Personal Interest

My fangirl obsession began when I was ten, and Hannah Montana took the spotlight. After Hannah Montana, the fangirl in me grew up with One Direction, and when they went on hiatus, Taylor Swift was the person who caught my attention. I always listened to Taylor Swift's hit songs on the radio, but it was not until 2017, when I asked my mom for the new Reputation album, that I became a fan. Little did I know my obsession would grow in a few years.

 

The obsession grew during COVID-19 when Taylor announced that she would re-record all her albums and release two new ones. The re-recordings are special since she now fully owns her albums. Before, her albums were under different legal and contractual objections, and by re-recording her songs, Taylor can reclaim control over her recordings. What also strikes me about Taylor is the growth she portrays in her music. For example, in her song called Better Than Revenge, the lyrics are "she's better known for the things she does on the mattress", but in the re-recording, she changed the lyrics to "he was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches". Taylor wanted to convey that there is no bad blood between her and the actress she wrote the song about. This shows me that she can admit mistakes, learn from them, and make things right. I think this is an important quality I can work on too.

 

I grew up with her and related to her albums at different ages. Taylor's songwriting is phenomenal since she writes about her life experiences, which is very relatable. I related to her Reputation album in high school, and now, in my mid-twenties, I relate to her Folklore, Evermore and Midnights albums. I am obsessed with the lyrics from Marjorie, "Never be so kind, you forget to be clever. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind". In addition to those lyrics, Taylor is a massive role model for me because she is kind and gives her best. She worked hard to achieve her biggest dream and never gave up despite all the criticism she received. In an interview with Annie Reuter, Taylor said, "I get tired a lot, but I never get tired of it". That interview shows the type of person Taylor is and that she will always try and give her best.

 

Taylor also likes to leave cryptic clues for her fans to discover. Being a fan for a few years led me to fall down the rabbit hole and overanalyse the clues she gives us to promote new music. For example, in the Bejeweled music video, the elevator floors are different colours, representing different eras. As a fan, you must pay attention to the order in which Taylor pushes the buttons. Through my website, I want to teach new fans more about Taylor and help them identify the cryptic clues. It would also be a massive gain if I could make friends in the process.