Key takeaways
  • Use different eras for varied drills.
  • Map choreography to the beat drops.
  • Don't force songs that don't fit the drill.
  • Focus on the energy, not just the artist.

A rider asked me last week for a Taylor Swift ride, so I wanted to drop what I got here. I am not a huge Swifte, but thank goodness for On the Beat because I just searched for Taylor Swift in the app and there were already SO many songs from her. I could sort by BPM and energy, instantly mapping the choreography to their biggest hits and beat drops without spending my entire Sunday night stressed for this TSWIFT ride.

My Taylor Swift Picks

To fill out the rest of the class, I pulled high-energy pop queens and fierce throwbacks that match that exact same stadium-tour vibe. Here is the playlist I built to get that energy right:

  • Bad Blood
    Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar
    Max Sprint3:20170 BPM

    This is a massive 170 BPM track, perfect for a breathless, high-cadence push.

    Beat drops
    Drop 10:47Drop 21:32Drop 31:43Drop 42:05Drop 52:31
  • Love Story (Taylor’s Version)
    Taylor Swift
    3:56119 BPM
  • The Story Of Us (Taylor's Version)
    Taylor Swift
    4:28140 BPM
  • The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)
    Taylor Swift
    4:03161 BPM
  • We Were Happy (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
    Taylor Swift
    4:04106 BPM
  • Love Story (Taylor's Version) - Elvira Remix
    Taylor Swift, ELVIRA
    3:32123 BPM
  • Getaway Car
    Taylor Swift
    3:54172 BPM
  • invisible string
    Taylor Swift
    4:1383 BPM
  • Don’t Blame Me
    Taylor Swift
    3:5668 BPM
  • ...Ready For It?
    Taylor Swift
    3:28160 BPM
  • I Did Something Bad
    Taylor Swift
    3:5883 BPM
  • Welcome To New York
    Taylor Swift
    3:33117 BPM
  • I Knew It, I Knew You
    Taylor Swift
    2:5893 BPM
  • Look What You Made Me Do
    Taylor Swift
    3:32128 BPM
  • I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)
    ZAYN, Taylor Swift
    4:07118 BPM

Common Mistakes with Theme Rides

  • Sacrificing the workout for the theme. It happens all the time. Instructors pick a song because it fits an "era," but it has zero driving rhythm. If it doesn't support a real heavy climb or a max sprint, cut it.
  • Forgetting the beat drops. Just because everyone knows the lyrics doesn't mean you can ignore the music's structure. You still have to map your pushes to the high-energy sections and let the room recover when the track pulls back.

FAQ

How do you structure a single-artist theme ride?

Treat it exactly like your normal class plan. Map out your warm-up, heavy climbs, pace work, and max sprints first, then slot the artist's tracks into the drills that match their BPMs.

What if some riders don't like the theme?

If your drills are tough and perfectly mapped to the beat, they will still get a great workout. The people in the room are there to sweat, so make the physical effort undeniable.