Taylor Swift #44 You should see your faces!

[ishant]

This is hilarious and unserious

 

[MidnightAura]

I feel such a mix of emotions toward her - extreme sympathy, would not want her life, don't know how she handles it, and then also that it is a monster of hers/her families creation, she could take a break, she could go away and be in the most amazing places with the most amazing experiences and heal and live life to a level most people couldn't dream of. I guess the fame is so addictive though, and she was in it an age when she probably didn't know what she was getting herself into. Must be a hell of a lot to unpack for her.

The most interesting insight from this album for me isn't about her relationships but seeing how she sees herself. It's kinda fascinating.

Also ETA -- the parasocial fans are now something she hates and is calling out (which I think rightly so, it is so weird) but that wasn't a problem when they were fighting her battles with Jake/his gf, Scooter, Katy Perry, Joe and every girl he's breathed near, and god knows how many others. Anything she finally stands up against/for is because it's inconvenienced her.

I think it comes across like she doesn’t like her fans. How did we go from Long Live to vipers bitching and moaning, wine moms - fuck em. And yes she probably means the more obsessed fans but at the same time who created the para social relationship? Who uses it when it suits her all the damn time with multiple merch drops, 20,000 varients of the same album, gate keeps her own tour tickets? Keeps her mouth shut when the fans threaten people because it suits her narrative? But when people point out that Matty Healy has said some very questionable things she gets mad but if she were the one calling him out, she would be happy to let her fans loose.

Taylor can’t have it both ways. You can’t play fans like fiddles 24/7 and then get annoyed when rightfully or wrongfully they learn some songs you don’t like. If you are going to lay your dating history across several albums, people are going to have thoughts on it.

Taylor if anything is a great example of being pushed into the limelight far too young by two pushy overbearing parents.

 

[emerald]

Yeah I now am of the opinion that this is an entirely Matty album with the exception of So Long London (main album anyway).

But SLL is track 5 so I think she’s making a point that Joe was a great hurtful loss, just not one she has a ton to say about.

BTW did my run But Daddy I Love Him is literally the best running song ever. Pls go run to it.

I hope your dress wasn't undone when you were running

 

[Folkevermore]

I agree with this. They're taking a lead from Taylor on that, who is showing with this album that she doesn't really have much genuine respect for mental health issues unless she's talking about her own manic breakdown. *Has* she seen a therapist now? This album would be such a good jumping off point for her to speak more vocally about mental health, depression, cancel culture and more... why does she refuse to engage with that? Especially given how many of her fans would find a lot to gain from it, and it would help Taylor feel more human, which she is sorely starting to lack for me.

This album doesn’t sound like it was written by someone who’s getting regular therapy

 

[slugella]

I wonder if the lack of Joe is out of respect - recognising he didn't do anything to warrant being viciously dragged for. Like how she said she writes bad men the best (not sure exactly how she worded it), and he isn't so was mostly absent. Though if so, still kinda mean she let her fans get carried away with the idea it would be about him/him cheating. So not as if he got away unscathed.

Or could be out of spite - e.g. you're not important enough to mention.

Or she's still dealing with her feelings. Or she saw midnights as the album to process her feelings on him. I have no idea!

 

[HotDawg]

While I think Joe was probably a bit boring, I cannot imagine choosing slimy Matty Healy over him. Joe looks like he showers daily, washes his hair, can hold an intelligent social conversation and has very good manners.

 

[JLXRD]

I mean I assume that Joe didn’t know that Taylor harboured ‘what if’ feelings over Matty. It’s not something you tend to share.

Spoiler: Me rail

me rail but there was someone in my life around the time I met my husband who I had always had a what if thing with, but we were never single around the same time. When I’d been married about 2 years, he came back into my life and I spent a lot of time with him.

For context my husband I had just had a very hard time, trigger warningas I’d had 3 miscarriages . We were both just incredibly sad, and it made it hard for us to feel connected.

I definitely started feeling like maybe I was meant to be with this other man bc we were connected on an intellectual level. nothing ever happened. But looking back that was stupid and a product of my sadness. I never acted on it and am now so glad as I’m very happy with my husband and we’re past all the bad stuff and never been happier.

But my point is he never ever would have known that I had a single thought like that. And i will never tell him. So it’s not inconceivable that Joe had no idea.

 

[AbnormalFrog]

almost 31 heartbreaking love songs

Now now...one of those songs is praising said latest bozo because he knows how to ball


yes I do plan to bring up you know how to ball at every opportunity I love tay tay but I shall never be over it

you know how to ball HAHAHAHA

 

[The Downfall of Us All]

oooft, controversial maybe but on the surface I do agree with this! That all her stans want is more gossip and “tea” as opposed to what she’s actually saying. However, I don’t think she helps herself either by making clear links to people either. I’m back and forth, because people did it even for her more “fictional” albums - I did it too admittedly and I stand by “tolerate it” at least being inspired by something she felt while with Joe (I didn’t know it was supposed to be a fictional album when I first heard it!) I don’t think she can win whatever she does, so maybe now she’s like “fuck it, here’s the gossip” as the “I’m having his baby, no I’m not” to me reads like when there were rumours about her getting married in secret etc. idk, what’s everyone’s thoughts?

 

[Chinese_whispers]

Three of my best friends I’ve known 10+ years sent me The Bolter with a bombastic side eye.

Guess I now know my reputation in all of my friend groups

 

[Folkevermore]

Listening to down bad and I don’t understand how she left a long term relationship, appeared to quickly get with Matty then quickly get with travis after

I’m not saying that she maybe didn’t lose feelings before she left Joe but how do you go from being so in love with MH and then get with someone else

Travis is just a distraction because she can’t fathom being alone for too long

 

[Chinese_whispers]

I’m seeing a lot of videos on tik tok of people with a lot of negative things to say about this album. Of course I expect not everyone will like it and that’s absolutely fine but do ya know what enrages me a lot.

‘it’s just not a good album, it’s terrible, the lyrics are one dimensional’ in an argumentative tone.

.. I think what you mean is ‘I don’t personally think it’s a good album, I think it’s terrible and I find the lyrics one dimensional.’

people who state their opinions as fact (mostly men, pls make them stop) will never not rile me. Like sorry didn’t realise you were the authority on this and therefore the fact other people like it is wrong…

I had this whole discussion yesterday with my partners best friend. “It’s happy and then depressed. It’s all over the place” BECAUSE SHE WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. Why are Straight Men ™️ so baffled that people can have more than one emotion? It’s wild.

 

[Lady_choo]

I haven’t cried to the album either but I’m always in daze listening to it and I’m definitely on a downer. I think whoever said about trauma dumping was right. And shock yes. And every now and then I’m like how the f are these songs about Matty Healy

I do think though if her and Joe had broken up in the rep or lover days she would have been very heartbroken and I think we would have gotten a very heart wrenching album. I think with this guy she was so in love with the idea of him and probably she fell in love with an idea of him. You can’t tell me the red flags weren’t there. I still think Joe was the love of her life at a certain time, I think Matty came back in to her mind as the relationship was dying as a way to occupy herself. My mind won’t accept that Matty was in her mind in the good days with Joe.

Probably the reason why she never stops is because if she stops she might actually have to deal with her shit. I also had a dream last night that it was the first night back on tour and she didn’t do any TTPD songs which I would now be disappointed about.

 

[dizmal]

She would have to include But Daddy I Love Him and I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.

During But Daddy I Love Him, the spotlights can point out fans who Tree has flagged as "offenders" so they can be publicly shamed and removed from the stadium

 

[JombleWomble]

It became a Swiftie thing the moment Taylor mentioned it in a song…

Funny how people are quick to blame the business owner but won’t mention that Taylor naming the pub ruined it first

The Black Dog is not a unique name for a bar though. The song doesn't even mention that it's in the UK. Ok we inferred that from Taylor's recent public romances but still, her just naming the bar doesn't identify which of hundreds of possible locations it is.

I have mixed feelings about the business identifying itself. On the one hand, Swifties were gonna descend on any pub with that name so they may as well lean into that a bit. But on the other, specifically naming someone as a regular there is a step too far for me.

I wouldn't be surprised if the bar staff have just completely made that up though. Swift sells.

 

[ScottsTots044]

Taylor accepting a Grammy in 2021: “Shout out to Joe, who is the first person I play every single song that I write”

Us in 2024 discovering the Matty Healy lore and the secret songs about him:

 

[calmyourritas]

Cannot stop walking round going DOWN BAD CRYING AT THE GYM and I think my husband might file for divorce if I sing it more time help

 

[OtherMoon]

I'm really enjoying watching the over invested reaction videos of people clapping along to Daddy I love him, telling her to tell them then immediately going on rants making it clear they either don't understand it was written for them or they just don't care.
Swiftologist in particular cracked me up cheering along then he immediately goes off on Matt and how she clearly needs prayers.

And then the faux feminism lot 'do we really need to reduce her to what guy this song is written about' because they don't want to acknowledge it's about Matt and she doesn't care how you feel about it.
She wants you to understand this album is mostly about Matt she gives so many damn hints and pointers to him. She wants her fans to understand that what we thought was a short lived phase was actually much longer in her mind and far more significant that was first realised.
That we don't know as much as we think and regardless she isn't asking anyone for permission.

 

[julixx]

Also I realize it’s because I’m not artsy but if a man I was dating used a typewriter I’d get the ick in record time. Ok not as fast as viva Las Vegas but it’s up there

 

[secretyoutubelover]

Imagine actively pushing for a marriage with someone even though you know yourself you’re pining over someone else

It makes me tend to think she had the incredibly flawed logic that marrying Joe would stop her from being interested in Matty - we've all been there in life. I'm minded to start thinking the anxiety of Lover as an album is due to her having her heart elsewhere the whole time, and any insecurities about Joe not loving her enough were because she couldn't genuinely wholly give herself to him. I could be wrong but in general, it's really sad. It adds weight to her not being a very good person.

Can we also cycle back to what a huge big deal everyone made of Taylor's friends unfollowing Joe all at once? What's their explanation for that now that we know the reality?