Taylor Swift: You either love her or hate her. Taylor has been all over the news lately because of her recently-announced upcoming album, Reputation. We had two of our members, Imani Craig (Anti-Swift Fan) and Leah Germain (Swift Fan) give their thoughts on her two latest singles, Look What You Made Me Do and …Ready For It?
A review of Taylor Swift’s new singles from someone who isn’t a Taylor Swift fan-
I want to preface this by saying I used to really enjoy Taylor Swift’s music. I remember listening to her Speak Now album ALL the time, particularly on my road trip from Florida to Pennsylvania during the Christmas holiday. Her Red album had a few songs I wouldn’t mind playing and I’m not going to lie, 1989 wasn’t terrible. However, despite her talent for writing songs and making radio hits, I can’t get behind her as a person. I see right through her fake nice and “angelic” persona that seems to make her perfect.. Taylor seems to have this complex where only SHE can make song after song about a person but once another musician does it, she demonizes them for it. I don’t think she is a true feminist for women’s rights like she claims; she seems to be more about making money off her fans than anything else and above all else, she finds nothing but opportunity to play the victim in every situation she manipulates. BUT I will be listening to her two new singles, Look What You Made Me Do, and Ready For It? and trying to be as objective as possible.
TAYLOR SWIFT FANS PLEASE DON’T ATTACK ME
Look What You Made Me Do–
I think a more appropriate name should be “Kanye this a song clearly about you. Still.” When I saw the video premiere of the song at the VMA’s, I genuinely sat with my mouth open. There was SO MUCH going on. With all the changes in tempo, the subtle nods of shade to Kanye, the dancing in revealing clothing…it was a lot to take in. I will say after listening to it more than once, the song is freaking catchy. I might also, sort of like it. It was a song completely unexpected. We all knew that she was going to be writing about the drama with the Wests, but a whole music video about the situation? I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Ready For It?–
I would say this song is more familiar to the old Taylor that many of us are used to listening to. I couldn’t tell if this was about Harry Styles (even though she already had her verbal vent sesh about him on 1989) or one of her many other suitors. Like the first single, I can see this being played on the radio, repeatedly. In fact as I’m typing this, I’m sure it’s already been played on various stations multiple times an hour. Ready For It, like LWYMMD, is still such a different sound to get used to from Taylor. However, they are perfect radio songs- they are fun, upbeat, and easy to sing along to.
I think these two singles are building up to the biggest tea time. Taylor has a lot to spill and I think it will all be released and told in Reputation. Despite your personal feelings about Taylor’s character, you have to give it to her, she knows how to sell music. Her fans have been counting down the days to hear her new music and what they got was nothing short of shock value. This “bad girl” image that she is now painting as her own is something I believe to be intentional and a new era for Ms. Swift. If it sounds similar, it might be because you lived through the era of Bangerz from Miley Cyrus and whatever Katy Perry is doing.
I want to close this review off with this image. Kesha went through a very public battle with a producer who allegedly sexually abused her, as well as kept her music from being released. After Kesha’s triumph she released her first single, Praying. Taylor, who had a rapper feature a verse mentioning her in a song, came out with a song and a follow up music video. A music video that was loaded with negativity and hate. That to me, speaks volumes. Taylor, you are a phenomenal songwriter who has millions of young girls looking up to you. Use your self-proclaimed feminist platform and write empowering music instead of the songs that tear people down as you rise to the top. Your old music was beautiful and made everyone fall in love with you. I would love to see you get back to that.
Unfortunately, like the verse in Taylor’s new single that she is trying to trademark:
“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now.”
“Why?”
“Oh, ’cause she’s dead!
Clearly, that’s apparent.
HCXOXO,
Imani Taylor
A review of Taylor Swift’s new singles from someone who is a Taylor Swift fan-
Taylor Swift is many things but apparently she isn’t America’s Sweetheart anymore. With the release of her new hit single Look What You Made Me Do, she broke multiple records including Youtube’s most viewed music video to date beating out Psy’s Gentleman that has held that record since 2013. Swift also created a new image for herself using the new single. “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now, why? oh, cause she’s dead!” will forever be iconic.
So who is the new Taylor? Well, for one thing, she is really self-aware of all the drama that has been circulating around her name and she doesn’t give one damn about it.
It all started with Kayne West at the Video Music Awards in 2009 when West publicly humiliated Swift and said Beyonce should have won the “female video award”. After that, their relationship progressively got worse when West claimed that he asked Swift’s permission to degrade her name in his song Famous and Swift denied. Kim Kardashian West then released receipts of Taylor giving Kayne permission and even had a recording of Swift laughing about it. Swift then replied with “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative”. She then went MIA off of social media until now.
Swift used LWYMMD as a clap back to all of the drama and accusations by making fun of herself, meanwhile, clearly pointing out all of the unnecessary bull caused by the West family. The music video adds a whole new dimension of shade when Swift expresses visually how she rose from the grave of her reputation to back on the top by trampling all over her past reputations and characters. Swift even lines them all up at the end of the music video with classic lines that she was scrutinized for. As for the snakes throughout the video, they represent all the major shade Kim Kardashian West threw at Swift during the receipts phase when Kim released on twitter “Wait it’s national snake day..” on the day she released the recordings of Swift and West’s phone call. There are many other clever ways Swift threw shade in the music video but unfortunately, West didn’t care or blink an eye, saying that Swift “isn’t even on my radar”. Even though Swift’s attempt at shade may not have upset any of the West family like she intended, it did do one thing. Swift is now back on top and she doesn’t care about anything anymore and the world knows it.
As for the actual song, I think it is brilliant. I love how Swift turned up the base and did something completely different than usual. Although I love the old Taylor, this new edgy beat really is perfect for the radio and for basically every occasion.
Swift also released another single that calls out an old ex (Sounds like the old Taylor is still in there!) …Ready For It? is another shade song about one of her many ex-boyfriends but unfortunately, he has yet to be named. I personally think it’s about Harry Styles but what do I know? This song compared to LWYMMD is much more docile and the beat and tempo resembles more of the old taylor but with a little more flare. For example the intro and verses have much more base and edge but the chorus is very 1989 Taylor. Although we don’t have confirmation on who the single is about we do know that Swift’s new Album Reputation will most likely follow the shade trend, therefore, continuing the new Taylor. Hopefully, we will have a better understanding when the full album drops on November 10th. Until then, I’ll be sipping my tea.
XOXO, Leah