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We are all very used to hearing Taylor Swift’s storybook love songs about boys and breakups… But is the old Taylor Swift is dead?!?!
Look What You Made Me Do is the ultimate diss track. It’s fiery and bitter, a side to Taylor we’ve only seen momentarily. “I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red underlined” suggests Taylor is out to seek revenge. As this is first single to be released from her long awaiting sixth album Reputation, out November 10th, vengeance is already looking sweet for Taylor.
The single comes after Taylor wiped away all her previous social media posts alluding she’s done with her ingenue former self and the melodic pop-songs that made us all become a ‘Swifty’ over a decade ago. This is a new era, almost a re-birth. Taylor is definitely trying to be the new ‘bad girl’ that nobody should mess with.
From apparent digs at two individuals, in particular, *cough* Kanye and Kim *cough*, referencing their on-going public feud continues in Taylor’s latest release. “I don’t like your tilted stage” is evidently implying Kanye West. Starting back in 2009, Kanye interrupted Taylor’s VMA’s acceptance speech by storming onto the stage; snatching the mic and claimed she didn’t deserve the award and said it demanded the award should’ve gone to Beyoncè for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”.
Kanye then gave a shout out to Taylor in his track Famous taken from The Life of Pablo, again claiming that “he made that b—- famous” from the incident at the VMA’s. Kanye said that Taylor found the lyrics amusing and that she was fine with it. However, Taylor’s management denied this. Promoting Kim Kardashian, who then got involved by publishing Snapchats of a phone conversation between West and Swift about the creation of Famous and then branding Taylor a snake.
This grievous track does seem like the perfect way to take down the haters with its harsh, threatening, punitive lyricism. The chorus samples the cheesy 1991 track, I’m Too Sexy by British group Right Said Fred, who receive a writing credit for Look What You Made Me Do.
However, the reception of the single has divided Taylor’s die-hard fan base as many seem sceptical about her new direction in music as she’s shifted away from safe themes of love and heartache. The single doesn’t have the same catchiness or commerciality as Shake It Off or 22 that usually appeals to her younger fans. But, as this is only the first snippet of “Reputation”, we don’t know if Taylor continues the sour, resentful attitude. All we know is we can’t wait to hear what she does next!