Taylor Swift has recently admitted to trying to find her voice in the political sphere (Lesson 28 of the 30 things she learned before turning 30), and while she’s become very vocal through her social media platforms, for some reason it didn’t occur to me that we’d be served that political ~edge~ in something as permanent as her new single, You Need to Calm Down. If you’re not the subject of this new bop, then you are also of the opinion that the inherent human rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community have no place falling under the political umbrella, much like the inherent rights of those in possession of a uterus, but here we are in the year 2019 where old white men still think it’s up to them who we’re allowed to be and love.
AN??Y ??WAY??
The second single off of Taylor Swift’s upcoming album, Lover, dropped at midnight on June 14, and it takes swings at anybody who refuses to stay in their lane. From online trolls to protesters at Pride, Taylor has spoken: it’s time for everybody to calm the f down. If you haven’t had the chance to catch the new anti-troll anthem yet, watch the lyric video below.
I’m just like damn about the whole thing, tbh. Swifties are good at nothing if not reaching, and I’d like to think that, while the first verse is clearly a callout to internet trolls, it subtweets Donald Trump as well (I’m just like damn, it’s 7AM …. You say it in a Tweet, that’s a cop-out). Plus, June 14 happens to be Trump’s birthday, and Taylor rarely does anything accidentally.Â
She goes on to clapback at those who claim that it’s an attack on their freedom of speech to tell them to stop being assholes online (And I ain’t tryna mess with your self-expression)Â and then offers my favorite reference lyric to date with “Snakes and stones never broke my bones”. Are you kidding me? Snakes and stones! And thank god they didn’t, because where would I be today without this total jam fit for fueling my rage fire?
Verse two keeps it up, asking strangers, “Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?” And no, that’s not a typo – the word is spelled to reference the pro LGBTQ+ organization, which rewrites the script for acceptance. Because somehow, in the year 2019, and despite the “sunshine on the street at the parade,” there are still people out there stuck in the dark ages, spending hours writing up hateful signs to carry through Pride parades and spewing vitriol at those just trying to celebrate loving themselves. But attacking people never changed their minds, did it? And “shade never made anybody less gay.”
The world would be such a better place if everyone could take their seat and mind their own god damned business. I recognize that. Taylor recognizes it. Why is it so hard for those who spend their days trying to ruin others’ to recognize? Just calm down!