Music is constantly evolving. One artist in particular who has done nothing but flourish right before the world’s eyes is Taylor Swift. She began her musical journey as a country singer, and as each previous album and tour passed by, she quickly took over the pop genre as well. Her biggest musical transition was between her 1989 era and her Reputation era; she evolved from pop princess to the queen of pop in my opinion. Her look, her sound and her attitude all took a 180 degree turn when she released Reputation and toured for the album. That era was described to be dark and sexy; she showed off her vocal range, became more vulnerable than ever before in her lyrics and truly emphasized the motif of people assuming she is snake (in reference to the Kim Kardashian and Kanye feud). Now, we are about to embark on a new journey with her—journey that seems also opposite to her Reputation era.
As a true artist, Taylor Swift does everything for a reason. Every career move is planned meticulously, and every decision is nothing but deliberate. From releasing lyrics randomly on social media, to wiping her Instagram account clean and posting mysterious photos, Swift constantly teases her fans and will even like their theory posts on social media.
Throughout the years, her overarching themes of each album seem to be very different, yet they are all extremely cohesive. A few weeks ago, Swift began changing her Instagram profile pictures and biography, so we now have a new theme. At first glance, it seems rather whimsical with the recurring color scheme of pastels in her posts. Her account has transformed into light pinks and blues and gives off a rather delicate vibe. From this, it can be predicted that her sound may be softer than the previous album and even more honest as well. Recently, Swift also liked a fan’s post about how her new work may be centered around the theme of nostalgia and continuous growth in life. Swift also had a mural of a butterfly painted in Nashville, which includes hints about her new music. This could mean that Swift is going through yet another transition phase in her life and that maybe she is at the final stage of her metamorphosis.
On April 26, she dropped a song titled “Me!” which is a duet with the lead singer of Panic! Of the Disco, Brendon Urie. The song is about loving yourself and celebrating who you are as a person, independent from anyone else. It is extremely upbeat, giving me major 1989 vibes, and Urie’s vocals alongside Swift’s is a amazing. With the new song, Swift is indirectly saying that this new era is about her and her past reputation precedes her. She loves herself and realizes she is unique.
Along with the new single, Swift surprised fans with the music video for “Me!”, which portrayed her new symbol, the butterfly. In the beginning of the video, you see a snake slithering and then immediately transform into a butterfly, which symbolizes her transition from someone she used to be to someone new with a new perspective on life. She is portraying her more delicate side. The visuals in the video are absolutely worthy of a standing ovation. From multiple outfit changes, creating rather whimsical and magical scenes, to her dance routines with Urie, “Me!” is the perfect combination of the old Taylor Swift and the new one.