I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
All tagged taylor swift
Taylor Swift is in love, and she wants to show it; but what about marriage? you’ll need to read this explanation to know if we’ll ever know what she thinks about marrying her “lover”.
What?! Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie have actually collaborated on a new song, the music video for it just dropped out, and today we’re going to talk about it, and it’s nice message.
I don't usually insert my opinion into my lyrics explaining blog posts, but I'll admit that "Dress" is one of the most interesting songs Taylor Swift has released to date. But it's not because the lyrics are deep or interesting or anything. It's the subject material. Never before has she gotten this sexy and this edgy, and if people are talking about anything controversial on Reputation, it's usually this song. But is this song really that sexual? Is it really that odd to hear from Taylor Swift? Yes, and, yes, but let's get into it anyway.
It's no surprise to fans that Taylor's latest album Reputation centers around a romantic relationship. Most of Taylor's public persona has been established by her numerous boyfriends and subsequent breakups, and in Reputation she uses that persona to her advantage, creating an almost satirical embrace and critique of the media's portrayal of her.
While the holiday that most people focus on during the new year is New Year's Eve, Swift entitles the final song on her album "New Year's Day" in order to highlight the fact that she doesn't want to just stick around for the party but for the aftermath as well: the clean up, the solitude, and even the bittersweetness of moments gone but memories made.
While maybe not the most notable song on Reputation, I think "Getaway Car" is one of the better written ones. It tells a clear story and uses some excellent imagery and metaphors that really make that story come to life for listeners. The music, while certainly still pop, is more stripped down than previous tracks and offers a laid back, thoughtful wistfulness as Taylor recalls past experiences.
Musically and lyrically "So It Goes..." (heretofore referred to as "So It Goes") reminds me of "I Don't Wanna live Forever." It's sexually focused, and it's very slick and intentional, verging on dark pop. The song is focused on some new boyfriend (the Internet would have us believe Joe Alwyn) who Swift finds attractive and who she apparently feels deeply connected with. The song itself though may prove to have further surprises.
"Delicate" maintains some of the new pop sounds that Taylor's been using throughout the Reputation album, but the lyrics truly seem more like old Taylor or even "Wildest Dreams"--a little sexual, a little edgy, but overall innocent and sweet, wanting something real from a new relationship. Of course, the relationship in "Wildest Dreams" was dying or dead, and the relationship in "Delicate" seems to be just beginning.
While "Don't Blame Me" continues shaping a Taylor Swift persona that few of us were familiar with before "Look What You Made Me Do," the music is certainly more toned back than what we heard in that song or in "...Ready For It?" The song's certainly still intense--especially those choruses--but interestingly this time it's the verses that are more stripped back--the antithesis to the hyped verses and chiller choruses of other songs that appear early in the album.
"I Did Something Bad" follows the same formula that we heard from "Look What You Made Me Do" or "...Ready For It?" Taylor Swift has turned over a new leaf, and is now a tougher, stronger, harder, version of herself. She's not going to roll over for anyone or wait for someone to come save her. She's ready to take control of her own life even if it means destroying her enemies.
Taylor Swift released Reputation on November 10th, and "End Game" is the first song new song that many of us heard when we started listening. This second track, which comes right after "...Ready For It?" is one of the most noteworthy tracks on the album because not only does it feature Ed Sheeran and Future, but it also heavily features the title of the album--Reputation--which suggests that this song is tightly tied to the meaning of the album overall.
Of all the new Taylor Swift songs, "...Ready For It?" may be the most unique and most "new." While fans weren't quite sure what to do with "Look What You Made Me Do" until the music video came out, and "Gorgeous" and "Call It What You Want" at least made a little sense as far as who we think Taylor Swift is, "...Ready For It?" left most of us scratching our heads. But that doesn't mean the doesn't mean something interesting, so let's get into it.
Taylor Swift's "Gorgeous" was an especially trying one for me to explain. I stayed up until midnight to explain it and spent most of my first video talking about how people would probably think that it meant Taylor Swift was admitting to be a bisexual. Luckily for me, before it was up for long, my loyal fans explained the real meaning to me, and the next morning I started fresh and created the video you see below in which I explain the true meaning of the song. While not as controversial as Taylor Swift coming out of the closet, "Gorgeous" may still have a meaning that surprises you.
"Look What You Made Me Do" has to be the most contentious song of my Taylor Swift-listening lifetime. I thought "Bad Blood" was a departure for her, but "Look What You Made Me Do" seems to have even less to do with the sweet, pure, country singer in songs like "Mean" or "Our Song." Of course, Taylor Swift as an artist certainly is allowed to change and develop, but I don't think anyone six years ago or even three would have expected this. Of course, that's not me saying that "Look What You Made Me Do" is a bad song--that's for you to decide--but both music and lyrics are clear departures for her.
But "Call It What You Want" is certainly my favorite of the four new songs she's released from Reputation up to this point. It's simple, it's pure, and it feels honest. Not only that, but I think the lyrics truly do mean something to her, and I think they're going to mean something to you as well.
Taylor Swift and ZAYN just dropped their new duet "I Don't Wanna Live Forever." The song's going to be part of the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, and it's intense. The song's musical aspect is smooth and rich and interesting. The lyrics, on the other hand, are very simple and straightforward--they're about a relationship that didn't work out the first time around.
Time to freak out, fanboys and fangirls. T-swizzle's not done with 1989 yet. She just released an actual music video for "Out of the Woods," and I like it. You might like it too. I used to think the song was kind of boring--too poppy and WAY to repetitive--but this music video might have converted me. At the very least, it's an easy song to sing along with, and the music video gives more context for what the song itself means.
Released in October of 2014, Taylor Swift's 1989 album is still current news. On August 25th, she re-released "Wildest Dreams," the ninth track from the album, as a single, and on the 30th, she released an accompanying music video featuring an African movie set, plenty of lions, and a story line about romanticization.
I'm distressed because researching "Style" by Taylor Swift had me Googling "what color are Harry Styles's eyes?" But this post was worth it; as usual with pop songs, there's more than meets the listener's ears.
Most believe this song to be a commentary on Swift's past relationship with One Direction's Harry Styles. You've probably heard the song on the radio or seen it peak at #6 on the Hot 100 Billboard. It's catchy, edgy, serious, and about a relationship. So, it's gold in the current pop music market.
