revenge Debate 01:25:35 Innocent Kanye Context 01:28:25 Haunted Emo Pop 01:30:41 Last Kiss Gut Punch 01:35:45 Long Live Split Opinions 01:40:28 Ours Country Whimsy 01:42:09 Superman Forgettable 01:43:24 Electric Touch Collab Talk 01:46:51 More Lana Debate 01:47:35 Swiftie Fear Spiral 01:48:49 When Emma Falls in Love 01:51:26 Cleopatra Small Town Line 01:54:04 I Can See You Praise 01:59:20 Opinions Not Theory 02:01:03 Castles Crumbling Review 02:05:37 Foolish One Rankings 02:11:00 Timeless Hard Delete 02:11:41 Timeless Gets Roasted 02:12:26 Make It A Film Noir 02:13:36 Certified Delete Verdict 02:14:39 If This Was A Movie Debate 02:18:35 Hallway Therapy Metaphor 02:21:47 Speak Now Vocals Argument 02:25:38 Eras Tour Setlist Talk 02:31:00 Does This Album Need Editing 02:34:49 Problematic Queen And Best Bridge 02:37:42 Scores And Red Tease 02:41:26 Final Sign Off

12. 

    24 Jul 2026

    In Defense of Taylor Swift's Fearless Album

    Fearless on Trial: Defending Taylor Swift’s Country-Pop Classic In this episode of In Defense Of My Fave, host Morgan—self-described reluctant Swiftie and not a “yee-haw Taylor” fan—puts Taylor Swift’s Fearless on trial with guests Sarah and Raina defending it track-by-track through tier rankings, personal nostalgia, and pop culture context. They discuss how Fearless captured adolescent crushes, heartbreak, and storytelling, debate songs like “White Horse,” “The Best Day,” and “Change,” and agree the biggest singles (“Love Story,” “You Belong With Me”) are iconic despite oversaturation. The conversation touches on Taylor’s American-sweetheart branding, the 2009 VMAs Kanye incident’s cultural impact, celebrity gossip like the Joe Jonas breakup, and the album’s producers and co-writer Liz Rose. Morgan has a mathematical scoring to determine her definitive favorite. 00:00 Swiftie Origins 04:49 Fearless First Impressions 07:02 2008 Pop Culture Context 10:08 Sweetheart Image Debate 14:23 VMAs and Kanye Fallout 17:50 Celebrity Tea and Ex Songs 21:46 Producers and Songwriting Process 26:05 Track Talk Fearless to 15 32:26 Love Story Deep Dive 36:27 Hey Stephen and Rankings 38:56 White Horse Debate 42:32 You Belong With Me Hype 44:43 Fan Theory Debate 45:54 Breathe Track Talk 48:01 Tell Me Why Twang 48:57 Youre Not Sorry Drama 51:15 Way I Loved You Lore 52:38 Forever Always Rage 54:34 Best Day Tears 56:34 Change Worship Vibes 58:01 Vault Tracks Verdict 59:47 Platinum Tracks Highlights 01:01:58 Problematic Queen Award 01:03:08 Best Bridge Best Song 01:06:42 Does Fearless Hold Up 01:12:12 Final Rankings Wrap

13. 

    17 Jul 2026

    In Defense of Taylor Swift's Self-Titled Debut Album

    Morgan introduces In Defense Of My Fave, a weekly podcast where guests passionately defend albums that are personal to them, with season one covering the 12 Taylor Swift albums. She explains the show’s five-tier song ranking system, her own weighted spreadsheet scoring, and why she began with Taylor Swift after getting deeply invested following Tortured Poets. For the first episode, Morgan and her lifelong best friend Aly discuss Taylor Swift’s 2006 self-titled debut, its country-to-pop context, early career anecdotes (MySpace marketing, Big Machine’s launch, Chapman producing, Liz Rose editing), and whether the album is underrated. They rank tracks like “Tim McGraw,” “Picture to Burn,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Mary’s Song,” and “Our Song,” with both naming favorites and Morgan giving the album an overall negative score despite nostalgia. 00:00 Podcast Premise 00:41 Why Taylor First 02:38 Follow and Tier Lists 03:04 Tier Ranking Terms 05:23 Spreadsheet Scoring 08:16 Why Debut Episode 13:32 Meet Aly 16:57 Eras Tour Talk 20:18 Debut Context Setup 23:09 Origins and MySpace 27:25 Reception and Persona 37:46 Track One Tim McGraw 40:42 Tim McGraw Ratings 41:31 Picture to Burn Hype 45:07 Teardrops on My Guitar 48:14 Track Five Lore 50:36 The Outside and Smile 52:44 Stay Beautiful Debate 53:57 Shouldve Said No Drama 55:46 Marys Song Storytelling 59:30 Our Song Crown Jewel 01:01:30 Deluxe Tracks Rundown 01:07:34 Final Scores and Wrap 01:10:20 Next Episode Tease

14. 

    8 Jul 2026

    Introduction To In Defense of My Fave

    The host introduces “In Defense of My Fave,” a podcast centered on defending beloved albums or artists in the kinds of conversations people have in group chats, at parties, or online. Each episode features a guest acting as the “lead defense attorney” for their chosen music, while the host reacts, questions, and challenges takes in a casual discussion. Episodes will include the guest’s personal connection to the artist, cultural context and relevant lore, then a track-by-track breakdown with rankings. The host explains the show grew from a deepening interest in music lore sparked by Taylor Swift, especially how learning context around “The Tortured Poets Department” album enhanced the experience. Season one’s first 12 episodes will focus entirely on Taylor Swift albums from Debut through “Life of a Showgirl,” with future topics chosen by guests.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact In Defense of My Fave

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.