It seems as though just yesterday I was passionately singing and dancing to “Picture to Burn” by my idol, Taylor Swift, as I cursed my middle school crush for not texting me back (how tragic, I know). I grew up with Taylor Swift—through the country good girl phase to her pop debut with “1989.” When all of her social media went dark a few weeks ago, I could not help but wonder what she could possibly be up to. Well, I—and the rest of the world—was then shocked by a new, reinvented T-Swift. If you haven’t heard, the old Taylor is dead and has been replaced by a bad a** who decided to embrace her reputation.
Just about a month ago, Swift dropped the debut song, “Look What You Made Me Do,” to her new album, “Reputation.” “Look What You Made Me Do” is the ultimate slap in the face to all Swift’s critics, exes and enemies. The sound is completely different from the Taylor Swift sound I usually recognized. “Shake It Off” Taylor Swift is what I expected, and that is not at all what I received. The song is angry and vengeful. The song is catchy, but the music video is what transformed the song from okay to something memorable. The amount of hidden details and shade she threw throughout the song is ridiculously clever. Plus, they were well symbolized both through the props and lyrics. The music video broke a YouTube record as the most watched video in a single day, showing just how many people were curious about the new T-Swift. If you have not seen the music video yet, be sure to catch it here.
How could Swift stop there, though? Just a little over a week after the release of LWYMMD, Swift released another song, “…Ready For It?” I was so excited for the new single, I had hoped it would top LWYMMD, but I was slightly let down ultimately. Although I cannot speak for everyone, in my opinion, Swift should have stuck to singing and should have left the rapping to the professionals. The chorus is catchy, but the rest is something I’d rather not hear Swift try again. The lyrics are beyond confusing at first listen. The song is supposed to be about a the start of a new relationship in which both sides know about the other’s reputation. Maybe it’s the unnatural combination of Taylor Swift and rapping, but something was off. While no music video has been officially released, you can check out the audio here.
Taylor Swift is back edgier and more confident than ever— she is ready to call out all of those who have done her wrong. “Reputation” is set to be released on Nov. 10, and I am ready to see what else Swift has up her sleeve. So with that, I’d watch out if your name is on Swift’s list, in red underline, because she’s back and even fiercer than before.