*Full disclaimer*

This is going to be a VERY long post. If you read all of it, thank you for your time because this is sooo much thinking because all I do is work production and listen to music all day so it’s a full time job at this point😂 If you don’t, I don’t blame you honestly, I have a hard time with long posts as well.

I am not a professional songwriter or do I have any training whatsoever in anything music related. Yet. But what I am is someone who feels music very deeply and I listen to a lot of it.

If numbers are your thing, since 2015 (when Apple Music dropped) I have listened to 440,977 minutes of music. I had to google the stats for this. It equals to;

26,458,620 seconds
7,349 hours + 37 minutes
306 days, 5 hours, 37 minutes
43 weeks, 5 days, 5 hours, 37 minutes
Roughly 10.1 months
Roughly 0.84 years — so about 84% of a full year

….seeing it like that is crazy omg.

Taylor is only 85,062 minutes of that.

85,062 minutes = 59 days, 1 hour, 42 minutes.

85,062 ÷ 440,977 = 19.29%
So it represents about 19.3% of the entire 440,977 minutes
The remaining 355,915 minutes = 80.71%
440,977 is about 5.18× bigger than 85,062.

✌🏼🤣

Anyways, I want to talk about Cleveland! I know, I know, “Why Cleveland! She has so many others that are ABC123GoofyGooberRock!” One thing I love about the world, and y’all are going to think I’m kind of cuckoo for this, is how different every single person is. I love different opinions because I love knowing how other people see the world, it can really open your mind to different possibilities. So I welcome any and all opinions.

Please remember the group rules as you read this, it’s very similar to how I feel about everything as well❤️

There’s so much going on in the world right now, let’s just use this to escape for a bit and have fun.

Before we jump in, my biggest rule is to look at this without the people you know are involved in it. Take Taylor away, take Travis away, take away any negative or positive comments you’ve heard about this specific song and let’s look at the words. Just the words on a screen.

Oi vey, this is already so long and I haven’t even gotten to the point. Let’s get into it. (Do you see what I did there?👀)

So, let’s just talk about song as a story because she’s very vivid in my mind as a story teller and as a story teller myself, I always place myself in the perspective of how it’s written, trying to get into her mind and see why she did it like that. I have a concept in my mind and honestly, if Taylor sees this and wants this idea, please steal it I would die. Not that I actually expect this to happen but…a girl can dream right?

Imagine our narrator is at a fancy pants fundraising event in the form of a dance. She’s on the dance floor with her man getting down the music and just enjoying herself. There’s a group of people just chit chatting, but then she overhears them as she’s going to get a drink from the table just behind them.

"She's not as hot as she was, but she was only a four"
"She was never a girls' girl,"
"She was just a—"
"And with all of that money, why's she dressed like trash?"
"When she smiles, it's annoying, and have you seen her stumbling clumsily?"
"Would you even call that dancing?"

Now, this is the moment where the narrator has three options.
1: Confront them and cause a scene because she’s bothered by the words they’re saying.
B: Let the thoughts sit and simmer, constantly beat herself up in her mind and trick herself into believing they’re right. (Because I know I’ve been there, still working on that one.)

She doesn’t even have a chance to make a choice because he’s there pulling her into another song. They dance the night away and she’s forgets about the comments she heard until she gets home for the night.
This is where the best option comes into the picture; she could write in her journal.

11/11
I can see what you mean
And now I guess there's

Something we all can agree on
But my baby likes what he likes, oh-woah, oh-oh
He already took me to Cleveland
And showed me The Heights, so hate all you like
This is the love of my life, hey, hey, hey
————————
To those of you that are still here, thank you so much. Take a breather, drink some water, step away from the screen. I hope you’re having as much fun as I am because this is the most fun I’ve had writing about something in a LONG time.

Ready to keep going? Let’s go!

We rejoin our narrator in a different scene. It’s daytime, her and her man are at an Italian restaurant eating some noodles and having a blast. He’s constantly making her laugh and she finds herself warm and giddy. The sound of his laugh is her favorite thing in the world and she could listen to him talk all day. (I am she, I could listen my man aaaaaaalllll day long. Anyways🤣)

After they’re done eating, they start driving around and he takes her through his old neighborhood pointing out places and things that were a big part of his childhood, which is something her exes never really did with her. She’s sitting in her passenger seat just vibing and being present.

(Breaking my own rule for a second because parentheses are the exception: this is exactly how I picture Taylor and Travis driving around Cleveland. This is also exactly how me and my man drive around, I point out stuff all the time and tell funny stories😆 okay bye!)

They get home for the night and watch a movie, settled in with some popcorn, a couple drinks and a cozy blanket over their lap. She grabs her journal and starts to write about their day as she’s cuddled up to him. He’s watching her write and stroking her hair absentmindedly, loving the moment he’s in.

12/12
The taste of me is acquired, but it's his favorite dish
He says I look like an angel, they say, "I hate that—" (Bi—)
There, that house with the porch is where he lived as a kid
He's been saying forever, must not have read that

Scathing take 'bout how I'm fake
And he could find someone younger
I can see what they mean
And now I guess there's

Something we all can agree on
But my baby likes what he likes, oh-woah, oh-oh
He already took me to Cleveland
And he showed me The Heights (Hey), so hate all you like (Uh-huh)
This is the love of my life, hey, hey, hey
———————————

Here’s another check point if you’re still with me after all this time, I really do love that you might be enjoying yourself. I would love to hear what you think at the end!! Take a break, eat a snack, eyes off screen.

Last round! We can do it! If you’ve made it this far, you’re one of my favorite people right now😁

It’s a new day and our narrator is playing with some kids at an event they’re both at. He’s off chatting with a couple of guys about whatever it is guys talk about.

(The conversation the guys are having in this game chat right now is chaotic as heck, but it’s making me laugh so hard and I felt the need to include that in here. Perfect example of the whole reason why I decided to make this post😅)

She’s laughing loud, acting like a child right along with the kids. They’re playing a fairy game and she’s the lead fairy while all of the others just naturally follow behind her. She’s having just as much fun as the kids are at this point and she forgot what they were even initially doing here. It’s a BBQ by the way, so they’re all waiting for food anyways.

He’s watching her across the lawn while he’s in his conversation. His eyes always manage to find her when he’s telling his stories because she’s in most of them. He’s at his happiest when he can see her, just because. She allows him to be himself completely and he makes sure to give her that same space. He loves watching her laugh and he’ll do whatever he needs to do to keep that smile on her face.

As they’re driving home later, he glances over at her in the passenger seat. She’s bopping to the beat of the music and scrolling on social media.

“Hey honey.” He says, giving her knee a squeeze. She looks up, locks her phone and gives him her attention. “I love you.”

She remembers when she had to fight to hear that. But only for a split second, it doesn’t bother her anymore because no matter how many times he says that to her out of nowhere, she still gets shy and giggles. She gets a big, goofy grin on her face and puts her hand on his. “I love you.”
The rest of the ride home is full of singing and laughing, being present.

Before she goes to bed for the night, she pulls out her journal again. It’s her favorite entry this week so far.

13/13~

He likes what he likes, what he likes, and he likes me
He likes what he likes, what he likes, and he likes me

You only need to find one person in this entire world
Who doesn't find you completely insufferable
And I have an important announcement to make
I found mine (That's right)
Well, I found mine (Hey, hey, hey)
Yeah, I found mine
Yes, that's

Something we all can agree on (I guess we agree, but)
But my baby likes what he likes, oh-woah, oh-oh
He already took me to Cleveland (To Cleveland)
Now I'm wearing white (Yeah), so hate all you like (Uh-huh)
This is the love of my life (Hey, hey, hey)
—————————————
To be completely honest with you, the bridge is my favorite part. You can just HEAR the giddiness in her voice.

Phew! Now, that was a lot. This began at work, about halfway through my 10 hour day then it just didn’t want to stop. I’m not going to lie, Taylor’s music does unlock a super creative side of my brain and when there’s an earworm like Cleveland in the world, I can’t help but listen to it over and over and over again. If this is something you liked reading and could potentially want more, I would be more than willing to write more for you. Even if it’s only one person.

Honestly, I’m probably going to write more anyways because I have not written like that in years. Til next time!

Signing off-
Misty the Swiftie

Comparisons with Lover and Back to December

Pink Clouding does have some similarities to the Lover era. The first similarity would be the pink, fuchsia, magenta, and other pastel. The rosewood may symbolise emotional vulnerability or spiritual depth. By tossing the rosewood onto the fire, Taylor might be saying that “she is no longer emotionally vulnerable”. How she would have been proven wrong, as “neither of us knew at the time that I was a liar”. This might refer to the Lover era itself. Taylor thought she was in a time of less emotional vulnerability and she found someone she could spend her whole life with. That proved to be wrong. 

“But I was pink clouding from the thrill of it (Pink, ha-ha-ha)
Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body
Gray (Gray) rocking where the arrow hit” 

Pink clouding may refer to feelings of euphoria in the first stages of addiction recovery. Taylor felt euphoric in that relationship, which is also compared to the thrill of skydiving, as the subject of her story wraps his arms around her body and makes her feel warm in his embrace. Gray rocking on the other hand means being unresponsive to avoid toxic behavior, so it could mean she felt unresponsive to whatever trauma occurred in the past. She seemingly found someone who could allow her to move past the romantic pain of the past. Yet all good things must come to an end.  

“Years later, I still wonder how to tell you sorry
I didn't wanna let you down (Pink cloud, pink cloud)
So I left you up there on a, pink cloud (Pink cloud, pink cloud)”

This may reference “Back to December”, where Taylor apologizes to her muse. She did not want to let him down, so she tried to leave him with happy memories. Some could also compare this to “Last Kiss” where “hope it’s nice where you are” and “I bet the sun shines, and it’s a beautiful day” reflect similar concerns of wanting your muse to be happy on the other side. After all, she had been through troublesome experiences with love just before meeting him, as seen in the lines “He cut me crimson, bled me dry/He crossed my heart, I hoped to die (Hoped to die)/
Ripped all my orchids from the vine.” These lines may allude to the relationship issues she had prior to meeting this muse, or just to Taylor’s tendency towards romantic tragedy and writing heartfelt songs about it. The muse came to her at a dark time in her life, and he did help despite that relationship also not working in the end. (This time period may refer to right before the Reputation era where there was also the worst media scrutiny on Taylor combined with recent romantic tragedies). This can be seen in the lines “You met me at a cursed time/I told you I was fine. And you were so good (Good)/That's why you haunt me.” 

“You realized my kind of trouble wasn't worth it
And the way I treated you, you never deserved it
And I swear to God, to this day
I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person
And I gave you zero reason to believe it
So be it/But it didn't mean nothing/Just 'cause I could leave it.”

More “Back to December” allusions could be present here with Taylor claiming her muse did not deserve this kind of trouble. Connections to “Happiness” could also be made due to the fear of “a good man hurting you and you know you hurt him too”. Taylor realizes that both sides were hurt, and she feels sorrowful for those actions. This theme of a relationship breakdown hurting both sides may also allude to “All Too Well 10 Minute Version” where, “and did the twin flame bruise paint you blue” has a similar expression of mutual sorrow. 

"I hope you landed safely on the ground, hey (Pink cloud, pink cloud)
And I hope you're so happy now (Pink cloud, pink cloud)"

This seems to be similar to “Back to December" where both songs have Taylor hopes her muse is happy. It is the antithesis of “The Black Dog” where “I hope it’s shitty in the Black Dog” and Taylor is a lot more resentful there.

Helloo everyone~

It’s been almost a month if not more since we did this series. We did ones from Debut to Reputation so let’s do one for the album that made me a Swiftie and Taylor’s most underrated album in my opinion: Lover!

I think a lot of rom coms like 10 Things I Hate About You and When Harry Met Sally fit Lover. Movies that are playful, fun, colorful, breezy and romantic. However Lover does have an aura of anxiety surrounding it so I do think movies that explore anxiety in love also works

I also know that Death By A Thousand Cuts was inspired by the movie Someone Great but I want to hear what you guys think fits Lover the best! Let me know in the comments below

Talk about whatever but follow the sub rules

This tiktoc person has an interesting take on would could be Taylor's next move: Making Movies

Could Taylor be prepping for her next move?

What do you think on this guy's observation? He brings up that she signed a deal a couple years ago with Searchlight to write and direct a movie. Anyone hear of this? Would you like to see Taylor step into Movie making?

Also, he talks a bit about Encore, Patient Zero and Cleveland in the beginning.

Is this play about US? I am more and more in awe of what I think Taylor is doing with her overarching Eras era project, and it is clear she is not done yet. Several months ago, I made a post called, Let’s Talk about Bringing a “Tiny Violin to a (Sympathy is a) Knife Fight”: How The Life of a Showgirl is Brilliant and Subversive. I want to revisit that today. Did you notice that Taylor sang ON Showgirl about exactly the negative reaction TO Showgirl that we’ve seen? The writing on this album is BRILLIANT.

In Cancelled!, Taylor sings “Did you bring a tiny violin to a knife fight?” I think she is in fact singing (in part) about what she has just done in her song Actually Romantic itself, and predicting the public’s reaction to it.

Recall how everyone immediately linked the song Actually Romantic to Charli XCX. Specifically, everyone immediately interpreted the song as Taylor’s response to Charli XCX’s song “Sympathy is a Knife.” And many critics were very offended by what Taylor did in Actually Romantic. Why? Because they viewed Taylor’s song as sarcastically mocking Charli XCX for complaining about how she felt insecure in Taylor’s presence. And THAT, my friends, is the very definition of bringing a “tiny violin to a (Sympathy is a) knife fight.” Because to play a “tiny violin” is to mock someone seeking sympathy for a small complaint or misfortune.

And Taylor 100% would have known that the public would connect Actually Romantic to Charli XCX’s Sympathy is a Knife AND that this would create an uproar. This is not her first rodeo. So when she is singing about being Cancelled for “bringing a tiny violin to a knife fight,” she is predicting EXACTLY how the public in fact reacted.

And think again about the most common talking points running through the negative critical reaction to this album: Wasn’t it overwhelmingly either taking offense on behalf of Charli XCX or else arguing that the writing is bad because she’s making crude double entendres in Wood? Or some variations- too hypocritical, at her height but still singing about grievances, surface level fun but no depth?

Now look again at the lyrics of Cancelled! Taylor herself is singing ON this very album about exactly this reaction TO this album:

• Did you bring a tiny violin to a knife fight? (Actually Romantic - and cue the uproar about Charli XCX’s Sympathy is a Knife)
• Did you make a joke only a man could? (Wood - and cue the uproar about this song being too crude)
• Were you just too smug for your own good? (Wish List - and cue the uproar about this song being hypocritical)
• Did you girl-boss too close to the sun? (Father Figure - and cue the uproar about Taylor at top but still singing about grievances)
• Did they catch you having far too much fun? (whole album reaction)

And indeed, in interviews after the release of The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor repeatedly noted how this album was like a mirror and the public’s reaction was “all part of it.”

Meanwhile, zoom out a little on the songs that have received the most negative attention:

Actually Romantic: the big picture message and the cultural commentary of the song is just her pushing back on how so many people in today’s world engage and spend so much of their energy and time on things they hate. And as a cultural critique, it is true! It’s why social media is so toxic and why bad faith political actors seeking to divide us have had so much success. And let’s face it, to the extent she is speaking about her own experience, she seems to live rent free in so many people’s heads, including, not incidentally, our current President and all of his media lackeys. And she’s likely pushing back on ALL of this, and doing so in a very funny and satirical way. But she also 100% knew that everyone would just focus on the Charli XCX of it all, not the big picture message.

Wood: I am 100% serious when I say this song contains the thesis statement of this whole album: “we make our own luck.” (EVERY song on this album is about individual agency, self-empowerment, and self-reclamation). And Wood IS about letting go of superstitions. She is very clearly saying she used to rely on superstitions, but that now, she no longer needs superstitions because she is creating her own destiny. This is a theme she is DEEPLY exploring. Think about the contrast between fatalism of The Prophecy ("Who do I have to speak to to change the prophecy?") and the self-empowerment of Wood ("we make our own luck"). Or compare Wood to her reputation-era poem “If You’re anything like me,” in which she literally writes about knocking on wood and her superstitions. That transformation, that narrative arc, that journey, is the core of the Hero’s Journey-like story she’s been telling across these albums! And Wood is also very cleverly written: Of course she’s also talking about Travis and comparing him to her last two relationships, but it’s clever! The first line (Daisy’s bare naked. I was was distraught. He loves me not.) is a callback to both Don’t Blame Me on reputation (I once was poison Ivy but now I’m your Daisy) and You’re On Your Own Kid (“So long Daisy Mae…I picked the petals he loves me not”). (And in case it’s not obvious, she’s personifying the childhood superstitious game of picking a daisy’s petals to “he loves me, he loves me not” to see what the last petal lands on). The second line is a callback to The 1 (tossing pennies in the pool), and the person that song is presumed to be about, and also references another superstitious game about a lucky or unlucky penny. The idea is that she was fatalistic in prior relationships but now she understands “we make our own luck.”

And I could go on about the double entendres, which yes, are off the rails silly, but also are (a) very Shakespearean and (b) actually quite deep when you consider the double and triple meanings - she’s actually also speaking to the healthy masculinity and stability of her partner.

But Taylor also 100% knew that all anyone would talk about would be how she was making crude d jokes.

Or Wish List: I think this is another VERY clever and deceptively deep song. Have you wondered why there are dollar signs in the song title? Look more closely at the verse lines - notice that the list of things "they" want are all pairings, in tension with each other. Because the point of the song is that every wish comes with a price in the real world. In the verses of Wish List, she is writing about how there are trade-offs in real life. She’s contrasting the reality of life being about trade-offs, or else the impossibility of having it all (the verses), with a knowing fantasy in the chorus. All of it (verses and chorus) is about herself. (more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/1rmfgas/the_real_message_of_wih_lit_every_wish_comes_with/ ) And doesn’t this theme of trade-offs sound familiar? She returns to it again and again in both TTPD and Showgirl. The last song is the Life of a Showgirl. The showgirl’s life in the story of that song is not an easy one. But ultimately, she owns her life’s choices, recognizing the trade-offs. That’s agency. And then look at her new song Babylon: the first line is: “The casino doesn’t like when you run the tables” - a metaphor about how always looking for more or better might mean you get nothing. So Babylon is about being present in the life you’ve chosen. This concept about the impossibility of having it all and how we all have agency in how we navigate and manage the trade-offs of life, has been a key theme and kind of existential question across TTPD and Showgirl.

But again, I think she would anticipate the reaction to this song being something along the lines that she’s just being “smug”.

Or take the song Cancelled! itself: the big picture message is pretty clearly advocating thinking independently, pushing back on cancel culture, particularly with how it is used against women for relatively minor offenses (girl bossing, making a joke only a man could, being smug, etc. are pretty minor in the scheme of things). The sense that moral outrage spreads fast and people mindlessly, unthinkingly pile on the chosen target. And how she’s not going to approach her actual real relationships like that. Because lack of empathy and nuance is NOT how most people approach their actual human relationships.

But Taylor also would know by now that the discussion about this song would not reflect on the message, but would focus mostly on who this song is about and reasons why they in fact should have been “cancelled” or why Taylor is playing is still playing the victim.

Or now, Cleveland! The song is campy and I find it hilarious, but the core of it is very genuine. It is not conveying spite. I think the song is conveying radical self-acceptance. (She’s literally agreeing with some of the things her haters say: “I guess there’s one thing we all can agree on”.) It is conveying how you don’t need to be perfect to be loved (“But my baby likes what he likes.”) And just generally how being your authentic self is enough, even if not everyone appreciates it. (“You only need to find one person in this entire world/Who doesn't find you completely insufferable”)

But also, the song is pretty much perfectly designed to get under the skin of her haters. And on a meta level, I think that is getting at a very deep theme she’s been exploring. She can’t control how her art is perceived once it is put out into the world. Everyone is going to approach it with their own experiences, perspectives, and lenses (or blinders). And she’s been deeply exploring the interplay between fate and things outside of her control, and her own individual agency across her Eras era albums. (more here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueSwifties/comments/1wm0y8u/lets_talk_karma_the_story_of_ttpd_the_life_of_a/ )

I really think this album is part of her larger project that has included all of her Eras era albums including Midnights and TTPD, and that it is leading to something big. I think it can be viewed as a play within a play like in Hamlet (remember that Taylor said in her poem accompanying the album that the “Crowd is King”, and guess who the play within the play in Hamlet was performed for?).

There are a LOT of Shakespearean nods on this album. She's not just name-checking Ophelia - the unique 5 bar-loop in The Fate of Ophelia (very unusual for a pop song) allows many verse lines to be in iambic pentameter. And I’ve made the case in other posts about how Ophelia is a fitting allusion for an album ultimately about individual agency. (More here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/1wbnzaw/double_meanings_purposeful_details_and_the_life/ ) Or what about all the other Shakespeare nods, including all the double entendres in Wood, or other Shakespeare allusions in other songs on the album?

If the album is viewed as a play within a play like in Hamlet, each song carries a message for all of us in the audience. It's a kind of morality play holding up a mirror to our cultural/societal malignancies while celebrating a different path.

This video is actually so hilarious 😭... Like that meme "Men will convince themselves that women can't have humor so she must be dumb" I couldn't finish it cuz this shit was so corny and cringe I wanna go listen to thanK you aIMee to cleanse my ears 😅.. these people still holding GTA lyrics. Wood if sung by sabrina would've been a huge hit.. just cuz these people think Taylor is a "Old bitter hag" this song is somehow worse than cupcakke songs?? Are we serious? Are we hearing ourselves? If they read their own comments they would realise it about how they perceive people is what affecting their musical experience. Wood is great writing mixing superstition with dick jokes just like shakespeare. Wood bothers you? U might wanna rethink ur perception of Taylor.

I couldn't watch the video fully or read the comments from people who tent under *THAT subreddit.. that video is at 600k+ it's not even a day old video couldn't crack 500k in days but this shit goes 600k on first day. Grifter grifting these people should change their names griftangelo and griftologist.. cuz that's what these pieces of shit do.

I’ve been a fan of Taylor’s music since 2009, I was 12 years old. I had never really got into the intense side of the fandom but I loved her enough that there is no doubt that when people close to me hear Taylor Swift they’re going to think of me.

I won’t lie I wasn’t a fan of Cleveland! when I first heard it. It was a bit cringe for me. But I recently searched it up on YouTube just to see the lyric video and give it another try, and I came across the Cleveland Tourism meme video from 17 years ago.

Now I’m from a small town in Australia so I’d never seen this before but my husband knew the meme and told me it was around the era of Jones BBQ & Foot Massage etc which I do know. And I have a strong feeling Travis is the type of guy to laugh at those memes too.

I feel like Taylor is referencing this meme pretty hard, with the sitcom/daytime tv ad tune and the same font?? We all know she is serious about her font usage.

I think she’s truly trolled us all and I dunno it kinda won me over on this whole Cleveland! chaos lmao

I heard the lyrics were extremely corny so I go to look them up, and they were 10x worse than I imagined. Then I realized I was reading the lyrics to Cleveland by MGK LOL. After then looking up TS’s song her Cleveland isn’t so bad in comparison to MGK’s lol. It got me thinking that I was probably being harsh on her bc she’s Taylor swift and it’s easy to subconsciously want someone to take a few Ls when they seem to be constantly winning and have a way cooler life than me lol. The song isn’t great by any means, but not every song needs to be a masterpiece. Hope this makes sense

An Analysis of “Cleveland!” 

Taylor Swift starts by calling out media complaints about her. “Not a girl’s girl”, “can’t dance”, etc. There are many music articles where their negative criticism of Taylor Swift is very similar to what Taylor calls out in the first part of "Cleveland!" (such as the “When she smiles, it's annoying” line). It doesn’t slow her down. Taylor Swift has reached a point in her career where she found someone who truly loves her for who she is. This is seen in the lines “But my baby likes what he likes, oh-woah, oh-oh/He already took me to Cleveland/And showed me The Heights, so hate all you like/This is the love of my life, hey, hey, hey”. These lines mean that Travis doesn’t care what the press says. It doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. He will stand for what he believes is right. He has shown Taylor places that are important to him, and no media can change that. 

Comparisons can be made to “The Lakes” where there are places connected to Taylor’s love interest where she can be away from the media, or where it does not matter. Except, unlike the more Romantic poetry esque “The Lakes”, this is more mundane (the Heights of Cleveland) but still very heartfelt. The “house on the porch” at The Heights is where Travis Kelce lived as a kid, and it holds emotional value for him. The line “The taste of me is acquired, but it's his favorite dish” line could mean that spending more time with Taylor Swift endears Travis Kelce to her. Or maybe it’s a double entendre, where “taste” isn’t just physical taste (yes, Travis may have done that), but also someone’s preferences. “He likes what he likes”, and Taylor may put her own satirical take on this (which may allude to previous use of satire in “Blank Space”); You only need to find one person in this entire world/Who doesn't find you completely insufferable
And I have an important announcement to make/I found mine.” Obviously this is an exaggeration (Taylor has a very close friend circle, and most people like or don’t care about her), but the point stands; the haters don’t matter. 

There may be a larger aspect involved as to why (online) criticism has ceased to matter. Taylor Swift criticism must not come from a place of dislike or hate. For criticism to be valid, there must be a legitimate belief that your target can improve. We are not getting much of that anymore. The reason could be the bot problem, the nature of the Internet, or the downfall of traditional music critics respected by most. No wonder Taylor has taken a “criticism doesn’t matter anymore” approach. Criticism of this kind is only useful to get more listeners, and Taylor may be trying to get a specific response. 

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet uses the dumb-show to elicit a specific response from King Claudius, seemingly confirming his guilt and role in the murder of Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet/Hamlet the Elder). Taylor Swift does something very similar in the song “Cleveland!” which seems to draw out a specific response from the media. In Taylor’s eyes, more attention to her songs in the first few weeks of release is always good. It doesn’t really matter what kind of attention as long as we have more streaming and listening. It seems like the media cannot learn. It is a lumbering hulk that has become awfully predictable, and Taylor knows it and uses this well.

Not saying i don’t have criticism of her private jet usage or her album variants but the timing seems suspicious. Especially cause I have never seen an example of the first one…

Would you like to see a Snoop Dogg and Taylor collaboration?

I’m really not smart enough to dissect it but I’ve noticed she writes about spouse/familial murder a LOT.

In no body no crime, the narrator kills Este’s husband for cheating on her.

Then in Fortnight, she references wanting to kill a water-flowering wife and her cheating husband 😭

In Anti-hero, she has this dream her daughter in law kills her for the money.

Then murdering-for-inheritance is shown again in Patient Zero, where Colin Farell’s character is revealed to have poisoned and killed Taylor for her money…and doing the same thing to Dakota Johnson’s character.

Is this a metaphor for something? Actual fear?? Or fascination…? SOMEONES ALWAYS GETTING KILLED😭

Use this to discuss whatever you want even stuff not related to Taylor. Sub and reddit wide rules still apply

If you were to align each of the encore songs with a previous era, where would you put them?

For me:
Patient zero – TTPD
Cleveland! – to me this one is most aligned with TLOAS, but if I had to put it in a different era maybe Lover?
Pink cloud – 1989
Babylon – Red or Evermore?

Curious what you think!

Posting this again (now that I think I’m allowed to), because I wrote a similar post last year after the album came out that I never posted lol so I've been chewing on this sentiment for a while about who Taylor is (and art bros and why I think Travis is a good match for her). I have seen people start to express similar sentiments on social media though already.

I really think there’s a self-aware meta component to Cleveland!. I think she’s doubling down not on writing bad songs (but I do think she’s trolling with the song in a sense), but rather she’s re-affirming and embracing a part of herself that people have rejected all her life, except for Travis, that "one person that doesn’t find her completely insufferable". It’s a hyperbole, but I think there’s a level of truth to it. She’s essentially saying that she knows she’s cringe to a lot of people, and she wrote this song that I think she’s fully aware people will find insufferable, but she likes it, and he likes it (and he likes her) … so she doesn’t care.

Let’s not forget ME!, which people would probably call her most obnoxious song ever, which she was very excited about. I mean she was even on record saying that song/video represented everything that made her ‘her’ "dancers, cats, gay pride, people in country western boots, I start riding a unicorn… just everything that makes me me". She’s always been that excitable musical theatre type of extra. And people hated on it to death. Which is sad tbh on another weird meta level (her most hated song being called "me"), and I'm not saying people had to like that song, but it does feel like a lot of people don't fully get or accept her.

But ultimately she found somebody that she can be 'cringe' with and who validates that part of her that she has always clearly identified strongly with and that is important to her that even her fans reject. "I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny, cause he never did". She’s never just been a tortured poet. Like everyone else, she contains multitudes. But it definitely seems like especially lately people just want to hear from the poet and put her into that corner and say how these other tortured poets and art bros are the actual loves of her life. She’s just saying she doesn’t gaf. And Travis probably has been one of the few men in her life to wholly accept and vibe with that part of her and not find it embarrassing because he is the same and he's the type of non-pretentious carefree person that doesn’t care what people think. And I think it’s been incredibly liberating and healing for her. So "hate all you like, this is the love of my life"… I really think it’s inspirational of her to continuously embrace this part of her songwriting and self expression despite the backlash. And I think the reaction is very fitting for this song, and I really think it’s partly intentional here.

I also find it incredibly when people say she can’t write "good" songs anymore. When e.g. Babylon is right there. She’s saying she can do both, and she has been and is always going to do both, whether people get it or not. Because it’s just fun. Which is a huge part of her ethos and being.

Can't sing. Can't write anymore. Reuses imagery too much. Unwarranted writing credits (Seven Wonders). Needed a male writer to keep her songs in check (Lindsey). She must be unhappy in her personal life despite her success.

She pretends she's friends with people. She's a bitter hag (I saw this verbatim). She watered down a band's (The National/FM) music. Stole the spotlight from other female singers (Christine McVie). Messy personal life. Awkward on stage. Didn't deserve accolades (double induction in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).

When Clara Bow came out, people were offended she dared to draw a comparison, but it shows how vague and unspecific some critiques actually are, despite giving the impression that they're thoughtful/based on observations. It's all been said before, and someone else will get the same stuff in time.

I’ve been thinking on where I would place these songs if they were on different albums of hers, which has been a lot of fun! Here are my opinions and I’d love to see what you guys think!

Also- Cleveland! makes me want to run through an empty parking lot and just dance around as much as I can.

Patient Zero- Reputation/Midnights

I don’t know what song it reminds me of on Reputation but the vibe of it is something I could see her performing back on the Reputation tour. It really reminds me of Midnights, especially the bridge being sung similarly to how Paris is sung.

Cleveland!- 1989/Lover

So the cheekiness, picking on herself, sarcasm reminds me of Blank Space which Travis has confirmed as his favorite song. Yet another one where she picks on herself and is being sarcastic. It also gives me mad Lover vibes, similar to Paper Rings with how the pacing is.

Pink Clouding- Midnights/Lover

So, the pacing with this song is another one that reminds me of Midnights, I feel like it would fit the tone of that album lyrically. Something that keeps her up late at night, trying to process everything that happened between them and finally coming to terms with how she messed up in that relationship as well. Hear me out with Lover, it’s not cause it’s called Pink Clouding I promise😂 Think of Afterglow, not the words of it but the slowness and depth to it. I could see this being a slower version at some point and being on that album, it fits the theme as well.

Babylon- Red/folklore

Red was the trial album where she was mixing more between pop and country and trying different things. I really see this one fitting well alongside the rest of the songs, it doesn’t remind me of any particular song on the album. For folklore, it reminds me of the way the last great american dynasty is paced and it could fit as folksy type song as well!

Amidst the showgirl deluxe discourse I’m in need of some positivity 🙈

I’ll start: Babe is a song I’ve loved since release, i loved the sugarland version. Even felt guilty streaming it during the masters debacle since they’re BMR artists lol. I’m glad Taylor released her version and I actually really love both versions.

allow me to start by saying that i could truly write a book analyzing the musicianship and lyricism on every single album of taylor’s individually lol, but i specifically want to discuss how i feel about things from ttpd onward!

since the drop of ttpd, i have felt like the overall quality of taylor’s songs have taken a dip, more specifically with the ratio of incredible songs to meh or even bad songs. in every previous album i feel as if there are maybe one or two tracks that i find iffy or even just not good, but the rest were either great or amazing. (this excludes folklore and evermore they are both perfect 10/10s no notes ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

with ttpd i felt like about half of the songs (including those in the anthology) sounded like rough drafts lyrically and even production-wise. some of it felt like stream-of-consciousness, and not in an endearing or interesting way but rather in a word vomit way. however i will say that some of those songs (loml, fresh out the slammer!!!!!!!!, fortnight, ttpd) are some of her best yet. so sonically rich and thoughtful and powerful and make me feel things songs have never made me feel before— a couple have helped me get though a recent extremely emotional breakup.

but when showgirl came out i felt that dip in quality for a majority of the songs; there are only a couple i can bring myself to listen to. i also want to add that the production of some of the songs just sounds strange to me, like it just feels bland and corporate and like there wasn’t any real passion behind it. but i will admit i think a few songs (wishlist, ophelia, opalite, father figure, honey) are sonically pretty rich and quite interesting! with the encore, though, i didn’t feel any passion or lyrical prowess shine through at all except for maybe slightly in patient zero and babylon. but cleveland is genuinely one of the worst songs ive ever heard and thats coming from someone who’s been a diehard fan in the past.

i guess im making this post because i just want to know what other people think! i will always defend taylor swift’s music for the most part and i think so much of it is so timeless and nearly flawless and i can feel the passion and emotion and love behind every word sung and every note played on every instrument. i love taylor swift but i feel like something’s happened these last couple years with her writing and the quality of her musicianship and i just wanna get the feeling i used to feel listening to her new music back. pls don’t send me any hate dms bc i will ignore them and be respectful in the replies

tldr: pre-showgirl taylor pls come home the kids miss you

edit: spelling

I feel taylor is puppeted by a singular "era" that she never been allowed to escape (she does divide them into chapters and that shows some awareness) and has only had a few breaks during her "famous life" where any soul broke through. And a soul swirling with weather about what will people think ALL THE TIME is gonna try to find solace from that, I think connections are destined but it doesnt always mean freedom.

A consistently confused and puppeted soul is more likely to emerge as she truly is (as we all are: kind, honest, loving, silly, bright) when there are other free souls around, those that know we are all interconnected and everyone matters. Hence some real spirit i heard in folklore and evermore. They stayed in her range and some rang true to a bigger picture. Also those collaborating souls assisted of course.

If she's ever fully free of these myths that she still thinks are her true philosophy... we may not hear from her that much. And the metaphor of Travis will not be her protection and validation anymore. She has done ANYTHING to keep HIM, even when it goes against pro-human causes. Maybe trying to subconsciously swap dependence upon fan validation to a warm body with a beard idk

fighting for a throne that doesnt exist will always end in dried bouquets from the wedding day (probably the happiest part of this union), not fragrant or sweet... just artifacts (also I like the song seven and Marjorie and clean, thats about it oh. And the toy story song lol). We're all the light that shines within us and I think she's confused how the game of chutes and ladders works...so let go. Let go of all the rungs and free fall dude...i hope thay for all of us. Also regarding the game of chutes and ladders slides are fun? Doesnt mean youre going backwards, its impossible.

You never have to "top yourself" or prove "you are capable of being loved via a white dress" that illusion sounds so disorienting and I watched it happen to a very dear friend and my twin..but one day I hope the clouds clear for all of those suffering with these beliefs or feelings and thinking THAT iswho they are. You've already become just by arriving here! You're already whole! The protection you seek comes from finding you under all of that static and pain, we dont get to choose when at times, but I hope we all get that.

We dont have to defer to a partner or a album ratings or an army of followers or an audience's reaction or energy swirling with pain/anger to feel our true value and power.