tsdecoded

[tsdecoded]

I might be completely wrong, because why would it be named that? But "Girl, there ain't no I in team, but you know there is a 'me'" would make sense if the name of the album was TEAM.

There would actually be a Me! In TEAM. Lol

ME!

In celebration of the beginning of this new era era, I will post a quick and superficial analysis with some of the thoughts I had watching the video! Taylor said she had dropped some easter eggs, so let’s see if we catch a few! 

First of all, I would like to thank you, @taylorswift for that beautiful visual metaphor of the rep snake turning into the TS7 (not sure what this album/era will be called yet) butterflies! It was such a great way to signify the end of an era, and the beginning of a new, more colourful and hopeful era! Cheers to that! AWESOME! - I bet you missed my bad puns :D 

Alright! Let’s dive into the video. 

The first thing that we need to discuss is the Christmas tree in the first scene inside the apartment. We all know Christmas is Taylor favourite time of the year, but we also know that she grew up in a Christmas tree farm. It is very interesting to not how the decore inside of the apartment is very simple or neutral, but there is a Christmas tree there in the corner. It could be an allusion to her roots, or a sign that we are back to the real Taylor, and her love of sugar, and spice, and everything nice - rather than the hard and dark Taylor of the rep era. To this, I would also like to add the clear reference to country with the blue suit and white boots. We are getting our Country Queen back! Even if it’s just with her fashion choices. 

Gotta love a great pair of white cowboy boots! 

Now, I’m gonna jump to a more interesting point in my analysis: the French/Parisian influence. The main plot of the video starts with Taylor and Brendon Urie having a discussion in French. I still haven’t figured out what the French means, but it could be used as a way to make the fight more dramatic. I also think that it could be a reference to French cinema of the 60s, but in a very loose way. Even her shoes made me think of Brigitte Bardot’s L’appareil à Sous. There are a lot of references to the 60s throughout the video actually, which would make me think that we we are getting is a 60s inspired new album. Be it a Britpop sound (This would explain the Pattie Boyd interview a few months ago), a 60s French pop sound à la Brigitte Bardot (which would explain the French influence in the video), or a Go-Go sound - think Twiggy with the black and white checkered dress!   Currently I am leaning more towards the Go-Go sound because it’s the groovier, poppier sound. It would fit with the palm tree theme she has beeb sticking too. But, there are a few details that would make me think French pop… to begin with, she is speaking French. That should be a clue on itself, but if you are not convinced, the pink sofas where Brendon and “nos filles” are seating are Dante sofas. These are Parisian sofas. Google Dante sofa, and then google Dante fauteuil/canapé, and you will see what I mean. (I work with furniture… that’s how I know what these sofas are called) 

I’m not saying that the sofas are a big clue, but I just thought it was a nice Parisian reference.  Now, let’s move to Taylor’s shoes. These were another very interesting 60s reference! They are so similar to a pair Brigitte Bardot uses in a 1963 New Year’s Eve special

Again, I am not saying Taylor saw the shoes and thought I NEED THESE FOR MY VIDEO… but, I can see that she wanted to use the 60s as a reference in the video. 

So France or French, or Brigitte Bardot are important… but London is just as important and as present as France. 

Westminster, Big Ben, and St Paul’s Cathedral are all part of this imaginary town’s skyline.  Now, let’s not start with the whole OMG! JOE IS A LONDONER nonsense… I wholeheartedly believe that Taylor is way more interesting than that. I believe that London has a link to the sound and image of the new album. London was the heart of fashion and music during the 60s! 

1968 Twiggy. 

The Beatles 

Pattie Boyd! And if that hairstyle doesn’t seem familiar, then I don’t know what to tell you… 

With that, let’s jump into the most 60s part of the video!! YAY 

I love everything about it! The very Hairspray vibe of it, the clear reference to 60s dance shows like The Buddy Dean Show or American Bandstand, and the “Watusi” (the dance move Brendon and Taylor are doing in that photo), and the crowd shots all alude to a very specific sound and image! It is such a fun and cheerful start to a new era. I am 100% behind this! 

On a side note…. 

I REALLY NEED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT!!! 

I don’t care if you don’t respond to any of my other references and theories, but I JUST NEED TO KNOW!

Now, some quick remarks!  TAYLOR HAS A NEW KITTIE!!!! How adorable!  Lover is probably the name of one of the tracks in the album - maybe Track #5?  SO MANY RAINBOWS (and a unicorn) - kinda made me think of “we were in screaming colour” I guess they are finally out of the woods.  I still have no idea what the “there ain’t no I in team but you know there is a me” lyric means, but I am looking forward to maybe understanding with a little bit more context from future songs? If not, I guess it will be one of those great mysteries of life… or Taylor, you can, you know… give us a little explanation?  The video was all over the place, but in the best way possible. I am so excited to see what’s next! 

Anyways, this was a little bit of analysis with a lot of ramblings. 

Let me know if I’m missing anything else super obvious!! I will be writing a more in-depth analysis soon (or it might take me another 6 months XD who knows?) 

Let’s dance to Tay Tay! 

[tsdecoded]

ME!

In celebration of the beginning of this new era era, I will post a quick and superficial analysis with some of the thoughts I had watching the video! Taylor said she had dropped some easter eggs, so let’s see if we catch a few! 

First of all, I would like to thank you, @taylorswift for that beautiful visual metaphor of the rep snake turning into the TS7 (not sure what this album/era will be called yet) butterflies! It was such a great way to signify the end of an era, and the beginning of a new, more colourful and hopeful era! Cheers to that! AWESOME! - I bet you missed my bad puns :D 

Alright! Let’s dive into the video. 

The first thing that we need to discuss is the Christmas tree in the first scene inside the apartment. We all know Christmas is Taylor favourite time of the year, but we also know that she grew up in a Christmas tree farm. It is very interesting to not how the decore inside of the apartment is very simple or neutral, but there is a Christmas tree there in the corner. It could be an allusion to her roots, or a sign that we are back to the real Taylor, and her love of sugar, and spice, and everything nice - rather than the hard and dark Taylor of the rep era. To this, I would also like to add the clear reference to country with the blue suit and white boots. We are getting our Country Queen back! Even if it’s just with her fashion choices. 

Gotta love a great pair of white cowboy boots! 

Now, I’m gonna jump to a more interesting point in my analysis: the French/Parisian influence. The main plot of the video starts with Taylor and Brendon Urie having a discussion in French. I still haven’t figured out what the French means, but it could be used as a way to make the fight more dramatic. I also think that it could be a reference to French cinema of the 60s, but in a very loose way. Even her shoes made me think of Brigitte Bardot’s L’appareil à Sous. There are a lot of references to the 60s throughout the video actually, which would make me think that we we are getting is a 60s inspired new album. Be it a Britpop sound (This would explain the Pattie Boyd interview a few months ago), a 60s French pop sound à la Brigitte Bardot (which would explain the French influence in the video), or a Go-Go sound - think Twiggy with the black and white checkered dress!   Currently I am leaning more towards the Go-Go sound because it’s the groovier, poppier sound. It would fit with the palm tree theme she has beeb sticking too. But, there are a few details that would make me think French pop... to begin with, she is speaking French. That should be a clue on itself, but if you are not convinced, the pink sofas where Brendon and “nos filles” are seating are Dante sofas. These are Parisian sofas. Google Dante sofa, and then google Dante fauteuil/canapé, and you will see what I mean. (I work with furniture... that’s how I know what these sofas are called) 

I’m not saying that the sofas are a big clue, but I just thought it was a nice Parisian reference.  Now, let’s move to Taylor’s shoes. These were another very interesting 60s reference! They are so similar to a pair Brigitte Bardot uses in a 1963 New Year’s Eve special

Again, I am not saying Taylor saw the shoes and thought I NEED THESE FOR MY VIDEO... but, I can see that she wanted to use the 60s as a reference in the video. 

So France or French, or Brigitte Bardot are important... but London is just as important and as present as France. 

Westminster, Big Ben, and St Paul’s Cathedral are all part of this imaginary town’s skyline.  Now, let’s not start with the whole OMG! JOE IS A LONDONER nonsense... I wholeheartedly believe that Taylor is way more interesting than that. I believe that London has a link to the sound and image of the new album. London was the heart of fashion and music during the 60s! 

1968 Twiggy. 

The Beatles 

Pattie Boyd! And if that hairstyle doesn’t seem familiar, then I don’t know what to tell you... 

With that, let’s jump into the most 60s part of the video!! YAY 

I love everything about it! The very Hairspray vibe of it, the clear reference to 60s dance shows like The Buddy Dean Show or American Bandstand, and the “Watusi” (the dance move Brendon and Taylor are doing in that photo), and the crowd shots all alude to a very specific sound and image! It is such a fun and cheerful start to a new era. I am 100% behind this! 

On a side note.... 

I REALLY NEED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT!!! 

I don’t care if you don’t respond to any of my other references and theories, but I JUST NEED TO KNOW!

Now, some quick remarks!  TAYLOR HAS A NEW KITTIE!!!! How adorable!  Lover is probably the name of one of the tracks in the album - maybe Track #5?  SO MANY RAINBOWS (and a unicorn) - kinda made me think of “we were in screaming colour” I guess they are finally out of the woods.  I still have no idea what the “there ain’t no I in team but you know there is a me” lyric means, but I am looking forward to maybe understanding with a little bit more context from future songs? If not, I guess it will be one of those great mysteries of life... or Taylor, you can, you know... give us a little explanation?  The video was all over the place, but in the best way possible. I am so excited to see what’s next! 

Anyways, this was a little bit of analysis with a lot of ramblings. 

Let me know if I’m missing anything else super obvious!! I will be writing a more in-depth analysis soon (or it might take me another 6 months XD who knows?) 

Let’s dance to Tay Tay! 

[tsdecoded]

do a style analysis

It’s coming anon! Can’t promise it will be soon, though... 

[tsdecoded]

... Ready for It? and Cartesian Dualism

This is perhaps the most frustrating analysis I have done so far. Not because it is was a very hard topic to understand (it was...), but because after having written this amazing post, Google Chrome crashed and I lost it all. I know, I should have saved it constantly.... but I DIDN’T, ok? I lost all my work and I got very frustrated and now I have to do all the work again. 

So, here we go again. Like you already know from my previous analysis of RFI, I am not the biggest fan of the song, and to be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the video. It was weirdly futuristic and I felt like the music and the visuals didn’t really match. (The BloodPop® remix changed my mind about the song. I’m a big fan now.) Nevertheless, I decided to analyse it and well, it was such a great trip! 

You’ve probably already read many RFI analysis. In fact, I have read dozens of them. I even got a little tired because they all say exactly the same thing (or a very similar thing) - Taylor is having a struggle between two sides of herself. I specially like the analysis of the struggle between Taylor Swift® and Taylor Swift. It goes along the lines with my previous analysis of the song. A public persona to appease the public, while the real person is trapped inside a box. It’s a very straight-forward video. She makes it very clear that she is trapped inside of this crystal box, unable to escape. In effect, the only way real Taylor can escape her prison is when her and public Taylor® touch hands. This could be read as Taylor’s desire to unify her public and private personas. She won’t be really free until she is just one Taylor. - This could also be seen as a metaphor for coming out of the closet, and the personal struggle the people stuck in the closet go through. This is perhaps my favourite reading of the video, because it is such a great visual representation of that situation, but I guess celebrity can have a sort of similar effect on a person’s life. 

Anyway, I read dozens of analysis, but I didn’t really see any that talked about Taylor’s use of Ghost in the Shell, which to me, is the most interesting part of the video. 

I mean, she didn’t even try to change the suit! 

It’s basically the same thing. Down to the weird crotch thing and everything. 

Now, Taylor doesn’t really seem like a Ghost in the Shell fan, but maybe she is... I don’t know her life! In any case, I wouldn’t peg her for one, and the song doesn’t really fit the futuristic feel of the video, so why would she go for that reference, out of all the possible references she could’ve chosen? 

Full disclosure, I hadn’t seen the movie before the video dropped. I of course knew about the whitewashing controversy (this is perhaps my favourite article from all the research I did), and that Rupert Sanders had directed the film, but that was about it. So, I watched the film and some of the anime, and wow... the video suddenly made sense! 

Ghost in the Shell is based on a book called Ghost in the Machine, which in its turn is a phrase created by philosopher Gilbert Ryle to describe René Descartes’ mind-body dualism. 

So, what is mind-body dualism? This is where things get super interesting, and weird, and complicated.

René Descartes argued that there are two foundations, the mental and the physical. He said that the mental can exist outside of the body, and that the body cannot think. It is easier to understand if you think about it in a theological sense. The soul exists outside of the body, in another realm. The body, on the other hand, exists physical dimension. They are different in nature, and therefore exist distinctly.

Alright, but what does this have to do with Ghost in the Shell? Okay, so the premise of the anime and the film is this:

In this post-cyberpunk iteration of a possible future, computer technology has advanced to the point that many members of the public possess cyberbrains, technology that allows them to interface their biological brain with various networks.

In this world, minds and bodies can exist separate from each other. Brains are what make them human. They are literally, ghosts in shells. The bodies are interchangeable and modifiable.

Hideo Kojima talks about the philosophy behind Ghost in the Shell. He says:

The title “Ghost in the Shell” is inspired in Arthur Koestler’s 1967 book, The Ghost in the Machine about philosophical psychology. Koestler’s concept is a critique of 17th century philosopher René Descartes’ mind-body dualism: the idea that humans have a mind with free will, and a body that executes the mechanical movements, both existing independently and interacting with each other. The basic idea is that our "mind" doesn't really exist corporeally, but the body and mind cannot be clearly separated. The concept of "The Ghost in the Machine" is that a human is actually a ghost (mind) living in a body (machine).

(Go read that full article, it’s fascinating!) 

Ghost in the Shell is perhaps the most literal representation of René Descartes’ theory, so it is interesting that Taylor chose this reference to use for her music video. Specially the ...Ready For It? video.

I think Taylor is like a ghost in the shell. Taylor Swift, the artist/real person, is the creative force, the soul behind Taylor Swift®. With every new album comes a new era, a new image, a new Taylor®.

reputation has been all about this idea that the character and the artist are two different entities. Taylor can exist without Taylor®. The image above is a visual representation of that. You have a lineup of different examples of Taylor®, each of them recognisable as the character she was portraying in a specific moment, then in the back, we have another Taylor, but this time she is more of a distant figure, not really recognisable other than by the fact that she’s Taylor Swift. I would argue that she is the “soul” behind the machine, the driving force behind the many personas.

Going back to the music video, we see the difference between the two Taylors. The one inside of the box is surreal, metaphysical almost. She has the power to create. Then, the other Taylor is more real, physical.

They exist in two different realms. One of timeless creation, the other one easy to destroy and replace. The picture is very clear. 

This era has been all about the dualism, and this video is a clear example of this. It’s almost as if she is screaming for us to notice it. It makes sense that she would choose the most dual song to tell this visual story. We see both sides of Taylor, and we are confronted with this idea that what we see might not be the whole story. After all, Taylor is a mega star and not just any other girl, she needs the character to survive. 

I am very impressed with Taylor’s pop culture repertoire, and her team of creators. She is telling a very specific story this era, and if this video is any indication, it is perhaps the most interesting story so far. We are getting to know the mind behind the character. 

[tsdecoded]

I will be the first one to jump in Taylor Swift’s defence, but the Delicate music video was such a let down! 

Spike Jonze did it for Kenzo in 2016. He did it first, and he did it better. I am so sorry this was such a wasted opportunity! 

I am really not into this era’s music videos (except LWYMMD, I really loved that one). reputation is such a great album and all the songs are so visual! I really don’t understand why she’s staying away from her song’s narrative? It happened with RFI, it happened for End Game, and now for Delicate. 

The narrative potential for all these songs was huge! Why are we getting a Kenzo ad copy and a Ghost in the Shell inspired video? What is happening? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCXGJQYZ9JA - That’s a link for the music video if you want to watch it. 

I am working on the RFI analysis. It’s just such a hard one to write about, so many layers and complicated philosophical issues, but it’s coming. I promise. 

Anyways, it’s 1:45am. I will rewatch it later today, maybe I’ll like it more then. 

[tsdecoded]

...Ready For It?

YES! I am so ready for this music video! 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! 

[tsdecoded]

I just read that Taylor used her own heartbeat for Wildest Dreams and that is not only super cute and sweet, but it also proves that I’m on the right track with my analysis! 

We get glimpses of the real Taylor occasionally. 

Just a little add-on! 

Burton to this Taylor

Before I begin, I need to specify that I am first and foremost a video analyst. I don’t really want to go into lyric analysis because I didn’t study anything related to that, but Ready For It just dropped and it kind of ties two music videos and three songs together. So, I’m going to give my analysis of what Taylor Swift is doing with this song! 

Let’s begin shall we? 

I was not a fan of Ready for It. *I need to specify this, because it’s the whole reason I got into the analysis part of this post!* I thought the verses made no sense and even though the chorus is one of my favourite TS choruses ever, I didn’t feel like it fit the song! It all felt out of place. 

BUT I AM A STUBBORN GIRL! And I wasn’t going to give up on Tay Tay that easily, so I started dissecting the song. The verses still don’t really make sense to me, to be honest, but when I got to “Burton to this Taylor”, my interest peaked. Why? Well, because Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are one of the most iconic couples in Hollywood’s history, but their love was problematic, to say the least! 

Okay, this is where I put on my nerd glasses and take you for a Classic Hollywood history lesson! 

Let’s begin! 

*DISCLAIMER* I am over-simplifying this story… it’s such a complicated and intriguing story, and I am not a biographer! If you want to know more about the couple and this scandalous story, go read Furious Love or any of their biographies. 

Anyways….

In 1954, a 28-year-old Richard Burton sees a 21-year-old Liz Taylor at a pool party and falls in love. She is gorgeous, famous, funny, and is completely ignoring him. In fact, Liz didn’t even talk to him at that party. Burton got hooked and it became a sort of personal challenge to get with her! Nine years later, in 1963, destiny would throw them together again on the set of Cleopatra, which by the way was the most scandalously expensive movie of its time. Burton was cast as Mark Anthony and Taylor was cast as Cleopatra.  Now, this movie was an epic letdown, it was a mediocre biopic at best, but it is still an iconic film because it gave us Liz and Dick! Burton and Taylor fell in love while shooting this film. They were both married to other people, but it didn’t stop them from falling for each other. When the filming was over, they went back to their respective spouses, but they couldn’t stay away from each other and a little less than a year later, they both got divorced. In 1963, they tied the knot and thus began the fantastic story of one of the most turbulent and passionate love affairs of the Golden Age of Hollywood. They were married for 11 years, then they got divorced in 1974, just to get married again in 1975 and then divorced again in 1976. 

Now, we can all agree that neither of them was a particularly stable adult. They were both alcoholics, suicidal at points, and extremely passionate. (It is said that Burton was an alcoholic as a way to drown his homosexuality, but I am not even going to go down that hole, because this analysis would never end!) Between the two of them, they had eleven spouses. Seven for Taylor and four for Burton. 

This is perhaps the most extravagant, turbulent and craziest relationship imaginable! So, why is Taylor Swift so obsessed with it? I hadn’t realised this, but the Liz Taylor-Richard Burton imagery goes back to 1989! In fact, both Wildest Dreams and Blank Space hint to it. 

Let’s start with the obvious one: Wildest Dreams. 

Now, the music video for the song is very obviously a depiction of Liz and Dick’s relationship.  -They’re both actors -They have an on-set romance -They’re in other relationships (at least he is) -They can’t stay away from each other (he runs out of the theatre after she leaves.) 

Taylor even replaced her blonde signature look, for a black wig! Taylor is very clearly creating a parallel between herself and the actress. 

I’ll come back to this video and this song later on, but for now, let’s focus on Blank Space. 

Ahhhhh! Blank Space, my love… 

I already did an analysis of this video, but here is another approach.

I was reading about Liz and Dick, and I came across this great article called “Why We Can’t Help Loving the Love Story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton” in it, we get this great paragraph:

From the moment they fell for one another, they would entrance and enrage the invested public, not to mention the paparazzi, nearly as much as they’d be entranced and enraged by the many facets of one another. Fans and haters (before the concept of haters was even invented) were drawn in by their shameless over-the-top romance, its scandalous headlines blaring across the pages of the tabloids, and their irrepressible need to be together, despite it all. Adding further resonance to the saga were the roles Burton and Taylor played in films throughout their relationship, which frequently paralleled their lavish personal lives: full of travel and expensive jewellery and entourages and love-making and joy, but also alcoholism and brutal fights and deep despair, heartbreak, and pain.

As I was reading it, I couldn’t help but think of Blank Space. Tell me that last line doesn’t sound like a very accurate description of Blank Space’s video!! Even the structure of the phrase matches the structure of the music video. It starts magical and perfect and soon we realise there’s a darker side to everything. Now, I’m not saying Taylor read the article and made the video around that line, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that if fits both of them.

This is where I get really interested in this whole deal! There is a clear parallel between the singer and the actress. It’s mostly a parallel between their reputations (lol.. see what I did there?). Both of them have had issues with the media focus on their personal lives rather than their talent. That’s what Blank Space is all about! In a way, Blank Space is a reminder that Taylor is first and foremost an artist, her media persona is something that was created to sell magazines! 

Both Liz and Taylor have had to deal with a very unfair representation of their character. Liz had to go through years of being called every single name in the book. I mean, yeah, she did get married eight times and she did steal other women’s husbands, but that should not be what we remember about her. She was a Hollywood legend! She won two Academy Awards, she portrayed some of the most amazing characters on screen, she was an activist, an entrepreneur, a stage actor, a film megastar… but her reputation tainted her legend. People will never be able to separate her from her “man-eater” image.  Taylor Swift is dealing with a similar situation. She has won eleven Grammys, and almost three-hundred other awards. She has broken countless records, written whole albums by herself, headlined sold-out arena tours, she has donated millions of dollars to different charities, she has lead a career worthy of respect and legend status, but a quick search will show you that all people care about is who her latest boyfriend is. Even worse, just as Liz was in her time, she is hated for her dating history. 

Both women have fallen victim of a sexist system that demonises female sexuality. This tainted reputation problem never really affects the men. I mean, Richard Burton had countless affairs, sometimes with underaged girls (x), but he is not judged or hated for it. He is first of all, and actor, and his legacy is as an actor and then as Elizabeth Taylor’s tempestuous lover. People still watch Woody Allen movies, elected Donald Trump as president, watch Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix movies, listen to Chris Brown’s music… all these men (except for Trump) are regarded as artists, their every mistake excused, but we hate Liz and Taylor because they married/dated a few men? 

Blank Space is basically Taylor’s way of showing the public how ridiculous this image that she has actually is. She reprises this idea in Look What You Made Me Do, but if I go there, I will never get out of there, and this post is already long enough! 

So… WHAT DOES THIS ALL HAVE TO DO WITH READY FOR IT?????? 

Whoa.. chill! I’m about to get there! (I told you I was a nerd….)

Ready For It is the first time Taylor makes the connection between her and Elizabeth explicit. “Burton to my Taylor” - great play on words because it reinforces this connection. Both of them are Taylor. (DEEP)

After reading about their relationship, I was left wondering why Taylor Swift would ever want a relationship like that. She has always said she’s a hopeless romantic, and Liz and Dick’s relationship is more like an addiction than a relationship. Yes, it’s passionate and it’s epic, and it’s what movies are made of, but would anyone really want that? Maybe at first, but after a while you want stability, and loyalty, and companionship, and to feel at home. And that is what Taylor has been writing about all this time. So, why use Burton and Taylor? 

Well, that article I mentioned before has the answer: 

Thirty years later, “Liz and Dick” is part of our shared historical understanding of romance, the ultimate kind of celebrity affair, one that still dwarfs the fleeting, 72-day benders of the Kardashian era. They seduced and destroyed and seduced each another again and again, and the public could not look away, nearly as enthralled by this train-wreck of a beautiful couple as the two were with one another. As icons representing a star-crossed, all-consuming, fantastical kind of love—like Romeo and Juliet, or, better yet, Marc Antony and Cleopatra—they offer the mythology of the absolute, whether it’s good or bad, better or worse. We love them because it was difficult beyond all imagining, but they kept going back. We also love them because it didn’t have to be difficult: They were living lives most of us can only dream of, with yachts and international homes and movie deals and million-dollar diamonds and entire worlds at their feet.

It’s all for the public, it’s all for the tabloids that sell the story. 

Now, there’s another interesting line in RFI: “No one has to know” it’s the last line before the chorus. This line reminded me of “I said no one has to know what we do” from Wildest Dreams. 

So, in the same song, Taylor is singing about the most mediatic and publicised celebrity relationship, and about keeping it a secret. It doesn’t really make sense, unless you see it as a song about both Taylors (and I don’t mean Liz here. I mean both Taylor Swifts). Ready For It is the love-child of Wildest Dreams and Blank Space and that is why the song doesn’t really make much sense at first. We get the media Taylor singing the verses, dripping with sarcasm and reminiscing of Blank Space yore..  and then you have the real Taylor singing the chorus, hopeful, sweet and sexy, reminiscing of Wildest Dreams.

In fact, Taylor has been singing about the secret part of the relationship since she started. The hidden/forbidden relationship is one of her motifs! And I finally figured out why. The real Taylor lives in the secrets, and not on the tabloids. We can judge her all we want about the men she dates (or doesn’t date)… about what she says or doesn’t say, about the clothes she wears… but at the end of the day, Taylor will always kick us in the ass with some amazing lyrics and great storytelling! She’s the only one that knows her own story! 

“There once was a girl known by everyone and no one” 

So, to conclude, I think Ready For It is about both Taylors. The Taylor that feels like Liz, overshadowed by her reputation; and the real Taylor, the one that lives in the secrets, that has real feelings and real desires. 

It might not be my favourite song in her repertoire, but I think Taylor is a masterful lyricist and storyteller and I am very excited about this new era! 

BRING IT ON! 

the end. 

How did I do @taylorswift?

[tsdecoded]

Burton to this Taylor

Before I begin, I need to specify that I am first and foremost a video analyst. I don’t really want to go into lyric analysis because I didn’t study anything related to that, but Ready For It just dropped and it kind of ties two music videos and three songs together. So, I’m going to give my analysis of what Taylor Swift is doing with this song! 

Let’s begin shall we? 

I was not a fan of Ready for It. *I need to specify this, because it’s the whole reason I got into the analysis part of this post!* I thought the verses made no sense and even though the chorus is one of my favourite TS choruses ever, I didn’t feel like it fit the song! It all felt out of place. 

BUT I AM A STUBBORN GIRL! And I wasn’t going to give up on Tay Tay that easily, so I started dissecting the song. The verses still don’t really make sense to me, to be honest, but when I got to “Burton to this Taylor”, my interest peaked. Why? Well, because Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are one of the most iconic couples in Hollywood’s history, but their love was problematic, to say the least! 

Okay, this is where I put on my nerd glasses and take you for a Classic Hollywood history lesson! 

Let’s begin! 

*DISCLAIMER* I am over-simplifying this story… it’s such a complicated and intriguing story, and I am not a biographer! If you want to know more about the couple and this scandalous story, go read Furious Love or any of their biographies. 

Anyways….

In 1954, a 28-year-old Richard Burton sees a 21-year-old Liz Taylor at a pool party and falls in love. She is gorgeous, famous, funny, and is completely ignoring him. In fact, Liz didn’t even talk to him at that party. Burton got hooked and it became a sort of personal challenge to get with her! Nine years later, in 1963, destiny would throw them together again on the set of Cleopatra, which by the way was the most scandalously expensive movie of its time. Burton was cast as Mark Anthony and Taylor was cast as Cleopatra.  Now, this movie was an epic letdown, it was a mediocre biopic at best, but it is still an iconic film because it gave us Liz and Dick! Burton and Taylor fell in love while shooting this film. They were both married to other people, but it didn’t stop them from falling for each other. When the filming was over, they went back to their respective spouses, but they couldn’t stay away from each other and a little less than a year later, they both got divorced. In 1963, they tied the knot and thus began the fantastic story of one of the most turbulent and passionate love affairs of the Golden Age of Hollywood. They were married for 11 years, then they got divorced in 1974, just to get married again in 1975 and then divorced again in 1976. 

Now, we can all agree that neither of them was a particularly stable adult. They were both alcoholics, suicidal at points, and extremely passionate. (It is said that Burton was an alcoholic as a way to drown his homosexuality, but I am not even going to go down that hole, because this analysis would never end!) Between the two of them, they had eleven spouses. Seven for Taylor and four for Burton. 

This is perhaps the most extravagant, turbulent and craziest relationship imaginable! So, why is Taylor Swift so obsessed with it? I hadn’t realised this, but the Liz Taylor-Richard Burton imagery goes back to 1989! In fact, both Wildest Dreams and Blank Space hint to it. 

Let’s start with the obvious one: Wildest Dreams. 

Now, the music video for the song is very obviously a depiction of Liz and Dick’s relationship.  -They’re both actors -They have an on-set romance -They’re in other relationships (at least he is) -They can’t stay away from each other (he runs out of the theatre after she leaves.) 

Taylor even replaced her blonde signature look, for a black wig! Taylor is very clearly creating a parallel between herself and the actress. 

I’ll come back to this video and this song later on, but for now, let’s focus on Blank Space. 

Ahhhhh! Blank Space, my love… 

I already did an analysis of this video, but here is another approach.

I was reading about Liz and Dick, and I came across this great article called “Why We Can’t Help Loving the Love Story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton” in it, we get this great paragraph:

From the moment they fell for one another, they would entrance and enrage the invested public, not to mention the paparazzi, nearly as much as they’d be entranced and enraged by the many facets of one another. Fans and haters (before the concept of haters was even invented) were drawn in by their shameless over-the-top romance, its scandalous headlines blaring across the pages of the tabloids, and their irrepressible need to be together, despite it all. Adding further resonance to the saga were the roles Burton and Taylor played in films throughout their relationship, which frequently paralleled their lavish personal lives: full of travel and expensive jewellery and entourages and love-making and joy, but also alcoholism and brutal fights and deep despair, heartbreak, and pain.

As I was reading it, I couldn’t help but think of Blank Space. Tell me that last line doesn’t sound like a very accurate description of Blank Space’s video!! Even the structure of the phrase matches the structure of the music video. It starts magical and perfect and soon we realise there’s a darker side to everything. Now, I’m not saying Taylor read the article and made the video around that line, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that if fits both of them.

This is where I get really interested in this whole deal! There is a clear parallel between the singer and the actress. It’s mostly a parallel between their reputations (lol.. see what I did there?). Both of them have had issues with the media focus on their personal lives rather than their talent. That’s what Blank Space is all about! In a way, Blank Space is a reminder that Taylor is first and foremost an artist, her media persona is something that was created to sell magazines! 

Both Liz and Taylor have had to deal with a very unfair representation of their character. Liz had to go through years of being called every single name in the book. I mean, yeah, she did get married eight times and she did steal other women’s husbands, but that should not be what we remember about her. She was a Hollywood legend! She won two Academy Awards, she portrayed some of the most amazing characters on screen, she was an activist, an entrepreneur, a stage actor, a film megastar… but her reputation tainted her legend. People will never be able to separate her from her “man-eater” image.  Taylor Swift is dealing with a similar situation. She has won eleven Grammys, and almost three-hundred other awards. She has broken countless records, written whole albums by herself, headlined sold-out arena tours, she has donated millions of dollars to different charities, she has lead a career worthy of respect and legend status, but a quick search will show you that all people care about is who her latest boyfriend is. Even worse, just as Liz was in her time, she is hated for her dating history. 

Both women have fallen victim of a sexist system that demonises female sexuality. This tainted reputation problem never really affects the men. I mean, Richard Burton had countless affairs, sometimes with underaged girls (x), but he is not judged or hated for it. He is first of all, and actor, and his legacy is as an actor and then as Elizabeth Taylor’s tempestuous lover. People still watch Woody Allen movies, elected Donald Trump as president, watch Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix movies, listen to Chris Brown’s music… all these men (except for Trump) are regarded as artists, their every mistake excused, but we hate Liz and Taylor because they married/dated a few men? 

Blank Space is basically Taylor’s way of showing the public how ridiculous this image that she has actually is. She reprises this idea in Look What You Made Me Do, but if I go there, I will never get out of there, and this post is already long enough! 

So… WHAT DOES THIS ALL HAVE TO DO WITH READY FOR IT?????? 

Whoa.. chill! I’m about to get there! (I told you I was a nerd….)

Ready For It is the first time Taylor makes the connection between her and Elizabeth explicit. “Burton to my Taylor” - great play on words because it reinforces this connection. Both of them are Taylor. (DEEP)

After reading about their relationship, I was left wondering why Taylor Swift would ever want a relationship like that. She has always said she’s a hopeless romantic, and Liz and Dick’s relationship is more like an addiction than a relationship. Yes, it’s passionate and it’s epic, and it’s what movies are made of, but would anyone really want that? Maybe at first, but after a while you want stability, and loyalty, and companionship, and to feel at home. And that is what Taylor has been writing about all this time. So, why use Burton and Taylor? 

Well, that article I mentioned before has the answer: 

Thirty years later, “Liz and Dick” is part of our shared historical understanding of romance, the ultimate kind of celebrity affair, one that still dwarfs the fleeting, 72-day benders of the Kardashian era. They seduced and destroyed and seduced each another again and again, and the public could not look away, nearly as enthralled by this train-wreck of a beautiful couple as the two were with one another. As icons representing a star-crossed, all-consuming, fantastical kind of love—like Romeo and Juliet, or, better yet, Marc Antony and Cleopatra—they offer the mythology of the absolute, whether it’s good or bad, better or worse. We love them because it was difficult beyond all imagining, but they kept going back. We also love them because it didn’t have to be difficult: They were living lives most of us can only dream of, with yachts and international homes and movie deals and million-dollar diamonds and entire worlds at their feet.

It’s all for the public, it’s all for the tabloids that sell the story. 

Now, there’s another interesting line in RFI: “No one has to know” it’s the last line before the chorus. This line reminded me of “I said no one has to know what we do” from Wildest Dreams. 

So, in the same song, Taylor is singing about the most mediatic and publicised celebrity relationship, and about keeping it a secret. It doesn’t really make sense, unless you see it as a song about both Taylors (and I don’t mean Liz here. I mean both Taylor Swifts). Ready For It is the love-child of Wildest Dreams and Blank Space and that is why the song doesn’t really make much sense at first. We get the media Taylor singing the verses, dripping with sarcasm and reminiscing of Blank Space yore..  and then you have the real Taylor singing the chorus, hopeful, sweet and sexy, reminiscing of Wildest Dreams.

In fact, Taylor has been singing about the secret part of the relationship since she started. The hidden/forbidden relationship is one of her motifs! And I finally figured out why. The real Taylor lives in the secrets, and not on the tabloids. We can judge her all we want about the men she dates (or doesn’t date)… about what she says or doesn’t say, about the clothes she wears… but at the end of the day, Taylor will always kick us in the ass with some amazing lyrics and great storytelling! She’s the only one that knows her own story! 

“There once was a girl known by everyone and no one” 

So, to conclude, I think Ready For It is about both Taylors. The Taylor that feels like Liz, overshadowed by her reputation; and the real Taylor, the one that lives in the secrets, that has real feelings and real desires. 

It might not be my favourite song in her repertoire, but I think Taylor is a masterful lyricist and storyteller and I am very excited about this new era! 

BRING IT ON! 

the end. 

How did I do @taylorswift?

[tsdecoded]

Blank Space - Part 1: The Femme Fatale

I thought I would start this project with my favourite Taylor Swift video: Blank Space. I remember exactly where I was when I watched it for the first time and how much I loved it. Funnily enough, one of my best friends from Uni texted me that I NEEDED to watch it. She said: “You’re gonna die. One word: Pastels” I was sold. Since the first beat and the first frame, Blank Space trapped me in this fantastical and perfect universe. The colours are pastel, the clothes are editorial, the house is aristocratic, everything about it is a dream (at least for me.. you might have other dreams, maybe a monster truck with fireworks.. I don’t know your life! Dream whatever you want! But, for me.. it doesn’t get any better than the Blank Space world.) 

I mean.. #GOALS! 

Okay, now that I have established my love for the video, let’s dive into the analysis. I separated this analysis in 2 parts. The first one will be the femme fatale approach, and the second will be the PR machine approach. There are probably many other ways to read this video, but these two approaches are the most interesting to me. So, let’s dive in. 

Let’s start with the obvious theme of “nightmare dressed like a day dream.” This is perhaps the most important lyric in the song and the central theme in the music video. 

So what is a nightmare dressed like a daydream? - The concept of the beautiful woman that attracts men to their doom is present in many cultures around the world and has been used in many films. The Femme Fatale is the first example that comes to mind. The beautiful and sensual woman turns out to be the evil villain all along. If you search for a definition on Wikipedia, here is what it says: 

A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. 

In classical cinema, the femme fatale is an extremely sexy and feminine woman that has this almost hypnotising allure. Think Brigid O'Shaughnessy from The Maltese Falcon, Rebecca from Rebecca, Rita Hayworth in Gilda, Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven, Eva Green in Sin City, Marion Cotillard in basically every single movie she has ever been in… The femme fatale is one of Hollywood’s favourite archetypes. It plays with the idea that women [specially beautiful women] are inherently dangerous and not to be trusted.  

Taylor is very clearly using the image of the femme fatale in this video. The first time we see her she is wearing a black lace dress, and throughout the video she portrays this very elegant, mysterious and attractive character. Everything about her is attractive. She is gorgeous, she has style, she lives in a mansion, the horses, the dogs, she paints… everything about her is interesting.  She is the perfect woman… or so we think. 

As the video progresses, we start seeing how the perfect exterior starts to crack. We get our first glimpse of the crazy interior at about minute 1:20. When Taylor is singing “got a long list of ex lovers” she is hanging the recently painted portrait of her new lover on the hallway. At first glance, everything seems fine, just another painting on the wall, but if you pay close attention, the portrait directly in front of the one she is hanging has an ax stuck in it (it took me about 10 watches to actually notice the ax). There is something wrong about this perfect character, and we slowly start noticing. It starts small, but the violence increases by the second. She even warns us. The craziness starts as she sings “the worst is yet to come.” With these words, she launches us into this crazy journey of rage, jealousy and violence. She breaks things, cuts and burns his clothes, throws objects at him, she slashes his portrait… it’s all very insane. The guy is clearly trapped in this situation and there is no way out. He is doomed. 

When we get to the bridge, the video takes a slightly different structure. We see Taylor directly in front of the camera, playing with an apple.

This is perhaps, my favourite part of the video. Visually, it’s so interesting and appealing. To begin with, we go from mostly wide shots, to a sequence of close-ups. Then, we get Taylor singing directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall. And then, we finally see that her behaviour is a pattern. She is in control. The apple is a metaphor for the guy. Whatever she does to the apple, the guy feels. We also finally get to see the hallway with the portraits… this is important because we get a glimpse of the extent of her craziness. Two things stand out. The first thing is that all the guys hanging on the walls are the same. They all fit the same description. The second thing is that they all had violent endings. An ax, scratched faces, red paint… every single portrait was destroyed. 

Now, the video goes back to the wider shots, and we see Taylor’s character destroying the car, and the tree with the heart, and everything else related to him. Finally, we see him on the floor. He is probably dead, or at least unconscious. It’s definitely not a good ending for him (or his car). The femme fatale takes her victim. 

The video finally ends exactly like it started, with a handsome man driving into her house in a fancy car, creating this endless cycle of the same. 

Now that we have gone through the superficial analysis of the video, we can go a little deeper and actually try to decode (see what I did there? lol) the message behind the video. 

The femme fatale has been a somewhat controversial figure. It represents the fear of the sexually free woman. This makes it the perfect character for Taylor to critique how the media portrays her. She’s not only calling out the misogynistic criticism she constantly receives, but she’s also challenging the viewer’s perception of her. She plays this over-the-top character, as if saying “this is what you want me to be? Look at me be the moat extreme version of this character you’ve created for me.” We sometimes forget there are two Taylors: the public persona; and the real woman. This video is perhaps the best reminder that it’s all just an act, a fabrication. And with that thought, we can transition into part 2.