AP Taylor Swift

"Don't blame me, love made me crazy. If it doesn't, you ain't doing it right." This week, we're deep diving into "Don't Blame Me" from the reputation album. We explore the song's gospel influences, religious imagery, and transformation themes as we analyze Taylor's most unhinged declaration of love. From poison ivy to daisies, from halos to falling from grace, join us as we unpack this intoxicating Taylor Swift tale of desire, addi...

“I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me.”  In this episode, we're diving into one of literature's most enduring classics: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. From Victor's scientific ambition to the creature's desperate search for companionship, we explore how Taylor's lyrics illuminate the Gothic themes of isolation, creation, and the consequences of playing God. Join us as we examine "Don't Blame Me," "Look What You Made Me Do," and ...

"It was rare, I was there, I remember it." As part of our summer vacation series, we're re-airing one of our most requested episodes! This was the song we'd wanted to analyze since day one: "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)." This isn't just any song analysis—it's a literary deep dive worthy of Taylor's most devastating masterpiece. We're each bringing you a different academic lens to understand what makes this 10-minute epic the s...

“It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference.” A little petty, a little philosophical, and exactly the right kind of opener for Lover. In this Deep Dive, we look at “I Forgot That You Existed,” a deceptively breezy track that becomes more interesting the longer you sit with it. We unpack the tonal misreadings this song often gets, the power of the shrug as both emotional and poetic posture, and why this opening song may be...

"I haven't decided yet, but I'mgonnagetyouback." From ancient Greek epics to Mean Girls, revenge has evolved dramatically in literature, and Taylor Swift's discography is no exception. This week on AP Taylor Swift, we explore how Taylor serves revenge with a smile, examining the sweet saccharine fantasy of "Speak Now," the cutting indifference of "I Forgot That You Existed," and the delicious ambiguity of "I'm Gonna Get You Back." ...

“I can go anywhere I want, just not home” This week on AP Taylor Swift, we take on “my tears ricochet,” the gut-wrenching Track 5 from “Folklore”. From its funeral imagery to what it means for a tear to “ricochet,” we explore themes of grief, regret, and power dynamics. Whether this song is about romantic heartbreak, a friendship gone sour, or even a toxic job, we explore why this song resonates so deeply with so many, and what it ...

“Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me” This week, we're resisting our episode on Greek Mythology, where we dive into the timeless influence of Greek mythology in Taylor Swift's music by exploring connections between Taylor's songs and classic Greek myths. Jodi finds links between Demeter and Persephone’s sorrow in The Hymn to Demeter and the Folklore song "My Tears Ricochet.” Maansi shows us how  "Long St...

“The best things that have ever been mine… finally actually are.” It’s Taylor Independence Day! In this special bonus episode, we, your hosts of AP Taylor Swift, discuss the (surprisingly emotional) breaking news of Taylor Swift's acquisition of her original masters. We share our first reactions and the significance of this moment in Taylor's career, and then (in true AP Taylor Swift style) dive into the rhetoric of Taylor's letter...

“You've got no reason to be afraid.” This week, we’re going line by line through a fan favorite, “You're On Your Own Kid” (Midnights 2023). Join us as we explore the title's significance and the evolution of the speaker's perspective throughout the song, touching on themes of agency, personal growth, and the role of seasons and senses in the narrative. From feeling alone to embracing one's strength and support system, this week’s d...

“Once the flight had flown…” Taylor Swift is a master storyteller, but how does she tell those stories? In this week’s Show & Tell episode, we’re talking all about Narratology. We break down the structure behind the storytelling, unpacking flashbacks, fast forwards, stream of consciousness, and first-person limited narration through three brilliant Swift tracks. From fairy tale distortion in “Is It Over Now?”, a murder mystery ...

“You can beat the heat, if you beat the charges too.” Is Florida!!! the wildest track on The Tortured Poets Department? In this chaotic, heartfelt, and unfiltered episode, we break down Taylor Swift’s "Florida!!!" line by line—from the millennial whiplash of “my friends all smell like weed or little babies” to hurricane metaphors, fugitive fantasies, and haunted mansions.

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“He was sunshine, I was midnight rain.” Dive into how Taylor Swift masterfully uses weather imagery - from romantic rain in 'Fearless' to metaphorical storms in 'Midnight Rain' and destructive hurricanes in 'Florida!!!' (feat. Florence Welch). Join us for an exploration of meteorological metaphors in Swift's songwriting across different eras.

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“I said I love you, you say nothing back.” This week, we're deep diving into "Say Don't Go," from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault). Picking up from last week's circus-themed episode, we unravel how Taylor crafts a lyrical nightmare of helplessness, packed tight with metaphors and rhetorical questions that leave listeners suspended in emotional free fall.

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“I was tame, I was gentle til the circus life made me mean.” This week on AP Taylor Swift, we delve into the recurring motif of the circus in Taylor Swift’s discography. From the tightropes of emotional vulnerability to the grand illusions of public persona, we analyze how Taylor employs circus imagery to convey themes of performance, control, and otherness.

This episode includes discussions on the historical exploitation within ci...

“Me and Karma vibe like that.”  This week on AP Taylor Swift Podcast we dive deep into “Karma” from Midnights and its surprising literary connections. Continuing from last week's exploration of Emily Dickinson, we unravel how Taylor Swift plays with themes of fate, justice, and reincarnation in this song. We analyze the song's vivid metaphors, from keeping your side of the street clean to flexing like a goddamn acrobat—wait, but wh...

“And I was catching my breath, barefoot in the wildest winter…” What happens when a 21st-century American poet meets a 19th-century one? In this Show & Tell episode, we explore the literary lineage between Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson—two iconic writers whose work spans centuries but shares unmistakable DNA (literally—did you know they might be distant cousins?!). From slant rhymes and stylized punctuation to themes of isol...

“It’s a thug story tell me can you handle that”  In honor of April Fool’s Day, we’re diving into Taylor Swift’s funniest, most unexpected performances — from self-parody and satire to flat-out absurdity. This week, we explore Thug Story (2008), her 2009 SNL monologue, “Monologue Song (La La La)”, and the 2021 SNL Three Sad Virgins sketch to understand how Swift uses humor to subvert expectations, reclaim her narrative, and show off...

“What if he’s written “mine” on my upper thigh” This week we dive into “Guilty as Sin?” from The Tortured Poets Department. We explore how Taylor Swift uses religious metaphors, what the imagery of cages and wolves might mean, the complexities of fantasies, desires, and moral dilemmas, particularly in the context of relationships and societal expectations. Just another light episode from your unofficial Professors of Taylor Swift...

“You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you’re talking to me” What happens when we view Taylor Swift’s music through the lens of female artists? In this week’s Show & Tell episode, we explore the work of three iconic women in art—Mary Cassatt, Remedios Varo, and Hildegard von Bingen—and connect their paintings to Taylor Swift’s songs. From the intimacy of motherhood to the surreal exhaustion of creating something greater t...