Tag: taylor swift

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Music News Reviews

Taylor Swift Drops Surprise Album “Folklore”

Taylor Swift surprised everyone today by dropping a surprise new album at midnight. Here’s the track listing of Folklore, ranked by our favorite songs so far.

The 1

This song is the first on the album, and it’s one of the best. The simple beat leads us into where Taylor mind is at the start of the album. She’s doing her own thing, but reflecting on a lost love. “But it would’ve been fun if you would’ve been the one.”

Cardigan

This whimsical song tells the story of a love that felt like an old cardigan. It was the first music video that premiered at midnight when the album dropped, and shows Taylor hopping into a piano to visit a wonderland, before it turns into a stormy ocean. “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite.”

Illicit Affairs

This powerful song is about having a secret relationship, and the toll it takes. “And that’s the thing about illicit affairs and clandestine meetings and longing stares, It’s born from just one single glance but it dies and it dies and it dies a million little times.”

Invisible String

This seems like it must be an ode to her partner Joe, and how all along they were meant to be. We especially love the reference to the colors, and how the string is gold (referencing Daylight on her previous album.) “All along there was some invisible string tying you to me.”

August

August, the eighth song on the album (clever) is about a lost love. We’re in love with the outro. “August slipped away into a moment in time, ’cause it was never mine”

Mirrorball

This vintage-inspired song was co-written by Jack Antonoff and is about accepting a lover for the way they are, “mirrorball” referencing a disco ball. “I’m a mirrorball, and I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight.”

Exile

This song features Bon Iver, who actually starts out the song. The lyrics describe the awful feeling of seeing your ex after a breakup. They each share different perspectives of the relationship, and piano keys highlight the heavy lyrics. “You were my crown, now I’m in exile, seein’ you out, I think I’ve seen this film before so I’m leaving out the side door.”

Betty

This sweet acoustic number is the story of our main character, seventeen year old James, who had a fling with a girl named Betty. Something unfortunate happens, although she doesn’t tell us what, and James spends the summer thinking about Betty. In typical Taylor Swift fashion, he shows up at her party to try to win her back. “But if I just showed up at your party, would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself or lead me to the garden? In the garden would you trust me if I told you it was just a summer thing? I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.”

Peace

Another autobiographical song, this seems to be about Taylor trying to come to terms with the fact that being her partner will always be tumultuous. The simple tempo and electric guitar on this song hold it together with contemplative lyrics. “All these people think love’s for show, but I would die for you in secret.”

My Tears Ricochet

This song was the first written for the album, and is about a relationship ending. It is reminiscent of Teardrops on my Guitar thematically. “Cursing my name, wishing I stayed, look at how my tears ricochet.”

Seven

The seventh song on the album, this is about being seven years old and how beautiful that simplicity is. “Passed down like folk songs, our love lasts so long.”

This Is Me Trying

This ballad is that classic situationship when you’re broken up with someone and trying to figure out how to deal with it. The narrator breaks down, drives to their house, and says, “And I just wanted to you know that this is me trying.”

Mad Woman

Taylor highlights the classic paradox with women in society: they are immediately considered “mad” or “angry” or “upset” when they show their emotion. This song highlights the double standard, in a new folksy spin. She also whispers “fuck you forever” in the song, so we’re here for it. “No one likes a mad woman, what a shame she went mad, you made her like that.”

Hoax

A heartbreaking song, Hoax deals with many themes Taylor has covered in past albums, like believing in someone who lets her down, and the heartbreak of losing love. Her perfectly rhyming lyrics match her soft voice in this song. “Don’t want no other shade of blue but you, no other sadness in the world would do.”

The Last Great American Dynasty

This song highlights Taylor’s unique ability for storytelling within songs. It’s focused on real-life Rebekah Harkness, who was an eccentric woman in the 1900s. The song ends with Swift writing “And then it was bought by me.” She loves highlighting strong, loud and powerful women, and bringing them in to her own story. This song is no exception, and we love it.

Epiphany

The 13th song on the album, Epiphany, is a narrative Swift wrote about her grandfather in the war. It’s a haunting story of the horrors of war, and her voice is soft and eerie. “Only twenty minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany.”

You can stream the album here, and watch the music video for Cardigan below.

Categories
Music News

Taylor Swift Is The Man

Taylor Swift literally became “The Man” in her new video to highlight scenarios of toxic masculinity and we’re so here for it. Per her typical fashion, there are lots of hidden symbols and scenes to decode, so let’s get to it!

The video starts out with a businessman (Taylor’s male alter ego Tyler Swift) yelling at his employees, who of course all cheer for him, and we get a signature wink to the camera from Taylor-as-the-man. Next we see him in the subway, smoking a cigar and manspreading with no regard for the other people on the train (raise your hand if you’ve experienced this too).

The “omg” moment of the video happens when the man steps out at 13th Street Station (a nod to Taylor’s favorite number, 13) and promptly pees on a wall with graffiti writing of all of Taylor’s albums that Big Machine Records currently holds the rights to.

The two signs really bring home the message, with “Missing: If Found, Return to Taylor Swift on the left and “No scooters” on the right, alluding to her feud with Scooter Braun, who purchased BMR last year–without giving Taylor the option to buy her Masters.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

The camera pans down from one word also written in graffiti: Karma.

Next the man is making business calls on his yacht, which of course is littered with a handful of lounging models in matching yellow bikinis. He yells at the waiter, and then parties with the models (hello champagne!) before heading back to work. This matches with the lyrics of the song, “I’d be just like Leo, in Saint-Tropez” nodding to how celebrities like Leo DiCaprio are out on dates and vacationing with models in tow. The difference is they are men, and therefore their conquests are celebrated, whereas in contrast, her relationships have been portrayed in the media in a completely negative context for doing the exact same thing.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

But what really stuck out to me was the second part of the video. The man gets dressed in the morning after presumably having a fling with the half-naked girl asleep in his bed. Instead of having a “walk of shame” like a woman would, he gets a “walk of fame” instead. 19 hands high five him as he runs down the hallway, proud of his accomplishments.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

In the next scene, he’s in the park with his little girl, and all neighborhood is raving over the fact that he’s a great parent, throwing a “World’s Greatest Dad” party for him–another reference to how the double standards exist between women and men when it comes to parenting. So often women are questioned for being career-focused while being a parent, while on the other hand, men get praised for being a parent.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

Then the man is playing in a tennis match (for a women’s charity) and when he isn’t winning, he has a mantrum–a man tantrum–and breaks his tennis racket and throws the tennis ball at the umpire when he doesn’t get his way. Many people think that this might be a nod to the incident in the 2018 US Open, when Serena Williams was fined for having a clash with the umpire. She later stated that it felt like a double standard because men have gotten more upset and said worse things during a game with no repercussion.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

Next it’s 58 years later and the man is finally getting married–to a woman half his age. She proudly displays the massive ring on her hand, before shaking her head and walking away after the cake cutting.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

In my opinion, the best part of the entire video is the end, when the man walks off of the tennis set to the directors chair. Taylor Swift (the real Taylor Swift) is the director, and she gives the man some instruction:

“Could you try to be sexier? Maybe be more likable this time?”

AKA things that the media have all criticized Taylor for in the past. Burn. For her directorial debut, she’s absolutely killing it.

Clip from the music video for The Man by Taylor Swift.

And then it ends with “Directed by Taylor Swift, Wrtitten by Taylor Swift, Owned by Taylor Swift, and Starring Taylor Swift.” She certainly doesn’t need a man, or anyone’s help for that matter. She’s in charge, and that’s an empowering narrative to share with the world.

Taylor Swift literally turns into “The Man” for her new music video.

Swift is singlehandedly fighting the patriarchy and isn’t afraid to speak up about unfair gender biases in the world today. In the video, a man gets away with so many things that if a woman did, would get a very different–and not to mention more negative–reaction. We think she completely nails it.

She might not be a dude, but as far as we’re concerned, Taylor Swift IS the man. You can check out the full video below.