Single Review: Taylor Swift, ‘Look What You’ve Made Me Do’
“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now.”
“Why?”
“Oh ’cause she’s dead!”
Pop has been in a peculiar position of reinvention this past year. Just take a look at the “EDM bubble that burst” while it was at it’s peak. You either carved out a loyal fan base with your uniqueness or integrated into a hybrid of pop or hip-hop. Artists like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez were able to shed their Disney pasts for a more sensual, R&B/Hip-hop version of themselves. This transition has been a little harder for an artist like Katy Perry. Her latest album, Witness tried to straddle the line between a sense of empowerment (“Chained To The Rhythm”) and collaborations with Migos (“Bon Appétit”) that gave off that she was trying to stretch herself to thin to be all encompassing.
Fans went into a frenzy when Taylor Swift wiped her social media channels clean. Short videos of snakes were posted and then the announcement of her newest album, Reputation that will be released on November 10th. The album cover shows Swift in a black and white drop against newsletter heading. Throughout her career, Swift is no stranger to the headlines – whether it be her past relationships or a continuing feuds with Kanye West and Katy Perry.
The first single, “Look What You Made Me Do” is a stark departure from the cheery, ole to dropping negativity as in the first single of 1989‘s “Shake It Off.” Swift chooses spoken lyrics against a track of 808 drums that is reminiscent of Peaches brand of electro-hip hop. Whether this change will be prevalent throughout the upcoming album remains to been seen – but it is a hard left from a musical standpoint. It’s devoid of the upbeat pop where she has been accustomed to in her brand and embraced a darker brand of pop that die-hard fans might embrace, but will divide the mainstream.
Is the “old” Taylor really dead or is she now apt to embrace the role that she has been trying to reject? The reference to the headlines, the shots at Kanye West on their feud for his line in the 2016 song, “Famous” – this might be the most obvious heel turn yet. Take a look at the video for “Bad Blood.” Swift forms a “super team” complete with Michael Bay-like explosions on a song that was a reported swipe at Katy Perry. Swift always needs an adversary – this is why many try to find out who songs like “Blank Space” are about. The running gag behind the release of every Taylor Swift album is who is going to turn into the hit break-up song.
As she eludes into the song, “I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined.” The need for some type of comeuppance has been present in Swift’s music since the note of “keeping a list of names” in “Blank Space.” Perhaps the “new era” of Taylor Swift is her fully embracing her Regina George-like aura that has been around her for most of her career. It’s not so much the Hulk Hogan, Bash At The Beach heel turn that made most of the fans throw trash in the ring. Swift is the popular girl in school that salivates at dishing karma. Musically, this is a departure, but from the person and subject matter, it’s familiar.
