Reputation just came out, and HOLY MOLY, Taylor Swift is dishing about everything. Like, everything. Old love, new love. Old drama, new drama. Old Taylor, new Taylor. Based on some hardcore listening and fan speculation (emphasis on the world speculation), here’s what we’ve learned.
1. Kanye doesn’t get the last laugh
I FEEL LIKE ME AND TAYLOR MIGHT STILL HAVE SEX I MADE THAT BITCH FAMOUS – Kanye.
IF A MAN TALK SHITS THEN I OWE HIM NOTHING .
OMG TAYLOR SWIFT SAYING SHIT IS #Reputation
— Rench Jamela (@iamrench) November 10, 2017
It doesn’t look like forgiving and forgetting is on Taylor’s agenda this year, because lord almighty, she seems to be throwing shade left and right at Kanye West (and Kim, too) on this album. A cursory listen to “Look What You Made Me Do” will have you believing it’s an attack on the Kimye “Famous” drama from 2016, but throughout the album Tay seems to continue bringing it up.
In “I Did Something Bad,” she sings, “I never trust a narcissist, but they love me / So I play ’em like a violin, and I make it look oh so easy / ’Cause for every lie I tell them, they tell me three / This is how the world works / Now all he thinks about is me.”
Who is potentially the biggest narcissist in the biz? Kanye. She also sings, “If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing / I don’t regret it one bit, ’cause he had it coming.” Obviously she doesn’t feel that bad about how she’s dealt with the Kanye situation. And Taylor Swift cussing? Wow, I love the new Taylor.
2. She and Joe Alwyn are serious…
my reputation hot take: Taylor Swift Marie Kondo-ed Her Life & Only Joe Alwyn Is Left
— Morgan A Baila (@morganbaila) November 10, 2017
Joe Alwyn deserves an Academy Award for his leading role in Taylor Swift’s “reputation”
— (@dallas_dante) November 10, 2017
In the already dropped singles “…Ready for It?,” “Gorgeous” and “Call it What You Want,” Taylor gushed about her low-profile boyfriend Joe Alwyn, and the rest of the album continues to reveal just how serious their relationship is. In “End Game,” Swift talks about looking past someone’s reputation. “Ah and you heard about me, oh I got some big enemies / Big reputation, big reputation, oh you and me would be a big conversation / Ah and I heard about you, oh you like the bad ones too.” She then sings, “I wanna be your end game.”
In “Delicate,” she sings, “My reputation’s never been worse, so you must like me for me,” showing that Joe was there for her even with all of the BS surrounding her life. Sounds like this relationship could be the real deal for Taylor. And the list goes on: “King Of My Heart,” “Don’t Blame Me,” “So it Goes,” etc. all go on and on about her current blissful relationship. In fact, nearly every song mentions Joe at some point, imo. It’s all very sweet, and if Taylor’s happy, I’m happy for her.
3. …and steamy
Main takeaways from #Reputation: i think @taylorswift13 can outdrink me (not an easy feat) & Joe Alwyn must be really good in bed.
— Alyssa Norwin (@AlyssaNorwin) November 10, 2017
On several tracks Taylor shows her sexy side, which on past albums has been a little less prominent. It seems like her relationship with Joe is going well in multiple departments. In “Dress,” she literally says, “I don’t want you like a best friend / Only bought this dress so you could take it off, take it off.” Granted, this could be about past casual flings, but the bridge lyrics—”Even in my worst lies, you saw the truth in me”—suggest these steamy moments are happening with someone special.
In “Delicate,” Taylor continues sharing intimate details: “Do the girls back home touch you like I do? / Long night, with your hands up in my hair.” Sounds like her love life is solid on all fronts.
4. Tom Hiddleston might’ve just been a rebound
RIDIN’ IN A GETAWAY CAR, I WAS CRYIN’ IN A GETAWAY CAR, I WAS DYIN’ IN A GETAWAY CAR, SAID GOODBYE IN A GETAWAY CAR
(I don’t know why I am the way I am/Taylor Swift rips my fucking heart out on the last minute of “Getaway Car,” is what I’m saying!)
— Brandon Tensley (@BrandonTensley) November 10, 2017
“Getaway Car” talks about a whirlwind romance that fizzled out, which everyone thinks must be about Tom Hiddleston. The whole song is basically about how she was just using someone, probably Tom, as a way to break up with someone else, probably Calvin Harris. “I wanted to leave him / I needed a reason.” Seems pretty clear. “He was the great escape, the prison break.” Also pretty clear. Apparently Taylor knew what she was doing because she sings, “No, nothing good starts in a getaway car.” Poor Tom, but honestly this adds some much needed context to Hiddleswift.
5. Taylor isn’t letting Calvin Harris off the hook quite yet
While Calvin doesn’t seem to take up very much time on the album, a couple subtle digs did make their way onto some tracks. In “I Did Something Bad”, she sings, “I can feel the flames on my skin / He says, ‘Don’t throw away a good thing’ / But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin’ / And if he spends my change, then he had it comin.” Fans think this references when Calvin hid Taylor’s involvement on “This Is What You Came For,” which she wrote under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg. Looks like Taylor’s a little peeved that Calvin took credit (“he drops my name”) and the earnings he made from her song (“he spends my change”).
In “King of My Heart,” she also disses her ex when she sings, “All the boys in their expensive cars with their Range Rovers and their Jaguars / Never took me quite where you do.” Calvin drove a Range Rover (and Tom drove a Jaguar). Coincidence? No way.
6. Taylor’s cleaning out her social circle
Taylor Swift’s cackle in ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ is the mood of all moods.
It deserves every Grammy.
It’s my new ringtone.
It’s my pinned tweet.
It’s my bio.
It’s everything. #reputation— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) November 10, 2017
“This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” spills the tea on why Taylor’s taken a social hiatus this past year. At the height of her popularity after 1989, Taylor was famous for her “squad” and known to throw incredible parties and go on fantastic trips with them, which she sings about: “It was so nice throwing big parties / Jumping in the pool from the balcony / Everyone swimming in a champagne sea / And there are no rules when you show up here / Bass beat rattling the chandelier / Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year.”
But then Taylor shares why she’s took a break from that life and points a finger at someone specific, or maybe multiple people, who she’s dropped from her life. Some speculate it could be Kanye, since they were pretty friendly for a while there and the lyrics “And there in lies the issue / Friends don’t try to trick you, get you on the phone and mind-twist you” probably refer to that now-infamous recorded phone convo about “Famous.” It could also be about the general thinning out of her inner circle over the past year because she seems to be talking about people who she trusted who turned their backs on her. Some say Karlie Kloss, since she didn’t make the cut on Taylor’s “LWYMMD” video T-shirt, but who knows.
Whoever it’s about Taylor’s not one for forgiving right now. After the lyric “Here’s to forgiveness,” she lets out a hilarious cackle and says, “I can’t even say it with a straight face.” Petty af, but I kind of love it.
7. She’s ready for this new chapter…with Joe, of course
In the slow and sweet “New Year’s Day,” Taylor talks about what happens when the party’s over, which a lot of fans think is Taylor talking about her calmer life now after the whirlwind of 1989, public relationship with Calvin Harris, Kanye drama, etc. “There’s glitter on the floor after the party” probably references the aftermath of those hectic years of popularity. But when she sings, “Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you,” she recognizes her past as a part of her—a part she’s ready to move on from.
She also seems to again be talking about Joe and their low-key life together. The chorus lyrics, “But I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day,” could be about their fresh start together and how he’s been the one there for her even after her life slowed down this past year. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
And with that, I’ll be in a Reputation rabbit hole for the next week.