Hmmm, interesting. I got the impression that she co-wrote all of her songs and wrote some of them by herself. Why do you think that other people get songwriting credit on much of the record? Could it be that just by producing they are given credit, but that the song itself is all Swift?
@@professorskye From what I understand Taylor comes up with the song ideas and most the lyrics but uses co-writes who add to it. She recorded herself in the studio working on her previous album, watch her working with Jack Antonoff ruclips.net/video/2jIrYNdKgkA/видео.html
Professor Skye's Record Review there’s actually an interesting thing where a lot of producers build co-writing credits into the contract before they’ll even agree to work with an artist.... not sure if that’s the case with Taylor Swift’s collaborations
Professor Skye's Record Review I will say too, though: I can say with 100% certainty that all of the BEST lines, all of the HOOK lyrics - they’re all TS.
@@professorskye Taylor writes most of her songs by herself. When she wrote 1989 most of the producers she worked with wanted songwriter credit. That's why she stopped working with them after it. So reputation has only 1 producer. lover has 2 and folklore has 2.
Many new female artists(males too actually) have cited Taylor as one of their inspirations, including Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Nina Nesbitt. So I think your theory about The Beatles holds up.
I like your insights on some points but because you don't know much about Taylor Swift (I am not referring to her love life) you are understanding so many things wrong. Before getting into specifics, you should know that she writes all her songs, some alone and some in collaboration, both lyrics and music. Production is usually a collaboration but it always has a strong input from Taylor. For example, The Archer is built in such a way to simulate the anxiety that the lyrics speak of, the beat never drops although you keep expecting that it does, much like pulling an actual bow when shooting an arrow. That being said, what I meant earlier was that Taylor always infuses a lot of her life in her music, mostly lyrics but also in sound and if you don't know thise details you misinterpret a lot in your analysis. That would be ok if you were just listening to the songs and assessing your owns likes and dislikes but since you are attempting an in depth analysis your lack of knowledge is distorting the big picture. For example, you say that "Soon you'll get better" is the country touch she gave to the album to keep the country fans happy when in fact that song is about her mom's struggle with cancer. This song is in collaboration with The Dixie Chicks who are her mom's favorite band. If Taylor had fears about losing her country fans she wouldn't have made 2 previous albums (reputation and 1989) that were 100% country free. Another point that you keep mentioning is her embracing her super rich persona. Nobody in the world thinks she's poor but the signs that you think you see, are actually put there by your misconception. Take Cornelia Street, the song never mentions money, mansions etc, its main focus is linking a place so strongly with the memory if a person that you couldn't bare to go there if that person would not be in your life anymore. I never thought of googling the street to see if there are only multimillion mansion there or not because that's not the point. London boy also doesn't referrence only high end places, it mention high and low end because she emphasizes she loves all the places where she goes with him because he is the one making it all enjoyable. I don't see how London boy or I think he knows are objectifying the man: she is speaking about her love/ sexual attraction for a man she is in a relationship - in both songs she mentions her and his perspective, nothing about her dominating him or things being only physical. Something that Taylor has done quite a few times is take the negative things people/the press say about her and put them, either ironically or from their perspective, in her songs. Because she has dated some English guys and people mocked her about it she went full on in London boy. So there is no fetish for English people (very judgy of you to think that that't the entire population of the UK/London, just uptight, pasty people), just her history of dating some British guys and her boyfriend of 4 years being from London. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak prince (as mention by another comment below) is a metaphor for the American political scene during the Trump administration, she placed it in the society of a high school both to ilustrate the drama rich environment and also the immature behaviour of Trump & his administration. Lines like "boys will be boys" were often mentioned in the proceedings for naming justice Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court, when all his sexual accusations came out. Taylor was never a "prom queen" type of adolescent as she was bullied and ostracized for a period of time and then she was homeschooled. "We paint the town blue" refers to the Democratic party, which she supports and the "bad, bad girl" references are pointing to her bad reputation after the debacle with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in 2016, which left her quite marginalized and was a very dark state (possibly suicidal, from some references in folklore's "this is me trying" - "pulled the car off the road to the lookout/ could have followed my fears all the way down". There are a lot of intricacies in her work and her music almost always had a very personal touch to them. You need to calm down was an attempt to support the LGBTQ community, not for commercial reasons because , initially, her main fanbase was quite conservative, so it was actually a gamble that might not have paid out. Gay people from her circle of friends and acquaintances said that she ask their advice on how best to support them because she didn't have a 1st hand expererience of dealing with these types of difficulties. The fact that people didn't like that she integrated her receiving hate on the Internet... she makes everyting a little bit personal so I lik that with the fact that she tries to relate to everything through her own experiences, to try to make it as authentic as one can.
Let me just add some words to the freaking novel I wrote in my previous comment... 😄 I do agree with your statement about Taylor and The Beatles and furthermore, I can confirm that I have heard at least 6 relatively new artists (men and women) that have named Taylor as their inspiration to write their own music, to learn to play an instrument and find a genuine voice im the musuc industry. Taylor has now a career of 14 years and is one of the few musicians that have relied heavily on their writing, their instincts and putting her personal life but also her visions (not all her music is biographical, Death By a Thousand Cuts is based on a movie and folklore is mostly other people/made up stories) at the forefront of her art. She seems like a very down to earth person, as attested by all the people that worked with her and all the fans that she always meets for free (even at the beginning or middle of her career), what I can see from her interviews, to the extent that we can assess a public person without actually knowing them. She's taken on industry giants like Apple and Spotify and label executives while trying to change things for artists that don't have her power so I admire that about her. I laughed when you mentioned that she must have been inspired by Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" in "I forgot that you existed" when there are actual articles in the press about how Taylor opened the door to writing about personal experiences, breakups, sometimes naming names etc. and specifically about this Ariana song so if anything, it was the other way around. Anyway, I rambled on enough, I just wanted to tell you I enjoy watching your video.
Academics talking about Dylan and Cave make sense given the richness of their lyrics. But I did think, what a shame that Swift isn’t given the same treatment. And here it is. Thank you!
Thanks! I really appreciate the comment. It is funny, but I ended up using this video as an example of why this channel is relevant to my academic career in my annual report.
Very interesting video. I like how she went from her album ‘reputation’ which was about her inaccurate public image with an aggressive sound and dark visuals to ‘Lover’, an album celebrating love in all its aspects, with very bright and colorful visuals. It was clever. Very good albums also.
You should watch her documental "Miss Americana". I think for someone who hasn't been following her career for years, it could be really helpful to understand her as a person and artist :)
Really enjoyed this video! Just a little insight into Miss Americana.. it’s actually about her disillusionment with the current political climate in the states and the idea of still having to be ‘patriotic’, set in the backdrop of an American high school. Not the best at explaining, but you can see it in lyrics such as ‘I saw the scoreboard and ran for my life’ and ‘boys will be boys, then where are the wise men’. I’m sure other people have explained this way better if you’re interested!
This album lyrically is superb! Taylor is in love she’s been in a relationship for 3 yrs with a British man Joe Alwyn .. someone who has stood by her when she’s been dragged and disregarded. Many of these songs open up and unveil her deepest emotions .. this is her 7 the album and in my opinion the best she’s done overall.
If Taylor were, in fact, The Man, we would not still be having discussions over the personal nature of her songs. We would not have you tube “non fan” reviewers saying they don’t care about who she’s referring to in her songs. The idea that her album is a roman de clef would not come with an eye roll. If she were a man we would be calling her songwriting raw and honest. I would argue that people do and will care who her songs are about because she’s a public figure. I am married to a Beatle fanatic and he can tell you, in exhausting detail, who the songs are about, what personal or business crisis they reference. We are 60 years out and they continue to be discussed as nauseam. You make a good point about the disconnect of a privileged pop star, but Taylor doesn’t fall into that trap. She is the most relatable because she writes of really common themes of leaving the small town with dreams, religious uncertainty, heartbreak, betrayal, politics. She is also the first female teenage star to write her own songs from her own age-appropriate perspective. In that way we have witnessed her growing up with her inner thoughts and fears said out loud. The trappings of her life are irrelevant. If you can’t find a song in her catalog that doesn’t punch you in the gut, then you are dead inside 😅 2 things worth noting…Bon Iver is pronounced “hiver”. Like winter. Panic at the Disco are Emo/pop punk. Not Goth. They are not dark like that.
stardom doesn't gets in Taylor's head.. She's still super humble and down to earth.. also she lets her fans in her house to play them the album before release
Wow thank you for this video!! I love that you used your French knowledge to understand Taylor Swift, whilst I was able to use my Taylor Swift knowledge to understand 17th C French culture!! I was 13 when she released her first song ‘Tim McGraw’ and I genuinely feel like I’ve grown up with her, it’s been one of the most special experiences of my life! She was talking about cute boys in class in high school when that’s what I was thinking about, and began mentioning alcohol, sex, mental health issues at the same time I began experiencing those things. I feel like this is why her fans are so devoted to her!!
"For Free" by Joni Mitchell. This song (and herself as an artist) shows a superstar (pop, country, whatever genre Joni fits in), who stays authentic to herself while still negotiating with country or pop thematics. Her "Hejira" album is all about being on the road, finding a "home" in unlikely places, dealing with drugs and spiritual collapse -even though she went on the road with Bob Dylan, Sam Sheperd, Allen Ginsberg and Joan Baez, totally unaccessible, but also psychologically intimate and perfectly relatable to us. "Song for Sharon", from Hejira, is, I think, a perfect example of this, of a woman who's reality is completely distant and far away from mine, I mean, I've personally never had to deal with fame, success, with moving to another country and missing my old small town, and she talks about this, and though I never underwent that experience, I still get her, I still feel her alienation and am able to adapt my own little times of alienation to hers.
You will see me say this in another video comment about Taylor… she has a great sense of humor and always has songs in every album that have some tongue-in-cheek attitude and the songs I Forgot That You Exist, ME and You Need To Calm Down (even tho she is making a political point - it has humor in it). Even on Reputation, which shows the most evolution in her emotions and feelings from anger/hurt/fear/sadness to letting it all go because she found someone who loves her, not Taylor Swift, has songs/lyrics that are meant to be sung with a wink, funny smirk… to me it is one of her her most adoring characteristics in her music . Obviously she is a master lyricist (not all are perfect but very few can hold a candle to her overall lyricism in her total discography). But her humor, which is missed, misunderstood , or criticized unless you know the ‘story’ and that she is leaning into criticism or an event, etc. I am hoping you will become more familiar so you can appreciate that humor.
I know this is like super late, but about You Need to Calm Down, I understand those people's perspective who think that it was performative, or that she was trying to take credit for doing the bare minimum. But that's not all that she was doing, if you see the video it is linked to a petition to reauthorise the equality act, a petition with enough signatures that it warranted a response from the White House - so it may seem performative, but it wasn't. Also, Soon You'll Get Better is actually a heart wrenching tale of her own mother's cancer, it's really touching and has 2 'damn' lyric moment: "holy orange bottles each night I pray to you" and "who am I supposed to talk to, what am I supposed to do, if there's no you"
First I'd like to begin by saying I really love and appreciate these videos you've been making about Taylor Swift! I've been a fan of hers since the beginning and have always been bummed that no one seemed to appreciate the lyrical genius of her writing, so it makes me happier than you'll ever know to hear you analyze it from a literary perspective. Recently it has come to my attention that she may be writing about a truth she can't otherwise express, and that her lover may not be the same individual as her public relationship. I know you mention in this video that you don't care who it's about and I don't feel like it's my place to speculate publicly about the details, however the secret forbidden love is a recurring narrative that is subtly woven into all her work (literally since the beginning) and is incredibly interesting to explore if you like breaking down the literary symbols and motifs in the albums. I think it's difficult to fully grasp the narrative without this piece of information so I thought it might be something you'd enjoy knowing. Disclaimer** all of this is speculation and interpretation. She seems to differentiate between the subjects with pronouns and symbolism. (Example: Her public bf is usually refered to as "he" and I believe the references to gold actually correlate with her lover.) Often she seems to discuss and even compare the two different characters in the same song. It's subtle, but undeniable once you notice it. As a songwriter myself (ha inspired by Taylor, you were right), I have definitely done this in my writing and it's difficult to tell unless I go out of my way to make it obvious. Even still, if someone hearing it doesn't listen closely and know what I'm singing about the nuance is often lost. This interpretation of her work adds an even more impressive layer of depth and intimate sincerity to her work so I highly recommend listening for it and seeing if you pick up on it as well! Thank you and keep making these videos!
About You Need To Calm Down... she mentioned that she loves using common phrases in her songs like "Shake it off" and "You need to calm down". I think she first thought of the phrase "you need to calm down" first and decided to use the pattern self-society-culture for her verses. Coming from her, since her biggest issue around the time she was writing the song, she had been busying herself with politics and music industry. Your The Beatles theory holds up. Many young female artists named Taylor Swift as their inspiration. She might be one of the first female songwriters ever, or should i say the first successful female songwriter ever. Here are some points that you missed/didn't know about: 1) I Forgot That You Existed was meant to be a transition from her previous album Reputation which was written with negative emotions (revenge, sadness, anger, loneliness, insecurity etc), it's not her trying to copy Ariana. Tho i agree it sounded fake. It either didn't really suit her sound, or she wasn't really feeling like she's over it. 2) Miss Americana on the surface was about teenage romance, however it was metaphorically talking about politics; she came out as a democrat. "Then i was at sixteen" referring to 2016 election, and mention of "scoreboards", "paint the town blue" etc. Just look again through the lyrics in different light, you'd see it XD 3) Soon You'll Get Better was meant for her mother who was diagnosed with cancer years back, was clean for a couple years and was re-diagnosed while Taylor was "cancelled" during feud with Kanye. Dixie Chicks featured on the song because her mother is a fan of them. It was the family's decision to put the song on the album. She had only performed it live once for the pandemic, and said it was a difficult song for her so she probably won't be able to sing it live ever.
She writes all of her songs. When she brings the songs to the studio and presents it to the producer/s, they sometimes add to it and if Taylor likes it then there you go they get songwriting credit.
Oh! Have you seen the awards show (idk which) clip of Billie Ellish and Taylor swift talking up Billie ellish after winning? Years ago Taylor had spoken about being happy to receive an award but that we need to care for the girls watching on tv this moment who are writing their own music now and picking up their own instruments. And billie spoke about how much that meant to her as a girl watching. It’s way sweeter watching it than my description 😅 but it adds to your last point
Wow! This review is very original! I believe I forgot that you existed is a song about Scott Borchetta or Kanye or a fake friend. I believe that was she tries to say with this track is that she thought she could be indifferent but she could not for long and then she thought she could finally move on with her life without the drama this person caused in her life and she eventually kinda did do that and she could not forgive them, she could not hate them, so she decided to stop giving them attention. I don't think she's bragging but rather she's trying to explain how helpful that mindset change was. By the way, she released a documentary called Miss Americana which is a good way to enter her mind. (yes, Miss Americana like the song, because the song is very political in a metaphorical way)
I just love these reviews. I, too, feel as if a great work of art should not depend entirely on historical context, so I appreciate when reviews by people who have no idea about Taylor Swift's personal life still acknowledge the artistry. I actually get bored by reviews that try to explain all the uh keys I guess... Additionally, at around the 30 minute mark, you ask about "You Need To Calm Down," and mentioned having a debate about if it is self-serving... Not to force historical context right after what I just said, but my understanding is that a gay friend of hers asked her tentatively what Taylor Swift would do if Taylor Swift had a kid, and that kid one day came out as gay. Apparently Taylor Swift was appalled that this was even a question in her friend's mind and resolved to be much clearer about her opinion on differences in sexuality and to just stand up for the perspective that the right thing to do is treat everyone like real people with real feelings and real difficulties. I had a similar experience, and I actually can feel that sinking in my stomach every time I remember that story. Additionally, people discount the song because, they say, she equates murder and brutality based on people's sexuality to mere "shade", specifically in the line, "Shade never made anybody less gay." But OMFG this misses so much. The term "throwing shade" grew to prominence in the queer culture of voguing and ballrooms, and the term itself was basically appropriated my the mainstream and its queer origins erased. So, using the term "shade" in this line actually folds in layers of meaning.... It is something I have never once seen or heard mentioned when discussing this song. Also, I get bored by fawning reviews. It is nice to hear some actual critiques along with clear appreciation.Finally, I think Billie Eilish (sp?) credited Taylor Swift in part with inspiring her to go heavy into music, so your Beatles theory may actually be true...
Taylor is a big supporter of the LGBTQI community. Her inclusion of so many gay and trans people, both famous and not, actually is kind of ground breaking for a pop song by a superstar artist. Yeah, she gets credit. Btw, watch Miss Americana if you haven’t.
The Beatles argument at the last part I think is true just this year at january a new artist emerge which is olivia rodrigo which is a big swifties which also writes her own lyrics and have charted number 1 on billboard with her debut
I think "I Forgot That You Existed" needed to be first. It makes perfect sense to any fan, not even referencing any specific people or incidents, just in context that this album is the first album after Reputation. Lover is a total tonal switch, and "I Forgot That You Existed" basically explains why that tonal switch happened. She was feeling angry and hurt and wronged and attacked, and Reputation was a response to it, and Lover is the album after she has been able to let go of all the things Reputation was written about. I must confess that I'm confused by your opinion that "Soon You'll Get Better" is sort of fan service to fans who miss the country days. Maybe you know this by now, 4 years after releasing the video, but it's about her Mom's cancer treatment. Being a song about a more intimate experience, not to mention just the content of the song, of course it's going to be a stripped back song. Not sure why the Dixie Chicks are on it at all, actually... Maybe you could call their inclusion some sort of gift to the country fans, but considering they were basically just her backup singers, I don't know about that.
Bisexual/pansexual/she/they chiming in. I’m sympathetic to the argument that she’s queer baiting. And queer people experience violence that she doesn’t talk about. We can’t just say, “you need to calm down.” And then everything is fine. There’s real trauma that goes unaddressed. However, I do enjoy the song and sentiment. She did speak on gay issues and voting at this time as well. And I believe she has a music vid back in the day depicting a queer person. I just forget what it is. So it’s not something that comes out of the blue or wasn’t backed up with action. But could there be more action? Sure but she’s also not a politician so I don’t have as high expectations I guess.
I will definitely review everything that he releases from here on out. Unfortunately the single that he was on that was released this week was just a weird repackaging of one of his old songs, so it didn't really merit a review.
Hi I’m late to your channel but I wanted to say on your last point that there are a few new artists, Olivia Rodrigo being the biggest example, who were inspired by Taylor Swift’s songwriting and now are singer songwriters themselves. Conan Gray is another example. Also Camilla Cabello although I don’t like her very much.
It's pretty obvious that in a serie or movie or whatever you don't need the writer to be a murderer if he write about murder. Coz it's fiction. So why a rapper or a pop singer can only write about what he's actually doing in real life and that that should be a thing I simply don't understand.
I agree with your friend but I think it’s a subconscious white privilege thing. I highly doubt she hangs out with actual activists not just charity drones. I don’t think she’s capable of writing a political song because she is so sheltered. Just by nature of her stardom, but also her very protected and privileged childhood. It’s one of my biggest gripes with her as a decade long Swiftie. Miss Americana is terrible. She claims it’s about politics but I just don’t think so.
Also, she writes ALL her songs herself. Some of them don’t even have cowriters.
Her whole album Speak Now is self-written.
Hmmm, interesting. I got the impression that she co-wrote all of her songs and wrote some of them by herself. Why do you think that other people get songwriting credit on much of the record? Could it be that just by producing they are given credit, but that the song itself is all Swift?
@@professorskye From what I understand Taylor comes up with the song ideas and most the lyrics but uses co-writes who add to it. She recorded herself in the studio working on her previous album, watch her working with Jack Antonoff ruclips.net/video/2jIrYNdKgkA/видео.html
Professor Skye's Record Review there’s actually an interesting thing where a lot of producers build co-writing credits into the contract before they’ll even agree to work with an artist.... not sure if that’s the case with Taylor Swift’s collaborations
Professor Skye's Record Review I will say too, though: I can say with 100% certainty that all of the BEST lines, all of the HOOK lyrics - they’re all TS.
@@professorskye Taylor writes most of her songs by herself. When she wrote 1989 most of the producers she worked with wanted songwriter credit. That's why she stopped working with them after it. So reputation has only 1 producer. lover has 2 and folklore has 2.
Many new female artists(males too actually) have cited Taylor as one of their inspirations, including Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Nina Nesbitt. So I think your theory about The Beatles holds up.
I like your insights on some points but because you don't know much about Taylor Swift (I am not referring to her love life) you are understanding so many things wrong. Before getting into specifics, you should know that she writes all her songs, some alone and some in collaboration, both lyrics and music. Production is usually a collaboration but it always has a strong input from Taylor. For example, The Archer is built in such a way to simulate the anxiety that the lyrics speak of, the beat never drops although you keep expecting that it does, much like pulling an actual bow when shooting an arrow. That being said, what I meant earlier was that Taylor always infuses a lot of her life in her music, mostly lyrics but also in sound and if you don't know thise details you misinterpret a lot in your analysis. That would be ok if you were just listening to the songs and assessing your owns likes and dislikes but since you are attempting an in depth analysis your lack of knowledge is distorting the big picture. For example, you say that "Soon you'll get better" is the country touch she gave to the album to keep the country fans happy when in fact that song is about her mom's struggle with cancer. This song is in collaboration with The Dixie Chicks who are her mom's favorite band. If Taylor had fears about losing her country fans she wouldn't have made 2 previous albums (reputation and 1989) that were 100% country free. Another point that you keep mentioning is her embracing her super rich persona. Nobody in the world thinks she's poor but the signs that you think you see, are actually put there by your misconception. Take Cornelia Street, the song never mentions money, mansions etc, its main focus is linking a place so strongly with the memory if a person that you couldn't bare to go there if that person would not be in your life anymore. I never thought of googling the street to see if there are only multimillion mansion there or not because that's not the point. London boy also doesn't referrence only high end places, it mention high and low end because she emphasizes she loves all the places where she goes with him because he is the one making it all enjoyable. I don't see how London boy or I think he knows are objectifying the man: she is speaking about her love/ sexual attraction for a man she is in a relationship - in both songs she mentions her and his perspective, nothing about her dominating him or things being only physical. Something that Taylor has done quite a few times is take the negative things people/the press say about her and put them, either ironically or from their perspective, in her songs. Because she has dated some English guys and people mocked her about it she went full on in London boy. So there is no fetish for English people (very judgy of you to think that that't the entire population of the UK/London, just uptight, pasty people), just her history of dating some British guys and her boyfriend of 4 years being from London. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak prince (as mention by another comment below) is a metaphor for the American political scene during the Trump administration, she placed it in the society of a high school both to ilustrate the drama rich environment and also the immature behaviour of Trump & his administration. Lines like "boys will be boys" were often mentioned in the proceedings for naming justice Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court, when all his sexual accusations came out. Taylor was never a "prom queen" type of adolescent as she was bullied and ostracized for a period of time and then she was homeschooled. "We paint the town blue" refers to the Democratic party, which she supports and the "bad, bad girl" references are pointing to her bad reputation after the debacle with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in 2016, which left her quite marginalized and was a very dark state (possibly suicidal, from some references in folklore's "this is me trying" - "pulled the car off the road to the lookout/ could have followed my fears all the way down". There are a lot of intricacies in her work and her music almost always had a very personal touch to them. You need to calm down was an attempt to support the LGBTQ community, not for commercial reasons because , initially, her main fanbase was quite conservative, so it was actually a gamble that might not have paid out. Gay people from her circle of friends and acquaintances said that she ask their advice on how best to support them because she didn't have a 1st hand expererience of dealing with these types of difficulties. The fact that people didn't like that she integrated her receiving hate on the Internet... she makes everyting a little bit personal so I lik that with the fact that she tries to relate to everything through her own experiences, to try to make it as authentic as one can.
Let me just add some words to the freaking novel I wrote in my previous comment... 😄 I do agree with your statement about Taylor and The Beatles and furthermore, I can confirm that I have heard at least 6 relatively new artists (men and women) that have named Taylor as their inspiration to write their own music, to learn to play an instrument and find a genuine voice im the musuc industry. Taylor has now a career of 14 years and is one of the few musicians that have relied heavily on their writing, their instincts and putting her personal life but also her visions (not all her music is biographical, Death By a Thousand Cuts is based on a movie and folklore is mostly other people/made up stories) at the forefront of her art. She seems like a very down to earth person, as attested by all the people that worked with her and all the fans that she always meets for free (even at the beginning or middle of her career), what I can see from her interviews, to the extent that we can assess a public person without actually knowing them. She's taken on industry giants like Apple and Spotify and label executives while trying to change things for artists that don't have her power so I admire that about her. I laughed when you mentioned that she must have been inspired by Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" in "I forgot that you existed" when there are actual articles in the press about how Taylor opened the door to writing about personal experiences, breakups, sometimes naming names etc. and specifically about this Ariana song so if anything, it was the other way around. Anyway, I rambled on enough, I just wanted to tell you I enjoy watching your video.
Thanks for the comment. Like the long comments and they usually have lots of interesting things in them (like this one!)
@@professorskye sorry for all the typos, it's not easy typing on your phone in your second language. 😊 I should have edited more.
so many good points (all of them actually) id like to add that even tho she had great ideas sadly good amount of them were executed mediocrely
I feel like we should be friends. You're my kind of swiftie. So glad to see someone appreciate this album as much as I do
Academics talking about Dylan and Cave make sense given the richness of their lyrics. But I did think, what a shame that Swift isn’t given the same treatment. And here it is. Thank you!
Thanks! I really appreciate the comment. It is funny, but I ended up using this video as an example of why this channel is relevant to my academic career in my annual report.
Very interesting video.
I like how she went from her album ‘reputation’ which was about her inaccurate public image with an aggressive sound and dark visuals to ‘Lover’, an album celebrating love in all its aspects, with very bright and colorful visuals. It was clever.
Very good albums also.
You should review her album Red!
You should watch her documental "Miss Americana". I think for someone who hasn't been following her career for years, it could be really helpful to understand her as a person and artist :)
Really enjoyed this video! Just a little insight into Miss Americana.. it’s actually about her disillusionment with the current political climate in the states and the idea of still having to be ‘patriotic’, set in the backdrop of an American high school. Not the best at explaining, but you can see it in lyrics such as ‘I saw the scoreboard and ran for my life’ and ‘boys will be boys, then where are the wise men’. I’m sure other people have explained this way better if you’re interested!
I was going to comment this. Glad this is already here!
Half way through and I’m already subscribing. I
Also love that you’re older than the people who I listen to that produce similar content
This album lyrically is superb! Taylor is in love she’s been in a relationship for 3 yrs with a British man Joe Alwyn .. someone who has stood by her when she’s been dragged and disregarded. Many of these songs open up and unveil her deepest emotions .. this is her 7 the album and in my opinion the best she’s done overall.
Just an FYI you need to get better is about her moms cancer who she continues to fight.. the pain she feels
Love to see a fellow Lover lover 🎉 I just want to add that Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince has underlying political meaning as well :)
If Taylor were, in fact, The Man, we would not still be having discussions over the personal nature of her songs. We would not have you tube “non fan” reviewers saying they don’t care about who she’s referring to in her songs. The idea that her album is a roman de clef would not come with an eye roll. If she were a man we would be calling her songwriting raw and honest.
I would argue that people do and will care who her songs are about because she’s a public figure. I am married to a Beatle fanatic and he can tell you, in exhausting detail, who the songs are about, what personal or business crisis they reference. We are 60 years out and they continue to be discussed as nauseam.
You make a good point about the disconnect of a privileged pop star, but Taylor doesn’t fall into that trap. She is the most relatable because she writes of really common themes of leaving the small town with dreams, religious uncertainty, heartbreak, betrayal, politics. She is also the first female teenage star to write her own songs from her own age-appropriate perspective. In that way we have witnessed her growing up with her inner thoughts and fears said out loud. The trappings of her life are irrelevant. If you can’t find a song in her catalog that doesn’t punch you in the gut, then you are dead inside 😅
2 things worth noting…Bon Iver is pronounced “hiver”. Like winter.
Panic at the Disco are Emo/pop punk. Not Goth. They are not dark like that.
stardom doesn't gets in Taylor's head.. She's still super humble and down to earth.. also she lets her fans in her house to play them the album before release
Great review
thanks
Really enjoyed this review. May I suggest the NYT Popcast TS review, kinda expands and supports many of your impressions. Keep up the good work!!
Wow thank you for this video!! I love that you used your French knowledge to understand Taylor Swift, whilst I was able to use my Taylor Swift knowledge to understand 17th C French culture!! I was 13 when she released her first song ‘Tim McGraw’ and I genuinely feel like I’ve grown up with her, it’s been one of the most special experiences of my life! She was talking about cute boys in class in high school when that’s what I was thinking about, and began mentioning alcohol, sex, mental health issues at the same time I began experiencing those things. I feel like this is why her fans are so devoted to her!!
I really really liked your review, good stuff 👍
She does write her own songs by the way that's what makes me liked her in the first place.
"For Free" by Joni Mitchell. This song (and herself as an artist) shows a superstar (pop, country, whatever genre Joni fits in), who stays authentic to herself while still negotiating with country or pop thematics. Her "Hejira" album is all about being on the road, finding a "home" in unlikely places, dealing with drugs and spiritual collapse -even though she went on the road with Bob Dylan, Sam Sheperd, Allen Ginsberg and Joan Baez, totally unaccessible, but also psychologically intimate and perfectly relatable to us. "Song for Sharon", from Hejira, is, I think, a perfect example of this, of a woman who's reality is completely distant and far away from mine, I mean, I've personally never had to deal with fame, success, with moving to another country and missing my old small town, and she talks about this, and though I never underwent that experience, I still get her, I still feel her alienation and am able to adapt my own little times of alienation to hers.
Thank you for this comment.
You will see me say this in another video comment about Taylor… she has a great sense of humor and always has songs in every album that have some tongue-in-cheek attitude and the songs I Forgot That You Exist, ME and You Need To Calm Down (even tho she is making a political point - it has humor in it). Even on Reputation, which shows the most evolution in her emotions and feelings from anger/hurt/fear/sadness to letting it all go because she found someone who loves her, not Taylor Swift, has songs/lyrics that are meant to be sung with a wink, funny smirk… to me it is one of her her most adoring characteristics in her music . Obviously she is a master lyricist (not all are perfect but very few can hold a candle to her overall lyricism in her total discography). But her humor, which is missed, misunderstood , or criticized unless you know the ‘story’ and that she is leaning into criticism or an event, etc. I am hoping you will become more familiar so you can appreciate that humor.
I know this is like super late, but about You Need to Calm Down, I understand those people's perspective who think that it was performative, or that she was trying to take credit for doing the bare minimum. But that's not all that she was doing, if you see the video it is linked to a petition to reauthorise the equality act, a petition with enough signatures that it warranted a response from the White House - so it may seem performative, but it wasn't.
Also, Soon You'll Get Better is actually a heart wrenching tale of her own mother's cancer, it's really touching and has 2 'damn' lyric moment: "holy orange bottles each night I pray to you" and "who am I supposed to talk to, what am I supposed to do, if there's no you"
First I'd like to begin by saying I really love and appreciate these videos you've been making about Taylor Swift! I've been a fan of hers since the beginning and have always been bummed that no one seemed to appreciate the lyrical genius of her writing, so it makes me happier than you'll ever know to hear you analyze it from a literary perspective. Recently it has come to my attention that she may be writing about a truth she can't otherwise express, and that her lover may not be the same individual as her public relationship. I know you mention in this video that you don't care who it's about and I don't feel like it's my place to speculate publicly about the details, however the secret forbidden love is a recurring narrative that is subtly woven into all her work (literally since the beginning) and is incredibly interesting to explore if you like breaking down the literary symbols and motifs in the albums. I think it's difficult to fully grasp the narrative without this piece of information so I thought it might be something you'd enjoy knowing. Disclaimer** all of this is speculation and interpretation. She seems to differentiate between the subjects with pronouns and symbolism. (Example: Her public bf is usually refered to as "he" and I believe the references to gold actually correlate with her lover.) Often she seems to discuss and even compare the two different characters in the same song. It's subtle, but undeniable once you notice it. As a songwriter myself (ha inspired by Taylor, you were right), I have definitely done this in my writing and it's difficult to tell unless I go out of my way to make it obvious. Even still, if someone hearing it doesn't listen closely and know what I'm singing about the nuance is often lost. This interpretation of her work adds an even more impressive layer of depth and intimate sincerity to her work so I highly recommend listening for it and seeing if you pick up on it as well! Thank you and keep making these videos!
About You Need To Calm Down... she mentioned that she loves using common phrases in her songs like "Shake it off" and "You need to calm down". I think she first thought of the phrase "you need to calm down" first and decided to use the pattern self-society-culture for her verses. Coming from her, since her biggest issue around the time she was writing the song, she had been busying herself with politics and music industry.
Your The Beatles theory holds up. Many young female artists named Taylor Swift as their inspiration. She might be one of the first female songwriters ever, or should i say the first successful female songwriter ever.
Here are some points that you missed/didn't know about:
1) I Forgot That You Existed was meant to be a transition from her previous album Reputation which was written with negative emotions (revenge, sadness, anger, loneliness, insecurity etc), it's not her trying to copy Ariana. Tho i agree it sounded fake. It either didn't really suit her sound, or she wasn't really feeling like she's over it.
2) Miss Americana on the surface was about teenage romance, however it was metaphorically talking about politics; she came out as a democrat. "Then i was at sixteen" referring to 2016 election, and mention of "scoreboards", "paint the town blue" etc. Just look again through the lyrics in different light, you'd see it XD
3) Soon You'll Get Better was meant for her mother who was diagnosed with cancer years back, was clean for a couple years and was re-diagnosed while Taylor was "cancelled" during feud with Kanye. Dixie Chicks featured on the song because her mother is a fan of them. It was the family's decision to put the song on the album. She had only performed it live once for the pandemic, and said it was a difficult song for her so she probably won't be able to sing it live ever.
I LOVE the keychain in paper ring! it’s cute
She writes all of her songs. When she brings the songs to the studio and presents it to the producer/s, they sometimes add to it and if Taylor likes it then there you go they get songwriting credit.
Interesting and different review from what other reviews I’ve seen.
Oh! Have you seen the awards show (idk which) clip of Billie Ellish and Taylor swift talking up Billie ellish after winning? Years ago Taylor had spoken about being happy to receive an award but that we need to care for the girls watching on tv this moment who are writing their own music now and picking up their own instruments. And billie spoke about how much that meant to her as a girl watching. It’s way sweeter watching it than my description 😅 but it adds to your last point
Wow! This review is very original! I believe I forgot that you existed is a song about Scott Borchetta or Kanye or a fake friend. I believe that was she tries to say with this track is that she thought she could be indifferent but she could not for long and then she thought she could finally move on with her life without the drama this person caused in her life and she eventually kinda did do that and she could not forgive them, she could not hate them, so she decided to stop giving them attention. I don't think she's bragging but rather she's trying to explain how helpful that mindset change was. By the way, she released a documentary called Miss Americana which is a good way to enter her mind. (yes, Miss Americana like the song, because the song is very political in a metaphorical way)
Taylor writes all of her songs.
i love your reviews! so cerebral.
If these were part of the course outlines/syllabi I would legit volunteer to be a student again
35:00 Olivia Rodrigo! Heavily inspired by Swift, a giant star
Clevesy is now a word I will be using
I just love these reviews. I, too, feel as if a great work of art should not depend entirely on historical context, so I appreciate when reviews by people who have no idea about Taylor Swift's personal life still acknowledge the artistry. I actually get bored by reviews that try to explain all the uh keys I guess... Additionally, at around the 30 minute mark, you ask about "You Need To Calm Down," and mentioned having a debate about if it is self-serving... Not to force historical context right after what I just said, but my understanding is that a gay friend of hers asked her tentatively what Taylor Swift would do if Taylor Swift had a kid, and that kid one day came out as gay. Apparently Taylor Swift was appalled that this was even a question in her friend's mind and resolved to be much clearer about her opinion on differences in sexuality and to just stand up for the perspective that the right thing to do is treat everyone like real people with real feelings and real difficulties. I had a similar experience, and I actually can feel that sinking in my stomach every time I remember that story. Additionally, people discount the song because, they say, she equates murder and brutality based on people's sexuality to mere "shade", specifically in the line, "Shade never made anybody less gay." But OMFG this misses so much. The term "throwing shade" grew to prominence in the queer culture of voguing and ballrooms, and the term itself was basically appropriated my the mainstream and its queer origins erased. So, using the term "shade" in this line actually folds in layers of meaning.... It is something I have never once seen or heard mentioned when discussing this song. Also, I get bored by fawning reviews. It is nice to hear some actual critiques along with clear appreciation.Finally, I think Billie Eilish (sp?) credited Taylor Swift in part with inspiring her to go heavy into music, so your Beatles theory may actually be true...
Taylor Swift.
She’s an iconic artist, and she achieved places in her career to deserve to be called an ARTIST ❤️
Taylor is a big supporter of the LGBTQI community. Her inclusion of so many gay and trans people, both famous and not, actually is kind of ground breaking for a pop song by a superstar artist. Yeah, she gets credit.
Btw, watch Miss Americana if you haven’t.
YNTCD - I believe she donates all proceeds of that video to GLAAD…
The Beatles argument at the last part I think is true just this year at january a new artist emerge which is olivia rodrigo which is a big swifties which also writes her own lyrics and have charted number 1 on billboard with her debut
She writes all her own songs
Lover is my 2nd album behind Red and not just because of the reference.
I think "I Forgot That You Existed" needed to be first. It makes perfect sense to any fan, not even referencing any specific people or incidents, just in context that this album is the first album after Reputation. Lover is a total tonal switch, and "I Forgot That You Existed" basically explains why that tonal switch happened. She was feeling angry and hurt and wronged and attacked, and Reputation was a response to it, and Lover is the album after she has been able to let go of all the things Reputation was written about.
I must confess that I'm confused by your opinion that "Soon You'll Get Better" is sort of fan service to fans who miss the country days. Maybe you know this by now, 4 years after releasing the video, but it's about her Mom's cancer treatment. Being a song about a more intimate experience, not to mention just the content of the song, of course it's going to be a stripped back song. Not sure why the Dixie Chicks are on it at all, actually... Maybe you could call their inclusion some sort of gift to the country fans, but considering they were basically just her backup singers, I don't know about that.
please do a review of all her albums
When you had to check jack antonoffs name and shrugged not knowing who he is 😂 much has changed since this video haha
Bisexual/pansexual/she/they chiming in. I’m sympathetic to the argument that she’s queer baiting. And queer people experience violence that she doesn’t talk about. We can’t just say, “you need to calm down.” And then everything is fine. There’s real trauma that goes unaddressed.
However, I do enjoy the song and sentiment. She did speak on gay issues and voting at this time as well. And I believe she has a music vid back in the day depicting a queer person. I just forget what it is. So it’s not something that comes out of the blue or wasn’t backed up with action. But could there be more action? Sure but she’s also not a politician so I don’t have as high expectations I guess.
Lol your censorship gesture worked 👏👏
May I suggest an additional review of a "Mr Oizo" release?
There's simply not enough video reviews, and I really enjoyed your review of "Rythme Plat".
I will definitely review everything that he releases from here on out. Unfortunately the single that he was on that was released this week was just a weird repackaging of one of his old songs, so it didn't really merit a review.
So well said, however KW and TS WILL NEVER GET BACK TOGETHER
False god afterglow DAYLIGHT??+?!?!?!??!?!?!
Please review Red & 1989!!
Your theory holds up. With Olivia Rodrigo coming up with driver's lisence.... it's truer than ever
there is no way u just skipped over false god like that………….. that is lyrical genius
The petition she started asking for LGBTQI + rights does make it sounds legit (about You need to calm down)
Ok but you totally didn’t mention the political aspect of Miss American & The Heartbreak Prince...
Hi I’m late to your channel but I wanted to say on your last point that there are a few new artists, Olivia Rodrigo being the biggest example, who were inspired by Taylor Swift’s songwriting and now are singer songwriters themselves. Conan Gray is another example. Also Camilla Cabello although I don’t like her very much.
It's pretty obvious that in a serie or movie or whatever you don't need the writer to be a murderer if he write about murder. Coz it's fiction. So why a rapper or a pop singer can only write about what he's actually doing in real life and that that should be a thing I simply don't understand.
There should be damn lyrics on al your reviews HA
I agree with your friend but I think it’s a subconscious white privilege thing. I highly doubt she hangs out with actual activists not just charity drones. I don’t think she’s capable of writing a political song because she is so sheltered. Just by nature of her stardom, but also her very protected and privileged childhood. It’s one of my biggest gripes with her as a decade long Swiftie. Miss Americana is terrible. She claims it’s about politics but I just don’t think so.