All You Had To Do Was Stay is horrendously basic.
It in no way deviates from a totally standard pop formula, nor does anything wildly refreshing.
This seals the fate of most 1989 songs, unfortunately, bar like Style and Wildest Dreams only.
All You Had To Do Was Stay has the most unpleasant chorus of possibly any song ever? Those piercing "STAY"s The awkward line breaks after every other word
Literally how can someone be so consistently horrible. Even Gags isn't doing it and it comes across like she's trying to.
'Cause, baby, I could build a castle
Out of all the bricks they threw at me,
And every day is like a battle,
But every night with us is like a dream.
Baby, we're the new romantics,
Come on, come along with me.
Heartbreak is the national anthem,
We sing it proudly.
We are too busy dancing,
So get knocked off our feet.
Baby, we're the new romantics,
The best people in life are free.
Why after 8 years this bitch still can't write a song as instantly catchy as Poker Face? I remember back in early 2009 showing it to my friends and everyone was like "omg I love it" on first listen and not in a "this is a generic dance track so it's easy to like" kind of way.
Poker face verses are one note (except for two measures). The consequent phrases of the bridge are also that one note. Maybe you're into music that could be processed using sparse cognitive resources/using shallow processing? That's fine. But if you do want some really nice lines/shapes and actual melodies, try Joanne some time.
WHENYOUSAYGOODBYE
The bratty background chants
All the adlibs
Now you say you want it - baaaack
The surge into the bridge
The majestic 'aaa-aaa-aaah's in the final choruses
The 'ooh-ooh-ooooooh' at 3:04 kind of destroying Emotion
The awkward line breaks after every other word 
the unabashed LGBT support. minazi would never
